Two weeks ago, the Canadian Press reported on the Parti Québécois’ controversial educational reforms. These have centered on plans to extend the provisions of Bill 101, Quebec’s legislative piece regarding its language policy. The PQ’s Education Minister, Marie Malavoy, wants to hold off on the Liberal plan to implement intensive[Read More…]
Author: Tiffany Lam
Global Food Conference opens with price volatility lecture
The fifth McGill Conference on Global Food Security opened on Oct. 16 with Jean Lebel’s keynote speech on price volatility. Lebel, the Vice-President of the Programs and Partnerships Branch of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), spoke about the challenges created by the unpredictability of food prices, and how to[Read More…]
Suzuki and Rubin visit McGill on End of Growth Tour
On Oct. 15, economist Jeff Rubin and environmental activist David Suzuki spoke on the importance of creating a sustainable future. Held in Pollack Concert Hall, the End of Growth Tour lecture was co-sponsored by the McGill Bookstore, the Marcel Desautels Institute for Integrated Management, and McGill’s Institute for Sustainability in[Read More…]
What happened last week in Canada?
Conservatives introduce controversial omnibus Bill C-45 Last Thursday, the Canadian government introduced another massive budget bill, Bill C-45. Critics, including the New Democratic Party (NDP), have denounced the bill as “covering way too much ground.” C-45 proposes significant changes to Member of Parliaments’ pension plans, the Navigable Waters Protection Act,[Read More…]
Team Ghostshell hacks university servers around the globe
On Oct. 1, a hacking group under the moniker Team Ghostshell unleashed “ProjectWestWind,” a venture that has since leaked 120,000 records from 100 universities worldwide. The group targeted major learning institutions like Harvard and Cambridge, as well as two Canadian universities—McMaster University and the University of British Columbia. The group[Read More…]
Investigation finds no misconduct in McGill asbestos study
An internal investigation found no proof of misconduct on the disputed research of former epidemiology professor John Corbett McDonald. McDonald’s research on the health effects of chrysotile asbestos came under scrutiny in early February following a CBC documentary which suggested that McGill had allowed the asbestos industry to sponsor and[Read More…]
SSMU Council tables GA motions
At last Thursday’s Council meeting of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), concerns about ambiguity in the SSMU constitution led councillors to vote to commit all nonbinding motions passed in the Oct. 15 SSMU General Assembly (GA) to the Steering and Policy committees. These committees will investigate SSMU constitutional[Read More…]
Senate discusses Dean Manfredi’s report
Last Wednesday, McGill Senate convened for the second time this academic year. Topics discussed over the course of meeting included the Report of the Open Forum on Free Expression and Peaceful Assembly, undergraduate cross-faculty course accessibility, postgraduate supervision, and the Achieving Strategic Academic Priorities (ASAP) 2012 project. While presenting his[Read More…]
Quebec losing race to attract international students
Last Friday, McGill Principal Heather Munroe-Blum called for Quebec to increase its enrollment of international students in a speech hosted by the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations. Munroe-Blum drew attention to a topic that has been the subject of much debate in recent years—the place of international students in Canada[Read More…]
Students voice concerns about advising at Consultation Fair
Last Wednesday, students, advisors, and other members of the McGill community gathered in Redpath Hall for the third semi-annual Consultation Fair. The fair provided a forum for participants to discuss and voice concerns about advising and graduate supervision at McGill. The fair was a joint effort by the McGill administration,[Read More…]
