May 9, 2023

The University of New Brunswick recently announced that its Fredrik S Eaton Chair in Canadian Army Studies will become a permanent fixture thanks to a $1M gift from the Fredrik Eaton Charitable Foundation. The chair – which was created by Dr Fredrik S Eaton in 2013 – leads research and discussions on the national and global role of the Canadian Army. “This gift will ensure that UNB can continue its scholarly collaboration with the Canadian Army, benefitting researchers, educators and students across the country for years to come and strengthening our consciousness of ourselves as members of a nation,” said UNB Dean of Arts (Fredericton) Dr Joanne Wright.

A newly formed consortium of experts from various postsecondary institutions and college centres for the transfer of technologies in Québec has received funding to support research on constructing sustainable modular buildings using 3D printing. The core objectives of the consortium include research on building these 3D printed constructions more affordably and with greener materials to help address the province’s projected housing shortage. The consortium aims to design and assemble a functional prototype by 2025. The project is led by Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue instructor David Laliberté. The project has received $900K in funding from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies as well as $300K in in-kind funding over three years from project partners.

The British Columbia Institute of Technology and the Beedie Foundation recently unveiled the new Beedie Plaza. Located at BCIT’s Burnaby campus, the development of the plaza was made possible through a $5M gift from the Beedie Foundation. Beedie Plaza will enhance students’ campus experiences with features such as an Indigenous-designed walkway, green spaces and new seating, and an irrigation system that reduces wastewater and supplies the plaza’s rain garden. “The Plaza invites learners to realize their potential and symbolizes a gateway to future opportunities” said BCIT Interim President Paul McCullough. “It instills a sense of identity and pride for all who pass through this inspiring space.”

The University of Toronto has partnered with students to launch Inlight, an Institutional Strategic Initiative that invests in research and scalable innovations to improve postsecondary mental health and wellness. The initiative will provide funding for research on youth and student mental health, which will inform the development of mental health services at U of T and on other Ontario and international campuses. “As a world-leading research university, we recognize that we also have this enormous opportunity to develop a new research model and evidence to inform services not just at our university, but across Canada and the world,” said U of T VP Cheryl Regehr.

Students Nova Scotia (StudentsNS) recently released recommendations for the new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Government of Nova Scotia and the province’s universities. StudentsNS requested that the government ensures predictable tuition rates and increases public funding for the universities to offset strengthened tuition regulation and address rising accessibility costs. They also recommended an expansion of support for underrepresented groups, the creation of a student housing policy, strengthened institutional accountability, and more. “In order to provide equitable access to education amid an increasingly unaffordable landscape, it is imperative that the government strengthen regulation and work towards bringing tuition in line with national averages while mandating predictable tuition models for international students studying here,” said incoming Students NS Executive Director Georgia Saleski.

The federal government must increase funding for graduate researchers to support Canada’s future, writes University of Toronto Professor Mark Lautens in an editorial for the Globe and Mail. Lautens writes that recent graduate student protests came just days after the announcements of $1.4B in grants from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, and that the graduate students involved in the walkout were engaged in full-time research work. The author describes how these students are typically paid from research grants, but that the stipends have not increased to match the cost of living though the work they are doing is vital to academic research in Canada. The author calls for more money to flow into the system and for transparency regarding how research-stream graduate students and post-docs are currently funded.

Canadian Mennonite University will be launching a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree program. The degree will prepare students to improve health and wellbeing for vulnerable individuals and will be aligned with CMU’s mission, traditions, and commitments to reconciliation. The program will include professional work opportunities to enhance students’ skillsets, and students will also have the option of advanced entry in year two. “This program will complement existing programs, building on CMU’s mandate to educate for the betterment of society through attention to developing the intellectual, spiritual, physical, and social dimensions of students and communities,” said CMU President Dr Cheryl Pauls.

Brock University and the University of Windsor are the newest members of the Greenhouse Technology Network (GTN), a consortium led by Niagara College. Brock will support the consortium by leveraging its research capacity and assets, including its Validation, Prototyping and Manufacturing Institute; and UWindsor will offer the consortium its research infrastructure, expertise, and resources. “With their unique capabilities, plus the offerings our other members have, we will be able to take on even more innovative projects to help move industry forward,” said Niagara VP Research, Innovation, and Strategic Enterprises Marc Nantel.

Student decisions about where to attend university may come down to which institution offers the most engaging learning experiences, writes Dustin York in an editorial for EdTech. York writes that even though online education offers benefits, engaging students in online programs can be a struggle. The author offers advice on how to make the online classroom engaging, recommending that instructors use active learning tools (including generative AI), update their course content regularly, build a sense of community among their students, and connect lessons with concrete workplace skills.

Thompson Rivers University is working with Secwépemc scholars, elders, and knowledge keepers to define a method for verifying Indigenous identity. TRU Provost and VP Academic Dr Gillian Balfour said that the consultations currently focus on the university’s hiring practices, but that the verification method may be extended to students as well. “The intention is that we would be able to have a welcoming approach to all Indigenous peoples to be at TRU and would not exclude people,” said Balfour. “It’s about ensuring that people are here, receiving all the privilege and resources and support that they are entitled to, following verification of identity.”