January 11, 2024

With Canada’s international education sector facing criticism, Moira MacDonald of University Affairs reports that many feel it is time to rethink the country’s international education strategy. MacDonald touches on several of the issues that threaten Canada’s reputation as an international education destination, including underfunded student supports, employability problems, and cost of living. The article highlights some of the current efforts underway to address these issues, both at the individual classroom level and country-wide, such as the IRCC’s “recognized institutions” model. MacDonald concludes by noting that other countries are also struggling with criticism about the impact of unbridled growth on the institutions’ ability to deliver a high-quality student experience and education.

A winter storm forced several postsecondary institutions in the eastern half of the country to close their doors yesterday. Cégep de Baie-Comeau, Cégep de Sept-Îles, Collège Sainte Anne de la Pocatière, and Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières were among the institutions in Québec that stopped in-person teaching and switched to online learning where possible in response to the snow fall. In New Brunswick, Oulton College, St Thomas University, Université de Moncton, and the University of New Brunswick planned to open later in the day, while Crandall University, Eastern College, New Brunswick Community College, and New Brunswick College of Craft and Design closed for the entire day. In Ontario, Northern College closed its Timmins campus in anticipation of the snowfall.

The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) has called for the Government of Ontario to lift its tuition freeze and increase funding by 10% for the province’s universities. During the recent ON pre-budget consultations, COU President Steve Orsini stated that, as the result of growing financial pressures, “at least 10 universities are currently projecting an operating deficit for this year.” This pressure is subsequently leading to cuts that impact student supports and services. Orsini urged the provincial government to address the financial sustainability of the sector and immediately implement the blue-ribbon panel’s recent recommendations. In a statement for Global News, an ON spokesperson said that they were carefully reviewing the panel’s recommendations and are looking to foster a “sustainable path forward.”

A new Netflix documentary discusses how University of Manitoba Professor Andrew Halayko’s photo was used in a cryptocurrency scam. The film details how a cryptocurrency company Centra Tech created a fictional CEO named Michael Edwards using Halayko’s photo after it appeared in an online search using the phrase “old white guy.” The photo was used to create a fake online profile for the fictitious CEO to grant the company legitimacy. In May 2019, Halayko was made aware that his photo was being used by a fraudulent website and was asked to speak to the FBI and give witness statements. Halayko told the filmmakers that he has a question for the fraudsters: “‘Of the millions — hundreds of millions, I don’t know — of pictures of men with glasses and a little bit of grey hair, why did you pick me?”

Mohawk College is collaborating with the National Air Force Museum of Canada (NAFMC) to investigate the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) to preserve Canada’s military history. The parties will lead a research project on the ethical implications of using facial recognition AI to catalogue and index archival images of members of Canada’s air forces. Mohawk also aims to train museum staff on how they can ethically leverage AI within their research and public engagement efforts. “Our goal is to effectively utilize AI tools in a manner that respects privacy and upholds the dignity of veterans and their communities,” said Mohawk Professor and project lead Stephen Adams.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Sustainability-Led Integrated Centres of Excellence (SLICE) is partnering with Prairie Clean Energy to research the use of agricultural waste to generate low-carbon bioheat. The collaboration will establish a living lab at a Sask Polytech agriculture field site near Moose Jaw that will test the potential of using biomass to heat buildings. Sask Polytech will offer four free micro-credentials in partnership with Quick Train Canada and Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery that focus on biomass production, handling, storage, and supply chain distribution. As part of this partnership, Sask Polytech will also develop an online GIS platform to trace and track Saskatchewan’s flax straw suppliers and monitor biomass product sustainability.

The University of New Brunswick’s Integrated Health Initiative has received a $1M boost from the Sir James Dunn Foundation. $500K of this donation will support the work of Dr Ziba Vaghri, UNB’s chair in child rights for child health, while the other $500K will contribute to the construction of the Health and Social Innovation Centre at UNB’s Saint John Campus and fund the development of a flexible space for small conferences, workshops, and special events. The space will be named The Christofor, after the late wife of Sir James Dunn: Marcia Anastasia “Christofor” Christoforides.

Two labour negotiations have recently reached important milestones. The Front commun has reached an agreement in principle with the Government of Québec regarding pay and working conditions. The group leaders agreed to a 17.4% increase in salaries over the next five years, as well as a fifth week of vacation after 15 years of seniority, phased retirement extended to seven years, and higher contributions to health insurance plans from employers. The agreement still needs to be ratified by union members. Capilano University and the Capilano Faculty Association (CFA) have ratified a collective agreement under the Province’s Shared Recovery Mandate that includes salary increases, enhanced compensation for non-regular employees, and enhanced benefits entitlement.

The Nunavut Housing Corporation (NHC), Nunavut Arctic College, and the Government of Nunavut—in partnership with Sakku Investments Corporation—are celebrating a Nunavut 3000 capacity-building pilot project that involved 40 students helping to create a public housing unit. NAC hired graduates of the college’s Skills Trades Worker Program to work on the project, and several Trades School faculty and staff contributed to the construction. “The construction activity generated by Nunavut 3000 in communities will be leveraged to help increase the number of pre-apprentices, apprentices, and skilled tradespeople in the local labour force and improve the availability of skilled workers,” said NV Minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation Lorne Kusugak

In the wake of international research integrity scandals such as the recent resignation of Harvard University’s president, several members of the postsecondary sector have penned opinion articles on research integrity. In an article for Times Higher Education, Ian Pace (City University of London) argues that all academics and students must be pushed to avoid plagiarism and construct their arguments on the foundation of a properly cited body of knowledge. Till Bruckner of University World News discusses the wrong way to tackle research integrity: “first chose the target, […] then go looking for the crime.” Bruckner explains that this phenomenon of weaponizing research integrity is relatively new, but argues that it could lead to publication bias and the intentional avoidance of “unsafe” topics that are more likely to draw public attention.