Media releases

• New pathways available to a Brock education

  Monday, November 09, 2020 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 9 November 2020 – R0170

  Enhancing the life and vitality of the Niagara region and beyond is entrenched in everything Brock University does.

  Two new pathways for admissions to the University are aimed at opening the door to post-secondary education for more people in Niagara and the wider community, regardless of their age or previous education experience.

  On Wednesday, Oct. 28, Brock Senate, which oversees the academic policy of the University, approved the Fresh Start and Open Studies pathways, which will go into effect in the near future.

  “Brock continues to explore how best to ensure the pathways we offer align with the needs of our communities — we have listened, and we are acting in support of the communities we serve,” said Brock University President Gervan Fearon. “These two new avenues to education will help the University become more accessible and relevant to our community.”

  Over the past year, Brock has conducted consultations with internal stakeholders and external community members such as the local chambers of commerce to better understand the labour skills gap and identify ways to enhance Brock’s offerings targeted at a wider variety of potential students, such as continuing education.

  “Fresh Start and Open Studies directly respond to the needs of our community and the desire of more people to have access to post-secondary education,” said Lynn Wells, Provost and Vice-President, Academic. “The social and economic benefits of a post-secondary education are well established by research. Universities like Brock have a responsibility to make them as accessible as possible to their local community.”

  Open Studies

  The Open Studies pathway will allow people of all ages and educational backgrounds to take individual Brock courses on a part-time basis without registering for a full certificate or degree.

  It may be of interest to anyone looking to upgrade or add new skills, looking to take courses out of general interest, or those without any post-secondary experience looking to explore courses before committing to a full credential.

  Fresh Start

  The Fresh Start pathway will allow Brock to admit students based on their high school records, even if they have previous post-secondary experience. In essence, it allows prospective students to wipe the slate clean of any previous post-secondary experience and gives them the opportunity to start over in a better position to succeed.

  “The pandemic has had untold effects on students’ personal lives and physical and mental health in ways that may have compromised their ability to succeed academically,” said Wells. “Similarly, the changes some universities have made to their admissions criteria mean that some students may quickly find themselves looking for a new university that is a better match for their expectations and learning style.”

  More information on the Open Studies and Fresh Start programs will be available in the coming weeks.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews: 

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca or 905-347-1970 

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  Categories: Media releases

• International project provides roadmap of Earth’s largest mass extinction

  Friday, November 06, 2020 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 5 November 2020 – R0169

  The most extensive mass extinction in Earth’s history took place about 252 million years ago when 90 per cent of ocean life and 70 per cent of life on land perished.

  In a study recently published in the journal Nature Geoscience, an international team of Earth scientists, including Brock University Professor Uwe Brand, provide a conclusive roadmap of the geochemical processes that led to this massive biotic extinction.

  “What we learned is the event occurred in pulses, with each pulse constricting the hospitable environment further and further, cascading down to the extinction event over a short geological timeline,” Brand said.

  The team, including members from Canada, Germany and Italy, determined that a combination of ocean pH changes and the release of immense quantities of carbon dioxide during volcanism events in what is now Siberia caused ocean acidification and global warming.

  Ocean acidification restricted livable parameters for marine life, while warming increased temperature and rainfall globally. These pulses caused weathering and overloaded oceans with nutrients, which depleted their dissolved oxygen.

  “A key to the discovery was found in the shells of brachiopod fossils, which stored the geochemical signals we needed to understand the process,” Brand said.

  “The team from Italy of Renato Posenato, Lucia Angiolini and Claudio Garbelli was instrumental in locating fossils that recorded the events before and during parts of the extinction,” Brand said. “They know the best localities, geography and fossil sites.”

  The German team — including Hana Jurikova, Marcus Gutjahr, Klaus Wallmann, Sascha Flögel, Volker Liebetrau, Michael Wiedenbeck and Anton Eisenhauer — had the equipment and expertise necessary to analyze the isotopes found in the fossils and to model the processes.

  The team’s research presents evidence that the fossil brachiopod tests demonstrate ocean pH declined significantly causing detrimental harm to ocean life. In addition, the team’s geochemical model shows how the mass release of carbon dioxide and global warming effects further damaged the environment where life could survive.

  The study was conducted within the framework of the European Union-funded Innovative Training Networks project called BASE-LiNE Earth, which received funding to train 15 PhD students and led to the research being presented.

  “The study’s conclusive findings are the result of an excellent collaboration between Brand and the talented teams from Germany and Italy,” said Ejaz Ahmed, Dean of Brock’s Faculty of Mathematics and Sciences. “We are proud of their work on this global partnership.”

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases