There is a general tendency amongst policy and certain academic circles to assume that universiti... more There is a general tendency amongst policy and certain academic circles to assume that universities are simple strategic actors capable and willing to respond to a well-articulated set of regional demands. In reality, however, universities are extremely complex organizations that operate in highly institutionalized environments and are susceptible to regulative shifts, resource dependencies, and fluctuations in student numbers. Understanding universities’ contributions—and capacities to contribute—to regional development and innovation requires understanding these internal ynamics and how they interact with external environmental agents. Based on a comparative study across various national settings and regional contexts, the chapter highlights the types of tensions and volitions that universities face while attempting to fulfil their “third mission.” Building upon the existing literature and novel empirical nsights, the chapter advances a new conceptual model for opening the “black box” of the university-region interface and disentangling the impacts of purposive, political efforts to change universities’ internal fabrics and to institutionalize the regional mission.
The central arguments in this book focus on the notion of a disengagement compact between student... more The central arguments in this book focus on the notion of a disengagement compact between students and faculty within Canadian universities. Students have become disengaged from the educational experience and are missing out on the transformative possibilities of a high-quality liberal education. They are poorly prepared by secondary schools, and once they enter university only a minority devote the time necessary to prepare for classes. Grade inflation in schools and universities has reduced the standards of our educational system and decreased the role that grades have historically played in rewarding ability and hard work. The disengagement compact is the tacit agreement that students will do the minimum necessary to successfully complete their degree programs, and faculty will teach with low expectations of their underprepared students and award good grades for mediocre work. The authors, sociologists from the University of Western Ontario, have produced a thoughtful, well-written critique of the state of liberal education in Canadian universities. Their discussion of student disengagement, drawing on their analysis of a major survey administered to a large sample of Canadian and American students, is both revealing and, for those of us who truly care about liberal education, downright scary. The authors have presented a provocative picture of a higher education system that has come to confuse training with education, that makes decisions that are
This article is concerned with the differences in REB policy and application processes across Can... more This article is concerned with the differences in REB policy and application processes across Canada as they impact multi-jurisdictional, higher education research projects that collect data at universities themselves. Despite the guiding principles of the Tri-Council Policy Statement 2 (TCPS2) there is significant variation among the practices of Research Ethics Boards (REBs) at Canada’s universities, particularly when they respond to requests from researchers outside their own institution. The data for this paper were gathered through a review of research ethics applications at 69 universities across Canada. The findings suggest REBs use a range of different application systems and require different revisions and types of oversight for researchers who are not employed at their institution. This paper recommends further harmonization between REBs across the country and national-level dialogue on TCPS2 interpretations.
In order to meet the demands in a cost-effective manner of an emerging knowledge society that is ... more In order to meet the demands in a cost-effective manner of an emerging knowledge society that is global in scope, structural higher education policy changes have been introduced in many countries with a focus on systemic and programmatic diversity. There has been an ongoing debate about institutional diversity in Ontario higher education, especially within the university sector, for at least five decades. This paper will provide insight into issues of quality, accessibility, and funding through the lens of the current policy debate about institutional diversity by using document and policy analysis, and by drawing on a number of semi-structured interviews with senior university and system-level administrators.
A survey of faculty participation in paid consulting arrangements in Ontario Colleges of Applied ... more A survey of faculty participation in paid consulting arrangements in Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology reveals that 34% were involved in at least one project during a specified one-year period. There was significant variation in participation by division of academic appointment and by gender. The authors suggest that further research should be undertaken concerning the nature and role of paid consulting in community colleges. A number of basic questions are raised in an attempt to induce further study on this important topic.
Universities attempt to influence government policy through the input of interests to the politic... more Universities attempt to influence government policy through the input of interests to the political process. Given the importance of keeping legislators informed of university interests and activities, a study was conducted in 1986 to obtain data from Members of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly on the adequacy of information provided by the University of Manitoba. The purpose of this paper is to report the major findings of that study, including the types of information requested by legislators, and to discuss three themes which emerged from the interviews: that the University should move slowly in its attempts to improve relations with legislators, that secondary relations should be strengthened, and that the University should present its case in a more positive fashion.
This paper discusses recent reforms to university governance and international trends in terms of... more This paper discusses recent reforms to university governance and international trends in terms of changes to the academic profession to illuminate how both of these shifts are decreasing the role of the professoriate in academic decision-making. The author argues that there is a need to maintain the relative autonomy of public research universities in order to ensure that those with the appropriate expertise continue to be responsible for governing quality in higher education. The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges to academic governance in public research universities and identifies a number of possible approaches to maintaining and strengthening academic self-governance.
