May 4, 2023

The Government of Manitoba has cancelled its plans to tie postsecondary funding to performance metrics. CBC reports that the plan was first announced after an auditor general report in 2020 found that government oversight of postsecondary institutions was lacking. A recent letter from MB Advanced Education and Training Minister Sarah Guillemard states that performance-based metrics will not be used as an accountability measure. “We have heard your concerns regarding linking performance-based metrics to funding,” Guillemard stated in the letter. “We want to … focus on exploring what accountability looks like and what measures would be acceptable to partners in this field so that we can address the … [auditor general’s] recommendations together.”

The Government of British Columbia has announced its new $480M StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan, which includes several initiatives focused on providing training for success in the changing economy. The plan focuses on five pillars: postsecondary affordability, accessibility, and relevance; reskilling; breaking down barriers; Indigenous Peoples’ workforce priorities; and ensuring that newcomers to BC can find a career in their field. Highlights of the plan include future skills grants to help cover training costs for in-demand jobs, the introduction of rapid response training, and planned increases to seats in programs such as technology. BC has also doubled interest-free student loan maximums and launched the Human Health Resources Strategy to fund healthcare training.

Red Deer Polytechnic and the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce have partnered with Mount Royal University’s Growth Catalyst program to create a central Alberta business accelerator. The accelerator is designed for teams of up to four people and businesses with sales of up to-$100M. It uses a hybrid model to combine in-person learning with coaching, implementation, and support from local experts. The accelerator was developed from research completed by MRU Professor Simon Raby and his team. “This collaboration, combined with Red Deer Polytechnic’s education, training, and applied research opportunities in state-of-the-art facilities, will create an ecosystem that will help to ignite industrial and economic prosperity across the province,” said RDP Associate VP of External Relations Richard Longtin.

Fleming College celebrated the official launch of its Midtown Toronto campus yesterday. The Toronto campus was established through a partnership between the Fleming and Trebas Institute Ontario. At the celebratory event for the campus’ grand opening, the partners highlighted how this partnership has expanded and created opportunities for students. “Together with Fleming College Toronto and Trebas Institute Ontario, students benefit from all the support, services and high-quality education offered by each institution,” said Fleming College President Maureen Adamson.

The University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business has unveiled its new visual identity. The identity features an updated logo, which uses a modern typeface and bold colours to reflect the school’s capacity for growth, mentorship, and connection. The new visual identity was introduced alongside the launch of the school’s Choose Change campaign. “Our students come to Haskayne because they are actively seeking change,” said Haskayne Dean Jim Dewald. “Our Choose Change campaign was created to speak to that innate desire that exists within all of our students – and truly showcase how Haskayne creates the environment for transformative change.”

Academics across Canada are experimenting with an unusual publishing format for their research: The graphic novel. An article in University Affairs profiles the work of postsecondary scholars who have created graphic novels to communicate the results of their PhD dissertations and ongoing academic research. The format offers unique benefits, as it can reach more diverse audiences, enhance the accessibility of scholarly research, and spark interdisciplinary learning. “There’s so much that these stories can communicate with a combination of text and images that you just don’t get across with text alone,” said Dr Coleman Nye (Simon Fraser University), who published a graphic novel about her research in 2017.

Northern College and the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) are partnering to support postsecondary learners studying in health care fields that will benefit northern communities. The two colleges have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will facilitate discussions on future collaboration areas, including the possible creation of new pathway models, joint population health research initiatives, offsite program offerings, and telehealth opportunities in northern communities. “The collaboration between CCNM and Northern College will allow us to create a stronger health care workforce, address health human resources needs and partner on areas of mutual alignment,” said CCNM President Dr Rahim Karim.

A New Brunswick judge has ruled that Rod Cumberland’s dismissal from the Maritime College of Forest Technology (MCFT) in June 2019 was not due to his views on glyphosate, but because of his “rigidity” and rejection of “inclusive” teaching styles, CBC reports. The decision comes after Cumberland sued MCFT for wrongful dismissal, which he stated was related to his comments on the herbicide. In a 41-page decision, NB Court of King’s Bench Chief Justice Tracey DeWare concluded that the former MCFT instructor was terminated “as a result of his attitude and behaviours which rendered his continued employment impossible.” However, DeWare added that the college leadership failed to warn Cumberland that his job was in jeopardy and has awarded him severance pay.

Confederation College is partnering with Beaver Brae High School and Lake of the Woods District Hospital (LWDH) to offer a dual-credit program for Kenora secondary school students interested in the health sector. Students who take part in the semester-long pilot program will earn credits toward their high school and college education. They will engage in hands-on learning in the LWDH simulation suite and Confederation Health lab to better understand the Canadian health care system and explore health-related careers. “It is our hope that this pilot project will help engage students in a unique learning environment, while preparing them for their post-secondary education,” said Confederation School of Health Dean Shane Strickland.

University World News reports that Cambridge University Press (CUP) has launched the Cambridge Open Equity Initiative to improve access to research and publishing for scholars from low- and medium-income countries. The pilot project will see the publishing fees of 400 open-access journals waived for these scholars in order to eliminate the obstacles faced by academics from developing countries who want their research viewed on a global stage. “We believe that journals must publish articles based on the quality of the work rather than the authors’ ability to pay,” said CUP Managing Director, Academic Publishing Mandy Hill. The initiative will run from July 2023 to the end of 2024.