March 22, 2024

The Government of Saskatchewan has released its 2024-25 Provincial Budget, which includes a $793M investment (3.7% increase) into postsecondary education. SK has pledged a one-time $12M increase to its current multi-year funding agreement with the province’s institutions, as well as multiple targeted investments to create new seats in health-related programming, create and bolster student financial supports, and support Indigenous education. Several capital projects have received investments under the new budget, including the University of Saskatchewan’s electrical and mechanical upgrades ($8.7M), a cooling tower replacement at the University of Regina ($6.3M), and Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Saskatoon Campus Renewal project ($6.0M). USask President Stoicheff praised the investments, calling the one-time increase “recognition […] of the inflationary pressures” faced by institutions. SK (Budget) | USask | CTV News

CBC reports that a parliamentary committee has passed a motion to conduct studies of antisemitism and Islamophobia on and off university campuses and propose ways to tackle the problem. Liberal MP Anthony Housefather reportedly put forward a motion asking for a study of antisemitism on and off campus, which the members of the committee amended to include Islamophobia. “We need to hear from Universities Canada, from the presidents of universities, what they are doing to protect Jewish students, and we need to hear from Jewish students as to what they’re experiencing on campus,” Housefather told the committee. CBC

Postsecondary institutions across Canada are marking the United Nations’s World Water Day, which follows the theme of “Water for Peace” this year. Several universities shared examples of related research projects focused around water and irrigation. The University of Guelph is holding a special event with scholarly presentations and student posters. The University of Victoria hosted a film screening of Changing Course: A River’s Journey of Reconnection and a conversation. Water First Education and Training Inc drew attention to the drinking water advisories in Indigenous communities and highlighted its efforts to train skilled workers who can help keep their communities’ water safe for the long term. UoGuelph | USask | UVic | Financial Post (WFET)

In an article for The Conversation, University of Victoria scholars Loren Gaudet and Lydia A I Toorenburgh discuss a first-year university writing course that they developed for Indigenous students. The authors explain that the course was built around a key core learning outcome: Feelings of belonging among students. As such, the course provided a “homeroom-style class” for Indigenous students, offering students essential information about navigating both scholarly writing and academic life at UVic. Gaudet and Toorenburgh intentionally fostered community-building by bringing in representatives from Indigenous-specific supports and adopting anti-oppressive grading practices. The authors share the positive feedback from students, including one student who said that the course provided a “very safe space” for them.

The Conversation

Redeemer University has established 2+2 partnership agreements with Tyndale University and Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College (SWC). Tyndale students will be able to transfer two years of their coursework toward Redeemer degrees in health sciences and biology, while SWC students will be able to transfer two years of their coursework towards Redeemer degrees in psychology or business. “Developing partnerships with other post-secondary institutions is an important strategy in Redeemer’s overall effort to increase enrolment and provide a relevant and spiritually vibrant Christian university education to more students,” said Redeemer VP, Academic Dr Peter Neumann. Redeemer

The Université du Québec à Rimouski has established a co-supervision agreement with the Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO) to advance the training of marine science specialists in both Canada and France. Under this agreement, doctoral candidates in oceanography will carry out research and training under joint supervision (and receive joint funding) from the two universities. They will have the opportunity to work on one of four projects on topics that range from macroalgae in coastal areas to sediment dynamics on glaciers in Nunavut. Students will graduate from both universities. This partnership agreement will also explore further areas of collaboration on the topic of marine sciences. UQAR

A recent report from College Innovation Network (CIN) explores how higher ed administrators are grappling with developing educational technologies. CIN surveyed 214 higher ed administrators in the US and found that less than half were confident in their ability to effectively choose ed tech products. These administrators were not typically drawing on data to make decisions about the technology; and, as a result of feelings of uncertainty about emerging technology, the administrators often responded with inaction. These findings, as concluded by CIN, highlight the need for more resources to inform decision-making when it comes to edtech.eCampusNews | WGU Labs (Report)

Université du Québec à Montréal has launched a new micro-program focused on international project management. The program is composed of four courses that cover the basics of project management, project evaluation in developing companies, and the management of projects in multicultural contexts. It is designed for working professionals in management positions who may be looking to work with international organizations, NGOs, ministries, or private companies. UQAM Professor Olga Navarro-Flores explained that each faculty member who teaches in the program has personal experience in international cooperation and collaboration. UQAM

Scholars at two different universities are embarking on research into the potential uses of psilocybin mushrooms. The University of Guelph has struck a partnership with psilocybin cultivator and supplier Rose Hill to explore the potential application of psilocybin in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Meanwhile, the University of Calgary has launched what the Calgary Herald calls the “largest single-site trial of its kind in Canada” to explore how psilocybin could help address alcohol-use disorder. “What’s new is taking a scientific approach to demonstrate it has an impact,” said UCalgary Professor Dr David Hodgins. “There are a lot of beliefs about what the possibilities are — it would be really nice to see the science there.” Newswire (UoGuelph) | Calgary Herald (UCalgary) | Nation Talk (UCalgary)

Aurora College, North Island College, and Yukon University students recently travelled to Santa Rosa de Llillinta, Peru to help an Indigenous community install solar panels on an elementary school that previously did not have electricity. The focus of this project was to give Canadian postsecondary students hands-on experience in an environment where they could work with and support a remote community. The participants represented a multidisciplinary group, from programs such as renewable resource management, conservation sciences, earth sciences, and the trades. The project was conducted in partnerships with the charity Light Up the World.CBC