Post-Secondary News Digest for January 12, 2010
Canada
Ont. college students to protest strike:
(Maclean’s) Nearly three hundred Ontario college students are planning to walk out of class Tuesday, the day before college faculty and staff are set to vote on a strike mandate. A strike by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, which represents 9,000 professors, counsellors and librarians, would affect about 500,000 students from 24 colleges. The union says a “yes” vote wouldn’t necessarily mean a strike was imminent, but would give them leverage at the bargaining table.
UBC gets $2M gift from Google founding investor:
(UBC) A University of British Columbia alumnus widely credited with helping establish Google is donating $2 million to his alma mater. David Cheriton, a computer science professor at Stanford University, announced the gift Monday at UBC. The gift will help transform core courses in the computer science and mathematics departments over the next five years, potentially affecting thousands of students a year. Cheriton, who mentored and supported Google’s founders in the company’s early days, completed his undergraduate degree in mathematics at UBC in 1973.
Academics slam shuttering of Parliament:
(CBC) A group of university professors is condemning the federal government’s decision to prorogue Parliament, but the ruling Conservatives appear unfazed by the latest criticism. More than 100 university professors have signed a letter written by University of Montreal philosophy Professor Daniel Weinstock, which is to be sent to major newspapers in eastern Canada. The letter bashes Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s move to close Parliament until March 3, saying Harper is violating “the trust of the Canadian people (and) thus acting anti-democratically.”
Paroled ex-NHLer could play for SMU:
(The Chronicle-Herald) After serving more than five years in prison, ex-NHLer Mike Danton is in the process of enrolling at Halifax’s Saint Mary’s University, where he could lace-up his skates as early as this season. SMU officials decided Monday that Danton meets eligibility requirements, though they said there are more parole hurdles to overcome than expected. Paroled in September after doing time for a failed murder-for-hire plot, it remains unclear whether Danton can play hockey for the SMU Huskies.
Big boost for Carleton safe-water research:
(Carleton) Researchers at Carleton University working on new ways to make safer drinking water are getting a nearly $160,000 boost from the Canadian Water Network. The two-year funding agreement from the CNW, a government-sponsored group supporting water management research projects, will help two professors who are researching ways of cleansing water of compounds found in drugs and personal care products. Birth control pills and some over-the-counter drugs, cosmetics and fragrances contain endocrine-disrupting compounds that can pose a threat to fetal development and young children, even in extremely low concentrations.
U.S.
More U.S. bookstores planning to rent books:
(Inside Higher Ed) More and more companies are offering to rent textbooks to cash-strapped students in the U.S. Book giant Barnes and Noble, which runs more than 600 campus stores, started offering rental books at a handful of schools last year. Monday, they announced the project would expand to more locations in 2010. Other book rental companies are doing the same and some have plans to offer digital rentals online.
Immigrant tuition bill dies in New Jersey:
(New Jersey Star Ledger) A controversial bill to allow in-state tuition fees to illegal immigrants in New Jersey has died. The vote would have let immigrants apply for lower in-state tuition, instead of being charged the higher amount for out-of-state students. This would have required them to apply to become legal citizens. State Democrats didn't schedule a vote when it became apparent they didn't have the required support to pass the bill.
Cornell trades money for admission: former employee:
(Ithaca Journal) A former employee of New York State’s Cornell University has threatened to expose favouritism in the way the school admits new students. Eldred Harris, a former employer at the university's alumni office, is suing the school for US$30,000 that he says he is owed in overtime pay. In court documents, Harris has threatened to release information that alleges Cornell admitted students in exchange for large donations. Cornell says Harris' threat may be considered extortion.
U of Arizona settles lawsuit over Kindle:
(Washington Post) The University of Arizona has settled a lawsuit with the National Federation for the Blind and the American Council for the Blind over Amazon’s Kindle e-reader. The school had planned to give the device to students to allow them to purchase textbooks digitally. The organizations said the plan discriminated against blind students, who could not read the on-screen menu used to purchase books. The details of the settlement are scarce, but the school says it will strive to use the blind-friendly devices in the future.
Yale seeks to keep Peruvian artifacts:
(Boston Herald) Yale University is asking a court to dismiss a lawsuit by Peruvian officials that demands the school return thousands of artifacts to the country. The university says the lawsuit, which seeks the return of relics taken from Machu Picchu over a hundred years ago, was filed too late under Connecticut law. The Peruvian government argues it should be decided under its own law, which does not have a statute of limitations.
Harvard borrows $400m for expansion:
(Business Week) Harvard University has begun selling off more than US$400 million worth of tax-exempt bonds to fund its new expansion plan. The university has been in a dire financial situation, doubling its debt load in the last three years. Harvard has plans to build a new law building and refinance some of the debt it is carrying. Last week, the Internal Revenue Service announced it will audit Harvard, the richest college in the U.S., along with 39 other post-secondary institutions.
World
Paying for papers as a last resort in China:
(China Daily) Almost 12 million people in China want papers published every year for diplomas, promotions or salary raises. However, academic publications can only publish 2.84 million papers a year. As a last resort, academics are paying to have papers written and published. The sale and production of academic papers is now booming industry, with a turnover of one billion yuan, the equivalent of $151 million a year. Critics are concerned scholars will lose the incentive to make discoveries for themselves when they can just buy the papers they want.
Japan woo Indian students with English university classes:
(Indian Express) Japan is getting into the overseas education market. At a Study in Japan education fair at Delhi University, the Global 30 program was introduced. The program was created to dispel the fears of Indian students who are wary of language barriers by increasing the number of English courses offered at select Japanese universities. The program is an initiative of the Japanese Ministry of Education, and will cost $2.2- $4.5 million.
British universities hobbled by budget cuts:
(The Guardian) Top universities are telling British Prime Minister Gordon Brown that government spending cuts of the equivalent of $4.2 billion will bring them to their knees. In last month’s pre-budget report, ministers announced they would slash the equivalent of $1 billion by 2013. University leaders say they will have to deny places to thousands of students. Also damaged will be their international competitiveness, national economy and their ability to recover from recession.
Aussie university to save millions with Gmail deal:
(The Australian) Sydney’s Macquarie University has made a deal with Gmail to provide email to staff members. The cost will be $15 a year per user, saving millions of dollars over a number of years. For two years, Google was pushing the university to use Gmail, but staff members were hesitant because their emails would be subject to U.S. law on intellectual property rights. The change came when Google agreed to store the emails under EU jurisdiction.
Sweden set to scrap university gender quotas:
(The Local) Swedish universities have been allowed since 2003 to establish gender quotas for admissions programs, leading a student population of 60 per cent women. Now, the government is planning a proposal to do away with gender-based affirmative action in higher education laws. The move came after criticism that men were being made a priority if their gender was underrepresented. When there are more people with top marks than there are spots in a program, men are given priority even when women have better marks.
Half of employers say Facebook affects hiring:
(The Telegraph) A survey of 450 employers for career.builder.co.uk, a job search website, found that more than four in 10 employers rejected a job seeker’s resume after checking their Facebook page. Employers check profiles to see if applicants were lying about their qualifications if their resume did not match their online details and to see if a new worker would take a sick day after a night of drugs or drinking. An applicant could have all the right skills, but not get a dream job if they’ve been sloppy online.