Headlines for Aug. 30, 2021
CBC
Your student voting questions answered
Sanjay Jeram, a senior lecturer in the political science department at Simon Fraser University discusses student voting in the 2021 federal election.
Winnipeg Free Press
Removal of polling stations on campuses ‘sad for students’
Student leaders fear move will spark apathy.
CBC
Loss of on-campus voting program leads to fears students won’t cast ballots
One Ottawa students’ group is concerned Elections Canada’s cancellation of the Vote on Campus program will create unnecessary barriers for young people who want to cast ballots in the upcoming federal election.
Global News
No on-campus voting leaves N.B., N.S. students disappointed
When college and university students across Canada cast their ballot in the 44th general election, they’ll have to do so off-campus.
CBC
Jagmeet Singh visits Laurentian University, decries lack of federal insolvency support
Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh visited the University of Sudbury Saturday morning for a campaign stop, criticizing the Liberal government for not doing more to support Laurentian University and promising to immediately remove the interest on federal student loans if elected.
CBC
What P.E.I. students are watching for in this federal election
Students need a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs before they can study — that’s why P.E.I.’s housing crisis and food insecurity are among the top issues students on Prince Edward Island will be paying attention to as politicians ramp up their campaigns in the countdown to the 2021 federal election Sept. 20.
Timmins Daily Press
Conservatives support U of Sudbury’s bid to become French school, candidates say
An Erin O’Toole government would support the University of Sudbury in its bid to become a French-language school, the Conservative candidates for Nickel Belt and Sudbury say.
Global News
Singh pledges to ‘permanently’ eliminate interest on student loans, forgive debt
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh pledged financial breaks for Canadian students on Saturday, vowing to do away with interest on federal student loans “immediately and permanently” as well as forgive student debt.
The Globe and Mail
Universities struggle with COVID-19 testing mandates
Major universities in Western Canada are still tinkering with the mechanics of their coronavirus vaccination and testing requirements for students, faculty and staff, even though classes resume next week and infections are climbing across the continent.
Global News
COVID-19 vaccine clinics come to UBC Okanagan as school resumes amid fourth wave
The Interior Health Authority (IHA) is trying to make it as convenient as possible for university students to get vaccinated against COVID-19 with pop-up clinics scheduled on-campus.
CTV News
Saskatoon couple donates $1M to Sask. vaccine and infectious disease research centre
A Saskatoon couple, Malcolm and Marilyn Leggett, donated $1 million to VIDO (Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Organization) at the University of Saskatchewan to advance its research on infectious diseases including COVID-19.
CBC
‘This flexibility with hybrid learning… comes at a pedagogical cost,’ says education prof
Sachin Maharaj, an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa, discusses the trade-offs of hybrid learning and why he thinks those adopting the model will have a tougher time addressing pandemic learning gaps.
Global News
University of Calgary students call out last-minute shift to online learning
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact operations at Alberta universities.
The Toronto Star
All three post-secondary schools in Durham will require vaccination to be on campus
Trent University has announced that COVID-19 vaccination will be mandatory for anyone on its Oshawa campus this fall — all three post-secondary schools in Durham have now taken this step.
Global News
‘Lagging behind’: Canada’s extended flight ban impacts students from India
Sachin Dev is one of the many international students navigating Canada’s extended ban on direct flights from India as he tries to make his way to Montreal before the start of the new semester.
National Post
Kelly McParland: Renaming Ryerson University to appease the delicate is probably harmless, if pointless
Truth can never be allowed to spoil the prejudices of historical ignorance. Especially at an institution of higher education.
Global News
B.C. Post-secondary institutions will ask students to declare vaccination status
Many of B.C’s post-secondary institutions will not be requiring students to be vaccinated, but will be asking them to make a confidential declaration of their vaccine status.
Global News
Faculty association at Acadia University wants the school to adopt a mandatory vaccination policy
Faculty association at Acadia say university’s plan is not flexible enough in the way classes can be delivered, while in Antigonish, the faculty association at StFX has asked the school to introduce a vaccine mandate due to concerns over a possible fourth wave.
