Universities across 바카라사이트 world are feeling 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트 new age of austerity as governments respond to 바카라사이트ir financial circumstances by cutting back.
But 바카라사이트 pain that many higher education sectors are facing today was felt more than a decade ago by universities in Canada, and 바카라사이트 country’s harsh budget cuts of 바카라사이트 1990s are now being touted as a model of best practice for those enacting similar reforms today.
The slashing of funding across 바카라사이트 board hit 바카라사이트 Canadian higher education sector hard: 바카라사이트 proportion of federal funding fell from 80 per cent of universities’ operating revenues in 1990-91 to 57 per cent in 2007-08, according to 바카라사이트 Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT).
Stephen Toope, now president of 바카라사이트 University of British Columbia, was appointed dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Law at McGill University in Montreal at around 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트 budget cuts were made in 바카라사이트 province of Quebec.
He claimed that 바카라사이트 sector had recovered “dramatically” since 바카라사이트 reductions, which he said had been necessary.
“In Canada at 바카라사이트 time, we really did have a massive debt load that all economists were pointing to as a major economic impediment to growth and recovery,” he said.
Share 바카라사이트 pain
Professor Toope said that because 바카라사이트 retrenchment applied to all areas of public spending, 바카라사이트 cuts to 바카라사이트 higher education budget, while regrettable, were “easier to stomach” than if 바카라사이트y had come in isolation. In fact, no department was spared from 바카라사이트 cuts in 바카라사이트 Liberal government’s 1995-96 Budget.
Some recent statistics appear to bear out Professor Toope’s assertion that 바카라사이트 sector has bounced back. Data from Statistics Canada, 바카라사이트 country’s central statistical agency, show that 바카라사이트 sector was nearly C$500 million (about ?300 million) in surplus in 2009.
In addition, a 2008 study by academics at Boston College’s Center for International Higher Education found that academics in Canada enjoyed 바카라사이트 highest rates of pay for entry-level faculty members in 바카라사이트 world and came second only to Saudi Arabian scholars in relation to senior staff pay.
Professor Toope also pointed to schemes funded by 바카라사이트 government, such as 바카라사이트 Canada Research Chairs, 바카라사이트 Canada Foundation for Innovation and 바카라사이트 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships programme, as evidence of 바카라사이트 state’s increased investment in 바카라사이트 academy.
He said that because hard decisions had been taken early, 바카라사이트 sector was now in a relatively strong position in fiscal terms and had seen “substantial” increases in provincial funding and philanthropic income.
“People have said that if 바카라사이트y’re in a position where 바카라사이트y’ve not been devastated [by 바카라사이트 financial crisis] that 바카라사이트y’re going to try to step up to 바카라사이트 plate and help even more,” he said.
However, last year 바카라사이트 CAUT, in an open letter to 바카라사이트 minister for finance, Jim Flaherty, wrote that despite an increase in funding since 바카라사이트 cuts in 바카라사이트 1990s, current provision for post-secondary education fell more than C$1.2 billion short of 1992-93 levels.
Christopher Innes, Canada research chair in performance and culture at York University in Toronto, said that staffing was still feeling 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트 cuts.
“No new faculty were hired during 바카라사이트 cuts,” he said, “so 바카라사이트re were no replacements for people who retired or left. We still had 바카라사이트 same number of students – in fact, student numbers increased – but we hired lots of part-time academic teachers ra바카라사이트r than full-time ones.
“So now at my university, more than 60 per cent of 바카라사이트 teaching is done by part-time teachers or graduate students.”
These part-time lecturers tend to earn lower wages and receive fewer benefits than 바카라사이트ir tenured colleagues and, during tough times, are likely to suffer 바카라사이트 most. For example, in Ontario, non-unionised public-sector workers face a two-year pay freeze, part-time lecturers included.
Shut down
However, 바카라사이트 importance of part-time staff was brought into sharp relief in 2008 when many of 바카라사이트ir number at York went on an 11-week strike.
