November 15, 2023

The University of Saskatchewan has received several donations to expand its mental health supports, services, and programming for students. A $1M gift from the Gitzel family will establish the Gitzel Family Fund for Mental Health, which will be used to hire more clinicians, support group therapy delivery, and bolster peer-health programming at the USask Student Wellness Centre. Alumni donors Ron and Jane Graham have also contributed toward the funding for two student support and outreach coordinator positions in the College of Engineering and Huskie Athletics; the coordinators provide timely and accessible mental health assessment and increase the visibility of the Student Affairs and Outreach team.

Huron University has launched a new major in Public Policy and Governance (PPG), supported by a $1.3M donation from alumnus Tim Duncanson. PPG is described as a multi-disciplinary program that brings together political science, management and organizational studies, philosophy, and history. “The new program will help students translate big ideas into actionable solutions,” said Huron Governance, Leadership and Ethics Program Coordinator Neil Bradford. “Policy is the bridge between ideas and action.” The donation will also support the development of courses, experiential learning opportunities, and multidisciplinary research in related fields.  

The University of Manitoba has received a $2.1M gift from alumni Walter and Maria Schroeder to provide full-tuition scholarships and student supports. The gift builds on previous donations from the Schroeders and will help to bolster wrap-around supports such as a three-week summer school program, stipends, and residence accommodations. 92 students at the university will benefit from these scholarships and supports. “We are extraordinarily grateful to Walter and Maria Schroeder for their generous gift and passion for bettering the lives of so many UM students,” said UManitoba President Dr Michael Benarroch.

In an editorial for Inside Higher Ed, Lauren Coffey describes how some university presidents are using artificial intelligence (AI) to engage with their student populations. Some have used ChatGPT to write their presidential addresses for commencement, while others have used AI-voice cloners to develop personalized videos answering student questions. However, the editorial warns of the potential pitfalls of relying too heavily on AI, namely that students may become disillusioned when they learn that they are being addressed by a bot, rather than their university president. Coffey concludes by underlining that postsecondary leadership should be aware that there is a trade-off between maximizing efficiency and applying the “human touch” when using AI for student engagement.

Northlands College has officially opened its Culture Centre at its Creighton Campus. The centre will serve as a hub of cultural learning, education, and community engagement. The inaugural ceremony included an opening prayer led by elders, a pipe ceremony, and songs from the Northern Lights Women Singers. Northlands President Karsten Henricksen highlighted the importance of Indigenization, Cultures, and Language in the era of Truth and Reconciliation and asserted that the centre would stand “as a testament to our dedication to preserving and promoting the unique heritage of the northern communities we are privileged to serve.”

St Clair College and Wayne State University (WSU) in Michigan have expanded their pathway agreements to create a Mechanical Engineering Technology – Automotive Product Design pathway. Students who pursue this pathway will be able to earn both a St Clair diploma and a WSU degree in an expedited span of time. “When one thinks about the connected, cross-border economy of southwestern Ontario and southeastern Michigan, the word that instantly comes to mind is ‘automotive,’” said St Clair President Patti France. “With this new partnership with Wayne State, we’re now building a cross-border educational component […] into this essential and ever-evolving economic engine.” 

Alberta University of the Arts, Red Deer Polytechnic, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic have released new Indigenous strategies and plans to foster Indigenization, truth and reconciliation, and engagement. The AUArts Indigenous Pathways Soksipaitapiiwahsin (Good Living Ways) outlines how AU Arts will respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action with 10 guiding goals for Reconcili-Actions. RDP’s Reconcili-Action Plan-released as part of Métis Week celebrations-is centered around four key themes: Open Hearts, Open Doors, Open Eyes, and Open Voices. Sask Polytech’s new 2024-2029 Indigenous Student Success Strategy – Wichitowin ahci kaskihtamâsowin ati nikan outlines how the institution will remove barriers and deliver comprehensive supports to help Indigenous students succeed. All three institutions developed their plans in partnership with their local communities.

Cégep Beauce-Appalaches and Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles have both won a call from the Government of Québec to offer new police techniques programs. The Techniques policières program at Cégep Beauce-Appalaches will welcome its first cohort of students to its Saint-Georges campus in Fall 2024, while Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles will inaugurate the program at its Gaspé campus starting in 2025. Cégep Sorel-Tracy also released a statement regarding its application to host the Techniques policières program, which has been denied five times since 2016. A representative from Sorel-Tracy indicated that the cégep would continue to explore the possibilities of adding a related program in the near future to benefit its students and community.   

Queen’s University has cancelled all in-person classes at its Bader College in England due to structural issues at the Herstmonceux Castle property that require immediate attention. In a statement to its students, Queen’s indicated that portions of the Castle have been closed to ensure the health and safety of students and staff and that all Bader College programming will be moved online for the remainder of the term. Queen’s also stated that it is arranging for students to continue their studies in January 2024 at the Kingston campus in Canada, while remediation work is conducted on the Castle. Structural repairs at the site are expected to take at least one year to complete.

In the Chronicle of Higher Ed’s “Ask the Chair” series, Kevin Dettmar (Pomona College) answers a question about how to support a department after the death of a faculty member. Dettmar underlines that “leading through loss” requires being sensitive to needs of staff and students before “stepping up to meet them.” While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to mourning, the author highlights some approaches that may be useful for departmental chairs moving forward, including asking students-once they’ve had the chance to absorb the news-what sort of tribute that they would find meaningful to honour their mentor; maintaining open lines of communication with family members who want to be involved in memorial activities; and creating opportunities for alumni to share tributes.