September 5, 2024

As National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR) and Orange Shirt Day approach, several institutions have shared their upcoming initiatives, events, and information campaigns. At Acsenda School of Management, the Decolonization and Indigenous Working Group of Acsenda is collaborating with four student clubs to create a digital campaign about decolonization, reconciliation, and building Indigenous relations. Algonquin College has launched the Kwey Indigenous Video Language series to bring the Anishinàbe Algonquin language to campus. Brock University and Georgian College will be hosting special lectures or lunch and learn sessions, crafting activities, and participatory events like a heart garden memorial and guided walks. MaKami College is raising money for the Orange Shirt Society with daily shirt giveaways throughout the month of September.

Globe and Mail postsecondary education reporter Joe Friesen discusses the challenges that financial deficits and public pressure will pose for postsecondary institutions this academic year. Friesen writes that external shocks such as the cap on international study permits, protests, and provincial funding decisions have altered the Canadian postsecondary landscape. The author notes that deficits are becoming more common, forcing institutions to take action through hiring freezes and service consolidation. Friesen adds that universities are also under pressure from public opinion and are facing declines in public confidence. Universities Canada President Gabriel Miller emphasized the need for honest public discussions, since the public plays a role in determining how much support universities will receive through the election of governments.

Government of Québec Minister of Higher Education Pascale Déry has called the leaders of Québec’s universities to participate in a meeting in mid-September to discuss how they will discourage intimidation, harassment, racism, and violence on campus. “I am very concerned about the climate of tension on some campuses,” said Déry, who urged leaders to be vigilant in the coming weeks. “I ask you to be even more vigilant and, above all, proactive, by better communicating your internal policies and regulations to your entire community, and ensuring that they are enforced where necessary. The institutions are also expected to send Déry their crisis management policy and/or emergency measures plans. 

The Government of British Columbia is advancing measures to reduce the risks and harms associated with toxic-drug poisonings. The BC Post-Secondary Overdose Prevention and Response Steering Committee, which was formed in May 2024, has released official directives to help public postsecondary institutions implement strategies to protect their students. These directives include making nasal naloxone kits available in each student housing or floor, promoting awareness of overdose prevention and treatment services, and revising disciplinary policies so that students do not hesitate to report an overdose in fear of academic repercussions. BC is additionally formalizing guidelines that will improve overdose response protocols and procedures and notifications for relatives.

Western University has implemented a new campus protest policy requiring groups to receive authorization from the Director of Campus Safety and Emergency Services in advance of planned demonstrations. Under the policy, protests can only be held between noon and 6 PM on weekdays and cannot be advertised prior to formal approval by the director. CBC reports that student groups and protesters on campus are both surprised by and unhappy with the new policy. “We think this procedure is disappointing as it has a direct impact on student’s freedom of expression,” said University Students’ Council President Emilie Kalaydjian. “We were not consulted by admin and considering that we partake in regular meetings with senior leaders at Western, ultimately we feel blindsided.”

Capilano University recently unveiled two new programs: the Bachelor of Environment and Society (Environmental Studies) and the Bachelor of Environment and Society (Environmental Sciences). These interdisciplinary programs are designed to prepare Arts and Science students for careers in cross-cultural environments through a combination of in-class learning, field work, and community projects. After completing a set of core courses, upper-year students can specialize in topics such as climate change, adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity and conservation, and urban sustainability. The programs will also offer a regional-specific educational experience with opportunities for studio learning and place-based practice through partners such as the Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative. The programs will officially launch in Fall 2025.

The Institut national de la recherche scientifique has received $4.1M from the Government of Québec to enhance health and biotechnology innovation with improved infrastructure. The funding will be used to develop new research infrastructure at the laboratoire de niveau de confinement 3 (NC3) of the Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, including through the purchaseof additional scientific equipment. Redevelopment work will also be conducted to install a liquid effluent treatment system at the facility. INRS directeur général Luc-Alain Giraldeau said that these upgrades will strengthen the institution’s ability to address current public health issues and train the next generation of infectious disease scientists.

Manitoba construction company Penn-co Construction is reportedly suing the University of Manitoba for $2.6M over the Churchill Marine Observatory project. The lawsuit claims that the project, which Penn-co completed for the university, had inadequate design plans and project expenses that grew during the COVID-19 pandemic without additional compensation. “There is no lawful basis for the university’s retention of the benefit of the additional work without proper payment of the same,” reads the lawsuit. A university spokesperson said that “all legitimate and eligible costs to Penn-co have been paid. In addition, the university has a significant claim against Penn-co for deficient work that will be set out in our statement of defence and counterclaim.”

Dalhousie University diverted 3.5 tonnes of items from the landfill and helped students decorate their residence rooms for free by hosting its first ever Free Store event. The university collected items during the residence move out last April and through a summer donation drive. In preparation for the Fall semester, students were permitted to take three free items each; the most popular items included kettles, fans, and power bars. “We’re so excited to facilitate all of these items being available to students for free,” said Dal Sustainability Manager Alexa Goodman, who noted that programs like this create a circular economy at the university.

York University Osgoode Hall Law School has launched a Certificate in Law Teaching program that will cover foundational pedagogical principles. The certificate comprises three modules, which cover topics such as the foundations of law teaching, teaching using problems and projects, and emerging and perennial issues in teaching law. “The legal profession has an honoured tradition of giving back by teaching, and this is a way to support and sustain that tradition – by creating a learning community of law instructors,” said YorkU Osgoode Professional Development Executive Director and Assistant Dean Victoria Watkins.