FQPPU Newsletter - May 2006

Summary

• Colloque FQPPU-Acfas
• News from the Federal Council
• Renewal of professors
• Psychological Harassment
• What about a Lottery Ticket whit This ?
• Commercialization of research
• The Internet and Copyright
• Ethics
• Female University Professors: a Survey
• Education for all
• News in brief
• Thought of day
• Suggested readings

COLLOQUIUM ON POLICY(IES) AND ACADEMIC RESEARCH (ACFAS 2006)

The FQPPU is inviting all interested parties to come and share their views and experiences related to public policies on academic research at the colloquium “Politique(s) et recherche universitaire” to be held during the ACFAS 2006 Annual Conference at McGill University on Thursday, May 18.

Acfas is also concerned about public funding of academic research. In its March 23 press release, Acfas cited a recent report of the Institut de la statistique du Québec which stated that “Quebec public administration expenditures on research, science, technology and innovation (RSTI) dropped by 25.4 % in 2004-2005, compared with 2003-2004.” According to Acfas, the addition of $40 million to the latest budget of the Research, Science and Technology Program “is a step in the right direction.” However, the Association francophone pour le savoir went on to say that “it is worrying not to see an increase in the research budget of Quebec funding agencies. The little support granted to universities also causes concern.” The Association pointed out that “unlike in several countries, public research in Quebec is mainly concentrated in universities.”

NEWS FROM THE FEDERAL COUNCIL

At its meeting on May 4 and 5, the Federal Council was joined by researcher Nathalie Dyke who presented the main conclusions of her study called Le renouvellement du corps professoral dans les universités du Québec – Profil et expérience d’intégration des recrues en début de carrière (Renewal of professors in Quebec universities – Profile and integration experience of new professors early in their career). The FQPPU released this research report during its Federal Council. Council members also attended a presentation on university funding by the Chair of the Working Committee set up by the FQPPU. The following discussion helped to clarify the Committee’s mandate and agenda for 2006-2007.

RENEWAL OF PROFESSORS

The FQPPU is not alone in examining the issue of renewal of professors and the integration of new professors into universities. Indeed, the magazine Academic Matters, The Journal of Higher Education, published by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) has devoted its Spring 2006 issue to “Generation Next,” who will have “the task of filling the void” left by the end of the wave of faculty retirements. In his article, David K. Foot examined the changes in demographic trends which continue to have a major impact on post-secondary enrolment in Canada. In a short article, Minelle Mahtani considered the experience of new professors employed by Ontario universities over the last five years. Based on interviews conducted with new professors, she discussed the challenges they face, including high expectations related to their tasks, adjusting to technological developments, acquiring research funds, and teaching to ever larger classes. The widening gap between newly hired professors and those who are older and more established was also examined. Finally, the way in which these pressures are experienced by female professors and visible minority professors was also discussed.

PSYCHOLOGICAL HARASSMENT

The Chair in Occupational Health and Safety Management at Université Laval has published a study describing the first complaints filed with the Commission des normes du travail (CNT, labour standards board) since the law on psychological harassment came into force in 2004. Researchers Jean-Pierre Brun and Evelyn Kedl examined 236 written complaints filed with the CNT from June 1, 2004 to April 30, 2005. They found that the implementation of prevention in companies is slow and employees are suffering the consequences of this.

HOW ABOUT A LOTTERY TICKET WITH THIS?

Is it possible to associate research activities with private enterprise without interfering with the autonomy of academic research? To answer this question, on April 11, the Association des étudiantes et des étudiants de Laval inscrits aux études supérieures (ÆLIÉS) and the Confédération des associations d’étudiants organized a panel discussion on the role of the private sector in academic research.
The panel was made up of Jean-Claude Dufour, in charge of the Sobey’s project and professor in the Faculté d’agriculture et d’alimentation, Gilles Gagné, sociologist and professor at Université Laval, and Cécile Sabourin, president of the Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeurs d'université (FQPPU), who discussed this issue and answered participants’ questions.

This activity was part of the ongoing debate at Université Laval about a controversial project. Is business acting for the good of education or the contrary? Over the coming months, Laval’s Board of Governors will have to answer this question and decide whether or not to approve the controversial construction project of what would be the very first on-campus school-store in the world.

