Post-Secondary News Digest for January 18, 2010

Canada

Former McMaster student sentenced in terror plot:
((Globe and Mail)) Saad Gaya, 21, will be sentenced Monday for his part in the “Toronto 18” terrorism conspiracy. Gaya was a McMaster University student when, in 2006, he aided in plotting to attack government and financial landmarks with the aim of getting Canada to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. Gaya has admitted to helping “conspiracy ring-leader” Zakaria Amara build bombs but has said he did not know they would be used to harm people.

Ont. college strike could hurt laid-off workers:
((CBC News)) About 100,000 Ontario college students may be out of classes come mid-February. The Ontario Public Service Employees Union voted in favour of striking this Wednesday, leaving many students without professors. Students in the Second Career program, which helps laid off workers re-enter the workforce, are particularly concerned about the strike. The union is fighting principally over workload issues.

McMaster U. researchers say head injuries need more attention:
((Hamilton Spectator)) Researchers at McMaster University say concussions need to be taken as seriously as brain injuries. McMaster’s School of Rehabilitation Science performed a study on children who were admitted to McMaster Children’s Hospital with head injuries over a three-year period. They found that children who were diagnosed with concussions returned to school sooner and spent fewer days in hospital than children with other head injuries, even though concussions can be just as serious.

Contest helps student smokers quit:
((Toronto Sun)) The Leave the Pack Behind program is getting Ontario students to help their peers quit smoking. The program promotes a quit-and-win initiative that encourages students to enter a contest to win cash and prizes. Sharon Lawler, co-director of the provincial program, says smokers who enter the contest are five times more likely to quit than those who try to do it on their own. This year, the program is being offered to all of the 544,000 post-secondary students in Ontario.

Irish teacher enhances STU program:
((The Daily Gleaner) ) Saint Thomas University’s Irish studies program has a new addition this year. Michelle Ni Mhairtin is teaching the Gaelic language and Irish culture at the university. She is one of six teachers who have come to Canada through the Irish Canada University Foundation to share the Gaelic language with students. Stewart Donovan, founder of STU’s Irish studies program, says Ni Mhairtin has increased interest in Irish studies. She will be in Fredericton until May 2010 when she will return to Ireland.

U.S.

Fla. university tracking down false Haiti report:
((Boston Globe) ) Florida’s Lynn University has requested an investigation be launched after it received false information on the whereabouts of four classmates missing in Haiti. The school’s insurance provider hired a private search and rescue contractor to bring home the students who were in Port-au-Prince on a community service project. Their families travelled to Florida where they were told they would be reuniting but learned Thursday all four students remain unaccounted for.

Five U.S. students claim torture in Pakistan jail:
((Washington Post) ) Five American citizens in Sargodha, Pakistan claim they have been tortured during their detainment in the city’s jail. The Virginia students shouted their claims to reporters as they made their way to the city’s anti-terrorism court for a second hearing. The Americans were arrested in December 2009 after Pakistani police seized their laptops and cellphones where they say they found emails between the young men and the Taliban. The students deny having had contact with the militants and say they just wanted to give fellow Muslims in Afghanistan financial support.

Massachusetts students allowed to cover up:
(http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1953948,00.html?xid=rss-topstories) The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has revoked its ban on wearing headscarves and clothing that obscures the face after two of its students complained. This is the first case of an appeal for religious exemption in the U.S. since 2002 when a Florida woman sued the state for forbidding her to wear the veil in her driver’s licence photo. An assistant professor at Georgia’s Spelman College says the issue hasn’t caused significant controversy until now because most American Muslims don’t cover up.

Salaries still increasing for college presidents:
((New York Times)) Pay rates for university presidents continued to rise in the U.S. last year despite the economic downturn. A study conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education shows that although one third of university leaders’ salaries stopped growing, the median increased by 2.3 per cent since the previous year. E. Gordon Gee, president of Ohio State University, topped the survey’s ranking with an annual compensation package valued at US$1.2 million.

Netflix for textbooks:
((Washington Post)) A California-based company is allowing university students to rent textbooks instead of buying them. Chegg.com has mailed out more than two million books to students at more than 6,400 schools since it was launched nationally in 2007. Rates vary depending on the book’s popularity and how long it is kept but students usually save at least half off the retail price.

World

Quake levels Haitian universities:
((Reuters)) Three of Haiti’s main universities in Port-au-Prince were almost completely destroyed in last week’s earthquake. Classes were still in session when the quake hit, and both professors and students died inside the buildings. The government plans to get classes going as soon as possible. They say this could help students deal with post-traumatic stress disorder. Students would also be given free meals and counselling.

U.K. Tories would demand bond from overseas students:
((University World News)) The Conservative Party in England wants to crack down on fake colleges and abuses of the visa system by demanding a US$3,250 bond from overseas students. They say the present visa system is a loophole in the border controls, which has become a security risk for the U.K. Only government-registered colleges would be allowed to sponsor foreign students. The bond would be repaid after the student left the country at the end of his or her studies.

S. Korean assembly approves ‘study-now-pay-later’ program:
((Korea Times)) South Korea’s National Assembly passed a new student loan bill today. The new program will cover all tuition fees and include $916 for living expenses per semester. However, the interest rate will be higher than other government loans. Students will have a portion of their incomes automatically deducted from their paycheques when they start working after graduation, as long as they make more than $14,656 per year. Only students with C+ and higher averages will be eligible for the new loan.

Korean student athletes told to study:
((Korea Times)) Students athletes can no longer neglect their studies for sports or be excused from class. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has made participation in classes mandatory and has discouraged universities from having sports competitions during the regular semester. Moreover, athletes will have to achieve a certain grade to stay on the team. Universities were also told to place more importance on academic records and "volunteer" activities when they select athletes for their sports teams.

Glass ceiling still present in Dutch universities:
((University World News)) Only 12 per cent of full professors at Dutch universities are women. According to a new report, the present rate in appointing women to full professorships was too low to achieve the national target of 15 per cent by this year - and lower than the EU Lisbon Agreement recommendation of 25 per cent by 2010. According to the report, 625 professors will retire in the next five years and there are enough women associate professors to take up these posts.

Indonesia cracking down on higher education’s bad practices:
((University World News)) Indonesia's National Board for Higher Education Accreditation wants to rid universities of unaccredited undergraduate courses for 2012. Stricter criteria will be set for the private sector, since Indonesia has more than 2,000 private universities, many of which have been issuing unaccredited degrees. The board will set an "accreditation validity period" of five years for each undergraduate program. Assessors will examine programs and decide whether or not to renew their validity period.