January 30, 2024

Cambrian College has unveiled a new brand identity that features a new logo to better reflect its image in the physical and digital spaces. The logo is depicted in burgundy and gold and includes two stylized letter Cs in the shape of a shield to represent the college’s name and the Canadian Shield upon which Cambrian is located. A flame in the upper right corner represents enlightenment and pays tribute to the dragon head in the college’s former logo. “[T]he new brand supports our efforts to modernize the college across physical and digital spaces to always provide the same amazing Cambrian experience, no matter where or how you connect with us,” said Cambrian Director of Marketing, Recruitment and Student Success Renée Scott.

A Langara College instructor is no longer an employee of the college after making comments at an on-campus rally that Langara says were contrary to the college’s expectations. The college conducted an internal investigation after “a Langara employee made remarks at an off-campus event that did not and do not reflect the values of the College;” the employee was reinstated after the investigation, but was cautioned to comply with college policies to ensure a respectful and safe learning and working environment. Langara said that the employee soon after engaged in activities contrary to these expectations and, as a result, is no longer employed with the college. CBC and Castanet suggest that the employee is likely the instructor who made headlines for her comments at a rally near campus in October.

Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Health will launch a Master of Nursing, Mental Health and Addictions program this Fall. The program was designed for Nova Scotia nurses who are currently working in mental health and addictions. Dal’s School of Nursing Director Dr Ruth Martin-Misener explained that the program will “deepen [nurses’] clinical and leadership expertise, provide valuable advanced credentials and prepare them for rewarding career opportunities in advanced nursing practice, leadership, education and management/administration.” Students can complete the program in two years of full-time studies or three years of part-time studies. Dal states that this is the first program of its kind in Atlantic Canada.

As universities across the country report growing rates of academic misconduct, some are turning to proctoring software to monitor and prevent cheating during final exams. However, a recent CTV News article highlights the concerns of several university students and staff who claim that increased surveillance can cause undue stress during tests and that the technology used to monitor students can be unreliable. “Sometimes the tendency is to rely on these tools because they’re there,” said University of Windsor Associate Professor of Online Pedagogy Bonnie Stewart. “I think that’s a mistake.” Others pointed out that while surveillance software for online exams is not perfect, it can flag potential cases of cheating for further investigation.

Toronto Metropolitan University’s Ted Rogers School of Management has received a $1M donation from the Gupta Family Foundation to support the business school and its students. The gift will endow financial awards for MBA students in hospitality and tourism management and will offer unrestricted support for priority needs. “The Ted Rogers School has one of the most diverse student populations of any business school in Canada: more than 50% of our students identify as racialized and 30% are first in their family to attend university,” stated Ted Rogers Dean Dr Cynthia Holmes. “A gift like this, from a family rooted in the newcomer experience and earning their success in Canadian business, has special resonance for our community of learners.”

The University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College are working together on ways to keep their graduates in the community. CTV News reports that only 38% of ULethbridge alumni and 50% of Lethbridge College graduates choose to stay in southern Alberta. A series of reports have recently highlighted some of the reasons why graduates leave the region, such as concerns with employment opportunities, public safety, and transportation accessibility. The university and college aim to collaborate with community partners to encourage graduates to stay in the region. “[W]e continue to have dialogue around this,” said ULethbridge Executive Director of Student Services Mark Slomp. “Working together to really benefit the south west region with the influx and retention of graduates.”

The University of the Fraser Valley and the University of Guelph have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance pathways for sustainable innovation within Canada’s food and agriculture industry. Under this partnership, UFV and UoGuelph will establish accelerator workshops, facilitate a national network of agricultural technology players, and nurture research and development opportunities to scale new innovations into the marketplace. “I see this MOU as a timely and exciting alignment between two vital nodes of expertise on agriculture and the future of food,” said UoGuelph interim VP (research) Rene Van Acker. “From training, to applied research, and work on policy, this is the moment to take a national approach that will position Canada to be a global agri-food powerhouse.”

Collège Ahuntsic will launch a new Urban Agriculture DEC program in January 2025. This program will focus on three core aspects of urban agriculture: production, management, and technical engineering. The program will be interdisciplinary, incorporating the expertise of Collège Ahuntsic programs such as biotechnology, automation and control, and environment and social economy. The college is currently consulting with stakeholders to ensure that this upcoming program meets the needs of the sector and its associated communities.

Queen’s University Principal Patrick Deane issued an open letter to the community indicating that the university is working to ensure it stays financially healthy in the long-term. “While there is no risk to Queen’s in the immediate future,” writes Deane, “it is clear that for long term sustainability, now is the time for us to look very carefully at the way we operate as an institution […] particularly in the face of limited resources.” Deane added that “there is no risk that Queen’s in any foreseeable future will close its doors,” and noted that administration is actively meeting with the community about the budget. CTV News outlines some of the steps that Queen’s has taken to steady its finances to date, including implementinga hiring freeze, reducing budgets, and stopping admissions to its Arts and Science Online certificate and degree programs.

The University of New Brunswick and York University have published articles about how they are using virtual and online technology to support nursing education. UNB is running a Learn Where You Live program to enable licensed practical nurses to complete their Bachelor of Nursing Education from anywhere in the province. Meta Quest 2 headsets are used to provide students with simulation training in a virtual reality environment. At YorkU, a three-month pilot project that offered online mentoring to nursing students has been deemed a success. Project lead and YorkU Assistant Professor Ruth Robbio explained that psychosocial support and mentoring are essential “to facilitating entry to practice,” and that offering this support in an online format helps to reduce barriers to access.