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Lena Balata and Ken Chatoor — Fostering a Culture of Care: Proactive and Inclusive Mental Health in Postsecondary Institutions

The COVID-19 pandemic has had the dual effect of negatively impacting student mental health while also disrupting the delivery of mental health supports. These dueling challenges come at a time when postsecondary institutions are working to shift their approach to mental health support from reactive to proactive. A proactive model is one built to engage, […]

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Victoria Barclay and Ken Chatoor — BIPOC student support professionals doing anti-racist work need support too

Substantial evidence shows that racism in Canada has worsened in recent years. In addition to alarming rises in hate crimes in cities such as Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, there has also been a particular rise in anti-Asian hate that is disproportionately affecting younger Asian Canadians. Recent events such as the discoveries of mass graves […]

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Janice Deakin and Julia Colyar — Introducing the new HEQCO Research Roadmap

Our appointments as CEO and Vice President just over a year ago turned out to be coincident with many things, some anticipated and others not! The need to develop a new strategic research framework to guide HEQCO’s activities for the next three years was top of mind for us; however the path to completion was […]

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Jeffrey Napierala — Are more highly educated workers coming to rural and northern Ontario?

The densely urbanized areas of southern Ontario — particularly the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Ottawa — attract a disproportionate number of people with more advanced educational credentials. This matters because this demographic group provides numerous advantages to communities, such as greater financial resources and key skills needed for modern technologies. While this is real […]

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Work-Integrated Learning at HEQCO: Student Perspectives

The term work-integrated learning (WIL) refers to a range of experiences including apprenticeships, field placements, co-op programs and internships. Some WIL experiences may be a required part of an academic program while others may be a transitional experience either from academic life to the workforce or from one level of schooling to another. Thanks to […]

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Janice Deakin, Julia Colyar & Jackie Pichette — Microcredentials: Short, focused learning that responds to emerging demands

The microcredential landscape is evolving quickly. Since HEQCO began researching the topic in early 2020, the Ontario government has  dedicated close to $60 million for a micro-credential strategy that includes new programs, an online portal and a public awareness campaign. In March, the government announced that it was expanding eligibility for Ontario student loans and […]

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Jeffrey Napierala and Shakira Leslie: On International Women’s Day let’s not forget the ever-present gender wage gap

International Women’s Day is a good time to once again take stock of gender inequality in earnings. This is unfortunately not a new issue. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Canadian women continue to earn less than men. In 2019, women earned, on average, 18% less than men. The wage gap […]