January 5, 2024

A new report from the Fraser Institute–titled Educational Attainment, Migration, and Provincial Spending on Universities in Canada–explores the impact of provincial funding provided to public universities. Report authors Alex Whalen and Nathaniel Li state that they did not find a consistent relationship between per-student spending and educational attainment in the long term, meaning that “higher spending per domestic student does not necessarily enable relatively high spending provinces to reap the rewards of a more educated workforce.” The authors note that interprovincial migration is an important factor in this relationship. “For any given province, substantial migration to another province represents a financial loss for the province when recent university graduates leave after completing their studies,” commented Whalen.

A former Acadia Divinity College student has filed a lawsuit against the college, alleging that she was sexually assaulted between 1989 and 1991 while receiving mental health counselling. The lawsuit alleges that the former student was abused by former theology professor Dennis Veinotte, who died in 2012, while Veinotte was working “in the capacity of the plaintiff’s professor and counsellor.” The plaintiff’s statement of claim puts forth that the school is vicariously liable for the alleged abuse. The lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages.

Laurentian University has officially adopted a policy of institutional neutrality. The policy states that Laurentian “acknowledges the importance of impartiality and does not take political or social stances, other than those consistent with the university’s mandate or policies.” This applies to “the president and vice-chancellor, the chair of the board of governors, any officers of the university, or those to whom those persons have delegated authority to speak on their behalf.” Laurentian interim president Sheila Embleton explained that, when it comes to polarizing topics, university statements can be distracting, demonstrate preference for one side of the issue, and impact academic freedom and free speech. “[P]eace in any place of the world is unlikely to be resolved by a statement from the president of Laurentian University,” said Embleton.

Cape Breton University has implemented a new code of conduct to protect international students from misleading claims made by recruitment agents about the university and the local region. The code of conduct provides a framework for recruiters to follow and outlines penalties for those who fail to follow its guidelines. The Canadian Press reports that this code is a direct response to criticism from CBU international students who have claimed that some agents haved been dishonest about housing affordability and the availability of part-time work in the region. CBU Manager of International Digital Strategy and Partnership Development Joel Inglis explained that recruiters “need to be giving students real information and not misguiding or misleading them.”

The Lawfare Project and Diamond and Diamond Lawyers have filed a $77M class action lawsuit against McMaster University and the McMaster Students Union. The lawsuit lists all current Jewish students at McMaster, as well as Jewish students who have graduated in the last two years, as plaintiffs and seeks compensation and remedies for discrimination, harassment, and physical abuse. The lawsuit also references the McMaster’s Student Union, alleging that the union endorsed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and continues to support it on campus. “This lawsuit seeks to establish and enforce effective, and enduring measures to guarantee a safe, supportive and tolerant educational setting for all students, irrespective of their race, religion, or ethnicity,” said Lawfare Project Executive Director Brooke Goldstein.

In a recent article for The Conversation, University of Victoria Assistant Professor Deondre Smiles discusses how university Indigenization efforts must involve more authentic consultation and relationships with the local nations and lands. Smiles writes that plans to hire Indigenous faculty members and staff and increase the visibility of Indigenous ways of being and knowing often include an assumption that Indigenous scholars are better able to interface with local Indigenous communities. In reality, Smiles writes, Indigenous scholars do not necessarily share compatible worldviews and practices with one another, do not always have easier “access” to local Indigenous communities, and may be working as guests on other nations’ lands. Smiles concludes by encouraging institutions to engage in more meaningful consultation through initiatives such as offering funding and recognition for community-based work and relationship-building efforts, and ensuring that consultations with local Indigenous communities uplift their perspectives without burdening them with extra time and labour.

The University of Manitoba has asked the Winnipeg police to investigate Jonathan Black-Branch, the former dean of its law faculty, a move that marks a shift from its previous decision to not seek civil or criminal charges. The request reportedly follows the Law Society of Manitoba disciplinary panel hearing, which found that the former dean had “breached his duty of integrity” and “devised a scheme” to wrongfully gain financial benefits. The university welcomed the panel’s findings and, after reviewing the ruling that Black-Branch’s spending “amounted to fraud,” UManitoba stated that it asked the Winnipeg Police Service to investigate further. A group of UManitoba law faculty have also reportedly submitted a letter to the police suggesting that the university “may have documentation and/or additional information that may be relevant” to any investigation into Black-Branch.

In an opinion piece of Times Higher Education, Brad Evans (University of Bath) considers the aesthetic experience of the university classroom, arguing that the physical space of learning can be a source of inspiration for students. Evans notes that campuses are often designed with uniform functionality in mind, describing the common recurrence of the white-walled lecture hall, devoid of character. Instead, the author proposes that learning spaces should be filled with original artworks to evoke emotion and reflection among students as their minds “inevitably wander.” Evans recommends that the universities should collaborate with the arts sector to further understand the aesthetic experience of education for the benefit of postsecondary learners.

Harvard University President Claudine Gay has resigned after six months in the role. The Hill reports that the announcement comes after two major controversial events: A House hearing on the topic of antisemitism on campus that involved Gay and two other university leaders, and accusations that Gay did not properly cite scholarly sources in her published research papers. Gay published an op-ed in the New York Times in which she discussed the “wrenching but necessary” decision to resign and described how she had received death threats and hate mail. Globe and Mail contributor David Shribman reports that Gay’s resignation is being felt around the world as the story reflects the challenges of being a college or university president in the 21st century.

Cégep de Lanaudière and Cégep de Drummondville have announced the launch of a web-based training platform called Évolu. The two cégeps collaborated on the project in order to give employers the tools that their employees need to upgrade and adapt to the realities of the labour market. Drummondville director of continuing studies Lucie Marchessault explained that Évolu will offer asynchronous learning, where users can access training on their own time and at their own pace, in order to serve a larger clientele. The platform is currently undergoing testing.