McGill researchers look into Maple Spring

One year after the protests, a research group at McGill University has been analyzing data from a survey filled out by Montreal university students. The questions centred on last year’s proposed tuition hikes in the province that spurned a huge movement of student unrest.

More than fifteen thousand students completed the survey, which showed two opposing results, since students who come from families with above average income were likely to support the tuition increase; however, the same students also responded they would attend protests more frequently.

Eva Falk Pedersen, a McGill Masters political science student, said of the results: “In a sense it also means these students were not necessarily protesting out of their self interest.”

With files from The Link

Western universities looking for American accreditation

Following Capilano University’s recent accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Thompson Rivers University has announced its plan to seek the same approval. The NWCCU is a major US agency based in Washington State that evaluates post-secondary educational quality.

The trend of Canadian universities looking for approval across the border has caused some controversy and resistance from faculty members at these institutions due to the NWCCU requiring definite learning outcomes.

SFU has also laid plans to receive NWCCU accreditation through the implementation of learning outcomes. TRU is planning to seek accreditation to ensure quality standards and to identify areas that need improvement.

With files from University Affairs

U of A receives large federal grant

The University of Alberta recently received $5.7 million in research funding from the federal government from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), who has set aside $47.7 million for research grants in post-secondary institutions across Canada.

Renee Elio, associate vice-president of research at U of A, says that the fact that the university has received this significant amount of funding from the federal government greatly emphasizes the aptitude of the researchers at this university.

Elio stated that the University of Alberta has “the calibre of people who can put forward their vision for research with impact and then get the infrastructure support they need from the federal government.”

She explains how having this kind of financing from the federal government is critical if Canada is to attract and keep researchers in the country, since other nations are also on the hunt for innovators.

With files from The Gateway