Post-Secondary News Digest for October 27, 2009
Canada
Students get creative to promote municipal vote:
(CBCnews) Design students at Université du Québec à Montréal have created an online campaign to urge people to vote in the Nov. 1 municipal election. The website, SOS Montréal, shows images related to key municipal issues and scandals. The site gives a dim view of the city and its elected officials, but that's how students see their hometown, said UQÀM design Professor Nelu Wolfensohn.
Torchbearer following in mother’s footsteps:
(metronews.ca) A science student at the University of Manitoba has been selected by Coca-Cola Canada to be the first torchbearer for the 2010 Olympic torch relay. Neil Harbun will carry the torch 22 years after his mother carried the Olympic torch for Calgary’s 1988 Winter games, just two days after giving birth to Neil.
Quebec doctors tout HIV breakthrough:
( canoe.ca) Doctors in Montreal have made an important breakthrough in AIDS research. Jean-Pierre Routy, an AIDS researcher at McGill University’s Health Centre, and his Universite de Montreal colleague, Rafick Sekaly, have found a way of creating custom-fit vaccines. “The vaccine is made-to-measure for every person, just like haute couture,” Routy explained. “Our approach is unique in the world.” The technique allows the treatment to work with less damage to the patient’s immune system.
Wall parts heading to SMU:
(Truro Daily News) Two sections of the Berlin Wall were moved from downtown Truro to Saint Mary’s University in Halifax Oct. 26. They will be used as a focal point of a conference examining the legacy of the wall’s fall that occurred 20 years ago next month. The sections of the wall act as a reminder of the Soviet occupation in East Germany. Marty Young, the owner of the sections, says he hopes the pieces will make people stop and think.
U. of Winnipeg to remove asbestos:
(CBCnews) The University of Winnipeg is hosting a town hall meeting on Monday to brief staff and students about how officials plan to remove asbestos on campus as older buildings are renovated. The university plans on doing a major round of renovations over three years. An environmental firm has been surveying the campus buildings to see where asbestos is present so it can be dealt with appropriately.
Hand-free cellphones no less dangerous - study:
(The Journal Pioneer) A Dalhousie University study of drivers using cellphones has found that hands-free phones are just as dangerous and distracting as hand-held cellphones. Drivers talking on hands-free phones tend not to slow down, the study says. Drivers tend not to compensate for speed because they feel they’re safer. Many provinces have banned the use of hand-held cellphones while operating a motor vehicle because drivers are distracted when carrying on conversations.
U.S.
U.S. institutions pressured to be ready for direct loans:
(Inside Higher Ed) The U.S. government is putting pressure on universities and colleges across the country to ready their schools for a switch to direct loans for students. It is moving colleges away from the lender-based student loan program that it is phasing out in an effort to make student loans more accessible and reliable. The Department of Education released data this month showing that the use of direct loans is on the rise and lender-based loans are waning.
Pre-paid tuition hike hurting parents:
(Miami Herald) Florida’s prepaid tuition plan, which allows parents to pay a reduced lump sum if they pay in advance of their university years, has always been popular but now prices are soaring. The price for parents with young children quadrupled this year from US$4,614 to US$19,776. “It blows my mind,” said Margo Johnson, 44, a mother who has used the program for two children already. The average cost of a college education is rising much faster than the rate of inflation.
Athletics becoming too expensive -- survey:
(Inside Higher Ed) Some post-secondary presidents feel athletics are becoming hard to sustain, according to a new survey of campus leaders released Monday by the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. The reason seems to be overhead costs such as the rising salaries of coaches. Presidents feel they are powerless to stop the climb. Critics believe the presidents have placed too much emphasis on sports in the past.
SunGard takes on Blackboard’s e-tools:
( Inside Higher Ed) Serious competition is surfacing to Blackboard, the technology company that provides one of the most widely used e-learning platforms. SunGard Higher Education is planning to integrate Epsilen, an education-based social network, into its system. The partnership gives SunGard users access to Epsilen’s e-portfolio tools and notably digital archives of the New York Times. Along with this new competition, Blackboard saw its market share fall by almost 25 per cent last year.
Minority men lagging in obtaining degrees – educator:
( Diverse Issues in Higher Education) A panel of senior professors and researchers at the largest annual gathering of minority graduate students said getting their PhDs will help advocate higher education in minority communities in the United States. “We know that we’re losing young minority males as early as elementary school. Dr. Ronald D. Henderson, of the National Education Association, unveiled data showing minority men have failed to keep pace with minority women in enrolling and completing degrees in the last 30 years.
World
Career advice for U.K. seven-year-olds:
(BBCnews) A new government scheme in England is offering career advice to kids as young as seven years old. The program, being tested at 38 priority schools, is aimed at children from deprived backgrounds, giving them a taste of adulthood at a young age. The program is designed to help children choose a wise secondary – and eventually post-secondary – career trajectory.
Hoods down for colleges:
(BBCnews) British Higher Education Minister David Lammy is calling on students to keep the hoodies down, in guidelines designed to deter gang violence at colleges. Lammy says students are concealing weapons, mostly knives, within the folds of their sweaters. The guidelines also recommend random ID checks for students, metal detector wands, random testing and alarms for staff.
U. of Portsmouth scientists discover sea monster:
(Metronews) The fossilized remains of a giant sea monster were found off the U.K.’s Jurassic Coast. Scientists from the University of Portsmouth have discovered the 2.4-metre skull of a plesiosaur, one of the largest of its kind. An ancient predator, the plesiosaurs had the heads of crocodiles and short, paddle-like limbs. They inhabited the sea 150 million years ago. After being analyzed, the fossil will go on display at Dorset County Museum.
South African drop out rate at 40%:
(University World News) A recent study concludes that 40 per cent of South African students are dropping out after their first year of post-secondary education and only 15 per cent of students finish their degrees on time. Research conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council says high dropout rates exist among the country’s large pool of first-generation students, who come from poorer, less educated backgrounds.
Faith-based schools under fire in England:
(BBCnews) A British Supreme Court case involving a private Jewish school’s refusal to admit a student may have repercussions for other faith based schools – notably, Sikh establishments. JFS, a London-based school, refused to admit a boy whose mother converted to Judaism in “a way it doesn’t accept.” The Appeal Court judges, however, say Jews are an ethnic group, and denial of the student is racial discrimination. The result of the case may affect the seven Sikh schools and 33 Jewish schools in England.
Top business schools to meet in Cape Town:
(University World News) Representatives from more than 1,000 business schools from 153 different countries will meet this week in Cape Town, South Africa. The Eduniversal World Convention will bring together business school deans, who will discuss the development of internationalism and higher education. The event will also feature an awards ceremony ranking the top business schools worldwide.