Post-Secondary News Digest for November 12, 2009
Canada
U of Toronto students Halloween costume sparks debate:
(Maclean's) A group of students at the University of Toronto sparked a debate over their Halloween costume last month. They dressed up as the Jamaican bobsled team from the movie Cool Runnings. The Black Students’ Association and the University of Toronto Students’ Union say the costumes were “insensitive and ignorant of historical context.” Other students at the university don’t think it’s an issue, saying it’s “just a costume.”
U of Alberta students roll out new anti-smoking program for aboriginal youth:
(CBC) Health Canada gave students at the University of Alberta $137,000 over the span of two years to design a smoking prevention program geared towards aboriginal youth. A project called The Butt Out was already in Alberta schools but, "was not culturally really relevant for the aboriginal students, " said Daniel McKennitt, president of the Aboriginal Health Group at the university. Students have used the advice of aboriginal community members while addictions experts have reviewed the program documents to make sure they were still evidence-based.
SFU quarterback pulled from pool dies:
(CBC) A Simon Fraser University football quarterback died on Wednesday morning after being found in the university pool. Police said it’s not certain what happened to , Bernd Dittrich, 21, but don't think it was foul play. The university’s football coach, Dave Johnson, said he found out that Dittrich had a heart condition that was undetected beforehand. Dittrich was using swimming to try to improve his injured shoulder.
Dalhousie students honour their own on Remembrance Day:
(Metro News) A group of Dalhousie University students gathered Nov. 11 to commemorate students who have died in battle. In order to raise money for the Royal Canadian Legion, poppies were sold and wreaths were bought to honour fallen soldiers. While Remembrance Day was once a time to remember those from the First and Second World Wars, as well as the Korean War, Dal’s ceremony also considers those who have died in Afghanistan.
McMaster offers free tuition to fallen soldiers' children:
(CBC) McMaster University has joined the Project Hero program, a four-year scholarship that goes to children of Canadian soldiers who’ve died in action. The scholarships are available until the end of August 2014. Retired general Rick Hillier, former chief of defense staff, and Lt.-Col. Kevin Reed began the project earlier this year. Project Hero is already being offered at four other universities across Canada.
U.S.
Ave Maria University bans critical blogger from parts of campus:
(Naple News) A writer and blogger in Naples, Fl., has been barred from most of Ave Maria University’s campus. According to university officials, Marielena Montesino de Stuart demonstrated “an ongoing and open hostility to the university.” Ave Maria is a private institution and has a right to restrict access to the campus, though the blogger feels it’s a violation of her constitutional right to voice public opinion.
Censure of Tulane lifted:
(Inside Higher Education) The American Association of University Professors has lifted the censure of Tulane University in New Orleans. Tulane eliminated departments in response to the severe state of affairs presented by Hurricane Katrina in 2007. The university maintained that what was done was necessary, but the association is had questioned the extent of the measure. The question that remains is whether lifting the censure will hurt lawsuits against the university.
Well-Paid ‘Assistants’:
(Inside Higher Education) U.S. Colleges and universities have had to make sacrifices in the present state of the economy, sometimes having to cut down on staff or impose pay cuts. However, a report released on Tuesday shows that head coaches of varsity teams are earning more than US$2 million a year and assistant coaches averaging US$225,000 annually – nearly double what full-time professors earn and four times that of assistant professors. This may fuel dissention among university faculty, still the schools stand behind their decision to pay this amount, saying finding a replacement would be too much of a risk.
Spitzer to join conference on ethics:
(Philly Daily News) Former New York governor Eliot Spitzer will participate in a conference on ethics at Harvard University Nov. 12. It will raise a series of questions about his past scandal with a prostitute. Kristin Davis, also referred to as “Manhattan Madam,” said, “I am greatly intrigued as to what Mr. Spitzer could contribute to an ethical discussion when as Chief Executive Law Enforcement Officer of NY he broke numerous laws for which he has yet to be punished.”
‘Turkey drop’ coined for Thanksgiving doubts:
(USA Today) Universities all over the U.S. have adopted a term that’s usually associated with high school sweethearts breaking up early on in their academic careers. It’s called “turkey drop” and is now being used in reference to students who abandon their scholarly ambitions over the Thanksgiving break. The transition from high school to university for some students is very daunting, so during the long weekend they start to question whether the academic life is for them. Those who return to school after Thanksgiving often find that their doubts about school quickly disappear.
Publishing in peril:
(Diverse Education) University presses are finding it hard to stay above water. Once an outlet that gave voice to minorities and stories that might not otherwise be told, presses in the modern era are going under. Academic presses rarely reap profits and many rely on school subsidies to survive are now being squeezed out, however they have not given up. They are resilient and resourceful – seeing viable options in an alternative press, be it online or in collaboration with others.
World
Iran criticizes scholarship for being ‘politically motivated’:
(The Guardian) Iran criticized Oxford’s Queen’s College for having a scholarship named in support of Neda Agh-Soltan, the student killed during protests in Tehran. The college received a letter from the Iranian Embassy in London saying that it disagreed with the scholarship and that it was “politically motivated.” Queen's said donors have independence in naming their scholarships.
University of Aberdeen makes change to be part of the Top World universities:
(The Independent) The University of Aberdeen made some big changes with its undergraduate curriculum, making it similar to Harvard, Melbourne and Hong Kong universities in order to be in top 100 universities in the Times Higher's Education’s international league table. This year the university made it to 129th position. The new curriculum will include new courses, such as “Sixth Century,” “Humans and other animals,” “Health and wealth of nations” and “Science and the media.”
Australian government supports international students:
(The Economic Times) The Australian government is supporting new laws for overseas and minority students who are affected by the closure of an international education provider, according to a minister. The Australian government said that starting in early 2010, international students who need a new visa to complete their studies at other schools or colleges will be excluded from paying the student visa application charge. The majority of students going to Australian universities are from India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Brazil and Zimbabwe.
New rules for the nurses in England:
(BBC) England’s health department announced that, beginning in 2013, all new nurses will have to spend at least three years being trained to the level of a university degree. The goal is for nurses to be better prepared and serve patients more effectively. The focus for new nurses is gaining experience in community health teams.
University professor warns about possible crisis in universities:
(Times Higher Education) A professor of higher education at Boston College argues that casual labour in the academy is dangerous for universities. Philip Altbach said at the Third International Conference on world-class universities in Shanghai, that the world faces a "crisis of the academic profession, thanks to a growing reliance on part-time, underpaid and under qualified professors.”