Ontario higher education system has moved far and fast in the past decade. The early 1990s saw &q... more Ontario higher education system has moved far and fast in the past decade. The early 1990s saw "modest modifications and structural stability." Since 1995, under a neo-liberal government in Ontario, major policy initiatives, with objectives not unlike those already at large in western Europe and most of the United States, have quickly followed one another. The author proposes an explanation of the timing and dynamics of the Ontario reforms, describing the driving forces behind reform.
ABSTRACT Over the last 15 years, the government of Ontario, Canada began seeking ways to deliver ... more ABSTRACT Over the last 15 years, the government of Ontario, Canada began seeking ways to deliver and expand higher education in a more cost effective and sustainable manner through the introduction of two major policy goals: greater institutional differentiation and the expansion of student pathways. This paper will attempt to determine the compatibility of these two policy goals through a review of the relevant literature to determine if the policies are aligned from an efficiency and effectiveness, and public policy perspective. It will also identify a number of policy levers used in Ontario that may affect the extent of diversity and student pathways through document analysis, to assess their compatibility by making a limited use of the field of organisational theory as a lens to place the policies into context. It will also examine the extent to which various institutional types in Ontario have been engaged in student mobility and will compare and contrast the various strategies used to satisfy these public policy goals through textual analysis to highlight current successful institutional strategies that can be used by other jurisdictions. It will conclude with some key observations that the authors feel are necessary for either policy goal to succeed.
Les sociétés du savoir ont de nombreuses exigences à l’égard des universités ; or il est suggéré... more Les sociétés du savoir ont de nombreuses exigences à l’égard des universités ; or il est suggéré que ces dernières répondraient plus adéquatement à ces exigences lorsqu’elles sont autonomes (Altbach et Balán, 2007). Cet article vise à mettre en lumière diverses dimensions de l’encadrement du système universitaire québécois par l’État relativement à l’autonomie des établissements et à comparer la situation québécoise avec celle ayant cours en Alberta, en Colombie-Britannique, en Ontario et en Nouvelle-Écosse. Une analyse thématique réalisée sur 77 documents officiels (dont 29 au Québec) et sur les transcriptions de 93 entrevues (dont 30 au Québec) a permis d’identifier trois grandes dimensions de la gouvernance systémique, soit le cadre législatif et réglementaire, le statut comptable et les règles budgétaires, ainsi que les interventions du gouvernement dans la gestion interne des universités. L’analyse révèle que l’autonomie dont jouissent les universités varie d’une province à l...
There is a general tendency amongst policy and certain academic circles to assume that universiti... more There is a general tendency amongst policy and certain academic circles to assume that universities are simple strategic actors capable and willing to respond to a well-articulated set of regional demands. In reality, however, universities are extremely complex organizations that operate in highly institutionalized environments and are susceptible to regulative shifts, resource dependencies, and fluctuations in student numbers. Understanding universities’ contributions—and capacities to contribute—to regional development and innovation requires understanding these internal ynamics and how they interact with external environmental agents. Based on a comparative study across various national settings and regional contexts, the chapter highlights the types of tensions and volitions that universities face while attempting to fulfil their “third mission.” Building upon the existing literature and novel empirical nsights, the chapter advances a new conceptual model for opening the “black box” of the university-region interface and disentangling the impacts of purposive, political efforts to change universities’ internal fabrics and to institutionalize the regional mission.
The central arguments in this book focus on the notion of a disengagement compact between student... more The central arguments in this book focus on the notion of a disengagement compact between students and faculty within Canadian universities. Students have become disengaged from the educational experience and are missing out on the transformative possibilities of a high-quality liberal education. They are poorly prepared by secondary schools, and once they enter university only a minority devote the time necessary to prepare for classes. Grade inflation in schools and universities has reduced the standards of our educational system and decreased the role that grades have historically played in rewarding ability and hard work. The disengagement compact is the tacit agreement that students will do the minimum necessary to successfully complete their degree programs, and faculty will teach with low expectations of their underprepared students and award good grades for mediocre work. The authors, sociologists from the University of Western Ontario, have produced a thoughtful, well-written critique of the state of liberal education in Canadian universities. Their discussion of student disengagement, drawing on their analysis of a major survey administered to a large sample of Canadian and American students, is both revealing and, for those of us who truly care about liberal education, downright scary. The authors have presented a provocative picture of a higher education system that has come to confuse training with education, that makes decisions that are
This article is concerned with the differences in REB policy and application processes across Can... more This article is concerned with the differences in REB policy and application processes across Canada as they impact multi-jurisdictional, higher education research projects that collect data at universities themselves. Despite the guiding principles of the Tri-Council Policy Statement 2 (TCPS2) there is significant variation among the practices of Research Ethics Boards (REBs) at Canada’s universities, particularly when they respond to requests from researchers outside their own institution. The data for this paper were gathered through a review of research ethics applications at 69 universities across Canada. The findings suggest REBs use a range of different application systems and require different revisions and types of oversight for researchers who are not employed at their institution. This paper recommends further harmonization between REBs across the country and national-level dialogue on TCPS2 interpretations.