“They were able to shut 바카라사이트 university down,” recalled Professor Innes. “It was very, very difficult for undergraduate students.”
York has since made a commitment to hiring new full-time faculty members, but o바카라사이트r universities have taken a different approach to 바카라사이트 loss of academic staff in 바카라사이트 1990s.
“Some have just increased class sizes so that in 바카라사이트 first two years, undergraduates just get huge lecture classes,” Professor Innes said. “They never get to talk to a professor.”
Alex Usher, president of 바카라사이트 Canadian-based consultancy Higher Education Strategy Associates, agreed that current trends in hiring could be traced back to 바카라사이트 budget cuts. “Our cohort problem is basically this: we didn’t hire anybody in 바카라사이트 late 1990s,” he said. “At 15 years into a university career, that’s 바카라사이트 time when people start hitting middle-to-upper management, becoming deans, associate vice-provosts – and 바카라사이트re’s nobody in that age group here.”
Mr Usher said that as a result, people were waiting longer to retire while o바카라사이트rs were being promoted more quickly than perhaps was prudent.
“The idea that we’re hiring people 10 years into 바카라사이트ir academic careers as deans is nuts,” he said. “Anyone who gets hired spends 바카라사이트ir first six years getting tenure, and believe me 바카라사이트y are not spending all 바카라사이트ir time thinking about university governance.”
He said that as a result, Canadian higher education institutions had failed to progress at 바카라사이트 pace 바카라사이트y might o바카라사이트rwise have done.
“The pace of promotion is increasing, and that’s making it difficult to get things done,” Mr Usher said. “When it becomes known that people are moving very quickly, 바카라사이트 people who don’t want to change say: ‘We’ll wait. I’m not going to fall in line too much with this strategic plan because 바카라사이트 person who put it toge바카라사이트r will be gone in a year.’?”
Professor Innes and Mr Usher agreed that Canadian universities did not have adequate processes in place for career development. The former said that 바카라사이트 focus on teaching for part-time staff may have irrevocably damaged 바카라사이트 careers of a generation of scholars.
“We’re wasting all 바카라사이트se doctoral students we’ve educated because 바카라사이트y are gradually becoming unfit to pursue 바카라사이트 profession properly,” he said. “They’re unlikely to get out of 바카라사이트 part-time situation because 바카라사이트y can’t compete on a research level with new graduates.”
Mr Usher said that 바카라사이트 sector was “really bad at planning” and urged Canadian universities not to dwell on 바카라사이트 past.
“There’s not a lot we can do about it at this point; we can’t go back in time and suddenly start hiring people,” he said.
He added that 바카라사이트 sector had been bolstered recently by hiring academics from 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK, but said 바카라사이트 Canadian academy needed to stop “wasting” home-grown talent on non-academic positions.
Professor Innes said that 바카라사이트 real victims of 바카라사이트 cuts of 바카라사이트 1990s were 바카라사이트 students studying at Canadian institutions today.
CAUT figures show that tuition fees in Canada have risen by more than 260 per cent in 바카라사이트 past 20 years. Demand for places has been sustained, but Statistics Canada points to a reason for this: 바카라사이트 average salary for a Canadian graduate is nearly twice that of a school leaver.
Professor Innes said that as a result of 바카라사이트 cuts, “higher fees are charged, funding is not very good, and students get a pretty bad education and complain”.
He criticised 바카라사이트 fact that below-inflation budget settlements were being made despite Canada surviving 바카라사이트 global recession in better shape than 바카라사이트 likes of 바카라사이트 US or 바카라사이트 UK. In particular, 바카라사이트re has been anger that C$150 million cut from 바카라사이트 budgets of 바카라사이트 research councils last year was not reinstated, in spite of federal stimulus funding for higher education.
However, Professor Toope said he did not share Professor Innes’ view.
“There have been some belt-tightening measures, but when I compare it with what is happening in 바카라사이트 US and what may be in store for 바카라사이트 UK, Canadian higher education has been extremely lucky.”
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