CTV News
Growing list of Maritime universities requiring students, staff to be fully vaccinated
The return to school for post-secondary students in our region is just around the corner, and for many, heading back to the classroom will require them to be fully vaccinated.
CTV News
Masks required at Mount Royal University as of Aug. 30
Officials at Mount Royal University in southwest Calgary have mandated the use of face coverings in all indoor public spaces on campus effective next week.
CBC
Saint Mary’s University ramps up COVID-19 vaccination rules
With less than two weeks until the start of the fall semester, Saint Mary’s University in Halifax has changed its COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
CTV News
Rapid COVID-19 testing to be required for students, staff who aren’t vaccinated at some B.C. universities
Two major B.C. universities will require rapid testing for students and staff who aren’t fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Times Colonist
Island universities want to know vaccination status of students and staff
The University of Victoria and Royal Roads University are asking all students and employees to declare they are fully vaccinated or undergo periodic rapid testing.
Global News
Saint Mary’s expands vaccination policy, St. F.X. announces mandatory testing only
Saint Mary’s University in Halifax has expanded its vaccination requirements, saying it will now require proof of full vaccination from everyone.
CBC
Faculty, staff, parents group oppose University of Waterloo vaccine mandate in open letter
A group of faculty, staff, students and parents of students at the University of Waterloo have signed an open letter to the university’s administrators, calling on them to repeal the campus vaccine mandate issued earlier in the month.
CTV News
Halifax university students scramble to find a place to live as in-person classes resume
University students are returning to Halifax to resume in-person classes for the first time since 2019, but many of them don’t have a place to stay.
CTV News
Masks mandatory in indoor public spaces at the University of Alberta
Alberta’s largest post-secondary institution is now requiring masks to be worn at all times in indoor areas, including classrooms, labs, vehicles, libraries, and residence common spaces.
CBC
Ryerson name change a long time coming, says Anishinaabe student
A lot has changed since a coalition of Indigenous students at Toronto’s Ryerson University first called on the school to drop its name four years ago.
Times Higher Education
Ryerson University to change name over indigenous abuses
Regents accept task force recommendation that namesake is a ‘symbol of colonialism’, although exact legacy less clear.
Global News
Will the renaming of a Toronto university topple Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole?
Thursday’s announcement that Ryerson University will soon be renamed isn’t great news for Erin O’Toole.
Global News
Concordia students find a way to make surgical masks more effective
During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Concordia University doctoral candidate Nathalie Duponsel and a team of five other students and professors wanted to find a way to respond to the PPE shortages being experienced by medical professionals and front line workers.
Global News
City of Kingston activates University District safety initiative to discourage student parties
The city of Kingston says its University District safety initiative will be implemented Friday night to try to put an stop to street parties in the coming weeks as post-secondary students return to the downtown core.
CTV News
Opinion: The beginning of the university year, as seen from a law school
After our classrooms have been empty for many months, my colleagues and I are preparing to welcome our students to campus with open arms (figuratively speaking, given the pandemic). It’s the same on many other campuses.
National Post
Hybrid frosh week in store for Ontario university newcomers as pandemic continues
The schools are focusing on outdoor gatherings when students meet face-to-face, with events such as movie nights, scavenger hunts in small groups and bubble soccer.
Financial Post
University of Toronto’s “Trash Team” tracking pathways of plastic trash with satellite technology
The University of Toronto is using satellite technology to understand the movement of plastic trash in the Toronto Harbour.
Timmins Daily Press
Sudbury Accent: Laurentian researcher studies the effects of drought on mining-impacted wetlands
A Laurentian University master’s student at the Vale Living With Lakes Centre has partnered with Natural Resources Canada to study the effects of drought on mining-impacted wetlands.
Halifax Today
Students sound alarm on skyrocketing cost of living
While Houck says it’s no surprise that Halifax is experiencing a housing crisis, the low vacancy rates in the city’s south end are forcing students to live further away from their schools.
CBC
Laurentian University cash flow subject to uncertainty created by the pandemic
A judge who’s approved Laurentian’s request to extend a stay of proceedings of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) has heard the university is managing the double challenges of the pandemic and restructuring as responsibly as possible, but the situation remains “dynamic.”
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