In order to meet the demands in a cost-effective manner of an emerging knowledge society that is ... more In order to meet the demands in a cost-effective manner of an emerging knowledge society that is global in scope, structural higher education policy changes have been introduced in many countries with a focus on systemic and programmatic diversity. There has been an ongoing debate about institutional diversity in Ontario higher education, especially within the university sector, for at least five decades. This paper will provide insight into issues of quality, accessibility, and funding through the lens of the current policy debate about institutional diversity by using document and policy analysis, and by drawing on a number of semi-structured interviews with senior university and system-level administrators.
A survey of faculty participation in paid consulting arrangements in Ontario Colleges of Applied ... more A survey of faculty participation in paid consulting arrangements in Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology reveals that 34% were involved in at least one project during a specified one-year period. There was significant variation in participation by division of academic appointment and by gender. The authors suggest that further research should be undertaken concerning the nature and role of paid consulting in community colleges. A number of basic questions are raised in an attempt to induce further study on this important topic.
Universities attempt to influence government policy through the input of interests to the politic... more Universities attempt to influence government policy through the input of interests to the political process. Given the importance of keeping legislators informed of university interests and activities, a study was conducted in 1986 to obtain data from Members of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly on the adequacy of information provided by the University of Manitoba. The purpose of this paper is to report the major findings of that study, including the types of information requested by legislators, and to discuss three themes which emerged from the interviews: that the University should move slowly in its attempts to improve relations with legislators, that secondary relations should be strengthened, and that the University should present its case in a more positive fashion.
This paper discusses recent reforms to university governance and international trends in terms of... more This paper discusses recent reforms to university governance and international trends in terms of changes to the academic profession to illuminate how both of these shifts are decreasing the role of the professoriate in academic decision-making. The author argues that there is a need to maintain the relative autonomy of public research universities in order to ensure that those with the appropriate expertise continue to be responsible for governing quality in higher education. The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges to academic governance in public research universities and identifies a number of possible approaches to maintaining and strengthening academic self-governance.
Ontario higher education system has moved far and fast in the past decade. The early 1990s saw &q... more Ontario higher education system has moved far and fast in the past decade. The early 1990s saw "modest modifications and structural stability." Since 1995, under a neo-liberal government in Ontario, major policy initiatives, with objectives not unlike those already at large in western Europe and most of the United States, have quickly followed one another. The author proposes an explanation of the timing and dynamics of the Ontario reforms, describing the driving forces behind reform.
ABSTRACT Over the last 15 years, the government of Ontario, Canada began seeking ways to deliver ... more ABSTRACT Over the last 15 years, the government of Ontario, Canada began seeking ways to deliver and expand higher education in a more cost effective and sustainable manner through the introduction of two major policy goals: greater institutional differentiation and the expansion of student pathways. This paper will attempt to determine the compatibility of these two policy goals through a review of the relevant literature to determine if the policies are aligned from an efficiency and effectiveness, and public policy perspective. It will also identify a number of policy levers used in Ontario that may affect the extent of diversity and student pathways through document analysis, to assess their compatibility by making a limited use of the field of organisational theory as a lens to place the policies into context. It will also examine the extent to which various institutional types in Ontario have been engaged in student mobility and will compare and contrast the various strategies used to satisfy these public policy goals through textual analysis to highlight current successful institutional strategies that can be used by other jurisdictions. It will conclude with some key observations that the authors feel are necessary for either policy goal to succeed.
Les sociétés du savoir ont de nombreuses exigences à l’égard des universités ; or il est suggéré... more Les sociétés du savoir ont de nombreuses exigences à l’égard des universités ; or il est suggéré que ces dernières répondraient plus adéquatement à ces exigences lorsqu’elles sont autonomes (Altbach et Balán, 2007). Cet article vise à mettre en lumière diverses dimensions de l’encadrement du système universitaire québécois par l’État relativement à l’autonomie des établissements et à comparer la situation québécoise avec celle ayant cours en Alberta, en Colombie-Britannique, en Ontario et en Nouvelle-Écosse. Une analyse thématique réalisée sur 77 documents officiels (dont 29 au Québec) et sur les transcriptions de 93 entrevues (dont 30 au Québec) a permis d’identifier trois grandes dimensions de la gouvernance systémique, soit le cadre législatif et réglementaire, le statut comptable et les règles budgétaires, ainsi que les interventions du gouvernement dans la gestion interne des universités. L’analyse révèle que l’autonomie dont jouissent les universités varie d’une province à l...
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