News and commentary

By Paul Davidson, president of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

In today’s interconnected world, we know that investing in international educational experiences – whether on our campuses in Canada, or abroad – creates ongoing economic, social and cultural pay-offs. For example – international students contribute more than $6.5 billion directly to Canada’s economy every year. Even more important, they enrich the learning experience for Canadian students.

I know first-hand about the benefits of international education. In my third year of university, I travelled to newly independent Zimbabwe. I lived in residence with peers who years earlier were fighting for their country’s independence. I was taught by professors who had fled apartheid South Africa. That year changed my life and view of the world. It was an exhilarating learning experience that laid the foundation for my graduate work, and led to a wide range of career experiences. It also made me absolutely committed to ensuring more Canadian students have the opportunity for that kind of learning.

Canadian universities provide the ideal setting to nurture these 21^st century skills. Universities are a gateway to a larger world – a world of new ideas, bold vision, innovation and broader horizons. A recent report by the Canadian Bureau for International Education found the single most common thing valued by Canadians about study abroad is the exposure students get to different cultures and languages. Canadians know study abroad helps students better understand the world around them, enhances their overall educational experience, increases job prospects, and contributes to Canada’s global competitiveness. When this same study asked employers, more than half said they would hire a student with international study abroad experiences over a candidate without those experiences.

Our future is increasingly shaped by fast-moving, global forces. To understand these challenges, Canada needs employees with knowledge of other countries, languages and cultures, and an ability to establish partnerships with international colleagues.

In November 2010, the largest delegation of Canadian university presidents to travel abroad undertook a seven-day mission in India. Fifteen university leaders worked to establish Canada as a preferred partner for higher education collaboration. This AUCC-led mission strengthened existing partnerships and explored new ways for Canadian and Indian universities to work together.

Next April, AUCC will lead an even larger delegation of university presidents to Brazil to encourage international research collaboration and greater student mobility between our two countries. Brazil is about to become the fifth largest economy in the world. As Brazil hosts the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016, Brazil will showcase its dynamic and bourgeoning economy. Investments that Brazil is making now in infrastructure, human resource development, and research and innovation are creating opportunities for business, governments, and universities around the world.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff recently announced university scholarships for 75,000 Brazilian students to study abroad. Canada is ready to welcome these students. International faculty, researchers and students bring their culture and global perspectives to classrooms, labs and student residences – enriching the learning experience for all.

The time is right for Canada to build new, effective relationships with rapidly emerging economic powers, including Brazil.

Canada’s universities are ready to play a leading role in making this happen.

OTTAWA – Today’s announcement of the inaugural 70 recipients of the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships will help Canada’s universities develop, attract and retain top researchers from across Canada and around the world. The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology) announced the recipients today at the Ontario Cancer Institute.

“The Banting Fellowship program is a significant investment in research excellence at Canada’s universities and other institutions,” says Paul Davidson, President of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. “These fellowships will help our universities attract the best and brightest researchers to our campuses and allow Canadian researchers to complete their placements at a foreign research institute, further strengthening our global research networks.”

Announced by Prime Minister Harper in July 2010, the five-year, $45 million Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program will award 70 new fellowships each year, each valued at $70,000 annually for two years. The program builds on the success of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program, the Canada Research Chairs program and the Canada Excellence Research Chairs program.

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For more information or interview opportunities:

Helen Murphy
AUCC Communications Manager
hmurphy@aucc.ca
613-563-1236 ext. 238

By Paul Davidson, president of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

Between now and 2017 – the 150th anniversary of Confederation – one million more students will graduate with an undergraduate degree in Canada. And this fall, universities across Canada are reporting record-breaking enrolment numbers.

With growing enrolments, students and parents are increasingly focused on quality in undergraduate education. They can be reassured that Canada’s university presidents have made excellence in undergraduate education a priority and are taking action to strengthen the learning experience and outcomes.

In March, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada led a national workshop, Transforming Undergraduate Education, in Halifax for university presidents, other university leaders and student leaders. This workshop reflected a growing consensus that we must focus on what is arguably the university’s central role: offering a quality teaching and learning environment to undergraduate students.

University leaders are actively searching for new techniques, programs and ideas to ensure that Canadian universities are equipped to make sure the next generation of graduates is the best educated and the best prepared to meet the challenges Canada is facing. There are already many excellent examples of innovative teaching and learning at Canadian universities, including interactive courses, international experiences and the use of new technologies. These efforts need to be encouraged, built upon and made sustainable.

Today Canada’s universities’ commitment to strengthening undergraduate education is being supported by a new online resource, entitled Great Beginnings: Enhancing quality and innovation in undergraduate education. Launched at McMaster University on September 14, this resource includes a full report on the Transforming Undergraduate Education workshop, case studies on best practices in undergraduate education, a bibliography of publications and articles, as well as current news items related to enhancing undergraduate education.

