Author Archives: E Wayne Ross

Ontario universities cash-starved: OCUFA report

Posted on April 6, 2010 | Comments Off on Ontario universities cash-starved: OCUFA report

The Ottawa Citizen: Universities cash-starved: report

Student-teacher ratio highest in Ontario, faculty group says

The contrast between the past and the present at Ontario universities lies at the heart of a report released today by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), the voice of 15,000 professors and academic librarians across the province.

The report, titled The Decline of Quality in Ontario Universities, calls on the province to inject millions of dollars more into universities so today’s students can enjoy what previous generations did — without going deeply into debt.

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Posted in Budgets & Funding

Outsourced Grading, With Supporters and Critics, Comes to College

Posted on April 6, 2010 | Comments Off on Outsourced Grading, With Supporters and Critics, Comes to College

The Chronicle: Some Papers Are Uploaded to Bangalore to Be Graded

Lori Whisenant knows that one way to improve the writing skills of undergraduates is to make them write more. But as each student in her course in business law and ethics at the University of Houston began to crank out—often awkwardly—nearly 5,000 words a semester, it became clear to her that what would really help them was consistent, detailed feedback.

Her seven teaching assistants, some of whom did not have much experience, couldn’t deliver. Their workload was staggering: About 1,000 juniors and seniors enroll in the course each year. “Our graders were great,” she says, “but they were not experts in providing feedback.”

That shortcoming led Ms. Whisenant, director of business law and ethics studies at Houston, to a novel solution last fall. She outsourced assignment grading to a company whose employees are mostly in Asia.

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Posted in Academics, Working conditions

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The Adjunct Health Insurance Catch-22

Posted on April 6, 2010 | Comments Off on The Adjunct Health Insurance Catch-22

Inside Higher Ed: The Adjunct Health Insurance Catch-22

Tracy Donhardt was so excited that she and fellow adjuncts in the School of Liberal Arts at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis had found a way to get health insurance together that she wanted to let other adjuncts know they could sign up, too.

But when she asked the university’s human resources department for help getting the word out, the whole plan was, almost immediately, shattered. “I contacted them, said, ‘Hey, look at we did, isn’t it great?’ ” she recalled.

Like so many other adjuncts nationwide, IUPUI’s non-tenure track faculty worked without health insurance. The chance to secure an affordable policy seemed sure to please. The plan, developed by the Associate Faculty Advisory Board, of which Donhardt is president, wasn’t going to cost the university a cent in contributions; it just gave the adjuncts the huge actuarial benefit of being in a grou

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Posted in Salary/Economic Benefits

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AAUP Will Investigate Firing at LSU

Posted on April 6, 2010 | Comments Off on AAUP Will Investigate Firing at LSU

Inside Higher Ed: AAUP Will Investigate Firing at LSU

The American Association of University Professors on Monday announced that it is beginning a formal investigation into the case of Ivor van Heerden, who was a leading whistle blower in the analysis of what went wrong after Katrina hit New Orleans, and who is suing Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, charging that he was fired from his position at the university’s hurricane research center because of anger over his criticisms of the Army Corps of Engineers. The university, while declining to discuss details about the case, has denied that he lost his job for that reason.

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Posted in Unions

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Judge Denies Affirmative-Action Researchers Access to California Bar Association Data

Posted on March 31, 2010 | Comments Off on Judge Denies Affirmative-Action Researchers Access to California Bar Association Data

The Chronicle: Judge Denies Affirmative-Action Researchers Access to California Bar Association Data

A California state judge has rejected a bid by two researchers examining affirmative action to gain access to California Bar Association data on the long-term success of law-school graduates.

Judge Curtis E.A. Karnow of the California Superior Court for San Francisco County ruled last week that the state bar is not legally obliged to release the data sought by Richard H. Sander, a professor of law at the University of California at Los Angeles, and Joe Hicks, a former governor of the California state bar who is involved in a consortium of affirmative-action researchers organized by Mr. Sander. The two men were joined by the California First Amendment Coalition in their lawsuit, which seeks state-bar data on law students broken down by race and ethnicity

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Posted in Equity

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U. of Wyoming Calls Off William Ayers Lecture

Posted on March 31, 2010 | Comments Off on U. of Wyoming Calls Off William Ayers Lecture

Inside Higher Ed: U. of Wyoming Calls Off William Ayers Lecture

The University of Wyoming has called off a planned lecture by William Ayers — the one-time leader of the Weather Underground who has become an education professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The appearance was criticized by many in Wyoming, and the Social Justice Research Center cited a variety of reasons, including “safety concerns,” for the decision. Other universities that have called off talks by Ayers have cited safety issues, but Wyoming’s announcement was unusual in arguing that state reaction was a legitimate factor to consider.

A statement from Tom Buchanan, president of the university, said: “Academic freedom is a core principle of any institution of higher education. But with that freedom comes an obligation to exercise free thought and free speech in concert with mutual respect and acknowledgment of broader resource and security impacts on the campus. The exercise of freedom requires a commensurate dose of responsibility. Observers in and outside of the university would be incorrect to conclude that UW simply caved in to external pressure. Rather, I commended the director of the center for a willingness to be sensitive to the outpouring of criticism, evaluate the arguments, and reconsider the invitation. The University of Wyoming is one of the few institutions remaining in today’s environment that garners the confidence of the public. The visit by Professor Ayers would have adversely impacted that reputation.”

