November 13, 2023

Corporate Knights has released its Better World MBA Rankings for 2023, which highlights the top 40 MBAs. The MBA programs were evaluated by the proportion of sustainable development content in their core curriculum and the impact their alumni have on sustainability. Seven Canadian business schools appeared in the top 40: York University’s Schulich School of Business (#13), the University of Victoria’s Peter B Gustavson School of Business (#15), the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business (#16), the University of Guelph’s Gordon S Lang School of Business and Economics (#19), Toronto Metropolitan University’s Ted Rogers School of Management (#20), McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management (#22), and Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business (#36). The top institution from around the world was the Griffith Business School in Australia. 

HEC Montréal’s Tech3Lab has received $18M over five years from NSERC, PROMPT, and 13 industry partners to accelerate user experience (UX) research and boost digital economies. The funding will support two research programs: One focused on technological interfaces and one focused on UX measures and methods. It will also support training opportunities through collaborations with the industrial partners: The 13 industrial partners will provide real cases to the multidisciplinary team at Tech3Lab, who will use these cases to optimize the UX. “Our mission’s primary focus is on research and knowledge transfer to the business community and society, and this contribution will convert HEC Montréal’s high ambitions into reality,” said HEC Director Federico Pasin. 

Hannah Liddle of University Affairs has written about the public scholarship programs that have been launched at institutions like Dalhousie University, Queen’s University, and the University of British Columbia. Through these programs, researchers engage the public in the research process and bring their findings back to the community for its benefit. “It’s about building a structure of knowledge creation that is reciprocal,” says Queen’s Vice-Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies Fahim Quadir. “It’s not academia building an island and expecting community organizations to follow along – it’s the other way around.” UBC Dean of Graduate Studies Susan Porter added that public scholarship can help to rebuild trust between the community and the institution. Liddle explains that public scholarship programs are also being used to “reimagine” the doctoral education process by preparing graduate students for work outside of the academy. 

NorQuest College and the Rupertsland Institute (RLI) have partnered to open the Rupertsland Métis Student Centre, which is reportedly the first student centre of its kind. The centre—which is located on NorQuest’s campus—will provide services and supports that boost postsecondary attainment and encourage engagement with Métis culture. The services offered by the centre will include Métis Education Training Information Services Advisors, Métis student resources, and financial supports. The centre’s concept, interior design, and exterior graphics were created by current and former students. Métis students from any postsecondary institutions in the region are welcome to use its services, while non-Métis students are invited to use the centre as a study space and place to learn about Métis culture. 

A new forecast from Canadian RESP company Embark highlights how the costs of postsecondary education—which they define as including both tuition and residence costs for a four-year degree—is increasing in Canada. Embark forecasts that the costs of a four-year degree will rise by 39% to $104,898 over the next 18 years. Provinces such as Nova Scotia (1), Ontario (2), and New Brunswick (3) were identified as the most expensive places to study in Canada, while British Columbia (8), Manitoba (9), and Newfoundland (10) were the least expensive. Embark stated that 31% of surveyed Canadian parents could not guess how much an education costs, and when parents did guess, their estimates were on average $10K lower than the national average. CTV News reports that students in AB are concerned about rising tuition rates, given the increases over the past four years. 

A food bank in Ontario—the Ste Louise Outreach Centre of Peel—has reportedly closed its doors to international students after experiencing an influx of students since September. Ste Louise Outreach Centre board president Catherine Rivera said that the food bank has seen international students coming to the centre in groups every day and that other food banks are running out of supplies because of the number of students. Rivera told The Star that international students are required to prove they meet a set minimum income to support themselves when they arrive in Canada. Neil Hetherington of Daily Bread Food Bank, and Jindi Singh of Khalsa Aid expressed their surprise about the decision to The Star and CBC respectively, pointing out that international students are more likely to experience food insecurity than domestic students. The centre and the Sai Dham food bank in Etobicoke are calling for postsecondary institutes to implement more supports for all students, so they do not have to show up at food banks in the first place.  

A task force at Dalhousie University has advised the institution to verify claims of Indigenous ancestry or identity made by staff and students. The task force recommended using a verification process where a status card or other documentation could be submitted, which CBC reports is similar to what has been implemented at the University of Saskatchewan and for Dal’s Faculty of Medicine Indigenous Admissions Pathway. “The university needs to take responsibility for its role and its overreliance on self-identification policies, which have left the door open to issues like Indigenous identity fraud,” said task force chair Dr Brent Young, who is Anishinaabe and was raised in Mi’kma’ki. Dal told CBC that it is “committed to working through the recommendations.”

Several postsecondary institutions have launched new, expanded, or revised programming in order to meet workforce demands. Okanagan College has announced new and expanded Early Childhood Education training options that will be offered across the Okanagan Valley, including an online ECE infant toddler program for working professionals and a new hybrid delivery option for its ECE diploma program. The University of Northern British Columbia has doubled the number of available seats in its family nurse practitioner program in order to meet the demand for experienced health care professionals in northern BC. Université du Québec à Montréal has launched a new property management concentration for its real estate certificate program. UQAM Professor Ünsal Özdilek explained that property managers are in high demand in QC, but there is little training available.  

The Vernon Morning Star reports that ten students at Vancouver Career College in Abbotsford have been left “in limbo” after the college’s Licensed Practical Nursing program was stopped abruptly. Shortly after their orientation shifts for their clinical, the students’ clinical placements were cancelled “due to the shortage of staffing,” explained student Preet Rana, who said that they were told that there was a disagreement between the college and the instructor over wages. The college has reportedly not responded to student requests or inquiries since the program’s closure in October. The students expected to complete their clinical and graduate in January, and are now making plans to file a dispute. 

The majority of women’s hockey team players from Western University will continue playing this season, reports TSN. Several players recently wrote a letter indicating that they would be boycotting games in protest of coach Candice Moxley’s return. Western Vice Provost (Students) John Doerksen said in an email that the letter had not been “shared with or endorsed by the entire team” and that it had not been signed. Western sent a survey to the team’s players so that they could indicate their intent. “[W]e can confirm the vast majority of the players have indicated their intentions to continue playing for the 2023/24 season,” read the email.