Post Secondary Education in the News

Harper says forestry institute will ‘create prosperity’

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a new northern hardwood research institute at the Edmundston campus of the University of Moncton on Friday. More…

Graduate Assistants Move to Crowdsource Data on Their Working Conditions- March 20 2012

Inspired by the Adjunct Project, which is using a crowdsourced Google document to let adjunct faculty members around the nation describe their pay and working conditions, a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro has mounted a similar effort to gather university-specific data on graduate assistants. More…

New Brunswick Professionals & Students Call for Investment in PSE- March 16, 2012

The New Brunswick Student Alliance (NBSA) has compiled a video of students and professionals examining the importance of postsecondary education from nearly every facet of life. More…

Web portal for credit transfers launched- March 15 2012

FREDERICTON (GNB) – A new web-based portal will help students transfer their academic credits between universities and colleges based in New Brunswick. More…

Mount Allison researcher named Tier 1 Canada Research Chair- March 13 2012

SACKVILLE, NB — Mount Allison University chemistry professor Dr. Stephen Westcott has been awarded a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Green Boron Chemistry worth $1.4 million. More…

The uneasy ties between Canada’s universities and wealthy business magnates- March 9 2012

After almost three years of negotiation and internecine battles, a private think-tank established and chaired by Jim Balsillie has signed a $60-million deal with York University in Toronto to create a school of international law. More…

Concordia University to lose $2 million in funding- March 9 2012

QUEBEC – Education Minister Line Beauchamp is cutting $2 million from Concordia University’s budget as a penalty for the $3.1 million in severance packages it paid to former president Judith Woodsworth and five senior administrators. More…

Dalhousie University gets solvency break as faculty mulls walkout- March 8 2012

Dalhousie University has won an exemption from making massive payments to its under-funded pension plan, brightening the school’s budget outlook and making it less likely the school’s professors will walk off the job on Monday. More…

Journal stem cell work ‘blocked- March 6 2012

Stem cell experts say they believe a small group of scientists is effectively vetoing high quality science from publication in journals. More…

Google Says New Privacy Policy Has Little Impact on Education Partners- March 2 2012

Google’s new consumer privacy policy, introduced today, shares user data across the company’s stable of Web services in an effort to deliver better search results and advertisements. More…

British Universities See Sharp Cuts in Courses Offered- March 2 2012

The number of full-time undergraduate-degree courses being offered at British universities has fallen by 27 percent since 2006, according to a report published this week by Britain’s main faculty union. More…

Risk of placing scientist ‘on message’- February 17 2012

The allegation made at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting is that there has been unprecedented interference by the Canadian government in the free flow of scientific information. More…

The FNBFA comments on the MPHEC report entitled “Is Demand for University Education Shrinking Among Maritimers?”- February 7, 2012

Rick Hudson, President of the Federation of New Brunswick Faculty Associations (FNBFA) says “The FNBFA welcomes studies of issues and trends concerning higher education in the region, including the recent Maritimes Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) study entitled “Is Demand for University Education Shrinking Among Maritimers?”.”More…

Will fewer Maritimers be heading to university over the next decade?- February 7 2012

Fewer Maritimers have been enrolling in the region’s universities in recent years, largely the result of flattening demand after the peak in 2004, reveals a report released today by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission. More…

We’re ripe for a great disruption in higher education- February 4 2012

How would you like to go to MIT – for free? You can now. More…

The corruption of science?- February 2 2012

In the old days it didn’t matter so much which journal research was published in. Now it counts for everything. More…

Adrift in Adulthood: Students Who Struggled in College Find Life Harsher After Graduation- January 25 2012

College graduates who showed paltry gains in critical thinking and little academic engagement while in college have a harder time than their more accomplished peers as they start their careers, according to a report released today. More…

Blame the teacher- October 2011
For some reason, when there are discussions about shortcomings in our education system, such as the recent Globe editorial “Canadian universities must reform or perish”, there is a call to blame the teachers, or, when we talk about universities, we blame “underperforming” professors. More…
Record numbers of first-year university students flocked to campus this fall—but that hasn’t stopped nagging questions about the value of a bachelor’s degree. More…

