June 4, 2024

Postsecondary institutions across Canada are honouring Indigenous History Month with initiatives and events. Algonquin College has created an Indigenous language video series that will teach viewers some common words and sayings in the traditional Anishinàbe Algonquin language, while institutions like Royal Roads University shared resources for learning more about the local community. Algoma University, Royal Roads, the University of Waterloo, and the University of British Columbia highlighted events such as workshops, flag raising ceremonies, smudging ceremonies, soup and bannock lunches, and seminars that are being held over the month. Leaders such as University of Alberta Vice-Provost (Indigenous Programming and Research) Dr Florence Glanfield and MacEwan University President Dr Annette Trimbee also published reflections on the work done to ensure Indigenous peoples have equitable educational opportunities.

The Government of British Columbia and the Digital Research Alliance of Canad are investing over $81M into the supercomputers at Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria. SFU will use a combined investment of over $66M to renew the infrastructure of its Cedar system, which is an academic supercomputer that is nearing end of life. UVic will use a combined over-$16M investment to renew the cloud infrastructure of its Arbutus system, which BC says is the largest research cloud in the country.

Universities such as Lakehead University, McGill University, and University of Toronto are working around the protests on and around their campuses to hold their convocation ceremonies. At Lakehead, a pro-Palestinian protest was held outside the university graduation ceremony last week. McGill relocated its graduation ceremonies from the downtown campus to the Bell Centre, due to the encampment occupying McGill’s typical ceremonial site. According to McGill, this relocation cost the institution $700K. U of T has stated that all its convocation ceremonies will proceed as planned, though the pro-Palestinian encampment remains on its campus. According to Global News, U of T sought an injunction to dismantle the campus before convocation began this week; however, the presiding judge said the hearing could not be held until June 19.

Students in British Columbia and the rest of Western Canada who hope to study in the French language may need to move east to pursue their education, writes Suzanne Leenhardt for Francopresse. Leenhardt highlights the limited options for French-language postsecondary options—especially in STEM fields—in British Columbia. Looking more broadly at Western Canada, the author points to the findings of a 2022 report on the postsecondary programming available in French, which found that persons who studied in French at the university level were more likely than their anglophone counterparts to move to another province. Leenhardt concludes by discussing the challenges related to the creation of new programs in French and the limited funding available to institutions.

The University of Waterloo, Grand River Hospital, and St Mary’s General Hospital are launching the Care Next Coalition. The hospitals and university will bring together clinicians, researchers, and entrepreneurs to develop educational programming, research, integrated care systems, and technology. “The Care Next Coalition is a new way for us to pool resources and expertise to attract talent to design, develop and deliver innovative health services in our region,” said UWaterloo President Vivek Goel. “We need to continue to innovate to meet the diverse and growing needs of the people we serve.”

In an article for Nature, Kwabena Boahen Asare (Dartmouth College) discusses his experience contending with his fear of public speaking after joining a research laboratory that required monthly meetings and presentations. Asare outlines four strategies that worked for him: Participating in deep breathing before a presentation, focusing on the core concepts of the presentation as opposed to the audience, seeking out honest feedback, and rehearsing multiple times before the meeting. “Each presentation, regardless of how frightening it might have been, served as a stepping stone to overcoming my stage fright and becoming a more confident speaker,” concludes Asare.

On Saturday, the Québec City police intervened in the formation of an encampment by protestors at the Université Laval. According to the Canadian Press, protesters were told by the police that they could either dismantle the encampment themselves or watch the police do it by force. Protesters decided to take down their camps and continue their demonstration in other ways. CBC reports that one person was arrested and three were ticketed during the intervention. Like other pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the country, the protesters at ULaval were calling on the university for financial transparency and to disclose any investments with links to Israel.

Redeemer University is launching a new Bachelor of Arts in Music and Worship program. Highlights of the program include work-integrated learning opportunities such as internships, a a capstone recital, and involvement in university chapels as well as courses that range from audio and musical production courses to theory courses drawing on business, history, philosophy, and theology. “We have increased experiential learning and practical opportunities for students, providing them with training in worship musical leadership, and the ability to put this into practice starting in their first year of the program,” said Redeemer VP, Academic Dr Peter Neumann. “This positions them well for exciting career paths, to serve in worship music leadership positions in churches, ensembles, and more.”

University of New Brunswick President Paul Mazerolle has responded to pro-Palestinian protests and a petition demanding that UNB take actions such as divesting from Israeli companies and ceasing institutional collaborations with Israeli universities. Mazerolle wrote that the university will not comply with these demands, asserting that investments in Israeli companies make up less 0.1% of UNB’s portfolio and arguing that limiting academic partnerships would infringe upon individual academic freedoms and hinder the progression of knowledge. “As a university we must remain focused on our core functions – teaching, research, engagement and service. We are not a political entity and we will refrain from making political statements on this or other matters,” wrote Mazerolle.

Université du Québec à Montréal support staff represented by CUPE 1294 approved a new agreement in principle with UQÀM management last week. This eight-year collective agreement will last from June 2023 to May 2031. CUPE states that the contract includes salary gains, overtime pay, bonuses, and a measure that allows those employees who do not telework to take to a four-day work week or an annual lump sum. The working conditions of postdoctoral interns are also covered in the collective agreement for the first time.