In my opinion
BY J.N. LITTLE | November 07 2011
Why I won’t be attending your seasonal party.
I’ve done some very social things in my life in the name of work. I was employed as a karaoke waitress to pay for most of my master’s degree. I dressed up as Wonder Woman for a conference presentation, marched in demonstrations with students, and drank plenty of coffee with mentors and mentees. ...
https://universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/party-or-perish/
In my opinion
BY BRENT EPPERSON | August 20 2014
The move towards corporate governance threatens creative thinking at the time we need it most.
Canada’s universities face tremendous challenges. Provincial funding continues to decline, yet tuition and fee increases threaten equal access to education. Global competition for talent drives up faculty salaries and benefits, undermining long-term financial stability at many institutions. Increa...
https://universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/universities-are-ill-served-by-a-corporate-governance-model/
In my opinion
BY DAVID SMITH | October 21 2015
Affordable high-quality animations may mark the death of stodgy PowerPoint presentations.
I just returned home from yet another scientific conference. My mind is imbued with new facts and buzzing with ideas for future research. But I am exhausted from the traveling, the overindulging of coffee and cookies, and the enthusiastic conversations with colleagues. I will sleep well tonight. And...
https://universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/the-end-of-powerpoint/
In my opinion
BY DAVID SMITH | October 29 2015
L’émergence d’animations de qualité à prix abordable pourrait sonner le glas des lourdes présentations PowerPoint.
Je rentre à peine d’une conférence scientifique, la tête pleine de nouvelles idées pour de futures recherches. Pourtant, le voyage et l’abus de café et de biscuits m’ont épuisé, tout comme mes conversations enthousiastes avec mes collègues. Je vais bien dormir ce soir. En période de d...
https://www.affairesuniversitaires.ca/opinion/a-mon-avis/la-fin-de-powerpoint/
In my opinion
BY JOHANNA LEWIS | August 26 2021
The lack of any structural acknowledgement about the toll that COVID is taking on parents and caregivers is a grave failing at the institutional level.
As September approaches, it feels like there are two parallel worlds unfolding in Ontario. Universities are still talking about getting back to “normal,” the government has eased almost all safety restrictions, and the protection afforded by vaccines appears to be giving many the peace of mind t...
https://universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/juggling-academia-and-parenting-in-the-fourth-wave/
In my opinion
BY JOHANNA LEWIS | September 10 2021
L’absence de reconnaissance structurelle des difficultés vécues par les parents et les proches aidants pendant la pandémie est une grave lacune dans les établissements d’enseignement.
En Ontario, on a l’impression que deux mondes parallèles coexistent. Les universités parlent encore d’un « retour à la normale », le gouvernement a levé la plupart des mesures sanitaires et la protection vaccinale permet à plusieurs d’aller au restaurant, de se réunir et de voyager l...
https://www.affairesuniversitaires.ca/opinion/a-mon-avis/concilier-luniversite-et-la-famille-pendant-la-quatrieme-vague/
In my opinion
BY PATRICK SANAGHAN | October 25 2021
Lessons learned from successful campus implementation efforts.
Over the past 30 years I have helped facilitate 120 strategic plans on campuses in the United States and Canada. Most plans are well written and aspirational. But when it comes to implementing them, unfortunately many campuses are less than successful. Over the past two years I have done a “deep d...
https://universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/7-tips-for-executing-a-strategic-plan-successfully/
In my opinion
BY MARIA ASSIF, SONJA NIKKILA & SHIVON SUE-CHEE | March 23 2022
One thing we are hopeful about is that as a result of the pandemic, our pedagogy will have to become more flexible and dynamic.
For most of us in North America, March 2020 marks the first COVID-19 lockdowns and subsequent life-altering decisions and consequences. In education, we shifted to online teaching and learning almost instantaneously, and we extended ourselves to do what we do best: teach and inspire. We attended doz...
https://universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/finding-our-way-back-home-a-vision-of-post-pandemic-classrooms/
In my opinion
BY DONALD WRIGHT | June 06 2023
Georgetown University futurist Bryan Alexander ponders higher education’s next 75 years in a climate-changed world.
The University of New Brunswick’s Harriet Irving Library is an impressive building with a wonderful collection. But it may have a name problem. In a climate crisis, can the intellectual centre of a university be named after the matriarch of an oil and gas family?
Looking ahead, it’s not hard ...
https://universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/universities-on-fire-is-brisk-inspiring-and-sobering/
From the admin chair
BY CYNTHIA WESLEY-ESQUIMAUX | February 21 2023
We must ensure that elders are integrated into teaching and learning, not separated from it.
Over the past two decades, especially in academia, there have been positive changes in attitudes about Indigenous peoples and a growing respect and place for Indigenous elders. There is a resurgence of interest in connecting with those who “hold culture” in the fullness of their years. Indigenou...
https://universityaffairs.ca/opinion/from-the-admin-chair/the-important-role-of-indigenous-elders-in-the-academy/
Margin Notes
BY LÉO CHARBONNEAU | February 17 2010
What happens when a “good education” doesn’t lead to a good job?
What should you do if you’ve “done everything right” – went to university, perhaps even grad school – and yet you’ve failed to land meaningful employment? I have no career advice to offer, but do suggest you might have a look at a new blog by Laura Servage, a doctoral student at the Univ...
https://universityaffairs.ca/opinion/margin-notes/the-link-between-higher-ed-and-a-career/