Post-Secondary News Digest for February 4, 2010
Canada
China takes back accreditation from U of Calgary:
(Canwest News Service) The Chinese government has removed the University of Calgary from its list of accredited post-secondary institutions. Though there has been no comment from the Chinese government, school officials assume that the move is connected to the Dalai Lama’s visit to the university in September. The school is trying to determine what impact the removal will have on Chinese nationals who wish to attend the university or who are already studying there.
Moncton university explains name change:
(Times & Transcript) Moncton’s Crandall University is undergoing a $24-million expansion and its leader is aiming show the public it is open to all denominations. Brian MacArthur, president of the university formerly as the Atlantic Baptist University, says faith remains a large part of its community. He says that being open to all denominations makes for good debate in the classrooms. The university received $6 million from Ottawa and $6 million from the New Brunswick government.
U of Ottawa student leader charged with swearing at police:
(Ottawa Citizen) The president of the University of Ottawa’s student federation, Seamus Wolfe, was charged this week with allegedly swearing at police. The incident occurred at one of the federation offices on campus. Security officers called police on Tuesday to remove a person who was trespassing. When police arrived and attempted to remove the individual, Wolfe confronted the police, and allegedly swore and screamed at them. He was charged with disturbing the peace and was led away in handcuffs.
Study: 40% of university students don’t graduate:
(Chronicle Herald) A report on higher education shows that almost 40 per cent of Maritime students leave university without completing a degree. The report, completed by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission, looks at graduation patterns. It also found that 80 per cent of Maritime students stay enrolled in the same university a year after admission, but it takes them six years on average to graduate. It found, as well, that women are more likely to graduate within six years than men.
U.S.
Utah proposal would cut Grade 12:
(The Spectrum) A Utah senator has proposed saving the state more than US$100 million by eliminating Grade 12 from public schools. The proposal comes in lieu of an anticipated US$700-million budget shortfall for the 2010-11 fiscal year. Parents and school officials think there are better ways to deal with the deficit. They worry about the pressures of having to prepare teenagers for post-secondary education that much sooner.
Students go to school at Oregon prison:
(Daily Emerald) University students taking part in the Inside-Out Prison Exchange program will take classes at Oregon State Penitentiary. The program’s purpose is to bring together college students and prison inmates, creating a sense of common purpose and stimulating the desire to learn. Participating prisoners range from their 20s to their 70s. Classes focus on themes of criminal justice and related social issues.
SUNY students publish study analyzing music:
(Spectator News) Students and professors at the State University of New York published a study in the American Mathematical Society’s Notices last month. They looked at a wide range of musical compositions, comparing pitch among them by studying spectrograms and musical patterns. The study included Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in E and Jimi Hendrix’s All Along the Watchtower.
Who you gonna call? U of Maine Paranormal Investigation Club:
(Maine Campus) The University of Maine’s Paranormal Investigation Club has been on campus for six years, but gained official status as a student group last semester. This year, their plans include investigating hauntings around campus, taking a tour of a nearby cemetery and visiting a cryptozoology museum.
World
Disabled U.K. students wait for grants:
(BBC) Almost 12,500 U.K. students with disabilities or special needs are still waiting for grants. The grants, which help pay for specialist computer resources such as Braille paper or personal assistance on campus, are supposed to be given out by the Student Loans Company, a government body that distributes financial aid to students. The organization’s management of regular loan applications has caused delays in the processing of disability allowances. Of 19,006 allowances, only 6,507 have been processed.
U.K. students from overseas form social ghettos: study:
(Times Higher Education ) A study of postgraduate international students at Britain’s Bournemouth University shows that overseas students tend to form social ghettos, often coming across as “unapproachable.” Lecturer Lorraine Brown said that international students feel the need to mix with people of the same nationality, and are reluctant to speak to native-born students due to fears of discrimination. “Mono-ethnic ghettos” are then created, hindering the growth of language skills and cultural knowledge.
ANU will teach mostly post-grads by 2015:
(The Canberra Times) The Australian National University will see more postgraduates than undergraduates in the next five years. The university says it is comfortable with this change, and it is not yet planning to scale back on undergraduate programs. Current students and recent graduates are concerned, however, that a restructuring would diminish the availability of classes and the number of teachers, as recently happened in the College of Arts and Science.
Poor education for Vietnam teachers: study:
(VietNamNet Bridge) Education programs in Vietnamese universities are sending their graduates out unprepared, according to a study. Curriculums are only academic, focusing on theories of teaching methods rather than practical teaching skills. A survey conducted by professor Nguyen Thanh Binh from the Hanoi University of Education found that 50 per cent of trainee teachers change jobs after a practical period because of their lack of confidence. Ninety per cent of lecturers at education programs have never taught in general schools.
High tutition, low rankings at Korea universities:
(The Korea Times) Korean universities and colleges have one of the highest tuition rates among 30 OECD countries, second only to the United States. But tuition hikes are disproportionate to the level of education they provide. In an OCED report, Korea ranked 51st out of 57 on an index of university competitiveness. In world university rankings, no Korean university was placed in the top 40. Seventy-five per cent of college and university budgets come from tuition costs, compared to the OECD average of 25 per cent.