Post-Secondary News Digest for October 20, 2009
Canada
YouTube video sparks student outrage:
(The Gazette) Students are protesting at the University of Western Ontario after the violent arrest of fourth-year student Irnes Zeljkovic. The arrest, captured on video and posted on YouTube, shows several police punching, kicking and using batons against the pinned student. Police maintain their use of force was justified and those angered by it simply don’t understand the specifics of law enforcement.
Clinton gets honorary degree from McGill:
(The McGill Daily) Bill Clinton paid a visit to McGill University Friday to accept an honorary doctorate. McGill stated the university did not donate any money to the Clinton Foundation in return. The McGill senate approved his candidacy and the invitation-only ceremony was part of a leadership summit the university hosted. The former U.S. president was given the doctorate for a “lifetime of outstanding leadership.” Following the ceremony, Clinton delivered a speech to all attendees.
N.S. tuition fees down, Ont. climbs to highest average:
(Statistics Canada) A Statistics Canada survey released today shows Ontario has risen above Nova Scotia in average undergraduate tuition fees, with the average student paying $5,951. In 2008-09, Nova Scotia owned the distinction of having the highest national average for tuition fees at $5,696 per student. Quebec still holds the title for lowest tuition fees with students paying, on average, $2,272.
UBC to get money for H1N1 research:
(The Ubyssey) The University of British Columbia is one of five research institutions across the country to be awarded funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to learn more about H1N1 (Swine Flu) vaccines and treatment. UBC will use the funding to look at the effects of H1N1 on pregnant women and different drug therapies. The other institutions are Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital, the University of Manitoba and the University of Montreal.
Budget shortfall at U. of A. may mean job cuts:
(The Gateway) Staff and faculty at the University of Alberta worry that a $56-million budget shortfall will mean job cuts. In a conference Monday morning, university president Indira Samarasekera assured staff that job cuts are a last resort for the administration. Many at the meeting called for the administration to take pay cuts, including Samarasekera who earned $591,000 in 2006-07. Samarasekera did not comment on whether she would take a pay cut.
University enrolment down in N.B.:
(Times & Transcript) A study by the Association of Atlantic Universities shows an overall drop of 0.2 per cent in post-secondary enrolment for New Brunswick universities. It’s the only Atlantic province to show a decline. N.B. Education Minister Don Arsenault says that a drop of 46 students is a stable year-to-year result and he is not concerned. The universities which gained students – Universite de Moncton and Mount Allison – have been successful in recruiting international students. There are fewer students graduating from New Brunswick high schools.
Stephen Hawking to visit Waterloo next year:
(CBC ) Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking plans to visit Waterloo’s Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics next summer, where he will spend a month acting as chair of the research institute. The institute, which is funded by the federal government and several universities, plans to add a new wing aptly named “The Stephen Hawking Centre.” Hawking was supposed to visit this summer but had to postpone due to illness.
U.S.
Students heckle former Israeli prime minister:
(USnews.com) Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert faced well over 100 student protesters when he visited the University of Chicago to talk last Thursday. What should have been a 20-minute speech took more than an hour as students did their best to interrupt him. He was talking about a two-state plan for peace in the Middle East. In an attempt to reassure his audience, Olmert said he was used to heated arguments and compared the students’ outbursts to Israel’s right-wing critics.
Former education secretary supports 3-year degrees:
(New York Times) Republican Senator Lamar Alexander says now is the time to consider three-year college degrees. The former federal secretary of education says American schools may fall victim to their own success and unwillingness to adopt new ideas. By chopping degrees from four to three years, students would take 30 credits instead of 40. In theory, this would save 25 per cent of costs. Hartwick College in New York and Lipscomb University in Tennessee already offer three-year degrees.
Colleges placing less emphasis on standardized tests:
(Inside Higher Education) Colleges are moving away from strict measurements of academic performance, according to a new survey from the U.S. National Association for College Admission Counseling. The study compared the importance colleges placed on certain criteria in 2007 versus 2008. The importance of grades in college prep courses, the strength of high school curriculum, admission test scores and class ranking each declined by four to five per cent. Information was gathered before the U.S. economy worsened.
College health group recommends banning outdoor smoking:
(Inside Higher Education) The American College Health Association has toughened its stance on tobacco use on campus. It released new guidelines Monday urging colleges and universities to adopt policies barring all tobacco use indoors and outdoors. It had previously advised colleges to permit smoking in “designated smoking spaces” outside but now says it wants to “provoke a debate.” John Nothdurft, a legislative specialist on tobacco at the Heartland Institute, called the move “a PR stunt saying colleges need recommendations on enforcement.
UCLA continues effort to reshape animal research debate:
(Inside Higher Education) The University of California at Los Angeles has launched an advertising campaign to defend the practice of animal research, saying it’s crucial to the advancement of science. The college ran a full-page advertisement in the Los Angeles Times urging people to join the "pro-test petition," in its effort to reshape the debate on using animals. Underground animal rights groups have used violence and harassment tactics against the college for its stance. The research plays a vital role “in improving our lives," said UCLA chancellor Gene Block.
World
Pakistan university bombings kills four:
(CBC) Two suicide bombings at an Islamic university in Islamabad resulted in the deaths of four people, while injuring 20 more. One bombing occurred in the middle of a women’s cafeteria and the other in the law department. Both of the bombers died in the blast. No group has come forward to take responsibility for the attack. This is just one of numerous attacks made by Islamic militants in recent weeks.
India funds building of agricultural university in Kabul:
(South Asian News Agency) India’s minister of higher education has promised US$25 million to establish an agricultural university in Kabul, Afghanistan. In addition, Kazakhstan will provide 1,000 scholarships for Afghan students studying law, medicine, agriculture, engineering and journalism. This joint project of the ministries of higher education and agriculture, livestock and irrigation will train Afghan students and teachers, which will allow them to study in their home country. The minister, Azam Dadfar, estimates there are 10,000 students and teachers currently studying abroad.
Oxford spends millions on public image, can’t afford tables:
(Times Higher Education) Student reporters at the University of Oxford unearthed financial records showing the university’s public affairs department has spent more than $15 million on its public image since 2005. Students are criticizing the school because they feel the university lacks basic facilities such as tables. Vice-Chancellor John Hood has said the university was looking to cut $13.5 million this year and is in dire need of funding.
Steeper tuition needed in U.K. - science adviser:
(BBC) The director of the U.K.’s National Science Learning Centre says universities in England that teach science will need to charge more for tuition if they hope to uphold their standards in excellence. "It's very difficult to see how a future of excellence throughout the university system can be maintained unless at some point there's a more economic approach to university fees," said Prof John Holman. There is currently a price cap of $5,400 in the U.K., which Holman says should be lifted.
Vietnamese education inspectors fall under scrutiny:
(VietNamNet) The Ministry of Education and Training in Vietnam, a government body tasked with inspecting and licensing schools, is arousing suspicion after a number of universities without facilities, staff, or course curriculum passed inspection. Phan Thiet University is one such school, which plans to open its doors to 750 students, despite being unable to meet basic requirements and standards. Experts say the capability of the ministry to inspect universities needs to be investigated.