Ready for next steps - Western News - University of Western Ontario

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4 Western news | January 17, 2013 Western News (ISSNo316- 8654), a publication of Western university’s department of Communications and Public Affairs, is published every Thursday throughout the school year and operates under a reduced schedule during december, May, June, July and August. An award-winning weekly newspaper and electronic news service, Western News serves as the university’s newspaper of record. The publication traces its roots to The university of Western ontario Newsletter, a onepage leaflet-style publication which debuted on Sept. 23, 1965. The first issue of the Western News, under founding editor Alan Johnston, was published on Nov. 16, 1972 replacing the uWo Times and Western Times. Today, Western News continues to provide timely news, information and a forum for discussion of postsecondary issues in the campus and broader community. WESTERN NEWS Westernnews.ca Westminster Hall, Suite 360 Western university london, oN N6A 3K7 Telephone 519 661-2045 Fax 519 661-3921 PUBLISHER helen Connell hconnell@uwo.ca, 519 661-2111 ext. 85469 EDITOR Jason Winders jwinder2@uwo.ca, 519 661-2111 ext. 85465 REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER paul mayne pmayne@uwo.ca, 519 661-2111 ext. 85463 REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER adela Talbot adela.talbot@uwo.ca, 519 661-2111 ext. 85464 PRODUCTION DESIGNER Jennifer Wilson jwils225@uwo.ca, 519 661-2111 ext. 89335 ADVERTISING COORDINATOR, ON-CAMPUS ADVERTISING denise Jones denise@uwo.ca, advertise@uwo.ca 519 661-2111 ext. 82045 OFF CAMPUS ADVERTISING Chris amyot, Campus ad chris@campusad.ca, 519 434-9990 POSTAL RECOVERY $50 Canada, $65 united States, $85 other POST OFFICE Please do not forward. return to Western News, Western university, london, ontario N6A 3K7 with new address when possible. “Our objective is to report events as objectively as possible, without bias or editorial comment. We hope you will read it and contribute to it.” – L.T. Moore, University Relations and Information director, Nov. 16, 1972 Editor’s Letter For a newspaper columnist, attention is a divine right. Seriously, even the Gospels – the most look-at-me text I can think of right now – weren’t written with little pictures of the author embedded in the text. (And I say that with all awareness of what lurks above.) If columnists could talk a publisher into running his/her words in red text, they would. So, it comes as no surprise one of the silliest proposals to come out of the ‘What are we going to do about postsecondary education’ handwringing should come from the opinion pages of a newspaper. last week, Montreal Gazette columnist Henry Aubin contended there is no solution to the war over tuition. As such, he suggested creating two kinds of universities in Quebec: “one kind would get low or zero tuition. It would offer a solid academic program but it would perform relatively little research (which is expensive) and would not aim for stardom. … The other kind of university would charge considerably for tuition while offering substantial financial aid. The Way We Were: 1975 Opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of or receive endorsement from Western News or Western University. COMMENTARY POLICY • Western News applies a commentary label to any article written in an author’s voice expressing an opinion. • Western News accepts opinion pieces on research, conference topics, student life and/or international experiences from faculty and staff. Limit is 600 words. • Western News accepts ‘In memoriam’ pieces about recently deceased members of the Western community penned by other members of the Western community. Shed a ‘tier,’ don’t add one to postsecondary research JASON WINDERS Western News Editor … This kind of university would be more research oriented, and it would actively pursue excellence.” By way of example, he suggested McGill university and université de Montréal would be among those institutions allowed to “pursue excellence” and Concordia university and université du Québec à Montréal would be among those who “would not aim for stardom.” To make those distinctions, he leaned on Maclean’s magazine rankings. Gotta love a guy who names names. reaction was swift. Concordia’s president, faculty and part-time faculty association presidents said the idea was “better suited to an archaic concept of higher education.” “our students demand and deserve a first-rate education, with access to the creative ideas and leading-edge tools that will allow all of them to pursue excellence and succeed not just locally but globally,” they wrote. “At a time when Quebec is seeking to be a global knowledge leader, it is imperative that research remain a vital part of teaching and learning at our universities.” Certainly, Quebec is, well, different. • Western News accepts opinion pieces on current events that showcase research or academic expertise of the author. • Western News accepts letters to the editor. Limit is 250 words maximum, and accepted only from members of the Western community – faculty, staff, students and alumni. Writers may only submit once a semester. • As an academic institution, Western News encourages As a newcomer, I have noticed that already. I can only image what lifelong ontarians think about our neighbour to the east. Perhaps, it’s akin to how the other 49 states think of Florida. But before Aubin’s idea infects the rest of the country, let’s take a bit of a breather. First off, basing a postsecondary strategy on the rankings of a for-profit magazine is akin to basing your medical decisions on drug commercials airing during the evening news. But Aubin’s disconnect comes in what he (and those like him) expect universities to be. At its core, Aubin sees research and teaching as incompatible, and therefore should be separated to save money. Beyond that, there is a more subtle implication some students don’t need to be – perhaps even shouldn’t be – exposed to research. Such a shame. Going forward, universities who do not offer a robust research component – the ever-socoveted ‘real world’ connection to learning – will suffer. Creating a vast network of institutions offering little more than high school-plus does little to develop the next generation. WeSTerN NeWS ArCHIVeS // WeSTerN ArCHIVeS folloW @WesternEditor Sorry we don’t crank out the widget-makers