The Stratification of Universities Revisited: Status, Followers, and the Shape of National Hierarchies

It is generally accepted that Canadian universities are less stratified than their southern neighbours, a hypothesis popularized in the mid-2000s and verified by subsequent comparative empirical research. Through this piece, we revisit the Canadian “flatness” hypothesis, embracing a more sociological definition of status hierarchies and using social media followers as a focal proxy for status. Despite our theoretically based skepticism, adoption of an alternative status proxy, and use of more recent data, our analyses validate the flatness hypothesis. We theorize the implications of these findings, and our novel approach, for the study of organizational stratification in higher education.Il est généralement reconnu que les universités canadiennes sont moins stratifiées que leurs voisines du Sud, une hypothèse popularisée au milieu des années 2000 et vérifiée par des recherches empiriques comparatives subséquentes. Dans cet article, nous revisitons l’hypothèse du « nivellement » canadien, en adoptant une définition plus sociologique des hiérarchies de statut et en nous basant sur les utilisateurs des médias sociaux comme indicateur focal du statut. Malgré notre scepticisme théorique, l’adoption d’un autre indicateur de statut et l’utilisation de données plus récentes, nos analyses confirment l’hypothèse du nivellement. Nous théorisons les implications de ces résultats et de notre nouvelle approche pour l’étude de la stratification organisationnelle dans l’enseignement supérieur

Barriers to Differentiation: Applying Organizational Studies to Ontario Higher Education

Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities is currently attempting to increase institutional differentiation within that province’s post-secondary education system. We contend that such policies aimed to trigger organizational change are likely to generate unanticipated responses. Using insights from the field of organizational studies, we anticipate four plausible responses from universities to the ministry’s directives: remaining sensitive to their market demand, ceremonial compliance, continued status seeking, and isomorphism. We provide several policy recommendations that might help the ministry overcome these possible barriers to further differentiation.  Le ministère de la Formation et des Collèges et Universités de l’Ontario cherche à accroître la différentiation institutionnelle du système d’éducation postsecondaire ontarien. Nous soutenons que les politiques publiques visant à déclencher ce changement organisationnel vont vraisemblablement engendrer des réactions imprévues. Tirant nos connaissances des champs d’études organisationnelles, nous anticipons quatre réactions potentielles aux directives du ministère par les universités. Ainsi, les universités peuvent : demeurer réceptives aux demandes de leur clientèle, entreprendre une conformité superficielle, s’engager dans une recherche perpétuelle d’un statut supérieur ou favoriser l’isomorphisme. Nous suggérons plusieurs recommandations de politiques publiques qui peuvent aider le ministère à faire progresser la différentiation en surmontant ces éventuels obstacles

Higher education expansion, social background and college selectivity in the United States

Drawing on two recent cohorts of baccalaureate degreeholders (1993 and 2000), this paper takes a new look at the factors that influence students� choice of undergraduate institution in the United States. The two cohorts span a period that was marked by rapid institutional and enrollment growth in U.S. universities. Yet, it remains uncertain whether or not this greater expansion has reduced the effects of social origins on college choices. The findings reveal that educational decisions were indeed influenced by socioeconomic effects. Both parental income and education exhibited strong, positive effects, which remained stable across cohorts. At the same time, students� abilities also had a significant impact on selectivity decisions. Students who attended private, nonreligious high schools were also more likely to graduate from more selective institutions, while gender effects largely subsided once controlling for academic ability

Higher Education Expansion, Social Background and College Selectivity in the United States

Drawing on two recent cohorts of baccalaureate degreeholders (1993 and 2000), this paper takes a new look at the factors that influence students’ choice of undergraduate institution in the United States. The two cohorts span a period that was marked by rapid institutional and enrollment growth in U.S. universities. Yet, it remains uncertain whether or not this greater expansion has reduced the effects of social origins on college choices. The findings reveal that educational decisions were indeed influenced by socioeconomic effects. Both parental income and education exhibited strong, positive effects, which remained stable across cohorts. At the same time, students’ abilities also had a significant impact on selectivity decisions. Students who attended private, nonreligious high schools were also more likely to graduate from more selective institutions, while gender effects largely subsided once controlling for academic ability

