COMMENTARY

In Sickness and in Health

June 4, 2010

Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, President Emeritus and University Professor of Public Service, The George Washington University 

Swans mate for life.  On the whole they are more loyal to their mates than are humans: monogamy is a trait they embrace.  In most Western traditional marriage ceremonies vows are recited that run, “Do you take this person to be your lawfully wedded spouse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health…?”  And in good faith, standing at the altar in front of witnesses, almost everyone replies, “I do.”  With a ring, a kiss and a public declaration the compact is sealed, the couple turns, walks up the aisle and begins a life together.

In the professional work world, the announcement of a new senior executive is most often made with somewhat less drama than is the case with weddings.  A memo from the chairman, an introduction around the water cooler, a press release to Wall Street and the new person takes over the corner office.  Colleges and universities, by contrast, put on a show that rivals crowning a king, queen or pope when a new president is inaugurated.  Universities induct presidents with medieval fanfare that includes academic processions, flags and banners, coats of arms, velvet robes and hoods, hats with gold tassels, benedictions, oaths of office, greetings from political leaders and speeches – lots of speeches. READ MORE...

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased 1.5% in the first quarter of 2010, after growing 1.2% in the fourth quarter of 2009. Final domestic demand advanced 1.1% as spending on housing as well as consumer goods and services continued to grow. Real GDP increased 0.6% in March, a seventh consecutive monthly advance.

Source: Statistics Canada

THE NEWS

Schools say arts, music suffer under focus on math, literacy test scores
By Kristin Rushowy, Parent Central
The arts, music and physical education have suffered with the province’s focus on math and literacy, says a new survey of hundreds of Ontario schools. While other provinces are looking beyond standardized test scores to measure how schools are doing — such as New Brunswick where students’ access to arts classes, as well as their sense of safety are tracked, alongside academic achievement — Ontario lacks a broader vision for education, said Annie Kidder of the advocacy group People for Education, which conducted the survey.

Ontario buys plagiarism detectors for school
By Eric Lam, National Post
The controversial plagiarism detector Turnitin, which has been the subject of privacy concerns at Canadian universities in the past, is coming to Ontario high schools this fall. The Oakland, California-based creator of the system, iParadigms, said in a statement Wednesday that the Ontario Ministry of Education has licensed Turnitin for use in all public and First Nations secondary schools in the province, effective Sept. 1. "Ontario is Canada's most populous province, and this is the largest adoption of the complete Turnitin solution by a secondary education agency anywhere in the world," Chris Caren, chief executive officer at iParadigms, said in a statement.

Quebec CEGEP teachers will need to adjust methods for ‘reform’ cohort: report
By Brenda Branswell, The Montreal Gazette
When CEGEP teachers face their classrooms in August they’ll be looking out at different specimens—newly graduated high school students who have learned exclusively under Quebec’s “new” curriculum. With the first cohort of “reform” students bound for CEGEP, the Conseil supérieur de l’éducation has come up with advice for Quebec’s Education Department about the transition from high school to college. The Conseil said its main goal wasn't to measure the impact of the new curriculum on the knowledge acquired by students heading to CEGEP.

Students vote to oppose ‘rationalization’ of post-secondary education system in Nova Scotia
By Canadian Federation of Students News Release
Students from across the country have voted to oppose the amalgamation, re-distribution, or re-structuring universities that result in program and service elimination at the National General Meeting of the Canadian Federation of Students held last week in Ottawa. All of these options, often called "rationalization", are being considered as part of the Nova Scotia government's review of post-secondary education currently being conducted by former Bank of Montreal executive vice-president Tim O'Neill. "Governments often look to amalgamate institutions as a means to reduce spending and avoid increasing core funding for post-secondary education," said Gabe Hoogers, Nova Scotia Representative of the Canadian Federation of Students.

Educators pledge support for aboriginal learning
By Elizabeth Church, The Globe and Mail National
The heads of Canada’s education faculties joined with first nations leaders Tuesday, pledging to respect traditional knowledge and culture in classrooms across the country and develop future aboriginal educators and scholars. The promise, part of a new accord on indigenous education, is characterized by the education deans as a framework for change that will lead to new programs and partnerships that reflect first nations values. Incorporating indigenous teachings and culture, said Matthew Coon Come, Grand Chief of the Crees and a former head of the Assembly of First Nations, will make first nations students feel more welcome in the classroom and keep them in school longer.

Improving access to education in the North
By Ontario News Release
Northern Ontario residents will now have improved access to more postsecondary education and training opportunities through enhanced distance learning services. Ontario is supporting the upgrading and expansion of information technology to provide Contact North with the necessary equipment and bandwidth for its audio-conference, video-conference and e-learning technologies. Contact North works in partnership with postsecondary institutions and community-based organizations to offer distance education to the more than 200,000 Northern residents who do not have direct access to postsecondary classrooms in their communities.

Hundreds of Iraqi scholarship winners are set to arrive on the U.S. campuses
By Aisha Labi, The Chronicle of Higher Education
The first Iraqi students taking part in an ambitious new scholarship program financed by their government will soon be arriving in the United States, where they will be enrolled at universities throughout the country. The program, the Iraq Education Initiative, is intended to help rebuild Iraq's once-renowned higher-education system by providing study opportunities at universities in the United States and Britain—and eventually Australia, Canada, France, and Japan—to men and women who will then return home and take part in their country's resurgence.
 
China and India back on line
By Guy Healy, the Australian
Universities have renewed formal ties with China and India - Australia's top two export education markets - as latest figures show higher education continuing to hold up the embattled $17 billion market. In the space of less than two months, Universities Australia has signed new high-level agreements with its counterparts in China and India aimed at deepening staff and student exchange and research links. Vice-chancellors attending the Shanghai Expo announced the extension of the China-Australia leadership capacity building program to executives, middle managers and researchers on Monday.

Better access to foreign grads helps B.C. business
By British Columbia News Release
Businesses will gain improved access to highly skilled, in-demand foreign graduate students with a new expansion to B.C.’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) announced Moira Stilwell, Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development today at Langara College’s newly renovated International Education office. A three-year pilot program will enable graduates from B.C. masters and PhD programs in natural, health and applied sciences to apply for immigrant status in advance of receiving and accepting a full-time offer of employment, eliminating the need to wait for a job offer. With more foreign students per capita than any other province, B.C. is well positioned to tap into this valuable talent pool.

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