June 5, 2023

Postsecondary institutions across Canada have been recognizing and celebrating National Indigenous History Month and Indigenous Peoples Day. The University of New Brunswick hosted a circle discussion with Indigenous community members and local health service providers to discuss accessibility, inclusion, and support for Indigenous students. Algoma University held a flag-raising ceremony in front of Shingwauk Hall, and Algonquin College Early Childhood Education students learned about Indigenous doll making and incorporating Indigenous knowledge into the classroom from dollmaker Rose Moses. Emily Carr University organized an Indigenous Art Market that includes art from Indigenous students, staff, faculty, and local Indigenous practitioners.

The Government of Ontario is investing nearly $6M to connect the next generation of workers to the automotive and mobility sector. The government is funding 14 projects as part of the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network’s Regional Future Workforce (RFW) program, which introduces students to opportunities in the auto sector. Postsecondary institutions, school boards, and non-profits received up to $500K each to lead projects. Postsecondary institutions that will receive funding as part of the RFW program include Georgian College, Lambton College, Laurentian University, Mohawk College, Ontario Tech University, St Clair College, the University of Guelph, the University of Ottawa, the University of Toronto, and the University of Waterloo.

Graduate students living with disabilities have a variety of options when considering if or when they want to disclose a disability to their program, write Karly Ball and Rachel Elizabeth Traxler. The authors surveyed a number of graduate students who recommended three potential options for disclosing a disability: (1) disclose on an as-needed basis after beginning the program; (2) disclose during the application process; or (3) disclose after gaining admission to a program but before accepting the offer. The authors discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each option, and note that the appropriateness of each option depends on factors such how likely the student is to be admitted to the program and the type of graduate program they are applying to.

Canadore College recently unveiled how it plans to tackle North Bay’s student housing shortage. In addition to revitalizing the on-campus townhouses known as “the Greens,” Canadore will also lease, renovate, and expand a downtown building into apartment complex with one- and two-bedroom apartments, which will be made available to students starting this July. The college will also implement a Homestay program that pairs students with seniors in the community. With the aid of college mentors, the students and seniors will provide support for one another culturally, socially, and emotionally. “We can actually help students find housing and do something really good for the community at the same time,” said Canadore VP of strategic infrastructure, Indigenous and learner services Shawn Chorney.

A lawsuit attempt that aimed to help international students recover tuition fees lost after the owners of M College in Montreal, CDE College in Sherbrooke, and CCSQ College filed for creditor protection has been dismissed. The law firm McCarthy Tétrault – which was appointed to represent student interests in the creditor protection process – had been seeking $17M in damages. Quebec Superior Court Judge David R Collier dismissed the application, reportedly saying that the court did not have the jurisdiction under the restructuring proceedings to grant the request. Amanpreet Kaur, who was a student waiting for a refund, said she lost her parents’ savings. “They paid my fees twice,” said Kaur, who had withdrawn from M College and attended postsecondary at another private college.

The University of Toronto Mississauga and the City of Mississauga have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will strengthen their partnership in the areas of equity, innovation, and sustainability. UTM and the city will combine their efforts over the next five years, aiming to make Mississauga a global destination for investment, industry, research, higher education, international students, professional networks, and more. “Our connection with the City of Mississauga is the heart of UTM’s identity: we’re U of T for Mississauga,” said UTM Vice-President and Principal Alexandra Gillespie. “We believe in sharing the strength of one of the world’s great universities in this community; and we know how much strength we draw from the power of this community in turn.”

Red Deer Polytechnic recently announced that it will partner with the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre on a new research project. RDP instructors and students will collaborate with the advocacy centre to explore avenues for joint research. A variety of research topics are being considered, including questions pertaining to the root causes of child abuse and how to better support children who are overcoming trauma. RDP Associate Dean of Teaching, Learning, and Research Dr Alison Jeppesen said that the project “builds on a long history at RDP in which faculty, across disciplines, have worked with community partners to apply their expertise to real world solutions.”

Algoma University recently announced that it will expand its Community Economic and Social Development (CESD) degree program to all three of its campuses: Sault Ste Marie, Brampton, and Timmins. The four-year undergraduate degree aims to provide an interdisciplinary, hands-on experience for students looking to advocate for positive change, economic and social equality, and human rights. The content of the program specifically focuses on small, rural, northern, and Indigenous communities. The expansion will address the growing demand for the program while simultaneously fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration between campuses.

Holland College recently announced that it will increase tuition fees by 2% and student residence fees by 3%, effective this September. Ocean 100.3 FM reports that the college made the decision as part of its ongoing approach to balance cost reduction and revenue generation. “We realize that many of our students are facing financial challenges due to inflation and increased costs of living, and we have tried our utmost to limit increases to ensure that tuition remains as affordable as possible,” said Holland President Dr Alexander (Sandy) MacDonald.

NSCAD University and Camosun College have both announced progress on their respective collective agreements. NSCAD and Unit I and II of the Faculty Union of NSCAD (FUNSCAD) recently signed new collective agreements. FUNSCAD represents full- and part-time faculty and technicians working at the university. FUNSCAD President Darrell Varga said that the union is “proud of this new collective agreement and looks forward to working with President Shannon as NSCAD faces exciting new challenges in art-making and art education.” At Camosun College, the tentative agreement with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2081 – which represents 700 support staff at the college – was ratified by the Post-Secondary Employer’s Association (PSEA) board of directors.