Universities Being Useful

Posted November 15, 2013

We should seek greater benefits from researchers in our universities.

Most faculty members are expected to spend as much time doing research as they do teaching. Students view their tuitions as paying for teaching, but the two parts are not easily separable. The province provides $350 million to the universities each year and the students another $285 million in tuition fees. More space is devoted to teaching than research, and some non-tenured faculty are not expected to do research. So perhaps $300 million of the $635 million total pays for the time that faculty spend doing research, with the rest going to pay for faculty teaching time.

As researchers, they contribute knowledge to a remarkably diverse range of topics. Some touch specifically on Nova Scotia such as fisheries, local history and culture, or provincial geology and resource management. Other research in areas such as health care, materials science, or commerce can be of value to Nova Scotians but may be equally relevant to others in Canada or the world. Finally, there are research areas for which the practical utility in any context is not easily discerned.

It is good to hear of cases which have an obvious provincial significance. In a September 11 opinion article, Dr. Sarah Stewart-Clark described Dalhousie’s efforts with respect to aquaculture. She said in part:

“In order to expand in a sustainable way forward, I see education and innovation as pivotal components of a strong, sustainable aquaculture industry in Nova Scotia.

Education, extended learning, research and scientific development must be key components of the future of aquaculture in Nova Scotia. As the industry moves forward, so must the capacity for research so that industry challenges and environmental challenges can be assessed and mitigated using science-based information.”

Our community is fortunate to have a strong collection of ocean scientists. They are essential to many economic opportunities. Without them, companies like Ocean Nutrition or Acadian Seaplants could not exist. So the notion of ocean scientists exploring ways to manage environmental risks, boost productivity, and develop new business opportunities in aquaculture should be most welcome.

It is regrettable that the province makes no distinction in its university funding formulas, which are primarily based on student numbers. So, professors of foreign languages, medieval history, or Boolean algebra are funded to the same degree as those whose teaching and research area has a clearer local relevance such as ocean sciences, environmental law, or Nova Scotian  geology.

It would be better if there was a tilt in favour of  research that is especially valuable to Nova Scotia. The objective is not to reduce research funding, nor to eliminate support for other areas. But universities should contribute critical thinking to important political choices.

For example, the province has commissioned a panel to “develop a regulatory framework for aquaculture that best serves the long-term social, environmental and economic interests of the province.”

There are legitimate areas of concern, particularly for coastal salmon aquaculture, including impact on lobster fisheries and wild salmon populations. Regulations need to be developed that minimize these risks while recognizing the economic importance to rural Nova Scotia.

Academics at Nova Scotian universities will have important contributions to make to this kind of discussion. How might policy make that more likely?

Let’s assume that the $300 million guess for the provincial contribution to research is correct. First, take $270 million of it and share it around in the usual manner.

Take the other $30 million and direct it to areas of special benefit to Nova Scotia. They might include areas like apples, mink, lobsters, aquaculture, silviculture, oil and gas, wind and tidal power. Or, the economic and social consequences of improved roads and other modes of transport, mining practices that are safer for workers and the environment, new approaches to rural health care.

The particulars of making this work should be managed by an academically aware group working at arm’s length from government.

We are very fortunate to have so many universities in our province. As well as educating young minds, they can make crucial contributions to our economic and social development. Government should give emphasis to that kind of research.

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Reference Material

Scholar Dollars

Ontario Higher Education Commission

Pathway to Rural Regeneration: Transforming Small Schools into Community Hubs

Letter from Karen Casey – Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development

Agreement Between The Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development of the Province of Nova Scotia and The Nova Scotia Teachers Union

Nova Scotia’s Action Plan for Education: Final Report – Students First

Nova Scotia’s Action Plan for Education: Raise the Bar

More Information on Collective Agreements

Acadia University

Dalhousie University

Saint Mary’s University

St. Francis Xavier University

Related Topics URLs

Bleak Prospects for Teachers

http://arts.dal.ca/Research/

http://science.dal.ca/RESEARCH/

http://www.stfx.ca/academics/research/

http://www.msvu.ca/en/home/research/msvuresearch/default.aspx

http://fgsr.smu.ca/research.html

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Most Recent Comments

  • It is time for a consolidation of the large number of universities with each university left open specializing in varied curriculums. We continue to churn out far too many students with BAs that cannot find a reasonable paying job, but this is the one course that generates the most funds for the universities. My so graduated from SMU two years ago and I attended the ceremony. Nova Scotians were the only ones to graduate with BAs while hundreds of foreign students graduated with degrees in Commerce and Business Administration. The universities are top heavy with administration which must be streamlined to save costs and reduce student admission costs, which could result in less government funding. But the bottom line is universities must produce people who can step into the workforce and be productive, therefore a major change to the direction of the universities is badly needed.

    Richard Randall | April 1, 2014

  • If universities in Nova Scotia or indeed possibly all across Canada want to help out their students and the economies of the regions in which they are located,the first thing they could do is align their school calendars with the seasonal nature of the Nova Scotian economy. Presently students finish their academic year in the middle of April and return the day after Labour Day. In September, the economy in Nova Scotia booms particularly in tourism,agriculture and construction..yet students have gone back to the classroom..only to be let out in April when they hunt desperately for summer employment which largely does not yet exist .The university calendar should be shifted so that students are not finished until the Victoria Day weekend and start after Thanksgiving..This would work much better for summer employers and university students…besides .. which month would you rather be indoors in Nova Scotia…April or September. As well, one of the very few summer long weekends is now spent by many families moving students into their respective university accommodations.When I broached this concept to several university officials a number of years ago.. the only drawback mentioned was that it would disrupt the varsity football season.

    Allan Rodger | November 18, 2013

  • “Bill I have to let you know that you “missed the mark” with your weekend article on universities. I have a “Liberal Arts” degree in English and History plus a Bachelor of Education…. potentially worthless in your opinion.

    My working career in all four modes of transportation, including several decades in management, were strengthened by my ability to analyze legal documents and portfolios with a critical eye for language. My studies, which also included other languages, “paid off” in helping me understand other peoples and cultures.

    I often hear today’s university students being asked, ‘What are you going to do with that degree?” My answer is always, “A lot more than they could do without it.’
    David”

    “David thanks for your comment. I did not say in that article or any previous ones that those degrees are worthless. What I have said is:

    1. Students taking a B. Ed should realize that their chances of getting teaching jobs in NS are very slim unless they are qualified to teach French Immersion, or High School Math or Science.

    2. That some research activity by professors is more valuable than others, and that the province should create a slight funding tilt in favor of the former. I do not advocate ending foreign language training. But a professor of, say Italian, is less likely to produce research of value to the province than an ocean scientist looking for ways to make aquaculture safer and more productive. So we should be a bit less supportive of research by that professor. We should be equally supportive of his/her teaching.

    Did I miss your point?
    Bill”

    “You seem to “missed” part of my concern.

    1. Taking a B.Ed program does not necessarily mean someone wants to be a slotted into being a teacher in a classroom. In my particular case, it was an opportunity to evaluate my future and explore a potential avenue. Later in my business life, I did some training and managed a corporate training facility where portions of my B.A. and B.Ed. education were useful. I’m sure your son recognized the value of lessons learned and applies them.

    2. A language professor may also provide social insight that will attract foreign interest and investment due to an exchange of ideas between cultures. The value of a particular type of research is a very subjective thing.

    Thank you for your reply. I always enjoy reading viewpoints that differ from mine. I may not agree with them but it broadens my perspective.
    David”

    David Hunter | November 18, 2013

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