International journal of sociology of education

Resumen basado en el de la publicaciónTítulo, resumen, palabras clave en español e inglesSe proporciona una nueva mirada sobre los factores que influyen en la selectividad por parte de la institución universitaria en Estados Unidos.Las dos series de datos abarcan un período que estuvo marcado por el rápido crecimiento institucional y de la inscripción en universidades estadounidenses. Sin embargo,sigue siendo incierto si esta mayor expansión ha reducido el efecto del origen social en la selectividad de la universidad. De hecho, los resultados revelan que las decisiones educativas estuvieron influidas por factores socio económicos. Tanto los ingresos de los padres como su educación mostraron efectos potentes y positivos,que se mantuvieron estables a través de las series de datos. Al mismo tiempo, las capacidades de los estudiantes también tuvieron un impacto significativo en las decisiones sobre la selectividad. Los estudiantes que asistieron a institutos privados y no religiosos tenían también más probabilidades de graduarse en instituciones más selectivas, mientras que los efectos del género disminuían en gran medida una vez se había tenido en cuenta la habilidad académica.ES

Revisiting Canada's Brain Drain: Evidence from the 2000 Cohort of Canadian University Graduates

Existing studies on Canada's brain drain have established the importance of income gains as a critical factor that motivates individuals to move to the United States. It remains unclear, however, how sizable the earnings gap may be for recent post-secondary graduates and whether or not this gap varies by the field of study of the most common drainers. Drawing on the most recent National Graduates Survey (NGS), this study compares the early labour market earnings of the 2000 cohort of university graduates who remained in Canada to their counterparts who obtained employment in the United States. Our results indicate that only a small proportion of this cohort migrated south of the border, yet the great majority of these migrants are heavily concentrated in only a few knowledge-economy fields. Annual earnings are significantly higher for all individuals who relocated to the United States. Moreover, these differences are most salient among undergraduate engineers and computer scientists.

Not What I Expected: Early Career Prospects of Doctoral Graduates in Academia

Various studies acknowledge the uncertainty many doctoral graduates face when beginning their search for full-time employment within the academic sector. Recent graduates face a job market where the likelihood of obtaining full-time permanent positions in academia is perceived to be declining, and the mobility of graduates within the sector is unclear. Drawing on Statistics Canada’s 2013 National Graduates Survey, this paper assesses whether graduates who pursued a doctoral degree to become a full-time professor achieved their goal within three years of graduation. The results suggest that although a large portion of doctoral graduates pursued their degrees to become full-time professors, relatively few reported obtaining such positions within three years of graduation, regardless of field of study.Plusieurs études attestent de l’incertitude que doivent affronter les titulaires d’un doctorat quand ils entament leurs recherches pour un poste à temps plein dans le secteur universitaire. En effet, les récents diplômés font face à un marché de l’emploi où on perçoit que les chances d’obtenir un poste permanent à temps plein dans le secteur académique s’amenuisent, et où la mobilité professionnelle des titulaires d’un doctorat de ce secteur demeure floue. À partir des données de l’Enquête nationale auprès des diplômés 2013 de Statistique Canada, cet article examine la propension des titulaires d’un doctorat souhaitant devenir professeurs à temps plein à réaliser leur objectif sur une période de trois ans après leur collation des grades. Indépendamment du domaine d’étude, les résultats démontrent que, bien qu’une grande proportion de titulaires d’un doctorat aspire à devenir professeurs à temps plein, peu d’entre eux rapportent avoir obtenu de tels postes trois ans après leur remise de diplôme

Not What I Expected: Early Career Prospects of Doctoral Graduates in Academia

Various studies acknowledge the uncertainty many doctoral graduates face when beginning their search for full-time employment within the academic sector. Recent graduates face a job market where the likelihood of obtaining full-time permanent positions in academia is perceived to be declining, and the mobility of graduates within the sector is unclear. Drawing on Statistics Canada’s 2013 National Graduates Survey, this paper assesses whether graduates who pursued a doctoral degree to become a full-time professor achieved their goal within three years of graduation. The results suggest that although a large portion of doctoral graduates pursued their degrees to become full-time professors, relatively few reported obtaining such positions within three years of graduation, regardless of field of study.  Plusieurs études attestent de l’incertitude que doivent affronter les titulaires d’un doctorat quand ils entament leurs recherches pour un poste à temps plein dans le secteur universitaire. En effet, les récents diplômés font face à un marché de l’emploi où on perçoit que les chances d’obtenir un poste permanent à temps plein dans le secteur académique s’amenuisent, et où la mobilité professionnelle des titulaires d’un doctorat de ce secteur demeure floue. À partir des données de l’Enquête nationale auprès des diplômés 2013 de Statistique Canada, cet article examine la propension des titulaires d’un doctorat souhaitant devenir professeurs à temps plein à réaliser leur objectif sur une période de trois ans après leur collation des grades. Indépendamment du domaine d’étude, les résultats démontrent que, bien qu’une grande proportion de titulaires d’un doctorat aspire à devenir professeurs à temps plein, peu d’entre eux rapportent avoir obtenu de tels postes trois ans après leur remise de diplôme