Post-Secondary News Digest for January 28, 2010
Canada
N.B. universities to get federal funding for projects:
(Moncton Times and Transcript) Three research projects at the University of New Brunswick received more than $6 million from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. The grants were part of the $19 million given to the province by ACOA as an investment in New Brunswick’s growing knowledge sector. The money will go towards projects studying cancer, greenhouse gases, better computers and muscle injuries.
N.B. debt-reduction program needs improvement:
(Fredericton Daily Gleaner) New Brunswick’s debt-reduction program has lowered more than 400 recent graduates’ debt by $11,000 per person – but it could be more effective. Mark Henick, the president of St. Thomas University’s student union, says the program should be available to more students. He says the restrictions are too narrow. N.B. Education Minister Donald Arsenault said he is pleased with the program and that the number of approved applications will continue to rise.
Extra fee for teaching services proposed at Queen’s:
(Maclean’s) Two students at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., are proposing students agree to increase the fees they pay to help the university deliver better teaching services. Morgan Campbell and James Simpson suggested that students pay an additional $70 fee for resources such as TAs, maintenance and teaching materials. Students would have the option to opt-out and not pay the fee. The idea hasn’t been widely accepted and would have to pass a student referendum first.
Video games can help study brain injuries:
(The Martlet) Researchers at the University of Victoria have discovered that playing video games can help neuroscientists study the brain. They created a device, the MOST-EEG, which records the brain’s electric activity while playing video games. A 3D image of the brain is produced and researchers found the majority of activity is in the right side of the brain. Head of the project Phillip Zeman has started the company Applied Brain and Vision Sciences with this technology as the focus.
Ottawa U students push for more space:
(The Fulcrum) The University of Ottawa’s student federation and graduate student association are pushing school officials to expand the student centre. The school’s Unicentre, built in 1974, can accommodate about 15,000 students. The university currently has about 37,000 students, so students want more space. “It was obvious that there are way too many students,” explained Gaétan-Phillipe Beaulière, of the graduate students’ association.
U.S.
Haiti earthquake hits home for Florida university:
(ABC News) Lynn University in Florida is grieving after four students and two faculty members are presumed dead in the Haiti earthquake. The missing students and faculty members were part of a 14-member team called “Journey to Hope” that focused on community service. The remaining eight members were reunited with their families when they returned home on Jan. 15. Despite the tragedy, the school has stated it will continue to support international education programs.
College endowments suffer huge declines: study:
(Associated Press) A new report states that college and university endowments suffered substantial losses in the fiscal year ending in June. Their value fell almost 19 per cent on average within a year – the worst decline since the Great Depression. The losses affected all schools, but elite schools that rely heavily on endowments, such as Harvard, Yale and Stanford, suffered some of the deepest losses. However, things are now looking up because of stronger investment returns in recent months.
U of Wisconsin gets grant for stem cell research:
(Badger Herald) A research facility at the University of Wisconsin received $9.4 million in federal grants this week. The money was received from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and will be used by the school’s Waisman Center for a new kind of stem cell research. Previous studies at the school were pharmaceutical-sponsored trials. The new research involves stem cell treatments being tested on patients with spinal injuries.
Students get online textbooks:
(ABC News) A chemistry professor at the State University of New York College is starting a new trend. Kelly Donaghy is allowing her students to buy their class textbook online. She came up with the idea after she realized students had to pay US$172 for a textbook that they would only use for one semester. Now students pay approximately US$32 for the same textbook and can read it on their computer screen. The e-textbooks also promote a green lifestyle.
Suspect pleads not guilty in Yale murder case:
(US News) A highly publicized college murder case in the U.S. has now begun. Raymond Clark, a former Yale lab technician, is accused of killing graduate student Annie Le last year. During a short court appearance this week, Clark pleaded not guilty. He also waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Clark was arrested Sept. 17 after Le’s body was discovered in a lab building.
No more early vacations for Penn State students:
(Inside Higher Ed) The faculty senate at Pennsylvania State University chided its members this week in regard to their obligation to hold all classes as scheduled on the last days before vacation breaks. In the past, some professors called off classes early before holidays such as Thanksgiving. Now, the senate has voted to “take a stand for consistency.” Professors who choose to cancel their classes won’t be penalized, however, the senate strongly suggests they don’t, because it is “professionally inappropriate and demoralizing to those who do teach as scheduled.”
Washington university student suing over bug in sandwich:
(US News) A student at Howard University in Washington wants pursue legal action after he found an insect crawling out of his sandwich. Lamar Smith is a freshman who pays for a meal program at the school from the dining company Sodexho that operates on campus. He now plans to contact the corporate offices of Sodexho, as well as the Department of Health. “If there's one bug, there's more,” he said. Sodexho intends to conduct an investigation of the incident.
World
Fraud at U.K. student loans firm:
(BBC News) The public-sector organization in the United Kingdom that provides student loans was forced to pay more than $6,800 to cover fraud committed by a worker at an outsourced call centre. The worker had access to more than 2,000 student accounts and 25 of them were affected by the fraud. Two students who had lost money were reimbursed. The Student Loans Company says it has reported the matter to the police and was in contact with all the students the worker had dealt with.
Aussie education minister pushes for scholarships:
(The Australian) Australia’s federal Education Minister Julia Gillard has said the country’s system for youth allowances and scholarships is “broken” and pleaded to the country’s Senate to pass government reforms that were rejected last year. Gillard wants the bill to pass because it would deliver 150,000 new scholarships to students to ease their financial pressure as they study. There is no indication of when another vote would occur or if the result would change.
Number of poor English students attending university rises:
(BBC News) A new report states young students in the poorest areas of England are 30 per cent more likely to go to university than they were five years ago. One fifth of the poorest students go to university, which is an increase from one eighth since 2004. In contrast, 57 per cent of the richest students attend university. Overall, 36 per cent of England’s young people go to university, compared to 30 per cent in 1994, when this study was initiated.
Student ombudsman unnecessary: Australian council:
(The Australian) There is no great need for a national student ombudsman, according an Australian organization that supports education in the country. A third of Australia’s universities have student ombudsmen. A national ombudsman wouldn’t address the core issues of students, but would cause them to “be dealt with earlier and fairly,” says the Australian Learning and Teaching Council. Many Australian universities have complex systems of dealing with complaints and many students are frustrated and confused as to where they should file complaints.
Indian gov’t to study gaps in education system:
(Zee News) The Indian government has set up a committee to look into the gap between secondary and post-secondary education. The goal of the committee is to bring early education in sync with the college system. The meeting also proposed the creation of a common entrance test for admission into university. The government wants to reform the current system to reduce stress levels and introduce vocational education to allow easy transfer to universities.
No glove, no love for at U.K. Catholic university:
(Times Higher Education) A Catholic college is standing firm on its ban on condom dispensers on campus, despite students’ long-expressed concern over STDs. Birmingham’s Newman University College does not allow the machines to be used out of respect for the teachings of the Catholic Church, which forbids contraception. The issue has been ongoing for numerous years, but a student council meeting last month brought it back to the forefront. Newman’s policy is not universal to all Catholic higher education institutions.