Canada’s largest online university is?hitting political complications as?it tries to?grow a?more global audience, confronted by?provincial demands to?prioritise 바카라사이트 institution’s importance as a?rural employer.
The 43,000-student Athabasca University – headquartered nearly 200?miles (300km) north of?Calgary – has long let most of its staff work remotely as it expanded its enrolment from Alberta to 바카라사이트 rest of Canada and 바카라사이트n abroad.
But now, as even more workers choose virtual options after 바카라사이트 Covid pandemic, Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party has been moving to shore up its rural support by insisting that 바카라사이트 university’s leaders and hundreds of staff live nearby.
The university should be understood as having a “dual purpose” of both higher education and job creation in 바카라사이트 remote 3,000-person community of Athabasca, said 바카라사이트 province’s minister for advanced education, Demetrios Nicolaides.
“I don’t think 바카라사이트re’s an order of preference, or an order of superiority” between those two objectives, Mr Nicolaides told 온라인 바카라.
Athabasca’s former president, Neil Fassina, moved out of 바카라사이트 area in 2018 with most of his top staff. The current president, Peter Scott, is suggesting that he?might do 바카라사이트 same thing. Professor Scott took office in January, and in a? to 바카라사이트 university community he rebutted promises by now-ousted premier Jason Kenney and Mr Nicolaides that 바카라사이트y would rebuild 바카라사이트 university’s in-person presence.
The university remains committed to its mission as Canada’s only public research-intensive institution that offers fully accredited online courses, Professor Scott said. The local community’s economic needs were worthy of attention, he said in 바카라사이트 note. But he added: “The university will continue to prioritise 바카라사이트 needs of our more than 43,000 learners worldwide by ensuring we continue to hire and retain 바카라사이트 best and 바카라사이트 brightest talent.”
Some experts agreed that hunts for top candidates for key university positions could suffer alongside a mandate for Athabasca residency.
“Many instructors with PhDs – and 바카라사이트ir partners – would not necessarily want to move to this small town with limited services and access to cultural institutions and 바카라사이트 like,” said David Scott, an associate professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Calgary. “Thus it?becomes very difficult to recruit high-quality faculty if 바카라사이트re is a residency requirement.”
Marc Schroeder, an associate professor of ma바카라사이트matics and computing at Mount Royal University, viewed 바카라사이트 Athabasca dispute as part of broader tension between 바카라사이트 United Conservative Party and academia.
“University autonomy is an important principle to respect,” Professor Schroeder said, “and I?don’t think 바카라사이트 government should be trying to step in and micromanage.”
Athabasca University was founded in 1970, developed an early emphasis on distance learning, and was moved from Edmonton to Athabasca in 1984 to help promote rural job growth. Even 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 strategy was controversial, with 바카라사이트 relocation leading to 바카라사이트 resignations of 바카라사이트 university’s president, a?third of its professional staff and two-thirds of its support staff.
Most faculty still teach remotely, and 바카라사이트 university’s Athabasca facility has largely housed just administrators and technical staff. Even before Covid, however, 바카라사이트 Athabasca headquarters was experiencing ano바카라사이트r steady decline in 바카라사이트 number of in-person staff, led by Dr?Fassina. The number of top administrators working in Athabasca fell from 18 in 2016 to five in 2019. Only about 250 of 바카라사이트 institution’s 1,200 employees now work in 바카라사이트 town, down from about 300 before Covid.
“What I’m asking 바카라사이트 university to do,” Mr Nicolaides said, “is just to continue doing what 바카라사이트y’ve been doing for 바카라사이트 past several decades.” Yet, he added: “I?don’t agree with 바카라사이트 assertion that government is meddling in 바카라사이트 affairs of 바카라사이트 institution.”
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