Of interest: a recent piece in The Chronicle of Higher Education: “Can Consultants Save Universities?” by Stan Katz (Nov. 16/09) in response to Tamar Lewin’s story in the New York Times (“Universities Turn to Consultants to Trim Budgets,” Nov. 14/09). Fav quote? Here:
A Bain [consultancy firm] partner is quoted by Lewin as justifying the hiring of outside consultants by saying that “most doctors don’t do self-diagnosis, and the same reasoning applies in higher education.” Quite right, but doctors seeking a diagnosis of their own illnesses consult other doctors, not plumbers. The education business is diverse and complex. Educational management requires both sympathy for and understanding of higher education. Our challenge these days is to trim budgets while doing as little damage as possible to the educational mission.
Quite right.
the American Association of University Professors has launched an awareness and action campaign in response to concerns that recent court decisions do not bode well for full academic freedom at public colleges and universities in the USA (more here). They emphasize the need to fortify academic freedom with strong policy language (the breakfast of academic champions).
From today’s Daily Gleaner:
It was encouraging to read The Gleaner’s Oct. 31 editorial calling attention to New Brunswick’s dismal record of funding the operational needs of the University of New Brunswick and other public universities.
The decline in provincial investment began during former Premier Frank McKenna’s time and, despite a pause under Bernard Lord, has never been reversed. As even the Shawn Graham government’s controversial post-secondary education report acknowledged, this province’s support for universities on a per student basis is the second worst in Canada.
Do people realize that UNB has fewer full-time professors and librarians today than it did 30 years ago? And yet it has nearly 80 per cent more students. What must be the impact of this added professorial workload on the quality of the student experience?
UNB attempts to square this circle by employing a large number of contingent teachers, most of them shockingly underpaid and lacking health and pension benefits. None of them has job security.
What UNB and the three other public universities need now is not just realistic funding for day-to-day operations, though they certainly need that. They need from the province a multi-year funding corridor so that they can plan effectively for future as well as present student needs.
David Bell
President, Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers
Here is a brief update on labour situations elsewhere:
- As you may recall, Trent took a strike vote and then settled a few days thereafter.
- Librarians and archivists at Western gave actual strike notice and then settled last week a couple of days before the scheduled strike.
- Also last week the Nipissing faculty association voted by nearly 96% in favour of a strike. In doing so they rejected management’s offer of a wage increase of 3% annually. They are in a strike position as of Friday but have selected Monday as the big day.
- CUPE 3902 (the contract academic employees at the University of Toronto) have not been able to reach a settlement and have a strike deadline of this coming Monday. See their webpage, which in turn leads to their strike site.
- Meanwhile, on Monday of this week the TAs and RAs in CUPE 3906 at McMaster went on strike. See their site.
- TONIGHT: “The Debate: U of Have, U of Have Not,” The Agenda with Steve Paikin, TVO (Oct. 27/09, 8pm EST): “Should Canada have a tiered university system with some institutions concentrating on scientific research and graduate studies and others concentrating on undergraduate studies? Or, is that elitist? And, what’s wrong with elitism anyway? Five university presidents debate their visions of Canada’s university system.”
- “Only English Spoken,” Dan Edelstein, Inside Higher Ed (Oct. 26/09): in defense of studying languages: “How many of our students can imagine not being American? If they can’t, then we must recognize that we have failed to provide them with a genuine liberal education.”
- “Why Faculties Shouldn’t ‘Give Back’ During Negotiations,” Howard Bunsis, Chronicle of Higher Education (Oct. 25/09); reposted by the American Assn. of University Professors: “Recently, the American Association of University Professors adopted a ‘no giveback’ resolution. It states: ‘The sustainable path to higher education’s recovery, and contribution to the nation’s recovery, lies not in further depleting our faculties, the country’s intellectual capital, but in building capacity, reinvesting in faculty and academic professionals, who are essential to increasing student access and success, thereby expanding the nation’s human, cultural, and social capital.’”
