November 14, 2024

The Government of Canada is expanding its loan forgiveness program for nurses and doctors in underserved rural and remote areas. Under an updated definition, doctors and nurses working in communities of 30,000 or fewer are eligible for Canada Student Loan forgiveness. This adjustment extends the program’s eligibility to doctors and nurses in over 200 additional communities and is projected to attract more than 900 health-care workers to these areas over the next decade. “Working far from major centres can bring challenges in terms of resources, support, and workload,” said Canada Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Sean Fraser. “This is why we are helping students and healthcare practitioners pursue their professional careers without being saddled by student debt.”

An interuniversity project led by Université du Québec à Montréal Professor Michelle Garneau has received more than $12M in grants from the Government of Québec and NSERC to measure the amount of carbon captured by natural and disturbed wetlands. “The project will improve knowledge on the carbon sequestration potential of different types of environments subject to natural and anthropogenic pressures,” explained Garneau, who added that the goal of the project is to support the conservation, rehabilitation and management of wetlands to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The research team includes experts from McGill University, Université de Montréal, Université Laval, UQAM, and the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.

In an article for University Affairs, journalist Mohamed Berrada highlights how the national student housing crisis has intensified, leaving many domestic and international students without access to safe, affordable accommodation. Consequently, students are increasingly basing enrolment decisions on housing availability, rather than on academic program options or preferred institutions. Berrada describes how postsecondary institutions nationwide are now incorporating housing into long-term growth plans, investing in residence buildings, and forming partnerships with governments and private stakeholders. The author concludes by advocating for a collaborative approach focused on innovative solutions to the crisis, noting that “further efforts are still needed to restore campuses to their primary role as spaces for learning, personal development, and community life for everyone.”

The University of Guelph has announced plans to construct a new residence for first-year students to meet the increased demand for on-campus housing. Conceptual designs of the residence feature two accessible and sustainably built buildings with a combined capacity for up to 1,500 students in six different unit types. The university is in the process of fast-tracking the project, with a goal of opening the residence within the next five years. In the meantime, UoGuelph is taking steps to add up to 250 more beds for first-year students ahead of Fall 2025 and seeking partnerships in the community to increase student housing capacity. The university has also revised its residence guarantee process and communications to offer clearer information for students and their families.

The University of Calgary has officially launched the First-Generation Students program, which will allow first-generation students to access funding and tailored programming to help them transition to life at university. “First-generation students can face challenges with the hidden curriculum of the university, especially in their first few years,” said UCalgary First-Generation Student Programs Co-ordinator Mariann Howell. Howell further explained that these students may not know how to navigate campus resources, build academic connections, or advocate for themselves at university: “The hope is to help them navigate these challenges by offering them resources that are dedicated specifically for them.”

The University of Toronto is increasing its base funding for PhD students and SJD (Doctor of Juridical Science) students to $40K per year, starting next Fall. This funding increase aims to alleviate financial pressures so that students can focus on their research, which will in turn boost U of T’s competitiveness. “Increasing graduate funding for our PhD and SJD students is truly a collaborative effort, one that requires commitment from all our partners–graduate units, faculty members, the university advancement teams and the university’s senior leadership,” said U of T Vice-Provost, Graduate Research and Education & Dean of the School of Graduate Studies Joshua Barker.

Regent College has established a Belonging and Equity Advisory Council, comprising students, staff, faculty, administrators, Senate, and Board members. Its objectives include listening to and understanding the life experiences of Regent students and community members, cultivating awareness and sensitivity to the community’s diversity, and providing recommendations to the appropriate bodies regarding belonging and participation. “Some students from outside the majority culture at Regent have courageously shared their experiences of feeling like they are less than full participants in our community,” said Regent Dean of Studies Diane Stinton. “We have learned how much we need to learn, and how much we need to grow so that our community more fully reflects the beauty and richness of the Kingdom of God.”

Students are taking the initiative to help those who are experiencing food insecurity. Lethbridge Polytechnic’s Massage Therapy program staff and students and employees are supporting the students’ association’s campaign to help students facing food insecurity by offering free massages to those who make a minimum donation. Two student clubs at St Clair College recently collaborated to hold a food drive to collect food for New Beginnings of Windsor’s emergency food bank. Vancouver Island University Students Union Indigenous Representative Leah Vaisanen started a biweekly hot meal program that will serve meals to students on campus until the end of the year. The Camosun College Student Society will be assembling and distributing holiday hampers to students who are in need.

Collège Boréal has officially opened its Shkode “Heart of Fire” Pavilion. The pavilion—which was designed to serve as a gathering space for Boréal’s First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Educational Centre activities—includes workspaces, meeting rooms, and a circle for smudging ceremonies and traditional events. The space features artwork such as a mural by Indigenous artist Jessica Somers and a collection dedicated to the memory of Louis Riel. Outside the pavilion there is a traditionally constructed canoe and an Indigenous medicine garden. “These facilities, along with their services, are part of a humble yet concrete effort to encourage future generations to gain a deeper understanding of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures in the spirit of collaboration and reconciliation,” said Boréal President Daniel Giroux.

The École nationale d’administration publique recently signed a collaboration agreement with the Autorité des marchés publics (AMP) to share best practices and bolster oversight of public procurement practices in Francophone countries. Under this agreement, ÉNAP and AMP will host foreign delegations and trainees, develop training materials, coordinate international seminars and events, and exchange knowledge. ÉNAP directeur general Hugo Cyr added that this collaboration aims to enhance expertise at both ÉNAP and AMP, foster exchanges with public procurement-focused Francophone organizations, and enrich global academic discussions focused on regulating public procurement.