March 13, 2023

The Star has published the findings of an investigation into hate-motivated vandalism, harassment, or violence on Canadian postsecondary campuses. The collaborative journalism project, co-ordinated by University of Toronto’s Investigative Journalism Bureau and Humber College’s StoryLab, found that over 500 incidents of hate-motivated vandalism, harassment, or violence have occurred on campuses across the country since 2004. These incidents rarely led to discipline against the perpetrators, reports The Star, in part due to factors such as incidents not meeting the threshold of a criminal charge and institutions being underequipped deal with the issues internally. “Hate has become normalized,” said Barbara Perry, director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University. “There’s sort-of an unwillingness to peel back the curtains. A lot of universities, A: they’re not transparent about their data and B: don’t quite know what to do with hate crime.”

Collège La Cité will be embarking on a French-language skills training project with Collège Éducacentre, Collège Mathieu, Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick, and other organizations. A federal release states the project will provide skills training opportunities to members of the francophone community, in addition to developing online assessment tools and training resources that will be available across the country. The project has received over $11.4M from the federal government’s Skills for Success Program.

Construction is underway at the University of Victoria as it embarks on the development of its National Centre for Indigenous Laws (NCIL). Faculty, Elders, ministers, and community members recently gathered to celebrate the construction of the building, which will include spaces for sharing knowledge and history and holding ceremonies. The building’s design follows sustainable principles and incorporates larger trees into exposed structural elements. It is set to open its doors in 2024. UVic also received a new funding commitment from the Law Foundation of British Columba, raising its contribution from $5M to $11M.

The creation of new pathways between Queen’s University and five Ontario colleges—Algonquin College, Cambrian College, Mohawk College, Seneca College, and St Lawrence College—will open up a new route to registration as a professional engineer for college graduates. Through these pathways, college engineering technology graduates will be able to move from the final year of their college program into an accredited engineering degree program. Cambrian VPA Dr Paula Gouveia described the partnership as a win for the institutions as well as “employers who are looking for graduates who possess both the knowledge and practical skills to get the job done from day one.”

Université de Moncton has announced that it will review a request to change its name during its next board of governors meeting. UMoncton President Denis Prud’Homme issued a statement indicating that the university will study the request as part of its dedication to being responsive to the community and committed to societal transformation. The Winnipeg Free Press reports that the university’s name is drawn from the city of Moncton, which had been named for Robert Monckton, an 18th century British military officer who was involved in the imprisonment and deportation of Acadians. A petition launched earlier this month about the university’s name has received over 1,000 signatures, including prominent Acadians such as Antonine Maillet and Edith Butler.

As the University of Regina prepares its budget for next year, groups such as the University of Regina’s Faculty Association (URFA) and provincial NDP part have called on the Government of Saskatchewan to step in to provide more funding for the institution. URegina’s 2022 annual report for the 2021-22 fiscal year found that inflation and enrolment drops were the biggest factor in the development of a $15.3M deficit. URFA president Britt Hall is calling for SK to review the four-year funding agreement that URegina signed with SK in 2021 to address challenges brought about by inflation and avoid the impacts budget cuts will have on programs. “Public education is under the purview of the provincial government,” explained Hall. SK Advanced Education Minister Gord Wyant said that the province will wait for the university to finish its budgeting process before discussing more funding.

Tech-Access Canada has released a new report about the future of Technology Access Centres (TACs) in Canada. TACs are research and innovation centres that are affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution. The report offers a new vision for the TAC model in order to ensure their growth and sustainability. This report outlines the qualities of a successful TAC, including their mission and values, operations, sources of funding, and key metrics.

The College of the North Atlantic has become an Academic Member of the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (CHFCA). As a member, CNA will deliver new programs—including a Wind Turbine Technician program and a Hydrogen Technician program—that have been developed in consultation with global industry leaders. “These new programs will be part of our new School of Sustainable Development, which is currently being established to steward new initiatives throughout the college network and minimize its environmental footprint, while at the same time, improve resource efficiencies,” said CNA VP, Academic and Applied Research Jason Rolls.

A satellite built by McMaster University students is in Florida awaiting its launch into orbit. The NEUDOSE mini-satellite has been developed over eight years by multiple generations of McMaster students and staff. The Spectator reports that the McMaster Interdisciplinary Satellite Team was fundraising for the project when the Canadian Space Agency’s CubeSats project was announced. The NEUDOSE will measure space radiation and the environment outside of Earth’s atmosphere in order to help develop technology to protect astronauts.

A University of Prince Edward Island professor has received two grants to advance the university’s Korean and Asian studies and create a new research centre that will be the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada. Dr Edward Chung will use the funding—provided by the Government of South Korea’s Ministry of Education and the Academy of Korean Studies—to continue and advance Korean studies within UPEI’s Asian studies program and establish a global Korean studies lab program project. The lab project will focus on Confucian ideas, debates, issues, and contemporary implications. The grants will also be used to fund opportunities such as conferences, speaker series, and research.