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Posted in Free speech

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Tenure Denial Reversed at Ohio U

Posted on March 31, 2010 | Comments Off on Tenure Denial Reversed at Ohio U

Inside Higher Ed: Tenure Denial Reversed

Overruling top administrators, Ohio University’s president has decided to award tenure to a journalism professor accused of threatening fellow faculty, Inside Higher Ed has learned.

Roderick McDavis, the university’s president, declared Tuesday that Bill Reader would be granted tenure after more than a year of contentious debate about his case.

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Posted in Tenure & Promotion

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British Industry Groups Criticize Government Goal of Increasing College Participation

Posted on March 30, 2010 | Comments Off on British Industry Groups Criticize Government Goal of Increasing College Participation

The Chronicle: British Industry Groups Criticize Government Goal of Increasing College Participation

A leading British business industry organization has called for an “urgent review” of the government’s target of increasing university participation rates to 50 percent of the young population, the Financial Times reported. The group, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, also released survey results showing that 59 percent of recent graduates who have a job are not working in a field related to their degrees. The higher number of competing graduates, it says, is reducing the likelihood that they will be able to find suitable jobs. Another industry organization, the Association of Graduate Recruiters, has also criticized the target, calling it an artificial goal that “has driven down standards and devalued the currency of a degree.”

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Posted in Students

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UNLV removes dean critical of program cuts

Posted on March 30, 2010 | Comments Off on UNLV removes dean critical of program cuts

Las Vegas Review-Journal: University removes engineering dean

College chief was critical of UNLV’s plans to eliminate programs

The dean of UNLV’s College of Engineering, whose programs are expected to be among the hardest hit in the next round of budget cuts, has been removed from his job and reassigned to the provost’s office, the university confirmed Monday.

Eric Sandgren took over as dean of the college in 2003. His contract, which pays him $193,596 a year, expires in June.

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Posted in Administration, Budgets & Funding

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Trinity U students want ‘Our Lord’ phrase off diplomas

Posted on March 30, 2010 | Comments Off on Trinity U students want ‘Our Lord’ phrase off diplomas

San Antonio Express-News: Students want ‘Our Lord’ phrase off diplomas

A group of students at Trinity University is lobbying trustees to drop a reference to “Our Lord” on their diplomas, arguing it does not respect the diversity of religions on campus.

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Posted in Students

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Liberal arts cuts at U of Maine

Posted on March 30, 2010 | Comments Off on Liberal arts cuts at U of Maine

Bangor Daily News: UM students, faculty voice concerns about likely cuts

Report eyes slashing women’s studies, performing arts, languages

ORONO, Maine — More than 200 concerned University of Maine students and faculty members questioned the school’s academic administrators during a public forum Monday about an academic prioritization report released last week that calls for $12.3 million in budget cuts. The proposed cuts would eliminate majors in women’s studies, foreign languages, public administration, performing arts and other areas of study.

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Posted in Budgets & Funding

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University of Louisville official given a $1 million buyout

Posted on March 30, 2010 | Comments Off on University of Louisville official given a $1 million buyout

Courier-Journal: University of Louisville official given a $1 million buyout

Two months after the University of Louisville acknowledged it was paying a former lobbyist for not working, the university has confirmed it is providing more than $1million in pay and benefits to another employee asked to leave his job last year.

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Posted in Administration, Ethics, Salary/Economic Benefits

Call for papers: Feminism and Marxism: Reassessments and Reports

Posted on March 29, 2010 | Comments Off on Call for papers: Feminism and Marxism: Reassessments and Reports

Call for Papers for a Special Theme Issue on Feminism and Marxism: Reassessments and Reports

New Proposals calls for submissions for a special issue that will be dedicated to taking stock of intersections between feminism and marxism. A valuable series of publications on this debate appeared in the 1970s and 1980s.

We are interested in full-length articles (normally 3,500 to 10,000 words) as well as shorter comments and arguments (up to 3,500 words) that reengage with these earlier debates. For this issue, we also welcome short research reports (up to 1,500 words) summarizing the theoretical framework, methodology, and preliminary results of research projects that draw on both feminist and marxist traditions.

Submissions should be made to the journal web site by September 3, 2010. Please indicate that this submission is for this special issue.

Charles R. Menzies
University of British Columbia

http://www.newproposals.ca

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Posted in CFPs

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Ontario Will Add 20,000 New Students at Colleges and Universities…but no new professors

Posted on March 29, 2010 | Comments Off on Ontario Will Add 20,000 New Students at Colleges and Universities…but no new professors

The Chronicle: Ontario Will Add 20,000 New Students at Colleges and Universities

Ontario, already the province with the most universities and colleges in Canada, will add 20,000 new places for students this fall, according to details in yesterday’s provincial budget. The province will spend more than $300-million for the expansion, in addition to more than $200-million that was previously announced. The budget also says Ontario plans to aggressively promote its colleges and universities abroad to encourage the world’s best students to study and settle in the province. It will also pay for an improved credit-transfer system. The higher-education expansion was welcomed by the universities and colleges, but faculty members said there was no mention of hiring additional professors.

