Canadian Campus News

Ronald Leung

Silhouette Staff

Ontario teacher’s college applications drop by 50 per cent

The Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) reports that only 8,199 applications have been filed for teacher’s college in the 2012-2013 cycles, compared to 16,042 in 2007. The University of Windsor has been especially hit hard, with a downward trend starting in 2008 resulting in almost a 75 per cent reduction in applications. The shrinking job opportunities in Ontario for newly-graduated teachers are most likely to blame. Doing part-time supply teaching has become a reality for new teachers while they wait for full-time position opens up.

Dead ducks sent to Memorial University administration

For the past 15 years, approximately 50 ducks have lived on the Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) campus. Local community members have fed the ducks during the winter at the central campus pond, until MUN administration posted signs discouraging feeding due to an alleged rat infestation problem. Biology professor Ian Jones noticed duck carcasses appearing on the outskirts of the pond. He voiced his concerns to MUN admin, but without receiving a serious response he opted to send two dead ducks directly to the Administration. Jones has said he will contact the SPCA if no further action is taken.

B.C. Government gives more than $500,000 to trade school

The B.C. government has donated over half a million dollars to the University of the Fraser Valley in support of their Trades and Technology Centre (TTC). New equipment will give students more hands-on experience and will upgrade their skills to be more compatible with potential employers. This donation comes after several pledges by the B.C. government, including $1.5 million to three other B.C. universities and $113 million to the Emily Carr University of Art and Design for a campus makeover.

Outcry over million-dollar budget cuts at the University of Regina intensify

The University of Regina is facing multi-million dollar cuts and students have expressed their concern at the lack of transparency with the Academic Review process (ARP) that plays an instrumental part of determining what gets scaled back. Concerned students have formed the Students Against Austerity, a group that also encompasses the University of Saskatchewan, also facing multi-million dollar budget cuts.  Studentas and faculty are most concerned about the liberal arts, the department widely believed to be on the chopping block first.

HRSDC under fire for handling of student loan privacy breach

After a major security breach on Nov. 5, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) has just introduced credit monitoring services starting at $14.95 a month. This service is targeted for those affected by the breach but students have argued that, “those affected should not be out of pocket for the way the government has mishandled their information.” One-third of those affected by the breach have still not been contacted because contact information is still missing.