Emotional opening for the Richard J. Currie Center- October 12 2011

The grand opening of the Richard J. Currie Center was an emotional one for many people in the audience. More…

University of Toronto ranked in the top 20 best universities in the world- October 6 2011

University students often have pretty strong feelings about their school being the best. More…

University education no guarantee  of earnings success- September 26 2011

Is a bachelor’s degree going to pay off? It’s a question students and parents want answered before investing thousands in tuition fees, but Canadian universities can offer no firm guarantee of a return on investment in that expensive piece of paper. More…

Inside the entitlement generation- September 17 2011

Ken Coates sat in on a recent presentation to executives of some of Canada’s biggest companies. It reviewed the results of a massive survey of university students about their work expectations. More…

How can universities help cities grow?- September 14 2011

When it comes to using educational systems as an economic development tool, we lag behind such global centres of innovation as California’s Silicon Valley. More…

Minister OKs McGill MBA Fees- September 2011

In a surprise twist, the Quebec education ministry has decided to allow McGill to charge $32,500 — more than 10 times the provincial cap on tuition fees — for its MBA program starting this September. More…

Student financial planning 101- August 22 2011

Trevor James has one more year to go before university but conversations about how to finance his academic dream of getting a PhD in history are already taking place at the family dinner table. More…

Wanted: clear thinking on educating the work force- May 9 2011

In a recent column, I criticized Canadian universities for turning away up to half of applicants for in-demand programs such as engineering, information technology and health care, while continuing to allocate much of their money to programs with poor job prospects. More…

In the digital age, the much-maligned, liberal-arts degree still has deep value- May 9 2011

As the academic year comes to an end, graduates in the humanities and social sciences may be indulging in the familiar springtime ritual of liberal-arts bashing. For what kind of a job does the study of ancient Greek history or the philosophy of Immanuel Kant prepare them? More…

When a university degree just isn’t enough- May 9 2011

The bachelor of arts was once a distinction that opened the gates to myriad options and rewarding jobs. But the BA’s sheen has worn away, to the point where even many of those who choose to complete one see it only as a stepping stone to the degree they really need. More…

Federal Election 2011: What does it mean for post-secondary education and research?- May 3, 2011

The election of a majority Conservative government is being greeted with caution by Canada’s academic and scientific community. More…UNB needs better ties to businesses- April 16, 2011

University of New Brunswick president Eddy Campbell says the university and the business community have a lot to offer to each other. More…

Quebec penalizes McGill for MBA program- March 15 2011

Quebec is cutting its annual subsidy to McGill University by more than two million dollars. More…

A history of university unionism at PSAC- March 4, 2011

Approximately fifty activists, employees and members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) met Wednesday evening (2 March) for the launch of a pamphlet on the history of the unionization of Quebec universities: Changing course: University unions and PSAC- A look back. More…

Quebec to fine McGill for hiking MBA tuition fees nearly 900 per cent

One of the country’s most prestigious universities faces punishment for boosting tuition fees for its MBA program by nearly 900 per cent in an effort to keep it competitive. McGill University began charging $29,500 annually for its two-year MBA program in September, claiming it was chafing under a provincial tuition freeze capped at roughly $3,400 per year. More…

Mount Allison accepts staff wage hike- February 1 2011

Literacy remains priority for Atlantic ministers of education, training- January 24 2011

NB cuts $3 million from student loan repayment assistance program- Jan. 17 2011

CANADA: Universities face many challenges- January 9 2011

Ricardo Duchesne: Progressives are running the universities- January 3 2011

Consultation of the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission

Topic: Expectations of stakeholders regarding information on the quality of universities. More…

Honesty, Accountability and Trust: Fostering Research Integrity in Canada- October 2010

Almost half of university space is financed from operating budgets- Oct. 28 2010



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