How we address targeted attacks in progress
A world without registrars
The big picture
Canadian university administrators say online threats a growing concern
By Paola Loriggio. Universities are being urged to put resources into monitoring online threats in light of a spate of incidents at North American institutions that intensified after the fatal mass shooting at an Oregon college in October.
Threats against several Canadian universities have been posted on blogs and online forums in recent months, including one case at Wilfrid Laurier University that triggered an hours-long lockdown of the Waterloo, Ont., campus just a couple of weeks after the carnage in Oregon. More...
More attention should be paid to university students' mental health
By Rob Whitley. The holidays were a welcome break for students after the end-of-term stresses of December. But January can also be an overwhelming month, as many return from the familiarity of home to the harsh realities of university life.
That said, sympathy for students has been in short supply lately. Recent news has not shown them in a positive light. This includes the cancellation of free yoga classes at the University of Ottawa due to concerns about “cultural appropriation,” and the refusal of Ryerson Students’ Union to recognize a men’s issues group on the grounds of “safety.” These give the impression that students are over-sensitive and mollycoddled babies. More...
What Higher Education Can Do about Yik Yak
By Tracy Mitrano. Last week’s blog post originally came out of a conversation with a journalist who called me about a month ago to ask if there was anything legal that a college or university could do about Yik Yak. In short, my answer was no. Read more...
A Visit From St. Nicholas
By Elizabeth Lewis Pardoe. 'Twas the night before Finals, when all through the dorm
Not a creature was stirring, fear was the norm;
The iPhones were placed in their chargers with care,
In hopes that inspiration soon would be there;
The students were seated cross-legged on their beds;
While visions of problem sets danced in their heads. More...
I Have Seen the Glories of the Grading Contract...
By John Warner. I have seen the glories of using a grading contract in my first-year writing course and I am never going back to my previous ways. Read more...
I Cannot Prepare Students to Write Their (History, Philosophy, Sociology, Poly Sci., etc...) Papers
By John Warner. Occasionally, one hears grumbling from faculty who assign writing in their courses about the apparent lack of preparation of students to successfully execute those assignments. Read more...