March 4, 2024

The Government of Canada has announced two significant investments into Indigenous students and teachers. The Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF) has confirmed that a $13.2M investment will support Indigenous-led and community-driven programs. RHF will partner with Gabriel Dumont Institute; McGill University; Mi’kmaq Wolastoqey Centre – University of New Brunswick; Seven Generations Education Institute; University Blue Quills; University College of the North; and Yukon University, Yukon First Nation Education Directorate, and First Nation School Board to train and empower 10,000 new Indigenous teachers. The federal government has also announced an additional $6M in funding for Indspire’s Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries, Scholarships and Awards program. These funds will allow Indspire to offer financial supports to 2,400 Indigenous students.

The Government of Alberta has released its Budget 2024, which includes several investments in the province’s postsecondary sector. In 2024-25, the Ministry of Advanced Education will have an increased operating expenses budget of $6.3B, including $2.5B in direct operating supports for institutions. $62.4M has been allotted for the creation of two rural health training centres and $10M has been set aside to add mental health professional spaces to postsecondary institutions. The 2024 Capital Plan is also allocating $361M over the next three years to select infrastructure projects at MacEwan University ($75M), Olds College of Agriculture and Technology ($63M), the University of Calgary ($55M), the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology ($43M), the University of Lethbridge ($26M), and Red Deer Polytechnic ($13M).

The Indigenous Institutes Consortium, which represents seven Indigenous institutes across Ontario, has issued a statement asserting that the Government of Ontario’s $1.3B funding announcement “once again prioritizes the funding of mainstream postsecondary institutions while the urgent needs of Indigenous institutes are ignored.” The statement highlights the role that Indigenous institutes play in Ontario’s higher education system, their communities, and the broader economy. The IIC has called upon the provincial government to “fulfill its legal obligation to provide stable, equitable, long-term funding of Indigenous Institutes and urgently move forward with bilateral discussions.”

Chronicle of Higher Ed Senior Writer Beth McMurtrie has penned an article discussing some of the ways that professors are helping students develop their critical reading skills and overcome deficiencies in their reading and writing. Some instructors have changed the amount or type of reading assignments they give their students and are spending more time helping students build their reading skills, vocabulary, and knowledge organization habits. McMurtrie also outlines how Julie Fromer (Ithaca College) avoids some of the issues with AI-generated writing on discussion boards by using an app that enables students to annotate texts and engage with each other.

In a recent article for the Montreal Gazette, Jeffery Vacante (Western University) argues that the recent McGill University and Concordia University lawsuits are about more than just tuition. Vacante observes that the two universities have made a case for how the tuition plan violates Quebec’s own charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, which prohibits discrimination based on language. The author notes that the strategy being used by McGill and Concordia—referencing QC’s charter of rights and French language law—challenges the assumption that language rights are only applicable the French language and places the focus on upholding the rights of all Quebecers.

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) of Ontario is reportedly looking into the vending machines with facial analysis technology that were installed at the University of Waterloo. CTV News states that two complaints about the smart vending machines have been filed with the privacy commissioner, which is urging “all public institutions that are using, or contemplating using these machines to ensure that they comply with FIPPA regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of any personal information.” Invenda, the software developer, stated that the machines do not collect, manage, retain, or process any personally identifiable information. The Canadian Press reports that UWaterloo was unaware that the vending machines contained this technology and has unplugged them ahead of their removal.

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and University Canada West have each announced that they will be expanding their footprint in the downtown region of their respective cities. SAIT is opening a new space in downtown Calgary’s Barclay Centre that will primarily house the School for Advanced Digital Technology (SADT). The 19,000 square-foot, two-storey space will feature instructional and collaborative learning spaces and a new state-of-the-art cyber lab. UCW will move into five storeys of an office tower in Vancouver’s Central Business District. The 89,000-square-foot space will feature classrooms and a lab, student lounges, a library, offices, and faculty spaces. The downtown campus space is anticipated to host 150 staff and faculty members and 2,200 students at any given time.

The University of Manitoba Student Union has suspended a student group and banned a speaker from UMSU spaces after a student-led event last Monday. A student group called Bridges for Peace and Students Supporting Israel hosted a discussion of the war between Israel and Hamas, in which CBC reports the speaker made Islamophobic comments. The group told CBC that it was surprised by the speaker’s comments and apologized to any students who felt unsafe at the event. In a statement, UManitoba Vice-Provost (Students) Laurie M Schnarr indicated that the university met with the UMSU and will respect its decision to ban the speaker. Schnarr further emphasized that the university denounces Islamophobia and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and prejudice.

Douglas College, Cégep de Chicoutimi, and Mohawk College are bringing new housing options to students in their communities. Construction has begun on Douglas’s student residence. The 20-storey building will have space for 368 students in one-, two-, and four-bedroom units, as well as space for classrooms, labs, food services, and more. The building is anticipated to be completed by Fall 2027. Chicoutimi has announced that it is adding 30 more rooms to its Tremblay residence to address the shortage of affordable housing. The units will be ready for students next year. Mohawk and SpacesShared are also working together to bring affordable housing options to students through home-sharing. The partnership will allow Mohawk students to use the SpacesShared platform and team to find a rental option with an older adult.

Bishop’s University and Brock University are planning events to mark the total solar eclipse this April. Bishop’s is providing free eclipse glasses and inviting the community to experience the eclipse on Coulter Field, where they can learn more about physics, astronomy, and eclipses at special kiosks. Brock will supply eclipse glasses to participants and plans to have on-site viewing apparatuses such as pinhole projectors and solar telescopes available. The university’s Faculty of Mathematics and Science is holding a community event called Eclipse on the Escarpment, which will include educational exhibits and a viewing of the solar eclipse, and Brock Associate Professor Amy Friend has shared photography tips for documenting the eclipse.