September 3, 2024

Humber College has officially announced its transformation into Humber Polytechnic, a new identity that represents the institution’s commitment to hands-on, industry-responsive learning. As part of this change, Humber has also introduced its new brand, Builders of Brilliance. These updates reflect the polytechnic’s vision to equip learners for success through innovative, interprofessional, and collaborative approaches to education and by leveraging technology, partnerships, and experiential learning. “As Humber Polytechnic, we will work with industry to solve Canada’s productivity crisis with the right programs, the right skills, the right partners and most importantly the right people,” said Humber President Ann Marie Vaughan.

The Government of Canada is investing $87.5M over four years through the NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative. The funding will support 16 collaborative research projects focused on bolstering the sustainability of the agriculture and agri-food sectors. The research leads for this funding come from Dalhousie University, École Polytechnique de Montréal, NSCAD University, Queen’s University, Université Laval, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Guelph, University of Manitoba, University of Prince Edward Island, University of Saskatchewan, University of Toronto, and Wilfrid Laurier University.

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology is kicking off the academic year with a new academic structure that is composed of seven academic schools, an increase from the four that were established eight years ago. With this new structure, NAIT’s schools are organized in alignment with the sectors they support. By “mimicking the collaboration and engagement that happens on a worksite, we get a better outcome overall,” said NAIT VP Academic Peter Leclair. NAIT’s seven schools are the JR Shaw School of Business, School of Construction and Building Sciences, School of Energy and Natural Resources, School of Health and Life Sciences, School of Manufacturing and Automation, School of Media and Information Technology, and School of Transportation.

In an article for the National Post, Toronto Metropolitan University President Mohamed Lachemi argues that the “chaotic and badly communicated changes to Canada’s international student policies” will be felt far across sectors. Lachemi focuses on the manner in which the international student program changes were implemented and discusses how this has negatively affected international students’ perceptions of Canada as a welcoming, worthwhile study destination. “Long term, we will see how this leaves us short of the talent we need in an already stressed labour market,” concludes Lechemi. “But it also poses an urgent question: are we living up to our values of being a nation where anyone is welcome?”

In an article for eCampusNews, Dr John Johnston (Capella University) argues that while generative AI tools like ChatGPT offer significant educational opportunities, they also present challenges that require careful policy development. Drawing on the ongoing efforts of postsecondary institutions on this front, Johnston puts forth five guiding principles that universities should consider when developing their AI policies: Establishing clear guidelines that emphasize academic integrity, providing training and support to staff and students, designing thoughtful assignments, addressing privacy and security concerns, and encouraging innovation and experimentation. “As AI technology evolves, so too must our policies and practices to ensure they remain relevant and effective in fostering student learning and academic excellence,” concludes Johnston.

Collège Boréal’s Centre for Leadership and Academic Innovation has launched a new podcast titled “Mon choix, c’est l’inclusion,” which is designed to help faculty and staff navigate issues of inclusivity. Developed in collaboration with the Université de Moncton, the podcast features episodes on unconscious bias, critical pedagogy, and the international student experience in Francophone minority settings. “With this new podcast, Collège Boréal is expanding the services available to our faculty while enhancing the cultural competencies of all our staff,” said Boréal VP Academic Paulette Bonin. “As post-secondary education becomes increasingly globalized, we hope our experience as a Francophone institution with a province-wide presence will serve as a valuable resource for other minority-language institutions and French-language colleges and universities.”

Marc Frenette and Tomasz Handler have published an analysis of the most prevalent jobs attained by young master’s degree graduates by their field of study. Frenette and Handler drew on the 2021 Census to identify the most prevalent jobs held by master’s degree graduates between 25 and 34 years old. Graduates of some programs—most commonly those in the health, law, and engineering fields—were highly concentrated in specific roles. However, graduates from most master’s programs were dispersed across a wide range of occupations. The authors conclude that these findings may help prospective students understand the potential starting points in the career paths at the end of master’s degree in a particular field.

Bishop’s University and Concordia University are reporting declining registrations from out-of-province students, which they say is largely due to the Government of Québec’s tuition hike. According to CBC, Bishop’s has seen a 10% drop in out-of-province domestic and a 30-40% reduction in international registrations, while Concordia has experienced decreases of 28% and 11%, respectively. Both institutions anticipate financial strain due to these declines. While McGill University has not yet released enrolment figures, it has noted a decrease in out-of-province applications, consistent with this policy change. “It seems fairly obvious that the announcements by the [Québec] government have created a lot of uncertainty and fear in our students,” said Bishop’s Principal Sébastien Lebel-Grenier.

The Canadian Press reports that Universities Canada has said that international student enrolment has fallen below the cap set by the federal government this year. The new policy was expected to result in a 35% drop in the number of approved study permits in 2024, but Universities Canada President Gabriel Miller indicated that the decrease will be more significant than expected. Miller explained that the cap and the pause in visa processing during its implementation created uncertainty for prospective students, who may have then sought educational opportunities elsewhere.

Trinity Western University has announced an inaugural endowed Chair in New Testament Studies. “The University has been working to develop this endowed chair as part of the strategy to place biblical and theological studies at the centre of TWU’s core liberal arts offerings,” said Interim President and Provost Dr Todd Martin. “The Chair in New Testament Studies signals our commitment to prioritize Christian scholarship and learning.” The inaugural chair holder will be TWU Professor Dr Kent Clarke, who has taught religion, theology, and biblical studies at the university for 25 years.