tailored to industry specifications. I remember a time when companies only wanted smart people they could train. Aubin’s idea would further download that training – and its costs – onto universities. Western’s strategy is to expand access to research beyond graduate students, and incorporate undergrads into the mix as soon as they are ready. It’s a good plan. “From fundamental to applied knowledge, Western’s researchers make discoveries that provide tangible benefits for the economic, social, health and cultural development of citizens in london, in Canada and around the world.” read that last sentence again. Those are the words research Western uses to sell itself. And they explain it well. research isn’t a reward for an elite few; it’s a necessary aspect of what we do. even if you are not destined to a career in research, the associated skills learned – gathering, organizing, synthesizing, presenting – are valuable in any career pursuit. even for newspaper columnists. Contributed by Alan Noon (anoon@uwo.ca) on April 9, 1975, five of Western’s six artists-in-residence gathered at the McIntosh Gallery for the opening of an exhibition showcasing 70 of their works. The event was sponsored by the Alumni Association. Pictured, from left, are Claude Breeze, Tony urquhart, William roberts and Gino lorcini with James Boyd leaping behind. (urquhart became Western’s first studio professor when the department of Visual Arts opened in 1967.) Beginning in 1960, a total of nine artists held the appointment by the time the program ended in 1979. In 2011, along a similar line, Western launched the inaugural artist/scholarin-residence for Visual Arts. lively debate, but reserves the right to edit, ask for rewrite or reject any submission, and will outright reject those based on personal attacks or covering subjects too removed from the university community. • Western News will offer rebuttal space on any topic, and may actively pursue a counterpoint to arguments the editor feels would benefit from a dissenting opinion published simultaneously.
Events By MArK MCdAyTer ANd elAN PAulSoN WhaT are The implications for education of the tremendous revolution in new media reshaping our society and culture? Has technology rendered our classrooms, and our teaching, obsolete? or does it offer new opportunities for rethinking how and what we teach, and for exploring new approaches that will help us engage with the ‘digital natives’ who now fill our lecture halls, labs and seminar rooms? Kansas State professor Michael Wesch, an anthropologist and ethnographer of the new digital world, has argued persuasively that, while emergent technologies are challenging established pedagogical practices, they are also enabling powerful new ones. As Wesch has insisted, the time is ripe for an exploration of this subject. Technology is having a pervasive impact on postsecondary education now, a fact recognized by ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and universities as it seeks to facilitate the development of new forms of hybrid and online learning. Keeping pace with other postsecondary institutions in Canada and around the world as they adopt and adapt to new digital realities and instructional technologies is a key challenge, and a vital component of Western’s continued success. At the same time, we must explore ways of employing technology that enrich rather than undermine our commitment to high quality education. one of the most powerful advantages offered by new technologies is the ability to connect with and learn from others. At Western, we have much to learn from each other, and it is in this spirit that the Technology in education Symposium: Making TIeS @ Western will showcase and share innovative approaches to instructional technology and pedagogy from across the entire university. While Wesch, an award-winning researcher and teacher, will lay the groundwork for the day’s collaborations and explorations, Western faculty, staff, and students will build upon this through subsequent panel and poster presentations. undergraduate students will also share their perspective through a roundtable presentation on the impact technology is having upon their education at Western. Mark McDayter is a professor in the Department of English. Elan Paulson is director of professional programs in the Faculty of Education. Western news | January 17, 2013 5 Teachers, technology come together at symposium “claSSroomS bUilt to re-enforce the top-doWn aUthoritatiVe KnoWledGe of the teacher are noW enVeloped by a cloUd of UbiqUitoUS diGital information Where KnoWledGe iS made, not foUnd, and aUthority iS continUoUSly neGotiated throUGh diScUSSion and participation.” - Michael Wesch A Vision of Students Today (and what Teachers Must Do), Oct. 21, 2008 Making ties Kansas State professor Michael Wesch, above, delivers the keynote address at Technology in Education Symposium: Making TIES @ Western on March 8. Sponsored by the Registrar’s Office, Teaching Support Centre and Faculty of Education, the event is open to educators as well as staff at Western, affiliated university colleges and Continuing Studies. Proposals may be submitted by Jan. 26. Email ties@uwo.ca for details. ties-at-western.com on the Web @TIESWestern on Twitter Technology in Education Symposium at Western on Facebook Western Research is pleased to announce the following competition: Petro-Canada Young Innovator Awards For Western and Robarts Researchers Created by endowed donations from Petro-Canada, this program recognizes, promotes and supports the work of new researchers whose work is particularly innovative, impacts positively on the learning environment in the department in which they study, and has the potential to be of significance to society at large. The program is intended to help attract and retain bright young minds at Canadian Universities, colleges and major research institutes and to help young researchers launch their scholarly careers and enable them to carry their research forward. Eligibility is award specific. Priority is given to research related to Petro-Canada’s areas of interest. Grant Amounts: Western - $12,500 and Robarts - $3,500 Deadline: RD&S Deadline - February 15, 2013 For more Funding News, please visit uwo.ca/research/. Contact: Florence Lourdes Internal Grants Coordinator Research Development & Services internalgrants@uwo.ca 519.661.2111 x84500
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