News Digest for November 10, 2009 (UNews)

Post-Secondary News Digest for November 10, 2009

Canada

Can high school grades be trusted?:
(Macleans) A teacher at the University Hill Secondary School in Vancouver has blown the whistle on students taking advantage of a policy allowing them to take courses at different schools. The policy was intended to provide choice for rural students, but some have used it as a means of choosing the better of two grades to optimize their chances of getting into a university. The B.C. government has singled out five independent high schools in Vancouver and issued warnings regarding this issue.

Macleans 19th annual university ranking:
(Macleans) Macleans just released its 19th annual report on universities across Canada and for the fifth consecutive year McGill has come out on top. According to the rankings, McGill has the best medical-doctoral program in the country, and faculty have received a number of awards and research grants for their performance. The survey focuses on the undergrad experience, quality of instruction and aims to help students make informed decisions about choosing a university.

Turnout drops for drop fees:
(The Varsity) Fewer protesters from Toronto universities turned out this year for the annual Day of Action for a Poverty-Free Ontario held Thursday. This year’s protest had a broader focus on the issue of poverty in the province than that of the more student-focused agenda in past years. The low numbers this year have been attributed to the weather and student apathy.

UBC students design pavilion for 2010 Olympics:
(The Ubyssey) UBC architecture and planning students have finished hosting a competition in which students designed pavilions to be showcased during the 2010 Olympics. The first annual 24-hour Spacemakers’ competition concluded Monday. The winning pavilion will be erected in a 24/7, vehicle-free district. About 6,000 people will walk through the area every hour for the two-and-a-half-week duration of the Olympics. The results will be announced on Nov 16.

Dal student busting myths:
(Metro News Edmonton) The winner of this year’s Canadian Health Services Research Foundation contest to dispel myths about Canada’s health-care system is a Dalhousie student. Andre Maddison, a second-year master’s student in community health and epidemiology, received a $1,500 prize for his study denouncing the myth that emergency room overcrowding is caused by non-urgent cases. He says it is more to do with the lack of beds in ERs and a lack of alternative-care settings.

U.S.

U of California reduces money for research:
(Inside Higher Ed) The University of California at Davis has been forced to take away research-funding grants to save money because of the poor economy. Patricia Turner, vice provost for research at the university, has asked teachers to abandon much of their grant, which is approximately US$2,000. The grant was given to many instructors as compensation for teaching freshmen seminars and many are angry.

The U of Wisconsin-Madison raises prices of enrolment:
(Inside Higher Ed) Students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are endorsing a university initiative that will raise tuition by $1,000 – except for those students whose parents earn less than US$80,000. Non-residents will have to pay US$3,000 more when the plan is fully implemented in 2013. The goal is to improve infrastructure, expand academic offerings and hire new teachers. The initiative, called the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates, was approved in May this year.

Grad school enrolments flat for 4th straight year:
(Inside Higher Ed) The Council of Graduate Schools has released a study showing that the number of international graduate students has not grown as in the past four years. The study also shows that American student enrolment has risen 6 per cent. For both groups, the numbers do not seem to reflect any single trend.

Students poisoned at Harvard:
(USA Today) Six Harvard University students have been poisoned with a dangerous chemical substance in their coffee. One of those affected was Matteo Iannacone, a researcher at the University. "I cannot think it would be an accident,” he said. “Fortunately, I drank just a sip.” He suspects it was intentional because the chemicals are commonly used in medical school's laboratory. The police are taking measures to prevent similar incidents.

U.S. universities join forces to investigate H1N1 in asthma patients:
(Emory University Wheel) Four American universities are participating in a national study conducting clinical trials to find the optimal dosage of the H1N1 vaccine to administer to asthma patients. “About 30 per cent of people hospitalized due to the H1N1 virus have asthma,” said Anne Fitzpatrick, the principal investigator for the Emory trials. The study will examine asthma patients’ immune response to the vaccine. The trials began in mid-October and are set to end in December.

Possible prohibition of tobacco at the U of Montana:
(AP) The University of Montana is proposing a campus-wide ban on all forms of tobacco. The ban would take effect in fall of 2011. The Associated Students of the University and the President of the University endorsed the ban. "We actually did the research because some students were complaining about it," said Kari Harris, an associate professor of public health at the college. Washington-Grizzly Stadium, the UM Golf Course and all campus parking lots are included in the ban.

World

England includes education in budget cutbacks:
(BBC) The 2010 budget for post-secondary education in England may take a hit, with a government report that was recently made public suggesting a $600-million cutback. According to the report, the intention behind the budget cut is to save money. However, roughly 133,000 spots in education apprenticeships could be cut and salaries for post-secondary positions may freeze. A source from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills says there’s no intention of taking away apprenticeship jobs.

England government includes education in budget cutbacks:
(BBC Education) The 2010 budget for post-secondary education in England may take a hit, as a government report recently made public suggests a £340 million cutback. While the government said the intention behind the budget cut is to save money, roughly 133,000 spots in education apprenticeships could be cut and salaries for post-secondary jobs may freeze. But a source from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills says there’s no intention of taking away apprenticeship jobs.

Students in England still awaiting funding:
(BBC ) Thousands of students in England have still not received their loans and grants weeks after the start of term. Statistics from the Student Loans Company indicate that as many as 70,000 students could still be waiting for financial support. The figures show the company is still processing 23,000 applications. The company faced strong criticism from students, parents and politicians in September and promised greater efforts to tackle delays.

Brazil college backs down on mini-dress expulsion:
(Associated Press ) A 20-year-old student at Bandeirante University in Brazil is finally allowed back to school after being kicked out for wearing a minidress on campus. The university hasn’t explained its decision for Geisy Arruda to return. Since the incident took place on Oct. 22, including videos of students teasing her for the outfit, Arruda gained support from local celebrities and Brazil’s education ministry. Decio Lencioni, the university’s attorney, said her “attitude” was to blame – not the dress.

Corporation buys Korean university; future for humanities dim:
(Google News) There may be a diminishing number of humanities courses being offered at Chung-Ang University in Korea in the near future. A large business corporation recently bought the school. As a result, changes are taking place because the corporation considers humanities to be the least useful program. One professor at the university said he’s concerned that the business will get rid of all humanities courses.