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Posted in Budgets & Funding

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Adjuncts, job security and compensation…How Fast Is Fast Enough?

Posted on March 29, 2010 | Comments Off on Adjuncts, job security and compensation…How Fast Is Fast Enough?

Inside Higher Ed: How Fast Is Fast Enough?

SAN JOSE — At a forum for adjunct faculty members Saturday, organizers asked participants to write down notes about their concerns about job security and compensation issues. The first note read aloud asked: “How do we get multi-year contracts?” To which one adjunct in the crowd shouted: “How can we get one-year contracts?”

The differing perspectives reflected in the exchange were present throughout the forum and other sessions here at the biennial joint meeting of the higher education divisions of the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association. Both unions have placed more emphasis on adjunct issues in recent years — and both can point to organizing drives and contract successes as a result.

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Posted in Contingent labor, Salary/Economic Benefits, Working conditions

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First Israeli Arab woman appointed full professor at Tel Aviv University

Posted on March 25, 2010 | Comments Off on First Israeli Arab woman appointed full professor at Tel Aviv University

Haaretz: First Israeli Arab woman appointed full professor at Tel Aviv University

A 54-year-old education expert at Tel Aviv University has become the first Israeli Arab woman in the country to be appointed a full professor.

“It’s a real breakthrough,” Fadia Nasser-Abu Alhija said of her appointment yesterday. “First of all, I am proud of myself for this personal accomplishment. But I believe I won’t be the last – more and more Arab women are entering the higher education system in a variety of fields.”

As of 2007, there were 33 Arab full professors employed in Israeli research universities – all of them men, according to a master’s thesis written by former Open University of Israel graduate student Iris Zarini.

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Posted in Equity, Faculty

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Protest cancels Coulter speech in Ottawa

Posted on March 24, 2010 | Comments Off on Protest cancels Coulter speech in Ottawa

AP: Protest cancels Coulter speech in Ottawa

OTTAWA — A protest by hundreds of students led organizers to cancel a Tuesday night speech by American conservative commentator Ann Coulter at the University of Ottawa.
A spokesman for the organizers said Coulter was advised against appearing after about 2,000 “threatening” students crowded the entrance to Marion Hall, posing a security threat.
“It would be physically dangerous for Ann Coulter to proceed with this event,” said conservative political activist Ezra Levant inside the hall. “This is an embarrassing day for the University of Ottawa and their student body . . . who chose to silence her through threats and intimidation

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Posted in Free speech

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Chancellor Zimpher Announces Steps to Strengthen Academics and Athletics at Binghamton University and Across the SUNY System

Posted on March 24, 2010 | Comments Off on Chancellor Zimpher Announces Steps to Strengthen Academics and Athletics at Binghamton University and Across the SUNY System

Chancellor Zimpher Announces Steps to Strengthen Academics and Athletics at Binghamton University and Across the SUNY System

New York City – Following the report of former Chief Judge Judith Kaye, State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher today announced SUNY will take steps to strengthen the relationship between academics and athletics at Binghamton University and across the SUNY System.

“SUNY’s ongoing commitment to intercollegiate athletics is important and meaningful to the total student experience and the life of our campuses,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “Accordingly, we have taken proactive and deliberate steps to ensure that the academic integrity of the Binghamton campus and the system overall is maintained, while providing our student athletes the opportunity to compete at the highest levels.”

Those steps include ensuring that academics, the core of SUNY’s mission, are seen as the highest priority. To that end, the chancellor has asked SUNY Provost David K. Lavallee to lead the effort for System Administration.

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Posted in Academics, Athletics

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University to Ann Coulter: Please watch your mouth

Posted on March 23, 2010 | Comments Off on University to Ann Coulter: Please watch your mouth

National Post: University to Ann Coulter: Please watch your mouth

Before right-wing U.S. pundit Ann Coulter even set a stilettoed foot on this side of the border for a trio of speaking engagements this week, she managed to make a few Canadians nervous.

Ms. Coulter catapulted to international notoriety two days after the 9/11 attacks with a column in the National Review in which she advocated conquering Muslim countries and converting the people to Christianity. But as the columnist prepares to visit Canada this week to speak at three universities, a senior University of Ottawa administrator has warned her to use “restraint, respect and consideration” when speaking at the school.

Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2710026#ixzz0j39XYPCg
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Posted in Free speech

No Increases for Mid-Level Pay

Posted on March 23, 2010 | Comments Off on No Increases for Mid-Level Pay

Inside Higher Ed: No Increases for Mid-Level Pay

The median raise for mid-level administrators — across job categories — was no raise at all in 2009-10, according to an analysis being released today by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources.

This is the first time in the 12 years that CUPA-HR has been conducting the survey that there was no increase. However, the results are not surprising, given that recent reports by the association have found no median increases in salaries for either senior administrators or faculty members.

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Posted in Administration, Salary/Economic Benefits

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