Author Archives: dfa.ns.ca@gmail.com
Draft policy on scholarly misconduct eschews trust & natural justice
The Scholarly Misconduct Policy provides channels for serious, possibly anonymous allegations to be brought against scholars. It confers sweeping powers of investigation, prosecution, and enforcement on administrators with no provision for the rights of the accused, or for appeal. It provides none of the checks on these powers that one expects in a judicial system. It presumes that faculty cannot be trusted, that when accused of malfeasance, faculty have no particular rights, and that a secret determination with no right of appeal always will produce justice. Read more here
A rose by any other name?
By Karen Janigan Communications Officer According to an article in the Toronto Star, the University of Toronto law school is going to join some American law schools in eliminating the regular letter grades “A+, A, B etc. for a new system that offers: “High Honours, Honours, Pass, Low Pass and Fail.” The law school reasons… [read more]
Changes in the wind for NSCAD
More news coming out of NSCAD University, some of it dropped just before the Easter Weekend, and some may impact Dalhousie University in the longer run. NSCAD’s Board of Governors released a “Framework for Sustainability: A Plan for the continued vitality and financial sustainability of NSCAD University” that recommends – among other initiatives higher tuition,… [read more]
Maritime university enrolment up; drop in local students
Maritime university enrolment up despite decrease in local student numbers: Despite a drop in the number of Maritimers in the region’s universities, the total number of students has risen in recent years. Data from the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission show that enrolment growth in regional universities has been fuelled by an increase in the… [read more]
CAUT: Private think-tank threatens academic integrity
From CAUT Newswire: CAUT [Canadian Asssociation of University Teachers] is warning that donor agreements signed with a private think-tank threaten academic integrity at three Ontario universities. The controversy stems from deals signed between the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), a private think-tank established by RIM co-founder Jim Balsillie, and Wilfrid Laurier, Waterloo and York… [read more]
Negative repercussions
A letter from Dr. Wendy Gentleman, Associate Professor of Department of Engineering Mathematics and Internetworking who is cross-appointed in Department of Oceanography. This letter was written before the university decided to restore funding to people on medical leave and before the DFA decided to give sabbaticants strike pay. Dear Vice-Presidents Watters and Crago I am… [read more]
Wider implications
History professor Amal Ghazal writes to the VP Academic saying how she has accepted ‘voluntary exile’ to teach at Dalhousie, but latest decisions are making the university less attractive for academics. Dear Vice-President Academic Dr. Watters, I am writing to you to register both my objection to and disappointment in your latest decision to abandon… [read more]
Live up to the ideals of a university
An open letter to Dalhousie University President Dr. Tom Traves from Dalhousie Faculty Association President Dr. Anthony Stewart. Dear President Traves, I know that you have already received a number of letters from Members of the Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA) who are shocked, angered, and hurt by your administration’s announcement on Friday, March 2 that… [read more]
Stranded
The following letter was written to the VP Academic and the VP Research from Dr. John D. Cameron, PhD, who is the Chair of of the Dept. of International Development Studies and is on sabbatical until June. Please note, that the DFA does not consider sabbaticants to be on strike, as is convention. Dear Dr…. [read more]
Abandon “callous” decision
The following is a letter Dr. Jason Haslam sent to Vice President Academic Carolyn Watters, and copied Dr. Tom Traves and Dr. Anthony Stewart. Dr. Haslam gave us permission to post this eloquent condemnation of the Administration’s recent announcement to stop paying people on leave. (By the way, people on sick leave do not receive… [read more]
