July 4, 2024

Ontario Superior Court Justice Markus Koehnen has granted the University of Toronto an injunction, ordering the pro-Palestinian encampment set up on campus at the University of Toronto to be taken down by Wednesday evening. Koehnen said that though no evidence has shown that encampment participants have been violent or antisemitic, the encampment has made it so that U of T cannot control King’s College Circle, amounting to irreparable harm. “In our society, we have decided that the owner of property generally gets to decide what happens on the property,” Koehnen said. Koehnen added that the harm to the university if the encampment remained would be greater than the harm to the protesters if it were taken down, as protesters can still demonstrate on campus.

The University of Regina is celebrating 50 years as an independent, degree-granting university. “I think there is a palpable pride that we have in the university, in this community, and that has been very special,” said URegina President Jeff Keshen, who noted that “[l]ike all universities, it’s grown. It’s grown a lot in its complexity, student population and diversity.” URegina will host a full year of anniversary events for alumni, students, faculty, staff, and community members, including a homecoming football game and movie nights featuring films from each decade since the university was founded.

U15 Canada has signed the Berlin Statement alongside other Global Research-Intensive Universities Network (GRIUN) members from Australia, Europe, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The statement reaffirms research intensive universities’ commitments to free expression and critical discussion, advancement and dissemination of knowledge, and preparation of the next generation to take part in research and innovation. “The Berlin Statement reaffirms the collective commitment of research-universities to partner together through shared challenges and to centre our role on longstanding principles of research excellence, open debate and the mobilization of talent and knowledge to the benefit of all,” said U15 CEO Dr Chad Gaffield.

The University of Calgary and the Canadian Ophthalmological Society Foundation’s Eyes on Ukraine initiative are partnering on humanitarian fellowships that train Ukrainian eye surgeons. The Winnipeg Free Press reports that Ukraine is facing a rising number of eye and eyelid injuries but lacks the doctors to adequately address these injuries. Through this partnership, UCalgary will help Canadian doctors understand Ukraine’s needs while providing Ukrainian doctors with the tools and training they need for their work. “I am hoping to learn a different approach and see how people work and see how the system works,” said Ukrainian surgeon Dr Olga Denysiuk, who is participating in the program. “Hopefully, (I can) bring that to Ukraine and start changing our system to have it like a fellowship, and residency and specialties.”

Memorial University’s Faculty of Medicine is expanding the number of seats in its undergraduate medical education program for students from Newfoundland and Labrador. The program will offer spaces for five additional students in Fall 2024, with another five seats added in September 2025. “These additional seats for our Doctor of Medicine program will provide more opportunities for students from Newfoundland and Labrador to study medicine in their home province,” said Memorial Interim Dean of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Dr Dolores McKeen. NL also announced tuition relief for Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Practical Nursing students at select campuses who will begin their studies in Fall 2024.

Mount Allison University and NOSM University have each announced updates to program names. MtA’s Women’s and Gender Studies program will now be known as Feminist and Gender Studies. This change reflects the field’s move away from binary conceptions of gender while still recognizing gender as a site of oppression, explains MTA. NOSM U’s Northern Ontario Dietetic Internship Program has been renamed the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University Dietetic Practicum Program. The name change aligns with Ontario legislation changes regarding paid internships and addresses redundancy in the name. The name change will come into effect in Fall 2024, with the incoming cohort being the first to graduate under the new name.

Three universities and their respective unions have shared updates on their agreement negotiations. Concordia University and the Concordia University Continuing Education Part-Time Faculty Union—which represents 140 part-time instructors—have officially signed a new collective agreement which covers the period from September 2023 to 2026. Simon Fraser University and the Administrative and Professional Staff Association—which represents administrative and professional staff at the university—have received and approved a mediator’s recommendations for the Basic Agreement between them. York University and CUPE Local 1356-02—which represents safety workers at the university—have also reached a tentative agreement.

Big rooms with high ceilings may create an environment that affects students’ performance on exams, according to a recent study conducted by Isabella Bower (University of South Australia) and Jaclyn Broadbent (Deakin University). Bower and Broadbent found that while students’ prior coursework had a bigger impact on their exam scores, ceiling height was a significant predictor of their exam scores. This, they suggest, indicates that both study habits and room dimensions contribute to exam scores. The authors conclude by noting that their research brings up additional questions about other environmental conditions—such as room insulation and climate control—as well as the variability introduced by online exams.

Anderson College of Health, Business and Technology has launched an Early Childhood Educator diploma program. The program, which includes three practicum placements, has been approved by the College of Early Childhood Educators for two years from 2024 to 2026. “There is a vast and real need for ECEs in our country; long waitlists and a lack of quality daycare options with certified professionals, not only impact a parent’s ability to work, but a family’s quality of life and their children’s sense of well-being and development,” said Anderson President Heather Yang. “We are honoured to be a part of the ongoing solution.”

The University of Manitoba’s Community Law Centre (UMCLC) has launched Manitoba’s first Prison Law Clinic. The UMCLC Prison Law Clinic is a one-year pilot program that offers legal services to individuals who are incarcerated at Stony Mountain Institution and in other federal correctional settings in the province. It offers a variety of legal services, including representation in institutional grievances and disciplinary proceedings and legal services addressing conditions of confinement. The clinic aims to respond to Indigenous overrepresentation within the prison system, and was designed with engagement from Indigenous Peoples, representative organizations, and governments. Students will be able to gain experience working at the clinic, which will immerse them in diverse legal areas and stimulate interest in prison law.