Government slashes funding for UArctic
The federal government has confirmed it will make significant funding cuts to the University of the Arctic, according to a university press release.
Created in 2001, UArctic is an online university that provides skills training to students from colleges in the Canadian North. It is a co-operative network that has more than 130 member institutions, including 33 in Canada with more than 10,000 students enrolled in courses since 2010.
U of T seminar series causes concern
The University of Toronto is being pressured to cancel a seminar series hosted by Abdullah Hakim Quick, a controversial Islamic scholar.
Quick is being accused of making homophobic and anti-Semitic comments in the past and should be banned from speaking at the university, according to the groups that oppose the 18-week seminar.
Along with Rev. Brett Hawkes, who’s considered a leader in Toronto’s gay community, the movement to have the seminars cancelled was also supported by the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC).
Racist graffiti found at Windsor prayer space
Students at the University of Windsor were shocked to find racist graffiti next to the bathroom of the school’s new multi-faith prayer space Oct. 28, according to Kaye Johnson, Windsor’s human rights, equity and accessibility director.
The brand new multi-faith centre is a space for students of all faiths to pray in.
The graffiti containing racial slurs against South Asian and Middle Eastern peoples was found in the area surrounding the men’s bathroom.
Students push for gender-neutral washrooms
Student unions at the University of Manitoba and the University of Regina are pushing for the installation of gender-neutral washrooms on campus for transgendered individuals uncomfortable with choosing between male or female washrooms.
Very few campuses have gender-neutral washrooms and those that do have a minimal amount.
The University of Western Ontario, the University of Victoria and McGill University are all equipped with at least one gender-neutral washroom.
York Region transit strike affects thousands of students
Over 40,000 commuters have been forced to make tough decisions about how to get to work and school after York Region Transit (YRT) workers went on strike Oct. 24.
The union represents 560 drivers and mechanics, who are responsible for 85 different bus routes throughout York Region, according to the Excalibur.
YRT’s strike, to go along with Viva’s, has disabled about 60 per cent of bus routes in the region. Viva is the region’s privately-owned bus service contractor.
