July 5, 2023

Université de Sudbury’s request for funding to create a standalone French-language university has reportedly been rejected by the Government of Ontario. The ON Ministry of College and Universities issued a statement asserting that the request “does not reflect the current demand and enrolment trends” and that there is already “existing capacity” for French-language programming at other institutions. USudbury President Serge Miville told CTV News and La Pressethat the university was surprised by this news, as discussions with ON about the project have been positive to date, but that the university is “not giving up.”

The Government of Yukon has released a study exploring the feasibility of creating a varsity sports program at Yukon University. The report proposes that archery, cross-country, Dene games, basketball, and volleyball would be the most likely sports to be implemented. An article for CBC summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of such a proposal, pointing out that the presence of a varsity program could allow local athletes to compete closer to home, but could also incur significant costs. YK Education Minister Jeanie McLean said of the report: “It shows that varsity sport has viability in Yukon and I think that’s great news–and we still have a lot of work to do.”

Northern Lakes College will launch an Integrated Fire and Emergency Medical Services program this September. The program combines firefighter training with the institution’s existing Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) program and will give students the opportunity to participate in hands-on firefighter training provided by the Lesser Slave Regional Fire Service. “This partnership with the Lesser Slave Regional Fire Service provides students with an exciting opportunity to work as a firefighter and paramedic in a variety of settings, including fire stations, EMS, and integrated emergency service providers,” said Northern Lakes Dean of Health, Human Services & University Studies Dr Michelle Mitchell.

In an editorial for The Conversation, UWaterloo Professor of Psychology Igor Grossman argues that artificial intelligence (AI) systems can be harnessed for social science research. Grossman writes that AI models can act as research assistants by processing large amounts of information in rapid time, work as “actors” in social experiments, or substitute human participants in the initial phases of data collection. The writer also highlights ongoing concerns pertaining to the use of AI, including its capacity for bias reproduction. To strike a balance moving forward, Grossman asserts that people must be trained in AI literacy in order to critically assess its outputs and concludes that “AI is neither our enemy, nor our saviour–it’s a tool.”

Late last week, the Winnipeg Police Service’s Bomb Unit safely disposed of a “volatile substance” found at the University of Manitoba. A UManitoba spokesperson told CTV that a “small amount of chemical in a potentially unstable form was discovered in a storage room” in the Parker building on the Fort Garry Campus. Once discovered, the Bomb Unit was deployed to detonate the material; nearby residents were warned beforehand that the procedure might cause an explosion-like sound. No criminal investigation will take place pertaining to the material. The UManitoba spokesperson further added that the university will review its chemical storage protocols and ensure all appropriate practices are in place.

Thompson Rivers University and Tianjin University of Technology have renewed their longstanding partnership for another nine years. The partners signed a renewal agreement at a special graduation ceremony for 79 students who have completed a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) dual-degree through the two institutions. The agreement ensures continued access to TRU’s BBA dual-degree program, reciprocal study abroad opportunities for students from both institutions, joint research endeavours, and teaching engagements for TRU faculty at TUT.

Fanshawe College has launched a new two-year Anishinaabemowin Language Immersion program. The diploma program–which is called “Paswe’aatigook,” meaning “echoing amongst the trees” in Anishinaabemowin–places students in an immersive learning environment where they can learn about Anishinaabemowin language and culture. The learning will take place in-community at the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation and includes a sixty-hour practicum. “We’re hoping people will be inspired to be teachers,” said Fanshawe faculty member Monty McGahey II. “At the same time, we just need people speaking. People that are willing to speak to their children at home and, hopefully, we can have transmission of the language in that way as well.”

Decisions about regulating artificial intelligence (AI) should not be left solely to those developing the technologies themselves, writes Nicholas B. Dirks (University of California, Berkeley) in an op-ed for Times Higher Ed. Dirks argues that humanists, social scientists, and community leaders of diverse backgrounds are needed to solve the complex challenges posed by AI. The author asserts that “scientists and technologists must participate in a genuinely collective and fundamentally humanist project,” to which university expertise will be instrumental. While AI has the potential to do much good, Dirks concludes that thought leaders and experts are needed to evaluate the wider societal impacts and subsequently inform the regulation of this new technology.

Teaching has resumed at Capilano University, while talks continue between the university and the MoveUP Local 378 union representing support staff. Capilano issued an update stating that the union and the university have reached a tentative collective agreement and that the return to work is currently being negotiated. Faculty who joined the strike in solidarity have returned to work. North Shore News reports that over 4,000 students have been out of the classroom since the faculty association joined the picket lines at the start of June. Capilano student Layne North said that he is glad the faculty are back, but “we’ve still missed this semester. Students don’t get the education [they] paid for.”

The University of New Brunswick, Fleming College, and Trent University recently hosted ceremonies and gatherings to celebrate new or upcoming spaces on their respective campuses. At UNB, a land blessing ceremony was held on the future site of the Health and Social Innovation Centre, which included the lighting of a sacred fire; an opening prayer from Elder Jeannie Bartibogue of the Esgenoôpetitj; and remarks from members of the UNB and local communities. Fleming College held a Biindigen Welcome Gathering to celebrate the opening of the new Indigenous student space at its Haliburton Campus. Trent recently shared that it will also erect a 30-foot tipi at its Durham GTA campus this Fall that will feature stone benches and a fire pit.