March 5, 2024

The Government of British Columbia has confirmed that it has been allocated 83,000 undergraduate study permit applications for the upcoming school year. 53% of the provincial attestation letters will go to public postsecondary institutions, while private institutions will receive the other 47%. Based on previous acceptance rates, the allocation is anticipated to result in around 50,000 approved study permit applications for 2024, in comparison with around 60,000 approved study permits in 2023. BC noted that the distribution will enable public postsecondary institutions with “sustainable international enrolment” to maintain their international student programs while also addressing private institutions with “unsustainable” growth. The PIE News and BNN report that BC Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Lisa Beare is pushing for the federal government to increase the province’s allowance of letters of attestation for studies related to in-demand sectors.

A $25M funding request that would have supported a new First Nations University of Canada campus in Prince Albert has been denied by Infrastructure Canada. FNU President Jackie Ottmann said that she was “disappointed” by the decision, but that the university is working with the government on solutions, including plans to fundraise $5.5M. The Prince Albert Grand Council chiefs recently passed a resolution endorsing the campus’s construction. “While this most recent funding bid may not have been successful, we are certain that both levels of government … will recognize the immense value and importance of a new FNUniv Northern Campus,” said PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte.

As part of a broader announcement about minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, the Government of British Columbia has announced funding for nursing training and licensing. The $237M provincial allotment includes $68.1M for training and licensing in order to support the retention and recruitment of nurses. These funds will boost the expansion of the internationally educated nurse bridging program and the implementation of a licensed practical nurse to registered nurse bridging pilot program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. They will also be used to create financial supports such as tuition credits and new graduate transition program bursaries.

Student groups in Alberta are saying that the recently announced provincial budget will not help students facing the affordability crisis. Students’ Association of Mount Royal University VP Tala Abu Hayyaneh said that the budget does not address the factors that currently make postsecondary education unaffordable, while Council of Alberta University Students Vice-Chair Naju Syed noted the lack of new grant money. “The student loan program saw an increase … but we really wanted to see that increase within student grants, which better offset the cost of rising tuition for students,” said Syed. UAlberta Campus Food Bank director Erin O’Neil and Syed each noted that students are increasingly turning to campus food banks as a result of the financial pressures on students. The University of Calgary’s Students’ Union told CBC that the budget is “an indirect cut on a post-secondary education system already on life support.”

Several postsecondary institutions are participating in global Open Education (OE) Week this week. OE Week is a global initiative focused on raising awareness about how OE resources and practices can remove barriers and improve access to education. Brock University and the University of Waterloo are both hosting online and in-person information sessions throughout the week. Thompson Rivers University is putting on a pep rally featuring refreshments, a live screening of OE Talks, and a follow-up discussion. The University of Manitoba is holding an event called “Reflections of amiskwaciy: Indigenous protocols in open education.”

A recent study published in the Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication suggests that digital paper preservation processes are failing to keep pace with the growth of research output. The study, authored by Martin Paul Eve (University of London), found that out of a selected seven million articles with digital object identifiers (DOIs), approximately two million (28%) did not appear in a major digital archive. “Everybody thinks of the immediate gains they might get from having a paper out somewhere, but we really should be thinking about the long-term sustainability of the research ecosystem,” Eve told Nature. The study concludes that digital preservation measures can be improved by strengthening requirements at DOI registration agencies and by raising awareness among publishers and researchers.

Durham College has renamed the Whitby campus’s main building after departing President Don Lovisa. A release from Durham outlines how Lovisa oversaw significant increases in enrolment and the introduction of new programs, among other accomplishments throughout his 16-year presidency. “The honour of the Don Lovisa Building is just beyond words. To be counted and included with the Gordon Willey Building and Polonsky Commons is an honour and just so humbling,” said Lovisa. “It has been an honour and a joy to be part of such an exceptional institution.”

British Columbia’s Supreme Court has ordered the estate of a former University of British Columbia and the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority administrator to repay over $650K to UBC for wage fraud and theft. The court record states that an audit conducted by UBC found that the late Wanda Moscipan engaged in various fraudulent actions between 1997 and 2011, including stealing money from a dormant staff fund, receiving 180% of a FTE salary from UBC and VCHA without authorization, and forging signatures to give herself pay raises. Justice Matthew Taylor stated that Moscipan and her estate were “unjustly enriched” while UBC “suffered a corresponding deprivation”; Taylor subsequently ordered the estate to repay the university.

York University, St Mary’s University, and Thompson Rivers University have announced new program developments. YorkU is looking to expand its existing Black Canadian Studies Certificate program to provide Black Studies major and minor degree options. The expansions are currently in the development stage but expected to be ready for approval in the spring. StMU is launching an Educational Leadership Certificate program designed for aspiring school administrators. The courses are delivered in an online format and prepare people working in school systems to thrive in leadership positions. Castanet reports that TRU will offer a new business law minor this fall. TRU Law Professor John O’Fee said that the program is designed to differentiate the university and attract domestic students.

The Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec (SPGQ), which represents unionized employees at cégeps across Québec, and the University of Toronto have each released updates on ongoing labour negotiations. SPGQ has accepted an agreement in principle on a new contract that includes a 17% pay increase over five years, a revision to the employee vacation system, and amendments to group insurance. U of T reached a tentative deal with CUPE 3261 and CUPE 3902, which together represent more than 8,000 teaching assistants, caretakers, postdocs, researchers, and food service workers. The tentative deal includes a wage increase, protections for healthcare benefits, and stronger mental health coverage. The ratification vote is expected in the near future.