November 23, 2023

The Government of Nova Scotia has announced that it will build new student housing facilities at four of Nova Scotia Community College’s campuses. The new housing facilities—which will be built on government-owned land—will add a combined 270 new beds to NSCC’s Cumberland, Kingstec, Lunenberg, and Institute of Technology campuses. “The creation of four new NSCC student housing facilities – on top of the three units already under construction – will mean increased accessibility for applicants to the college and, in turn, help alleviate pressure on the community housing inventory in Springhill, Kentville, Bridgewater and Halifax,” said NSCC President Don Bureaux. 

St Clair College has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Fairmount Properties to house up to 400 international students per year in the new “Global Village Windsor.” The downtown Global Village is set to provide an academically and socially welcoming experience for incoming international students and will include housing; restaurants; retail options; and amenities for programming, events, prayer, and gathering. “This proposed partnership with Fairmount Properties will, we think, help to alleviate some of the pressures on that element of the housing marketplace, by automatically providing a substantial portion of our first-year enrollees with affordable housing, and a host of on-site services and amenities,” said St Clair President Patti France. 

The Government of Alberta has reaffirmed its $125M investment into MacEwan University’s new School of Business building and announced that it will fast-track $5M in funding as a result of the university’s construction progress to date. MacEwan recently finished pre-construction on the new building and is expected to break ground on the downtown project in Spring 2024. The new building is set to address growing enrolment demands at MacEwan: MacEwan Board of Governors Chair Carolyn Graham stated that the university expects to grow to 30,000 students by 2030, based on recent projections. 

The mission of the university has remained relatively constant over the centuries, but the relationship between a university and its student population has significantly changed, argues Vicki Squires (University of Saskatchewan) for The Conversation. Squires highlights how the university’s “duty of care” for students has changed since the origins of Canadian higher education as the cultural milieu and make-up of the student body has shifted. The author describes how the university’s approach to its duty of care has evolved over time: From “paternal” to “bystander” to today’s “facilitator” era. Squires encourages institutions to move to an approach that treats students as adults and active collaborators in addressing their own needs.

The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) recently voted in favour of a pro-Palestinian policy, which criticizes public comments from McGill University officials, prioritizes solidarity with Palestinian students, and places a variety of demands on the university. McGill warned the SSMU that the policy would breach the union’s own constitution and violate SSMU’s agreement with McGill, which could lead the university to end its agreement with the student union. B’nai Brith Canada recently filed an injunction seeking a halt to the vote on the adoption of the policy and the Montréal Gazette reports that a Québec Superior Court judge ordered SSMU not to ratify the policy until after a legal challenge on it can be heard next year. 

Colleges Ontario has issued a statement calling on the provincial government to enact changes that align with the recommendations made in the recent blue-ribbon panel report. They called for an end to the province’s tuition freeze and the approval of a 5% tuition increase, as well as a 10% increase in operating grants for September 2024, the creation of a distinct tuition policy for public colleges, lifting of the cap on high-demand programs, and the implementation of changes that will allow more people to study part time. “These investments in student success will help ensure Ontario’s future work force has the expertise to succeed in a rapidly evolving labour market,” said Colleges Ontario President Marketa Evans. 

In a recent article from the Chronicle of Higher Ed, David D Perlmutter (Texas Tech University) discusses five ways that postsecondary administrators can ensure that they are paying attention to the work that matters and attain a sense of self-fulfillment. Perlmutter explains that mattering involves both feeling valued and adding value and notes the importance of mattering to morale and job performance. The author encourages administrators to keep track of metrics, focus on attaching value to outcomes rather than to bureaucracy, and call attention to positive news and “good wins.” Perlmutter also advises administrators to pause and consider what they have done right and accept that while there are different understandings of what is important on campus, the mundane still matters. 

Algonquin College and Carleton University have announced that they are joining the CityStudio Ottawa framework to bring their students new opportunities for community engagement, knowledge exchange, and experiential learning. CityStudio Ottawa facilitates projects that connect academia, local government, and community partners. “Together, we will connect and mobilize students, faculty, the City of Ottawa and community members to collectively advance initiatives towards effecting change in the Ottawa region,” said Carleton Provost L Pauline Rankin. Algonquin recently launched their first cohort of CityStudio projects, while Carleton will begin their slate of projects in January 2024. 

The University of Prince Edward Island recently announced that it has become an Employer Partner of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI). As an Employer Partner, UPEI faculty, staff, and students will have unlimited access to CCDI online training opportunities on diversity and inclusion, including prerecorded and live monthly webinars; community of practice events; and digital reports, toolkits, and templates. This partnership aligns with the UPEI Strategic Plan (2018-2023) and supports the university’s EDI strategy to build an open, accessible, and welcoming community. 

Thompson Rivers University recently signed three MOUs with prominent Mexican institutions: the Ministry of Education, Guanajuato State; Universidad Tecnológica de León; and Universidad Tecnológica de San Miguel de Allende. The three MOUs aim to facilitate educational partnerships, promote short-term intensive and visiting student programs, and support student exchanges between the institutions. “In future I expect to see more Canadians experience Guanajuato, and more Mexicans discover the Interior of B.C., because of the new relationships we have established,” said TRU President Dr Brett Fairbairn.