- “Mandatory retirement disapproved, loophole closed in federal Act,” Lancaster House: Labour Law On-line (Oct. 25/09): “it is likely only a matter of time before a Charter-based challenge is mounted against the bona fide pension plan exception.”
- “Studying the value of online graduate programs: U of C researcher looks into efficacy of the e-PhD in Canadian universities,” UofCalgary News and Events (Oct. 22/09)” ““Traditional doctoral programs have their successes and failures,” admits [U of C researcher Liam] Rourke, “but my sense is that we will be doubling the instances of failure if we move forward with electronic graduate degrees offered entirely online.”
- “Province agrees to fee hike for MDs: Increase is same as agreed to last year in cancelled tentative deal,” CBCNews.ca (Oct. 21/09).
- “If Colleges Valued Students, They’d Value Adjuncts,” Isaac Sweeney, Chronicle of Higher Education (Oct. 20/09).
- “Provincial gap in tuition fees is growing, StatsCan finds: Undergrads in Ontario pay an average of $6,000 a year, twice what is charged in Nfld., Quebec; students group seeks federal transfers,” Elizabth Church, Globe and Mail (Oct. 20/09): New Brunswick is number four, after Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Alberta. N.B. students pay an average of $5,479 a year, while the national average is $4,917.
- “Love of Teaching Draws Adjuncts to the Classroom Despite Low Pay: A ‘Chronicle’ survey of part-timers in Chicago provides insight into their motivations and concerns,” Chronicle of Higher Education (Oct. 18/09).
- “University Sues Student Blogger,” David Moltz, Inside Higher Ed. (Oct. 16/09): Yikes!
- “What One University Got for $5-Million in Stimulus Funds: 137 Jobs,” Chronicle of Higher Education (Oct. 15/09).
- Academic Matters (Oct/Nov./09): Debating Tenure.
- “Online Education’s Great Unknowns,” Inside Higher Ed (Oct. 22/09): just as I suspected: almost half of responding institutions with online programs don’t even know whether or not they are profitable. But why let something like that stop you?
- “Students release Canada’s Education Action Plan,” Canadian Federation of Students (Oct. 19/09) (PDF).
- “Water fountains disappearing from campuses, says report: Polaris Institute commends several universities for embracing bottled-water-free zones,” Philip Fine, University Affairs (Oct. 19/09): so much for “sustainability.”
- “Proportion of Doctorates Awarded to Women, by Field,” Chronicle of Higher Education (Oct. 11/09): a chart of American doctorates between 1977–2007.
- “Among Privileged Classmates, I’m an Outsider,” Bobby Allyn, Chronicle of Higher Education (Oct. 11/09): expanding notions of “diversity.”
[University of New Brunswick political scientist Don Desserud] said the Liberals frequently start off with strong positions on issues and retreat to something that makes more sense.
“It is almost as if it is their brand,” said Desserud.
The Political Science Association and WUSC on the UNB Saint John campus, along with other students, faculty and staff, will be attending this event
as a group. Please consider joining us on your lunch break this Friday to take a stand against poverty. We will all meet at the Grand Hall on
Charlotte Street at 11:50 and walk over to Kings Square together at noon. The students have made posters to bring along with them.Join us this Friday, October 16 in Kings Square 12:10-12:45 pm. Come out and join your colleagues and classmates. Wear your UNB jackets and help us show that we are taking a stand against poverty, not only in our city, but around the world. The UN Millennium Campaign supports & inspires people from across the world to take action in support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Join millions worldwide as they Stand Up & Take Action against poverty. http://www.standagainstpoverty.org
- “Senator No and the Social Sciences,” Stan Katz, Chronicle of Higher Education (Oct. 12/09): the politics of funding.
- “Whose Metrics?” Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed (Oct. 12/09): accountability in colleges in the U.S.A.
- “Organized Against Labor,” Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed (Oct. 12/09): labour programmes targetted.
