Readership Survey
BY LORI BONA HUNT
U of G and Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSD) are hosting a first-ever round table on the challenges and opportunities posed by the dual mandate of teaching and research.
The “Research, Teaching and Learning in Post-secondary Education in Canada” policy round table will include some 35 selected participants representing the country's higher-education institutions, federal granting and funding councils, government agencies and other stakeholders.
The special event is being co-hosted by president Alastair Summerlee and HRSD's deputy minister, Alan Nymark, and will include a keynote speaker and small-group discussions April 18 and round tables April 19. It is open only to invited guests.
Discussions will centre on the current policy environment around research, teaching and learning.
“Universities and their faculty are expected to make a substantial contribution to the betterment of society, both in terms of quality of life and economic outcomes, through the creation of knowledge and education of students,” says Nymark.
Often, however, there's an imbalance between research and teaching, fuelled in part by the decline in government support in funding for teaching alongside much-needed increases in money for research, he says.
“As a result, many colleges and universities have struggled with the dual mandate, and faculty have struggled with the paradox of being hired to teach but rewarded to do research.”
The goal of the round table is to generate recommendations that will help shape strategic policy thinking and address the government's goal of increased policy co-ordination and coherence in post-secondary education.
“This gathering is a rare and important opportunity for the University of Guelph and all of Canada's institutions of higher education,” says Summerlee. “It will bring together leading experts and stakeholders for two days of frank and open discussions, with a focus on creating a post-secondary system in which research, teaching and learning can all flourish.”
The views and information shared at the round table will also be presented and discussed at the Canadian Summit on the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning to be held at the University of Alberta in May.
