Student steals over $27K from University of Alberta

A student from the University of Alberta embezzled $27,745 from the University’s undergraduate Business Students’ Association (BSA) over the past summer.

The BSA discovered the money was missing from their bank account in August 2011.

The 21-year-old male student is being charged by Edmonton Police Services for theft and will stand trial on Feb. 29. His name will not be released until the trial.

He will also be charged under the University’s Code of Student Behaviour.

An email was sent to the 2,100 BSA business students on Jan. 23 informing them of the events. According to the email, the student was able to access the account with only his signature — usually a minimum of two authorized signatures are needed for any withdrawals. This was a bank error, it stated.

The BSA closed all accounts after discovering the loss and said most of the money has been compensated.

— Catherine Owsik

Western University rebrands for media

The University of Western Ontario has changed its name to Western University.

This comes as part of a rebranding initiative that includes changing the tower logo to a shield crest and using a deeper purple as the University’s official colour. According to the Western News Centre, the University will remain named the University of Western Ontario on official documents and diplomas.

From June to December 2011, the University worked with a Toronto design firm to conduct over 10,700 surveys, workshops and interviews.

They met with current students, faculty, alumni and donors to decide what direction to take with the new brand.

The process cost the University $200,000.

— Catherine Owsik

University of Toronto teaching assistants to strike

At a meeting on Monday, a University of Toronto union set a strike deadline for February 24.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees 3902 consists of 4,200 teaching assistants, graduate student instructors, lab demonstrators and writing instructors from three University of Toronto campuses.

They unanimously voted to strike unless the University improves their collective contract.

The University of Toronto campuses covered by the union include St. George, Mississauga and Scarborough. Collectively they have over 45,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

The last contract signed between the University and the union was in 2008 and since then the number of students in each tutorial and lab has increased.

— Catherine Owsik