Ronald Leung / Silhouette Staff
Police crackdown on renewed Quebec student movement
Last spring was marked by massive student protests marching against the Liberal $1,625 tuition hike, numbering over 200,000 people including Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois. This year, with Marois at the helm implementing a five year $70 indexation, students took to the streets once more – and were quickly shut down by police just 10 minutes into the Montreal protest. Over 200 people were arrested and fined. Student protesters noted the heavy-handed change in tactics and worry about the fear these actions will cast on potential supporters.
Threat of probation looms over University of Saskatchewan medical school
A small team of inspectors has returned to the University of Saskatchewan after the College of Medicine was told two years ago that it was at risk of losing accreditation if it did not restructure its operations. Ten infractions were outlined: overall lack of structure, unclear professor responsibilities, decentralized student reviews, a delay in reporting students’ final marks, informal student review procedures, and insufficient study space. College faculty and university administration have been working on sweeping plans for the school of medicine.
University of Regina refugee students await Minister verdict for amnesty
Two Nigerian students from the University of Regina have been anxiously staying at a church while their lawyer, Kay Adebhogun, works to keep their cause as a priority for government officials. Both students also worked at the local Walmart in Regina, but when realising that they did not have the appropriate SIN number or a work permit respectively, they both left their jobs only to be arrested by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA). The students originally received full scholarships from the Nigerian government.
SAIT student holds record for world’s largest chess set
A student from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) holds a Guinness World record with his father for the largest chess set. Secured in 2009, the giant set currently is in Medicine Hat, Alta. Ken Taylor explains that his father, Bill Taylor, received inspiration in 2004 when he saw a large chess set in Austria. Bill’s enthusiasm quickly caught on with Ken and they built the set together. The father and son received commemoration from the provincial government. The king is the largest piece at 3’ 11” tall, weighing 35 lbs.
Ryerson engineering under criticism for “initiation” ritual
Students in Ryerson’s faculty of Engineering are facing potential disciplinary action for running an “initiation” ritual that involved scantily-clad students crawling through slush in downtown Toronto. The controversy was sparked when a YouTube video of the annual event surfaced. Ryerson president Sheldon Levy has called the event “completely unacceptable” and not representative of the “positive and supportive culture of Ryerson.” The Ryerson Engineering Students Society (RESS) and other students involved in the “swim,” which is meant as a team-building activity for frosh week leaders, contend that it was not a hazing ritual, but was all in the spirit of fun.
Author/ Ronald Leung/ Silhouette Staff
Students back at table in Lakehead University tuition hike discussion
The chief representative for students at Lakehead University has regained the right to vote on tuition hike issues. Student governor Daniel Basca was originally muzzled in an April 2012 ruling that declared student governors in a conflict of interest and stopped them from participating in any meaningful matter at board of governor meetings regarding tuition hikes. This outcome was swiftly met with challenge from the Lakehead University Student Union (LUSU), which threatened legal action. The Lakehead Board of Governors reversed their decision at a Feb. 1 meeting.
Gender neutral washrooms introduced at University of Regina
After two years of campaigning by the group University of Regina Pride, talks about choosing the location of ten gender neutral washrooms on the UR campus are underway. While not new to Canadian institutions of higher learning, with universities such as Dalhousie having their own gender neutral bathrooms, the introduction of these spaces represents the fruits of the labour of student-administration communication at UR. The new project is aimed at reducing harassment and providing an alternative to those who find it uncomfortable to use washrooms for men or women.
Sexual complaints arise over Greek Organization at MUN
The Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union (MUNSU) is dealing with controversy over whether it should officially recognize the Greek Philanthropy Society (GPS). Although the GPS pledged to focus on raising funds for charitable causes, allegations of sexist behavior clouded its case. One MUNSU board member brought up an example of parties hosted by the GPS that charge a lower cost to women, who are then encouraged to wear togas. The MUNSU purports to expect all member clubs to support sex and gender equity.
B.C. research universities feel left out over large grants for nearby trade schools
The B.C. provincial Liberal government is sticking to its plan to support trade and technical programs at key schools, in spite of growing complaints from the province’s research university brass. Faced with an overall $41 million in cuts for post-secondary grants, administrators such as University of British Columbia president Stephen Toope have argued that trade schools, while helpful in addressing unemployment, don’t help students become “versatile and agile leaders.” However, B.C. Liberal Minister of Advanced Education John Yap told The Ubyssey that “Taxpapers invest $5 million … to support the B.C. post-secondary system,” and that the four major research universities – UBC, Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria and University of Northern British Columbia – “receive more than half of the operating grants provided to 25 institutions.”
U Ottawa lecture series spotlights bilingualism and biculturalism in Canada
The University of Ottawa has worked with the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism in Canada. Originally established in 1963 by André Laurendeau and Davidson Dunton in order to address language issues between Anglophones and Francophones, the Commission led to the establishment of the Official Languages Act and the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL). U Ottawa, being a strongly bilingual institution, sees itself as a child of the original commission. The lecture series will be featured all across Canada in Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal and Moncton.
Ronald Leung
Silhouette Staff
Ontario teacher’s college applications drop by 50 per cent
The Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) reports that only 8,199 applications have been filed for teacher’s college in the 2012-2013 cycles, compared to 16,042 in 2007. The University of Windsor has been especially hit hard, with a downward trend starting in 2008 resulting in almost a 75 per cent reduction in applications. The shrinking job opportunities in Ontario for newly-graduated teachers are most likely to blame. Doing part-time supply teaching has become a reality for new teachers while they wait for full-time position opens up.
Dead ducks sent to Memorial University administration
For the past 15 years, approximately 50 ducks have lived on the Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) campus. Local community members have fed the ducks during the winter at the central campus pond, until MUN administration posted signs discouraging feeding due to an alleged rat infestation problem. Biology professor Ian Jones noticed duck carcasses appearing on the outskirts of the pond. He voiced his concerns to MUN admin, but without receiving a serious response he opted to send two dead ducks directly to the Administration. Jones has said he will contact the SPCA if no further action is taken.
B.C. Government gives more than $500,000 to trade school
The B.C. government has donated over half a million dollars to the University of the Fraser Valley in support of their Trades and Technology Centre (TTC). New equipment will give students more hands-on experience and will upgrade their skills to be more compatible with potential employers. This donation comes after several pledges by the B.C. government, including $1.5 million to three other B.C. universities and $113 million to the Emily Carr University of Art and Design for a campus makeover.
Outcry over million-dollar budget cuts at the University of Regina intensify
The University of Regina is facing multi-million dollar cuts and students have expressed their concern at the lack of transparency with the Academic Review process (ARP) that plays an instrumental part of determining what gets scaled back. Concerned students have formed the Students Against Austerity, a group that also encompasses the University of Saskatchewan, also facing multi-million dollar budget cuts. Studentas and faculty are most concerned about the liberal arts, the department widely believed to be on the chopping block first.
HRSDC under fire for handling of student loan privacy breach
After a major security breach on Nov. 5, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) has just introduced credit monitoring services starting at $14.95 a month. This service is targeted for those affected by the breach but students have argued that, “those affected should not be out of pocket for the way the government has mishandled their information.” One-third of those affected by the breach have still not been contacted because contact information is still missing.
