November 6, 2023

Queen’s University’s engineering faculty has received a $100M donation from alumnus Stephen Smith. The faculty has been newly renamed Smith Engineering in honour of what Queen’s says is the largest gift ever made to an engineering faculty in Canada and one of the largest gifts in the university’s history. “The majority of the $100-million gift will be endowed to provide an enduring legacy of talent and resources from around the world for generations to come,” read a statement from Queen’s Dean of Smith Engineering Kevin Deluzio. “The balance will enable the development and implementation of new programs, and investments in research, technology and equipment.” 

In a non-binding vote, registered family physicians at the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)’s annual membership meeting voted 91% against the implementation of a third year in family practice training. Currently, family doctors must complete two years of family medicine specialty training after finishing their undergraduate and medical education. However, CFPC announced its intentions to mandate a third year of specialty training starting in 2027. According to CBC, many family doctors oppose this measure for reasons that include a potential worsening of the physician shortage. CFPC Acting CEO Dr Nancy Fowler sent a message to medical schools stating that the college will “propose a collaborative pathway for moving forward.”  

The National Cybersecurity Consortium (NCC) has announced the recipients of the latest round of funding through the Cyber Security Innovation Network. A combined total of $11.2M has been committed to 20 research and development, training, and commercialization projects that are focused on topics such as network security and privacy. The projects will be led by researchers from Concordia University, École Polytechnique de Montréal, McGill University, Ontario Tech University, Queen’s University, Université du Québec en Outaouais, the University of Calgary, the University of Guelph, the University of New Brunswick, the University of Saskatchewan, and the University of Waterloo. The projects will be supported by collaborators from other institutions and industry.  

McGill University Principal Deep Saini has penned an open letter discussing the ramifications that the Government of Quebec’s plan to double tuition for out-of-province students would have on McGill. Saini described the university’s initial analysis, which found that the increase in fees would cause enrolment and annual enrolment revenues at McGill to drop; result in some Faculties—such as the Schulich School of Music—losing their students to the rest of Canada with no ability to replace them; and force the university to implement measures to protect its financial stability, which could include up to 700 job reductions. Additionally, Saini writes that the change will compromise the university’s ability to move forward with major infrastructure projects and could impact varsity teams. 

In a recent article for Inside Higher Ed, Josh Moody asks: What do universities owe their donors? Moody discusses the current situation at US universities, including Columbia University and Harvard University, where megadonors are expressing displeasure with the institutional responses to the Israel-Hamas war. “Massive donations often come with expectations to match,” Moody writes, “But donor-relations experts suggest that such expectations are neither realistic nor appropriate.” While recent years have seen a greater reliance on donor funds and more outspoken public pushback from donors, philanthropy experts explain that donors are not entitled to and often have the incorrect expertise for influencing institutional policy or decision making. Moody concludes by noting how the war in Gaza has become “a perfect storm” for donor relations. 

Statistics Canada recently published a summary of the number and salaries of full professors at Canadian universities. The report states that there were 48,258 full-time teaching staff at Canadian universities in 2022/23—an increase of 33.9% since 2002/03—and 36.7% of these staff were full professors. The make-up of full professors has shifted over the last two decades: The proportion of full professors who are women rose from 17.2% to 32.2% and the proportion that are age 65 or older has increased from 3.9% to 21.7%. Salaries for full professors ranged from $143K to $230K, and while men had a slightly higher average income than women, the gender pay gap has declined from 7.0% to 3.7%.  

Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig’s campus now features a 60-foot Aajijaak (Crane) symbol. The Aajijaak symbol was used by Ojibwe Chief Shingwauk as his signature, including on the 1850 Robinson Huron Treaty that was signed on behalf of 23 First Nations. The symbol installed on SKG’s campus represents the Chief with his feet firmly planted in SKG University’s Medicine Garden and Teaching Lodge, and his face turned to the institution’s main building to “watch his vision come to fruition.” “We honour Chief Shingwauk and regularly thank him and our many ancestors and Elders who have contributed to Shingwauk’s Vision being realized,” stated the institution. 

The University of Northern British Columbia has announced that it will be doubling available seats in its Master of Science in Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Program. The expansion will provide nurses with more opportunities to prepare to provide primary and acute care services to people in Northern British Columbia. The program is based primarily online and takes two years of full-time study or three years of part-time study to complete. Students will complete in-person skills development courses at UNBC’s Prince George campus and will complete 753 hours of clinical practicum. The expansion is supported by the Government of British Columbia’s Health Human Resources Strategy. 

Dalhousie University and Ontario Tech University have unveiled new and renamed spaces on campus. Dal’s Faculty of Computer Science celebrated the official opening of its new downtown Halifax space, which features seven cutting-edge labs, a collaborative area, and office spaces. The expansion will help to accommodate the rapid growth that the faculty has experienced over the last few years. Ontario Tech has unveiled the Vanhaverbeke Family Atrium, which has been named in honour of Ed and Sylvia Vanhaverbeke’s continued philanthropic support. The couple has given over $1M to the university over the years, including a recent $800K gift supporting Ontario Tech’s Faculty of Business and Information Technology’s capital fund and learning initiatives.  

The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology has announced that it is pausing the 2024 Fall intake for its Radio Television and Broadcast News program’s broadcast news stream. SAIT communications officer Kate Laverdure explained that the institute is looking into “making adjustments to the program in response to the changing demands of the industry.” Global News reports that several other Canadian postsecondary institutions have had to pause or cancel their broadcast and journalism courses for a variety of reasons, including the need to update the curriculum, low enrolment, and instructor shortages.