Post-Secondary News Digest for October 19, 2009
Canada
NSCC faculty strike averted:
( The Chronicle Herald) Faculty at the Nova Scotia Community College will not march the picket line tomorrow. NSCC employees received e-mails Monday morning stating a tentative agreement has been reached between faculty and Nova Scotia’s Education Department. Last week the union set Tuesday as the strike date. Union members want the same 2.9 per cent wage increase and medical benefits the Education Department gave public school faculty last year. Agreement details are not known, but they will be presented soon to union members for a ratification vote.
King’s discusses future of news:
(King's Journalism) National and local journalistic minds descended on the University of King’s College over the weekend to ask: what does the future hold for news media? Experts weren’t optimistic. Michael Rogers, former futurist-in-residence for the New York Times, said as publications move online, they are making about one-tenth as much as they did in the physical world. But he suggested solutions such as paying more attention to mobile news and investing in other forms of technology.
Atlantic universities see enrolment spike:
(Maclean’s) A four-year decline in enrolment at Atlantic universities has ended. The Association of Atlantic universities said last week institutions in the region had a 1.5 per cent increase in undergraduate enrolment for 2009-10. Universities have reported a 5.4 per cent increase in graduate students and a “remarkable” 16.5 per cent rise in international students. Colin Dodds, president of Saint Mary’s University, attributed the rise to students and their families recognizing the importance of higher education in a knowledge-based economy.
McGill students fall under Quidditch spell:
(Parent Central) Canadian students are running around with brooms between their legs, playing Quidditch. McGill University has hopped on the Harry Potter bandwagon along with other schools, such as Dalhousie University. The full-contact sport even has its own Intercollegiate Quidditch League. There are close to 100 teams across North America – about six of those are in Canada. The real-world version of Quidditch involves seven players on each team competing in a combination of basketball, dodge ball and tag.
Budget crisis hits U. of Manitoba hard:
(CBC.ca) Programs at the University of Manitoba are under the budget microscope. University president David Barnard said Thursday the school faces potential cuts to avoid a $36-million budget shortfall this year. Government funding is declining and costs are rising. Barnard said former pensioned staff members are living longer, contributing to the problem. Brad MacKenzie, president of university’s faculty association, said two committees have formed to find “efficiencies.” These could lead to a dip in program quality and services at the school.
Dal medical school on two years’ probation:
(Maclean’s) Dalhousie University’s medical school will begin its two years’ probation this Thursday after the university lost an appeal last week. The Liaison Committee for Medical Education, an international board based in the United States, reviewed the school earlier this year on 132 standards. The board found the school to be “not compliant” on 17 standards. Dal says the probationary period will not affect students’ abilities to qualify as doctors or get residency training.
Non-federal student loans should be regulated, student advocates say:
(Inside Higher Ed) Student loans not issued by the U.S. government should face the same scrutiny as that proposed for credit card fees, advocate groups argue. Alternative loans have risen in popularity due to constant tuition hikes over the last decade making it harder to pay for college. Congress is moving to create a consumer financial protection agency to regulate forms of credit in the marketplace, but these groups are concerned that alternative student loans may get overlooked.
U.S.
Medical students post inappropriate material online -- survey:
(CNN) The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that medical students are using social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to post images and sensitive information, sometimes at the expense of the patients they work with. Sixty per cent of medical schools have reported students posting inappropriate photos online. Most cases have been photos of the students themselves, but six schools have reported incidents that violated patient privacy. Few schools have guidelines for policing this behavior.
U.S. colleges start considering three-year degrees:
(Newsweek.com ) One liberal arts college in upstate New York is offering students a three-year degree, and a number of other schools are starting to follow suit. Hartwick College’s three-year degree saves prospective students both time and US$43,000, or one year’s tuition. Three-year degrees are rare but they are starting to catch on with post-secondary institutions as they begin to question long-held assumptions and practices about how schools operate, says author Lamar Alexander.
