Top Ten

Canada's PSE Echo to Fade Out within 10 Years

uToronto Economics professor and popular demographic writer, David Foot, predicts that within five years Canadian universities will see a drop in university applicants. The baby boomers' "echo" is on its way through PSE at the moment, but will soon be fully through and into the workforce -- potentially leaving expanded universities with empty classrooms and idle profs. Foot also points to employer demands for non-academic and practical skills from workers, and government promotions of college programs, both of which could lead to a reverse in the increased desire for a university education.  Toronto Star | Globe & Mail

Report Finds No Poisoned Environment at Fanshawe

The third party investigation of Fanshawe College's work environment was issued last week by lawyer David Williams. Its conclusions are that the work environment is not "poisoned," and no assault of an employee took place, but that there are relationship issues in the Continuing Education department. An alleged assault was reported to the school's administration last June. The full report will be released once Fanshawe has had an opportunity to read it and decide on follow-up actions. Local representatives of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union feel at this point that these conclusions do not mirror the facts as known to them. London Free Press

Report Finds Memorial's Research Integrity Up to Par

Memorial University has released a report by Dr. Paul Pencharz that finds the policies and procedures of the university to be on par with national guidelines. The report was commissioned in light of allegations of research misconduct by former Memorial faculty member Dr. Ranjit Kumar Chandra, whose research came under question several times between 1990 and 2006 (CBC). Dr. Pencharz is a staff physician at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and also serves as a senior scientist in the hospital's Research Institute. Memorial Release | Full Report (PDF)

Canadian Universities Fail to Prioritize Quality Teaching

Fifteen years ago, Stuart Smith evaluated Canadian universities and found them forgetting about the student. Canada's higher-education industry was charged to balance emphasis on research and teaching more equally. Alex Usher recently wrote in the Ottawa Citizen that, heading towards two decades later, we have failed to make the grade. Teaching centres have been set up to offer support to instructors, but these only seem to hold interest with younger faculty, and the professorate remains mostly populated by those further along in their years. With tight budgets caused by increasing enrollment and decreasing public funds, focusing on research is often a school's best bet at rallying funds and keeping up reputation and prestige. Ottawa Citizen

PSE Gender Gap Widens

Women have been increasingly present at the post-secondary level since the 1980's, but recently the numbers have started shifting so dramatically that some observers are calling it a "boy crisis." 58% of undergrads in the US are currently women. The number of men going to college is also increasing, just not as quickly as the number of women. The gender gap is widest among low-income students, and almost non-existent in wealthier communities. Many schools are citing 70% female versus 30% male enrollment, and several have targetted recruitment efforts and support structures specifically to male students. Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required)