January 8, 2024

The University of Alberta’s Humanities Centre has been closed after a fire occurred in late December. The fire started after a transformer overheated, spreading contaminants throughout the building. While no one was injured in the fire, all classes have been relocated for the Winter semester after it was found that smoke contamination continues to pose a health and safety risk in the building. UAlberta Professor Katherine Binhammer said that she hopes the building is reopened as soon as possible. “Right now the humanities disciplines don’t have a home, we don’t have a place to gather,” said Binhammer. “And that’s a significant part of the learning environment for us.”

The University of Prince Edward Island has released a draft of its five-year action plan to address a toxic workplace culture on campus that was identified in a third-party report in 2021 and to act on the report’s recommendations. The action plan is designed to ensure the university never faces this issue again by introducing greater accountability and transparency. “The accountability provisions of the action plan represent a further commitment to protecting members of the community from discrimination, harassment, and sexual violence, and to building an inclusive environment on our campus,” state UPEI Board Chair Shannon MacDonald and Interim President Greg Keefe in an opening letter in the document. UPEI also recently created seven new positions related to EDI, sexual violence prevention and response, and student support positions in response to the review’s findings. The UPEI Faculty Association told CBC that it would like to see UPEI enacting greater and faster change on campus to address the issues.

The Coalition for Canadian Police Reform, chaired by former Winnipeg Police Chief David Cassels, is pushing for Canada to adopt advanced training models for police agencies. Cassels explained that Canadian police agencies are wrestling with waning public trust and recruitment difficulties, and professionalizing policing with more in-depth training could help resolve these. “There is no entity in Canada that collects and disseminates current and relevant police training,” said Cassels. “Most existing police training institutions are teaching in a silo.” In light of this, Cassels called for the creation of a Canadian College of Policing, which would set a standard curriculum for officer training and regulate the profession.

Fanshawe College’s Simcoe Campus has partnered with the Norfolk General Hospital (NGH) and the Norfolk Hospital Nursing Home (NHNH) to create placement opportunities for students and recent graduates. The partnership will create over 40 student placements so that students can develop their skills in a work setting prior to graduation while receiving guidance from an RN, RPN, or PSW; PSW and RPN graduates will also gain access to placements and jobs at NGH and NHNH, where they can secure local employment. “These placements will help us unlock the potential of our students and the communities we serve by giving aspiring nurses and PSWs an incredible opportunity to get their foot in the door where they can begin to make an impact on the community,” said Fanshawe’s Simcoe/Norfolk Regional Campus Associate Dean Donna Gates.

The Government of Prince Edward Island has announced that it will expand its meningitis B vaccine program to provide access to all PEI postsecondary students, free of charge. PEI previously made the free vaccine available to students living in residence, but opted to expand the eligibility to all postsecondary students after two new meningitis B cases were diagnosed in students who were not living in residence. UPEI Health and Wellness Centre Director Marilyn Barrett said that many students are not aware of their vaccination status. “We wanted to raise awareness that Men-B is circulating out there,” said Barrett.

With two US college presidencies recently ending in controversyt, David Jesse of the Chronicle of Higher Education examines how search committees find “red flags” before contracts are signed. Jesse explains that the committees and search firms have become more vigorous in recent years, vetting job candidates through search engines, social media, criminal-background checks, confirmations of publication citations, and reference checks. Jesse speaks to sector leaders in the space who discuss the potential of AI to support vetting processes and encourage search committees to rely on a variety of tools and resources when vetting applicants.

UFC has named Skilled Trades College of Canada (STC) as an official partner. As an official UFC partner, STC will receive brand integrations in UFC’s Canadian live events. The partners recently unveiled the Building Champions Scholarship, which will give 12 students a full scholarship towards any pre-apprenticeship program at the career college, and plan to collaborate on custom content to deliver through UFC’s channels. “Partnering with UFC reflects our shared values with an understanding that opportunities need to be earned and seized,” said STC President Ralph Cerasuolo. “Students at STC align with the qualities of grit, determination, and a work ethic that are necessary in the trades.”

In a recent Nature article, Mirko Treccani and Laura Veschetti encourage scientists to start the new year with a discussion on why they do science. Treccani and Veschetti describe a lab meeting in which scientists shared why they had become scientists: Some sought to satisfy an existential need; some described science as a way for them to solve puzzles, answer questions, and build a better future; and others noted that they were interested in improving peoples’ lives or addressing more immediate social needs. Treccani and Veschetti write that the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the role of scientists, learn more about each other, and become more connected as a group.

A 28-year-old man from Kitchener has been charged with six counts of mischief and five counts of voyeurism for allegedly recording in the washrooms and showers of the University of Toronto. The Toronto Sun reports that the Toronto Police took over the investigation after U of T Campus Safety received reports of voyeurism in 2023. Investigators identified the suspect and arrested him on Thursday. Police indicated that there could be more victims and encouraged anyone with information to contact the police.

The University of British Columbia is pledging to make changes in the wake of the resignation of associate professor of medicine Dr Ted Rosenberg. City News reports that Rosenberg claims the university has failed to meaningfully address alleged antisemitism after he repeatedly brought up concerns about issues within the faculty related to the Gaza conflict. CTV and the Vancouver Sun report that Rosenberg’s resignation letter referenced a recent petition circulated by a medical student, as well as “anti-Jewish statements and memes” published on social media by another professor. UBC Spokesperson Kurt Heinrich noted that the faculty is working “expediently to develop educational opportunities for inclusive learning and respectful dialogue within the faculty in areas that directly reflect our stated values.” Rosenberg told CTV that he is optimistic about the faculty’s next steps, but that he has no plans to retract his resignation.