March 3, 2023

The Government of Canada provided over $27M through TechNL to a new initiative called Find Your Future in Tech. The program will provide support to eleven partners—including Memorial University and Keyin College—as they pursue initiatives to strengthen the technology ecosystem in Newfoundland and Labrador. Memorial will offer 20 tuition vouchers for students in eligible programs, promote Keyin’s training opportunities to its alumni, help connect students with training in the sector, and will launch an advanced computing training program. TechNL will prioritize equity-deserving groups, which will diversify and strengthen the tech sector.

Red Deer Polytechnic recently celebrated the renaming of the Welikoklad Simulation Lab. The lab was renamed to recognize the contribution of Bill and Irma Welikoklad, whose donation will support upgrades such as the creation of three new debriefing rooms and two new simulation suites. “The Welikoklad Simulation Lab is indicative of the kind of innovative experiential learning opportunities we provide at Red Deer Polytechnic, and we’re proud to acknowledge Bill and Irma in the space,” said RDP President Stuart Cullum. “We’re grateful for their generous gift and for their continued support for the work that we do.”

The University of Prince Edward Island will receive $48.8M in joint funding from the provincial and federal government to support the creation of a new health education building. The five-storey building will house the university’s forthcoming Faculty of Medicine and the expanded UPEI Health and Wellness Centre. A release states that the building will be energy efficient and include simulation, clinical learning, and academic anatomy learning spaces for students enrolled in medical and interprofessional health education programs. “Having the ability to train doctors right here on the Island, in a state-of-the-art facility, will be significant for Prince Edward Island’s healthcare system,” stated Federal Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure, and Communities Dominic LeBlanc.

Vancouver Island University has announced that it will expand a program that brings together university students and people spending time in provincial correctional centres. The Northpine Foundation donated $1.1M to expand the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program to other communities in British Columbia. The program gives students from outside of the correctional centre the opportunity to study criminology courses alongside students who are incarcerated. “At VIU, success is determined by how wide we can open our doors to allow as many people as possible to access life-changing educational experiences,” said VIU President Dr Deborah Saucier. The gift will also support those who have formerly been incarcerated in pursuing postsecondary studies and support the development of employment training at the Nanaimo Correctional Centre.

Two universities recently launched master’s programs focused on the health sector. Laurentian University launched a Master of Health Administration, which is the result of a partnership between the graduate Nursing and Master of Business Administration programs. This new program is designed to cover all essential knowledge for health administrators and maintains a strong rural, northern, and Indigenous focus. Thompson Rivers University has also unveiled its Master of Nursing-Nurse Practitioner (MN-NP) program, which will prepare students to work as independent health practitioners. The program is reportedly the first of its kind offered in the Interior Health region.

A New Yorker article by Nathan Heller about the future of the English degree sparked lively debate this week. Heller writes that enrolment in “English and history at the collegiate level has fallen by a full third” in the United States since 2013 and explained that this trend mirrors a global phenomenon. He identified several theories that could be used to explain the declining figures, including the perception that job prospects are limited for humanities graduates. John Warner responded in an article for Inside Higher Ed, asserting that employers continue to value skills acquired in the humanities. Warner concluded that especially in a world where artificial intelligence gains more prominence, “I think some good old humanities majors who can problem-solve and have a deeper understanding of the world might come in handy.”

Mount Allison University is launching the THRIVE program to support incoming first-year students. THRIVE—Transformation in Higher Education with Radical Inclusion, Values, and Engagement—includes a foundational course called Wicked Problems that addresses community challenges such as poverty and food insecurity, teaches students key skills for success in their postsecondary studies, and introduces them to experiential learning. “[Students] will be making links to the community, their fellow students, and faculty — and these networks will serve them well as they grow and thrive throughout their degree and after they graduate,” said MtA Director of Experiential Learning & Career Development Rebecca Leaman.

Two recent editorials raise important considerations and discuss strategies for faculty responding to the use of ChatGPT in the classroom. In an article for The Conversation, Louis Volante (Brock University), Christopher DeLuca (Queen’s University), and Don Klinger (University of Waikato) outline five strategies that faculty can use to adapt their assessment methods in response to AI. These include deliberately incorporating AI into assessments or taking a more formative assessment approach, where students are required to submit drafts for feedback. A recent editorial for Inside Higher Ed encourages readers to be cautious about the impact of hurriedly restricting the use of AI software. The authors assert that this could disproportionately impact students with disabilities and instead encourage prioritizing universal access and considering how AI can enhance learning.

University of Manitoba’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and Riverview Health Centre (RHC) recently partnered to create a research chair focused on improving the quality of life for people living in long-term care. Dr Genevieve Thompson will be the inaugural holder of the Research Chair in Person-Directed Living and will be responsible for using evidence-informed practices to improve the quality of life, care, and work for those involved with RHC. “We are excited to collaborate with RHC in conducting landmark research that is focused on improving the quality of life of older people and their families,” said Dr Netha Dyck, Dean of the College of Nursing at UManitoba. “Dr Thompson has the passion and expertise to lead this important research and facilitate knowledge transfer in education and practice.”

Several postsecondary institutions across Canada have launched new environmentally focused initiatives. The University of New Brunswick will host the 2023 BOOST: Ideation Camp, which highlights innovative “made-in-Fredericton” design solutions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The University of Toronto announced a mandatory institutional carbon offsetting program that will collect a fee for every kilometre of air travel funded by U of T and reinvest the funds into sustainability-focused projects. Cambrian College installed 20 new publicly available electric vehicle charger ports to reduce carbon emissions. University of Saskatchewan students in the Enactus club embarked on the Re-Colour project to keep crayons out of the landfill. Students collect and recycle used crayons and repurpose them into art supplies that are donated to inner-city schools, daycares, and shelters in Saskatoon.