I’ve been fascinated with the potential of Canada’s post-secondary education systems since I began investigating it in 2005. Interestingly, I was at the beginning of my journey through postgraduate study, at the start of my MBA. I was teaching at an Ontario college and a full-time student. Course after course, assignment after assignment required me to apply the business concepts under study to my organization. What an eye opener.
In 2007 James Cote and Anton Allahar published “Ivory Tower Blues: A University System in Crisis”. Much of what I’d concluded in my study was reflected here. If you haven’t ventured across it already, you’ll find it a fantastic background for consideration of the Globe & Mail’s more recent look into the post-secondary situation.
Transforming the Ivory Tower: A case for a new postsecondary education system is a compilation of videos, articles, statistics and interactive polls that make the argument that the current postsecondary system is failing us. This despite the world leading percentage of Canadians that are postsecondary graduates.
Kwantlen has recently asked its staff, faculty and students to share their suggestions, opinions, and visions for the university’s strategic future. Frankly, I think Kwantlen is already on the right track in many ways. Many of the complaints raised on the Globe & Mail site, and in the Cote/Allahar book are already addressed at Kwantlen. For example:
- As a polytechnic, our students graduate with practical skills and are job ready. Almost all classes in the marketing program involve working with local businesses on real marketing issues.
- Our classes are capped at 35 students and students do get direct instructor time. By mid-terms I know most of my 140 students by name.
- Our focus as a teaching institution provides time and resources to develop teaching as well as research. Allowing us to take the time necessary for continuous improvement helps to keep teaching current.
And yet, perhaps these two sources provide some context for consideration of our future directions. Surely with this head start we can lead the innovation that higher education desperately needs.
How do you think we need to transform Kwantlen? What is spot on? What needs to be updated, and quickly?
Kwantlen Polytechnic University 