In my opinion
The lack of any structural acknowledgement about the toll that COVID is taking on parents and caregivers is a grave failing at the institutional level.
As September approaches, it feels like there are two parallel worlds unfolding in Ontario. Universities are still talking about getting back to “normal,” the government has eased almost all safety restrictions, and the protection afforded by vaccines appears to be giving many the peace of mind t...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/juggling-academia-and-parenting-in-the-fourth-wave/
News
While most were able to seamlessly pivot to primarily online services, some also faced unique technological, licensing and human resource challenges.
Larry Alford is rightly proud of the essentially glitch-free switch to electronic services that took place almost overnight when all 42 of the University of Toronto’s libraries and collections – the largest in Canada – closed their doors on March 24, 2020 due to the Ontario COVID-19 lockdown.
...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/canadian-university-libraries-shine-during-pandemic/
Features
While some Indigenous scholars say there’s been significant progress, others see mostly rhetoric.
When Asima Vezina learned the remains of 215 Indigenous children had been discovered in unmarked graves at a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C., it set in motion a chain of events at her own educational institution thousands of kilometres away.
As president ...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/features/feature-article/where-truth-and-reconciliation-stand-at-canadian-universities/
Global Campus
How do higher education institutions internationalize while contributing to the local communities they serve?
International activities have long been part of higher education. These activities include student and faculty exchange, study abroad, global research collaborations and transnational programming. Recent efforts to internationalize Canadian campuses have brought these activities into sharp focus. Wi...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/global-campus/internationalization-and-community-development-an-oxymoron/
News
July 28, 2021
Brock students in residence will need to be vaccinated this fall
Continue reading is now requi...
The Skills Agenda
Creating a workable course schedule for you and your students.
I had the final class planned out perfectly. I gave a summary lecture that pulled all the threads of the course together and connected them to the learning outcomes. I explained the structure of the final exam and gave tips for studying. And then I concluded: “It has been great teaching all of you...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/the-skills-agenda/syllabus-design-boot-camp-day-4-create-the-schedule/
News
Brock University sees itself as having a ‘double cohort of first years’ in September, says interim president.
Universities across the country are experiencing an increase in applications for September 2021 and some have reported record-breaking numbers, such as Wilfrid Laurier University, which will welcome its
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/universities-seeing-influx-of-applications-for-september/
News
All four regional conferences in Canadian university sports have announced league and championship schedules for the 2021-22 season.
Kavie Toor says he landed his dream job in March 2020 when he was named managing director of athletics and recreation at the University of British Columbia and took the helm of the UBC Thunderbirds, one of the biggest and most successful varsity sports programs in Canadian university history.
But...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/varsity-sports-on-the-starting-blocks/
In my opinion
There’s no need to create a teaching schedule for the fall. Students have been telling us how to create a learning environment that makes sense. We should listen to them.
As we prepare to return in person on campuses this fall, we have a unique opportunity to reimagine our universities as more inclusive, more flexible and ultimately more intellectually productive learning commons. Some of the ways in which we were organized pre-pandemic, and some of what we did as te...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/why-we-must-and-how-we-can-make-the-post-pandemic-university-a-more-intellectually-productive-learning-commons/
News
June 30, 2021
Important updates for incoming, returning international students and faculty
International students will be exempt from quarantine, the requirement to stay at a government-authorized accommodation and COVID-19 testing on their eig...
Graduate Matters
Two grad students discuss their unique experiences of having to switch supervisors.
The student-supervisor relationship is paramount to the success of graduate studies. It is important to give this relationship its due diligence by Continue reading prio...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/graduate-matters/the-hard-task-of-switching-supervisors-during-graduate-studies/
Career Advice
How an online career symposium created connections for graduate students, postdocs and staff.
With over 3,000 registrations for 16 sessions, “I am not alone,” may be the most surprising sentiment that describes the feelings of thousands of attendees at the inaugural Canadian Career Symposium for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows this past November. As 2020 was largely marked by ...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/career-advice-article/key-takeaways-from-the-inaugural-canadian-career-symposium-for-graduate-students-and-postdoctoral-fellows/
Features
Moving to online delivery of programs and services forced universities to be creative. Here are some of the initiatives they’ll keep as we return to campus in person this fall.
If necessity is the mother of invention, then the last year has yielded a motherlode of innovations at Canadian universities as they responded to the everchanging demands due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What might first have been a temporary shift made in the thick of a c...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/features/feature-article/the-new-normal-on-campus/
Career Advice
Why more PhDs should transition to public policy and how they can do it.
I didn’t really know what public policy was before I came to Ottawa. My PhD was in religious studies and I happily spent my days studying papyri from Hellenistic Egypt and religious observation in ancient Greece. Of course, I’d heard of public policy, usually on the news where they would talk ab...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/career-advice-article/from-phd-to-policy-leader/
Responsibilities May Include
You still need compelling content while also giving extra focus to your voice and visual elements of your presentation.
Imagine you walk into an auditorium for a keynote and there are two screens instead of one. On the right is a smaller screen with a picture of the speaker. On the left is a larger screen featuring a beautiful scientific illustration with a title. Where does your attention go? Where does it linger?
...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/responsibilities-may-include/presenting-your-research-effectively-online/
News
How lessons learned in delivering courses last year may affect the mode of course delivery this fall
As universities prepare a return to on-campus activities, many are hoping to keep advantages of remote teaching.
More than 1,600 staff and faculty from the University of Waterloo gathered in front of their computer screens in mid-May to hear from senior officials, including President Feridun Hamdullahpur and associate provost of human resources Marilyn Thompson, about how the institution plans to navigate the ...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/how-lessons-learned-in-delivering-courses-last-year-may-affect-the-mode-of-course-delivery-this-fall/
News
May 31, 2021
Western to make vaccines mandatory for students in residence
With a planned full return to in-person classes in September, Western University is stepping up its health and safety measures. Along with it...
Career Advice
How the traditional conference format has been reimagined in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns.
One of the largest gatherings of scholars in the country will be moving online this year. Thousands of Congress 2021 attendees will not be flying or driving across Canada to the University of Alberta. Instead, they’ll be gathering virtually.
It is a reminder of how the traditional conference fo...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/career-advice-article/embracing-e-conferences-a-step-toward-limiting-the-negative-effects-of-conference-culture/
Media Scan
Calgary Herald
Continue reading
Some domestic University of Calgary stude...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/media-scan/headlines-for-may-20-2021/
Career Advice
Simple, actionable changes to consider as we continue remote learning.
As most of us continue to work from home, the way these spaces are set up and used can make a significant impact on our health. While it’s unlikely we can replicate our on-campus environments, there are small improvements we can make to look after our bodies and create a comfortable experience con...
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/career-advice-article/5-ways-to-make-study-and-work-environments-healthier/