The examples in Great Beginnings demonstrate how innovative programming and techniques at the undergraduate level help students achieve their potential, develop as global citizens and prepare for rewarding careers. Meaningful research experiences at the undergraduate level are an example of how this happens. Engagement in research expands students’ knowledge, nurtures their critical thinking and analytical skills, and inspires new ideas and creativity. Research-enriched learning gives students a greater understanding about how our environment, communities, businesses, governments and healthcare systems work.

Making undergraduate education the best it can be in Canada is about realizing our country’s potential. Because of the commitment of our university presidents and broader university communities to the enhancement of the undergraduate experience, Canadians can be confident that our universities will continue to produce the leaders of tomorrow and meet the needs of our country in the years ahead.

New resource to help university communities improve learning experience, outcomes

OTTAWA, September 14, 2011 – With many Canadian universities experiencing record-breaking enrolments this fall, students and parents are increasingly focused on quality in undergraduate education. They can be reassured that Canada’s university presidents have made excellence in undergraduate education a priority and are taking action to strengthen the learning experience and outcomes.

“Universities of all types and sizes are enthusiastically looking at new ways of enhancing undergraduate education on their campuses,” Paul Davidson, President of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), told an audience of university and student leaders at McMaster University today. “AUCC is supporting our universities’ commitments and activities with respect to enhancing undergraduate education with a new resource that shares best practices, innovative techniques, recent research and opinions related to high quality undergraduate education.”

AUCC’s new online resource, entitled Great Beginnings: Enhancing quality and innovation in undergraduate education, was developed following an AUCC-led workshop on transforming undergraduate education last March in Halifax. Attended by presidents, vice-presidents, other university leaders and student leaders, this workshop involved a frank discussion about the current state of undergraduate education and what must be done to ensure it meets the needs of students and Canada now and in the future.

“There have been dramatic changes outside of the classroom over the last number of years and universities need to respond quickly to those changes,” says Patrick Deane, president of McMaster University. “We want to ensure we maintain the quality of what we do and continue to deliver programs that enrich and broaden horizons for students.”

Great Beginnings includes case studies of good practices in undergraduate education – techniques and programs that include interactive learning, problem-based study and hands-on research opportunities. It also includes a report on the March workshop, a bibliography of related publications and articles, and news items on this topic. This online information centre is a living resource that will frequently be augmented by new case studies, written materials and opinions related to strengthening undergraduate education.

“This is an important step in how Canada’s universities are working together for the enhancement of undergraduate education, but it’s not the only one,” says Mr. Davidson. Upcoming activities and projects include an AUCC-led workshop in December related to tackling campus mental health issues.

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Great Beginnings online resource
Report
Bibliography

For more information:

Helen Murphy
Communications Manager
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
Email: hmurphy@aucc.ca
Tel.: 613-563-1236 ext. 238

This op-ed was published on the Globe and Mail website on September 8, 2011

By Paul Davidson
President,
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

In recent weeks Canada’s universities have been accused of being pirates and thieves, of acting illegally and of promoting civil disobedience. It makes great reading, but it is summer fiction. It is a tribute to Canada’s creators that they could paint copyright issues in such terms.

The information revolution we are living through provides unprecedented opportunities for students to learn. Students have access to a broader range of material and are accessing it more formats than ever before. These changes pose challenges to ensure that creators are properly compensated. For the past two decades Canada’s universities have worked with creators through Access Copyright, a creators’ collective to license photocopying of their works. Over the decades, the payments to creators have been large and growing. But now the collective wants to dramatically increase its price, for something students and universities are using less.

Today’s university students and faculty increasingly prefer to use digital material, for which Access Copyright does very little licensing. Access Copyright acknowledges that the body of works in digital format that it represents is little more than one per cent of the body of works it represents in print format. Moreover, in the digital environment, many publishers have decided they no longer need their collective as the “middle man” to act on their behalf.  Publishers have bypassed their collective to negotiate directly with universities, or consortia of universities, for licences to cover the use of their works in digital format.  In short, the digital alternatives to Access Copyright’s licenses have grown tremendously while its largely print repertoire has lost much of its value to the university community.

In response to the changing dynamics of the marketplace, Access Copyright recently proposed a tariff of $45 per student, which would more than double the amount of money that Access Copyright would receive from universities. Access Copyright wants universities to pay more and more for something they use less and less: photocopied material. Access Copyright has also refused to provide transactional permissions (payment per each use) to universities for the copying of any works not already covered by other licenses. It is this heavy-handed approach by Access Copyright that has led some universities to decide that they will not agree to pay a large fee-per-student to Access Copyright for the use of a small repertoire of digital works.  Instead, these institutions are choosing to rely on their digital licences to satisfy most of their requirements.

The rejection of the proposed Access Copyright tariff regime by some universities has nothing to do with civil disobedience or lowering costs. Instead, several universities have come to the conclusion that the large “one size fits all fee” proposed by Access Copyright does not represent good value for money anymore.  Authors and publishers will continue to be paid very large sums for the use of their works in universities, but the payments will be made directly to rights holders under digital license agreements rather than through Access Copyright.

So students heading to university this fall do not need to fear thieves, pirates or civil disobedience on campus – and they can look forward to accessing the widest range of learning materials ever available in the format they prefer.