The support of volunteer mentors helps students built their confidence
Abigail Brodhead considers herself a quiet person, shy about striking up conversations and asking questions. So when the COVID-19 pandemic shelved the University of Alberta student’s in-person practicum in the spring of 2020, she was concerned about making a go of it online. “I worried about how I would take control of my own learning,” said Brodhead,…
It’s unfair to make Albertans struggling through the pandemic to pay for bigger salaries for post-secondary employees
Many bureaucrats and professors have been collecting bigger paycheques during the pandemic, which means bigger bills for struggling families and students at the worst possible time. More than 11,500 university and college employees received a pay raise in 2020, which cost taxpayers and students $29 million, according to freedom of information requests obtained by the…
U of A, Métis Nation of Alberta and Rupertsland Institute provide research on Métis concerns, support for Métis students
A long-standing partnership to provide quality education, training and research to the Métis people of Alberta is being renewed and celebrated by the University of Alberta, the Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) and the Rupertsland Institute (RLI). The memorandum of understanding honours the ongoing relationship between the MNA, RLI and the U of A while commemorating the 10th anniversary of…
Undermining staff, students and faculty members who experience it
Racism is often too easily shrugged off as someone being “overly sensitive” or “misunderstanding” what was done or said. It’s that invisibility that makes systemic racism against Black people, Indigenous people and people of colour so difficult to dislodge at the institutional level in post-secondary schools – and so undermining of staff, students and faculty…
A bailout would only encourage risky financial decision-making at other universities
It’s a bad idea to keep adding water to a leaky bucket. Millions of dollars have been gushing out of Laurentian University for years. And it’s not right to plug the holes with taxpayers’ cash. Laurentian University is facing a debt crisis of its own making, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s political opponents are calling…
Ranking acknowledges what the university has been doing and how it has been contributing to sustainability
The University of Alberta has been named one of the world’s top 100 most sustainable post-secondary institutions for its ongoing efforts creating sustainability on campus and in the local and global community. According to the third annual Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Ranking, which lists participating universities by their contribution to a list of 17…
The general approach should be to have experts in each sport come together and decide on the specific rules for allowing fair competition
Most of the sports issues I write about are pretty straightforward – at least in my mind. The solutions seem pretty clear. Do big-time college athletes deserve a bigger slice of the billions being made from their efforts? Undoubtedly. In an era in which childhood obesity is at epidemic levels, and teenage anxiety, depression and…
Arts-based research project will help young Syrian women articulate the challenges they face – and the supports they’ve found
Jasmine Nathoo considered herself fortunate as she joined high-school classes after moving from Kenya to Canada as a teen. She already spoke English and came from an academically strong program. Yet it was still a challenge. “I had to repeat some courses which weren’t recognized. I was having to advocate for myself in the school…
Instead of pursuing the unattainable ideal of academic equality, we should focus on redefining our idea of educational success
Canadians have an unhealthy obsession with statistical parity. In 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced his 50-50 cabinet, prioritizing gender over merit in the name of equality. And last summer, Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced the end of academic streaming to combat “systemic racism.” Streaming refers to grouping students based on performance. Beginning in…
Study of female varsity athletes suggests they look after their mental health before, during and after the sports season
Women varsity athletes who flourish during the season invest heavily in their mental health in the off-season, according to a University of Alberta study aimed at creating tools to help athletes maintain a healthy mental outlook as they navigate the ebbs and flows of a school year. “Athletes do struggle with mental illness and we don’t really…