Moving to Canada can provide many opportunities, but also comes with unique challenges for newcomers looking for meaningful employment. To better support newcomers, Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) launched Skills Enhancement for Newcomers, a two-year national initiative that will help newcomers develop the soft skills unique to Canadian workplaces, enhancing their employment profiles. The project is…
I n 20 years of studying homelessness, Carol Kauppi has observed three disturbing trends: the number of people experiencing homelessness is growing, they’re more visible, and Canadians have become more accepting of the problem. “Things have gotten worse,” said Dr. Kauppi, who is director of the Centre for Research in Social Justice and Policy at…
Global poll of nearly 10,000 researchers reveals continued influence of bibliometrics in determining reputation and institutional ties Research citation scores and the prestige of journals in which academics publish remain highly important factors in how scholars judge each other despite international efforts to reduce their impact, a Times Higher Education survey of almost 10,000 academics has…
Decade-long study of scientists’ output and attitudes produces book on why structural tactics to tackle gender and race inequalities fail Science keeps struggling with inequity because of poorly understood cultural attitudes that persistently defy attempts at structural fixes, a decade-long analysis at a major US university has found. The assessment – covering more than 500 researchers in the…
In June, universities across Ontario unveiled their new “disconnecting from work” policies in accordance with provincial legislation aimed at fostering healthier work environments. But faculty and administration alike are saying that on their own, these policies do nothing to upend the more deeply rooted issues that drive high workloads and burnout. “When you hire a…
Earlier this month, I was pleased to see a paper published in PLoS Biology written by a large group of international researchers in the early stages of their careers about how we can improve research culture and practice. While I was one of the participants/authors, the real credit for driving the project goes to Brianne Kent, Constance Holman…
The pivotal moments of a researcher’s journey often go unseen by the public, occurring in remote locations or in tucked-away laboratories. But the breadth and diversity of research endeavors at Canadian universities should be celebrated and shared widely. At Queen’s University, for the sixth consecutive year, faculty, students, staff, and alumni have drawn on their…
JulyAug_universityaffairs2022 FEATURES The Quest for More Vets How universities are responding to a country-wide shortage. On the Money What the growing role of charitable donations means for higher education The Art of Reconciliation Indigenous artists are reclaiming space on university campuses, threading history and storytelling through creative works in a variety of mediums that enrich…
University job postings seldom get noticed by the public. But this spring, Quebec politicians, the National Post and even Fox News took umbrage at advertisements for Canada Research Chair (CRC) positions at Université Laval, the University of Toronto and others that stipulated only women, visible minorities, Indigenous people and people with disabilities should apply. A Queen’s University posting for an engineering chair…
Last Modified: September 14, 2022
Criticisms of academic freedom miss the mark and risk the integrity of scholarship
September 22nd, 2022While academic freedom itself might sound like a unique notion, granting special tools or rights to specific professions is rather commonplace. In the era of today’s heated culture wars, the concepts of academic freedom and freedom of expression have become increasingly conflated. Divisive political debates around critical race theory, Québec’s Bill 32 and talk of establishing “free speech…