Alberta Post-Secondary Education and its Economy
Post-secondary students in Ontario may have to deal with the highest tuition fees in the country, but Alberta’s 125,000 students have their own heap of problems that are leaving them in the red years after graduation – if they graduate, that is.
The province has the third highest average tuition in Canada, at $5,520 for undergraduate students in 2009-2010, the lowest participation rate in its post-secondary school system, and the highest college and university dropout rate.
McGill’s English courses stick
A new proposal by the Commission on Francophone Affairs (CAF) suggests that McGill University offer a majority of introductory courses in French as well as in English.
The proposal is intended to help the transition of French-speaking students to an English university. It also suggests that a third of professors should demonstrate a French language competence.
Professors at McGill are not currently required to demonstrate any French language ability.
College applications go viral
Since its launch in 2005, YouTube has been a video-sharing website full of millions of hours of video footage - entertaining films, music videos and now, university applications.
In an effort to harvest students’ creativity, Tufts University in Massachusettsis accepting optional one-minute YouTube videos promoting students applying to the institution.
“At heart, this is all about a conversation between a kid and an admissions officer,” said Lee Coffin, the dean of undergraduate admissions at Tufts.
Hertz revs into U of A
The University of Alberta has its new car rental program up and running. The university is the first Canadian campus to team up with Connect by Hertz in order to provide a pay-as-you-go service as an alternative to owning an automobile.
Connect by Hertz, which currently operates in the United States, London, England and Paris, has provided six vehicles to U of A. Four of these are gas electric hybrids.
Wanted: awesome essay
Cheaters are using a new way to beat the system by advertising their assignments and essays on websites like Craigslist and Kijiji in return for cash.
One entry on Craigslist offers $300 for someone to complete an online first-year religion course for them, including three multiple-choice tests and one essay.
Another on GetAFreelancer.com requests a master’s and PhD level ghost writer to complete five assignments. People have offered to complete the task for an average bid of $750.
