The Academic Profession in Canada: Perceptions of Canadian University Faculty about Research and Teaching

Previous scholarly attention to the experiences of faculty members has emphasized the contexts of US institutions, with minimal attention to the experiences of faculty members at Canadian universities.  This paper presents the findings of the Canadian component of an international survey that was administered in 19 different jurisdictions to understand the perceptions of faculty members about the nature and scope of changes to academic work. As such, the paper explores the perceptions on research and teaching of full-time faculty members affiliated with Canadian universities. Overall, faculty members revealed that Canadian universities have strong, engaging, and vibrant research and teaching environments, yet there are also areas for improvement. Specifically, findings showed that faculty members perceived considerable autonomy with respect to research activities, despite the increasing need to secure external funding for research. Also, faculty expressed substantial commitment to teaching undergraduate students but a lack of clarity about some issues related to graduate teaching. The survey results provide an important baseline for future studies of Canadian universities and the working conditions of the professoriate in a time of rapid institutional and professional change.  Jusqu’à présent, les études scientifiques sur l’expérience du corps professoral ont surtout porté sur le contexte étatsunien, accordant très peu d’attention à l’expérience vécue dans les universités canadiennes. Cet article présente les résultats de la partie canadienne d’un sondage international effectué dans 19 juridictions, et dont le but était de comprendre la perception du corps professoral envers la nature et la portée de changements modifiant le travail académique. Dans l’ensemble, les membres du corps professoral ont confié que le milieu de la recherche et de l’enseignement est solide, stimulant et dynamique, bien que des points restent à améliorer. Plus précisément, notre recherche révèle que les membres du corps professoral perçoivent une autonomie considérable sur le plan des activités de recherche, malgré le besoin grandissant d’obtenir du financement externe pour la recherche. De plus, les membres du corps professoral ont exprimé leur engagement capital envers l’enseignement au premier cycle, mais aussi un manque de clarté quant à certains problèmes liés à l’enseignement aux cycles supérieurs. Dans un contexte de changements institutionnels et professionnels rapides, les résultats du sondage fournissent un important point de départ pour de futures études sur les universités canadiennes et les conditions de travail du corps professoral

Another inconvenient truth: the realities of supporting undocumented/DACAmented students within a private research institution

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Rochester. Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development, 2020.The narrative of undocumented/DACAmented students is fraught with anxiety, financial challenges, and low enrollment and graduation rates. Nonetheless, the reality for this student population is currently on the verge of significant change. Colleges and universities across the United States that serve undocumented/DACAmented students are responding to the decision made by President Trump to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program (DACA), as well as the injunctions that have been filed to reinstate the program (Mangan, 2017a; 2017b). DACA was an Executive Order enacted by President Obama in June 2012 that permitted eligibility for enrollment for undocumented individuals who met several rigorous requirements. The Executive Order protected thousands of young undocumented individuals from deportation, many of whom were brought to the United States as children. With DACA, undocumented youths received a renewable two-year work permit and a social security number. Many of these individuals used their status to secure scholarships, in-state tuition rates, and employment while in college. For the thousands of students who have benefited from DACA the future is uncertain, as they anxiously brace themselves for an outcome where they might lose the protection and privileges afforded to them since 2012 (Dickerson, 2017b). If the injunctions against the repeal of DACA are not successful, hopes of college graduation will have to be either postponed or abandoned, and the threat of deportation is now once again a reality (Dickerson, 2017b; National Immigration Law Center, 2017a). The upcoming months will be integral to this student population as the Supreme Court will be making a decision on the future of the DACA program. Higher education institutions have been reactive to these political pronouncements. In many instances, institutions are striving for ways to support their undocumented/ DACAmented students while they await federal legislation to guide their practices. This study explores how a private university serves (supports, retains, and protects) their undocumented/ DACAmented students in a political climate fraught with antiimmigrant rhetoric and policies. To garner insights on this query, a qualitative case study approach is taken. The researcher uses semi-structured interviews to investigate the influence of the institution’s culture and structure on the lives of these students. Validation theory and organizational theory are used as lenses to explore students’ experiences

The effect of music therapy services on classroom behaviours of newly arrived refugee students in Australia

This pilot study examined the effects of a short-term music therapy program on the classroom behaviours of newly arrived refugee students who were attending an intensive 'English as a Second Language' secondary school. A cross-over design with two five-week intervention periods was employed with group music therapy sessions conducted one or two times per week. Data from the Behaviour Assessment Scale for Children were used to evaluate a range of positive and negative school behaviours. A significant decrease in externalising behaviours was found with particular reference to hyperactivity and aggression. No significant differences were found in other behaviours. Explanations and implications of these findings are discussed

Learning autonomy: higher education reform in Kazakhstan

Higher education is a key economic and social priority in the global arena. Many countries have sought to advance reforms aimed at increasing access, promoting greater educational quality, and ensuring financial responsibility and sustainability. Often, strategies for achieving these aims are informed by experiences elsewhere. However, transporting education policy reforms can be problematic. Kazakhstan, a signatory of the Bologna Process, offers an example of a country seeking to improve student access and success and promote greater fiscal efficiency to advance the overall quality of its higher education system (Merrill in Int High Educ 59:26–28, 2010). A key strategy for achieving these goals is through reforms in university governance. In Central Asia, policy makers advance education reforms in order to accomplish several goals, including meeting “the new demands of ethnic nationalism, a globally competitive economy, and a labour market freed from administrative control” (Anderson and Heyneman 2005, p. 361). In Kazakhstan, policy makers have concluded that a system predicated on decentralized control with greater institutional autonomy (and accountability), along the lines of the US system, offers a promising strategy for improving the overall quality of its higher education system. This research collected on-site data on Kazakhstani higher education and presents the most recent data since efforts from OECD and World Bank in 2006 [OECD in Higher education in Kazakhstan (reviews of National Policies for Education). OECD, Paris 2007]. This research utilized semi-structured interviews with senior higher education administrators (53), members of the Ministry of Education and Science (6), a representative from the government (1), and experts from the World Bank (2) for a total of 62 participants. The results of the study show that academic leaders in Kazakhstan want greater autonomy. However, there is no clear consensus about what level of fiscal and academic autonomy is desirable and whether all institutions are prepared to manage themselves without Ministerial oversight. The roles of key constituents in academic governance have also not yet been clearly defined