- “Seneca College welcomes new president,” Eric Heino, InsideToronto.com (Oct. 9/09):
Admitting he is “clearly not an academic,” [new president David] Agnew said his high-level management experience in the fields of financing, charity, health services and the provincial government have made him qualified to help Seneca adapt to the challenges it is facing.
- “(Oct. 9/09).
- “(Oct. 9/09). See also McMaster Daily News.
- “Higher Ed Faces Reverse Gender Gap: Will Female-Heavy Enrollment Shrink Donor Pool?” Bill Davis, Free Times: Columbia News and Arts, 22.40 (Oct. 7-13/09).
- “CANADA: In defence of university teachers,” Clifford Orwin, University World News 0095 (Oct. 4/09): putting the boots to “the mythical sherry-sipping slacker.”
- “Thoughts on Hiring Outside Academe,” “Dean Dad,” Inside Higher Ed (Oct. 1/09).
- “Atlantic universities need regional vision,” Telegraph-Journal (Oct. 1/09, A8).
- “Minister Goodyear’s office threatens federal budget funding for SSHRC according to email obtained through ATIP request,” CAUT Newsletter (Sept. 28/09).
since this story came out — “Universities urged to shelve plans for expansion,” Adam Huras, Telegraph Journal (Sept. 1/09, A3) — but one has heard no public discussion within the university.
“Viewing higher education as a resource from which to extract profit represents the antithesis of the educational philosophy that has elevated the US to its singular position as leader of the information society. It has achieved prominence in the global village by investing in rather than siphoning wealth from higher education.”
Timothy McGettigan, “US: The business of higher education,” University World News (May 31/09).
- “Just say no to Bills 38 and 44: Government encroachment on educational institutions should be stopped,” Sebastian Ronderos-Morgan, The McGill Daily (Sept. 28/09).
- “We’re still paying for it,” Pam Frampton, The Telegram (Sept. 26/09): MUN still looking for a president.
- “In U. of California Budget Crisis, Some Faculty Members See a Cover-Up,” Josh Keller, Chronicle of Higher Education (Sept. 22/09).
- “Professors and Picket Signs: When a Strike Seems Like the Only Choice,” Audrey Williams June, Chronicle of Higher Education (Sept. 17/09): interesting piece about the sorts of concessions managements are seeking in these times.
- “Reality check for a big idea: What the provinces think of the Big Five’s revolutionary ideas for university reform,” Katie Engelhart, Macleans.ca (Sept. 17/09).
- “Government accused of ignoring need for learning beyond work: A two-year inquiry finds education opportunities for older people are shrinking,” Hannah Fearn, Times Higher Education (Sept. 17/09).
- “Colleges brace for deep cuts, freezes in funding: Students fear for future of post-secondary education in Alberta,” Elise Stolte, Edmonton Journal (Sept. 16/09): In response to threatened cuts, Public Interest Alberta’s Task Force on Post-Secondary Education launched a province-wide advocacy campaign.
- “UK: Stout defence of universities,” Diane Spencer, University World News (Sept. 13/09):
In reply, David Lammy looked forward to a new framework for higher education which will be presented in the autumn by Peter Mandelson, now in charge of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which has superseded the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. This framework, he said, would “describe the vision of how government will support universities and employers in working together to balance the supply and demand of high-level skills and the many other valuable things that our universities deliver”.
The framework “is likely to ask you to move further and faster down the path you are already on towards greater emphasis on economic outcomes”. He added that this did not mean there would be an instrumentalist approach to higher education, or that the notion that the pursuit of knowledge was a valuable end in itself would be abandoned.
- “Administrative Salaries Drive Rise in Higher Education Price Index,” Goldie Blumenstyk, Chronicle of Higher Education (Sept. 9/09).
- “Pushing Back on Requests for Salary Cuts,” Inside Higher Ed (Aug. 19/09): “The Collective Bargaining Congress of the American Association of University Professors issued a statement Tuesday urging faculty groups to resist such calls — unless they receive more power in shaping the direction of their institutions.” (read full statement)
Welcome back!