U.S. tuition fees rise:
(CNN) Private four-year colleges in the U.S. have seen a 4.8 per cent increase in tuition over the past year, while public four-year colleges experienced a 5.7 per cent increase, according to the College Board. Public colleges may charge even more for tuition down the line, as states cut back on expenditures due to the poor economy. Private school families have less to worry about as schools are more likely to freeze hiring instead of charging students more.
More training needed for tech students:
(NYTimes.com) Technology companies in the U.S. are saying the next generation of students needs to start thinking bigger if they’re going to succeed in the digital marketplace. With sites like Facebook using a petabyte to store upwards of 40 billion photos, companies such as Google and IBM are worried that students will come out of their programs without the training or skills to manage huge amounts of data.
Graduates finding their way onto Wall Street:
(CNN) Mohamed Desoky is one of a number of recent graduates who have secured work on Wall Street, a spot where many veteran financial professionals can’t seem to hold down a job. In a precarious industry such as finance, securing a job is only the start of an uphill battle. Fresh graduates might find themselves laid off in a matter of weeks. Students still face a 62 per cent decrease in job offers from last year.
Paperless books just not the same:
(USA Today) Amazon.com has dished out 200 free Kindle e-book readers to campuses across the U.S. in a bid to pit e-book against heavy, expensive university textbooks. The Kindle allows for books to be uploaded to one device providing the reader with an easy to read “digital paper” screen. The response has been far from stellar, with many students saying they miss the ease of book-marking, highlighting and margin-note-writing that comes with paper textbooks.
World
Welsh scientist lies about PhD:
(WalesOnline.co.uk) A professor at the University of Glamorgan lied in a grant application to the funding organization, saying he had a PhD in astrophysics from Cardiff University. Despite the lie, Mark Blake was awarded the £285,000 grant, since the university said his educational background was not a factor in their decision. A spokeswoman said the incident was “isolated.” Mark Blake, a founding member of NASA’s Astrobiology Institute’s science communication group, has attracted £5 million in grants since 2002 for his work engaging the public with science.
Academics Feel West Bank Border Pressure:
(University World News) Israel is tightening border restrictions for anyone looking to cross into the West Bank. Many foreign academics are feeling the pressure, being denied entry based on their field of study or past involvement in protest. Some report long border hold-ups and passport stamps that disallow reentry into Israel when they leave the West Bank. Israeli police sources insist that only those with a certain questionable history are barred access, but many academics say they are being denied access for even having Palestinian roots.
Scholarships given to government families in Namibia - opposition:
(Newspaper for a New Namibia) Namibia’s education ministry denies wrong-doing, saying that Chinese higher education scholarships were awarded in a “fair and transparent manner.” The statement by permanent secretary of the ministry, Vitalis Ankama, came on Friday after media reports that the children and relatives of many high-ranking government officials received scholarships to study abroad. The opposition is calling for the resignation of the current education minister, Nangolo Mbumba.
Hong Kong wants international students:
(Australia Network News) Hong Kong wants to grow its education sector by recruiting international students and retaining local and mainland Chinese students. Chief executive Donald Tsang says education is an “economic pillar” in the development of Hong Kong as a hub of education and industry. Some worry an influx of new students might hinder learning for local students. Others say it is necessary to compete with other Asian countries and Australia.
Pakistan increases education budget by 20%:
(The Chronicle of Higher Education) Pakistan is increasing its contribution to higher education by 20 per cent of its GDP over the next five years. President Asif Ali Zardari said Friday that a package is being put together to reform the madrassa colleges, which he hopes will influence “extremist mindset.” The money will also be used to increase salaries for professors and officials. Gap in educational success between rich and poor areas widening, says report.
Czech education minister calls for reform:
(Prague Daily Monitor) The Czech Republic’s education minister is calling for complete university reform to prevent future corruption in bestowing law degrees. The decision comes after a scandal at West Bohemian University, where it is suspected that hundreds of students where given law degrees based on their community status and not the work they did. Education Minister Miroslava Kopicova says all faculties will be checked nationwide, beginning with public universities.