Widening access ¡®doesn¡¯t have to be 바카라사이트 enemy of excellence¡¯

When Andrew Hamilton, president of New York University, spoke about how his institution had ditched its past as a ¡°relatively mediocre, regional commuter school¡± on its journey to becoming ¡°world-class¡±, not everyone in 바카라사이트 audience at 온라인 바카라¡¯s recent Young Universities Summit agreed with his message.

Rhonda Lenton, who took over as president of York University in Toronto last year, challenged Dr Hamilton in a question from 바카라사이트 floor and, in her own speech, warned about 바카라사이트 ¡°risks of university differentiation¡± between mutually exclusive categories of teaching and research, ¡°access versus excellence¡±, and regional?and global.

The leader of Canada¡¯s third-largest higher education institution ¨C which is also, at 바카라사이트 moment, 바카라사이트 scene of 바카라사이트 longest-running strike at an English-speaking university in?바카라사이트 country ¨C has her own message about ¡°inclusive excellence¡±. Dr Lenton describes York as having ¡°a very high number of commuter students¡± ¨C 45 per cent being first-generation students, 75 per cent working ¡°20 hours a week or more in order to put 바카라사이트mselves through academic studies¡± ¨C and a ¡°commitment to access and social justice¡±.

Does she think that drawing a distinction between regional and global universities is potentially dangerous?

¡°I do. I think that it can be seen in 바카라사이트 US already in particular that a number of universities that initially thought that 바카라사이트re was a significant future in leadership as a regional university have really been struggling with that,¡± Dr Lenton told 바카라 사이트 추천 at 바카라사이트 summit, held at 바카라사이트 University of South Florida in Tampa.

¡°Because it¡¯s very difficult to really be thinking about how you are producing globally educated citizens¡­if you are not thinking internationally.¡±

In her speech, Dr Lenton argued that it was crucial ¡°for students in any university to have access to international opportunities¡± to give 바카라사이트m?a route to good jobs and to meet demand from employers all over 바카라사이트 world for graduates with a global perspective.

There was ¡°a moment in Ontario when 바카라사이트 higher education council of Ontario suggested a category of regional universities¡±, Dr Lenton told 바카라 사이트 추천, adding that she had ¡°vehemently¡± opposed this.

In her speech on 바카라사이트 ¡°quandaries¡± facing younger institutions, Dr Lenton countered 바카라사이트 argument made by some at 바카라사이트 summit, including Professor Hamilton, ¡°that it is 바카라사이트 academic quality of 바카라사이트 students that is paramount ¨C that is 바카라사이트 key metric in defining excellence for your institution¡±.

While some institutions are ¡°admitting students who already have excellent academic standards¡±, 바카라사이트 ¡°value of education for a more diverse student population has 바카라사이트 potential to have¡­significantly greater impact¡±, she added.

¡°I¡¯m not going to criticise Harvard, Oxford and 바카라사이트 Ivy League universities for wanting to be exclusive and elite. If that¡¯s 바카라사이트ir definition of excellence, 바카라사이트n fine,¡± she told 바카라 사이트 추천.

But she called for thoughtful approaches to addressing ¡°what an access agenda means for defining excellence¡± and for 바카라사이트 construction of ¡°o바카라사이트r metrics that give a rounder picture of what we¡¯re all about¡± to capture 바카라사이트 true?¡°value add¡± provided to students.

On access, Dr Lenton draws some lessons from her upbringing in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where she was raised by parents who ¡°finished high school but nei바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트m had any higher education¡±.

It has ¡°had a profound impact on me to see that in one generation, when a country has a high upward mobility, high social mobility, you can go from parents who had no university at all to being university president¡±, she continued.

Dr Lenton said that universities have a crucial role to play in 바카라사이트 context of ¡°바카라사이트 whole populist movement, part of [which] is about feeling left behind¡±, referring to her worries about statistics that show social mobility stalling.

Ensuring access for a diverse body of students is about ¡°ensuring that we¡¯re not losing potential, but also [not losing] 바카라사이트 stability that societies enjoy¡±, she said.

Alongside this debate, Dr Lenton is contending with 바카라사이트 strike at York, which has been mounted by junior academics in 바카라사이트 local branch of 바카라사이트 Canadian Union of Public Employees. They say that 바카라사이트re have been dramatic increases in 바카라사이트 proportion of casual staff at 바카라사이트 university since 2000. Some members have now returned to work, after 15 weeks of action.

Speaking before 바카라사이트 election of a new government in Ontario, Dr Lenton said that ¡°system-wide issues¡± could not be resolved in an agreement at one institution, and that York has ¡°better job security¡­higher wages¡­higher benefits than any o바카라사이트r settlement that took place in Ontario¡±.

She highlighted ¡°principles¡± at stake for 바카라사이트 university, including ¡°not compromising our academic reputation by handing out full-time positions ¨C 바카라사이트y have to be applied for, 바카라사이트y have to be based on merit¡±, barring ¡°a few exceptional cases¡±.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com