Higher Education Quality Council of OntarioI participated in a panel on “Innovative Universities” as part of a workshop on innovation held in September at the Perimeter Institute. Two questions posed to panel members were: (i) “What does an innovative university look like?” and (ii) “Does Canada have innovative universities?” I suggested that if one wants to know whether a university […]
One of the most startling statistics I learned since joining HEQCO last year was that about 50 per cent of students eligible for financial aid don’t apply for it, even though some of the money they would get is grants that they do not have to repay. Who gives up the opportunity of free government […]
One of the most ubiquitous and powerful arguments made by advocates of greater investment in higher education is that a postsecondary education is instrumental to economic success, for both the individual and the public. The public and governments appear to have accepted that 70-80 per cent of future jobs will require some postsecondary credential and […]
Ode to the Super Bowl: Getting and Staying in the Game The director of communications at HEQCO is getting concerned that it has been some time since I have posted a new blog. She is worried that I will lose readership. I think I do not take this concern as seriously as she does because […]
There are a plethora of university ranking systems, many of them generated by media (and often a source of considerable revenue for them). The most well known include those from Shanghai Jiao Tong, Times Higher Education, U.S. News and World Report and, in Canada, the Globe and Mail and Maclean’s. There are innumerable other university […]
One of the more enjoyable hours I spend each week is watching a show called GPS (Global Public Square) hosted by Fareed Zakaria. In spite of it being aired on CNN, Zakaria’s show offers some of the most intelligent, interesting and informative explorations of significant global issues. Zakaria himself, and his ideas, are worth the […]
Here’s a question to ponder in the wee hours of the morning – or right now. How can a government respond to the following societal dynamic? A persistent and growing demand for more availability of public postsecondary education. Fewer public dollars to sustain or grow public postsecondary education, especially in Canada with the insatiable financial […]
I recently spent two days attending an International Summit of Education Experts listening to speakers from a variety of countries that have made great (e.g. Finland, Singapore) or somewhat less (e.g., United States) progress reforming their public education systems. The conference was a welcome tonic for those, like me, who sometimes despair over the challenge […]