Planned since 2003 but only announced publicly for the first time in mid-February, the project involves a partnership between Université Laval and Sobey’s for the construction of a super-sized grocery store that would serve as a nutrition training and research centre. In exchange for the vacant piece of land on which it would build the 5,000-square-metre store, Sobey’s would give Laval $2 million that would be used to create a research chair in retail sales and distribution and provide money for student grants.

The grocery-chain giant would also give the university a small percentage of store profits, set up store management to facilitate food-related research and training, and turn over ownership of the store to Laval after 30 years of operation.”(excerpt from “Sobey’s deal food for thought,” University Affairs, April 2006)

In our universities, partnerships take various forms. To meet an acute need for spaces, UQAM launched a project to construct a series of buildings, called “L’Îlot Voyageur,” some of which have nothing to do with its mission. What makes this project distinctive is that UQAM funds it first through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) by assuming all the risks.

COMMERCIALIZATION OF RESEARCH

The Conseil de la science et de la technologie (Quebec Council for science and technology) has just published a study on the “Chaînes de valorisation de résultats de la recherche universitaire recélant un potentiel d’utilisation par une entreprise ou par un autre milieu” (Chains of valorization for academic research results with a potential for use by a company or another community). This document presents four valorisation chains for academic research results in four areas: a technology, drug, software, or social innovation. The authors’ mandate was to describe the current processes of valorizing research results in universities and to provide an overview of what happens beyond valorization, when the results are transferred to companies, commercialized in companies or appropriated by a user community. This document will fuel the debates on intellectual property and the mission of universities.

Are universities becoming vast commercial centres where students shop for their professors or courses?

THE INTERNET AND COPYRIGHTS

The increasingly widespread use of the Internet raises the issue of respect for copyrights. For a reminder of a few basic notions related to copyrights and to clarify a number of points.

On March 21, the French National Assembly adopted the bill on copyrights and neighbouring rights in the information society (DADVSI).

As stated by Professor Igor Babou of the École Normale Supérieure Lettres et Sciences Humaines in Lyon, this project involves the so-called “free” software and licenses ( Linux Universe, Spip, Creativ Commons, etc.) on which many of us depend every day to perform our job and, in particular, when we publish on the Net or use certain word processing, mail software, net surfing, and so on. Professor Babou went on to say that many French colleagues may have to shut down their sites, and those of their laboratories, to stop most of their publication activities on the Web, on the pretext that the free software that they are using will not have DRM (Digital Rights Management). DRM are imposed software “building blocks” manufactured by multinational companies of the cultural industry to prevent access to files that are not equipped with these DRM. Consult the main site dealing with issues related to this law

Also, the theme of the March 2006 issue of University Affairs is “The bottom line on open access.”

ETHICS

The current revolution in scientific and technological knowledge has given rise to a number of ethical issues. Conscious of this problem, UNESCO has made the ethics of science and technology one of its five key priorities.

UNESCO’s Ethics of Science and Technology Program deals with bioethics, and in particular genetics, but also other fields of applied ethics. It aims to strengthen the ethical link between scientific progress and the cultural, legal, philosophical and religious contexts of which they are a part. Thus, UNESCO’s strategy involves setting standards relating to new ethical issues, awareness raising, and enhancing the capacity of Member States, at both human and institutional levels.

The Committee Chair who brought this important project to fruition is Ms. Michèle Jean, the new president of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.

The Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights was adopted by acclamation on 19 October 2005 by the 33rd session of the General Conference.

FEMALE UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS: A SURVEY

The CAUT published a new report which shows that the under-representation of women within the ranks of academic staff has been a persistent and troubling feature of universities and colleges in Canada. The report also examines the representation, job categories and salary of female university professors in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom, and shows that women remain seriously under-represented.

Although in the five countries, there has been an increase in the number of women among the full-time academic workforce, they nevertheless remain particularly under-represented among the most senior academic ranks.

The Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universités du Québec (CREPUQ) published the highlights of its survey of professors in Quebec universities (EPE) 2003-2004 in a report called “Les professeures et les professeurs dans les établissements universitaires québécois” (Professors in Quebec’s universities). The first part presents faculty characteristics: total number, disciplines, qualifications, proportion of female faculty, average age and aging, as well as average age and academic rank. The second part deals with salary and lists professors’ associations and unions in universities.

The fifth edition of Almanac, published by the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), contains information about Canada’s universities and colleges. The sections include information on finance, academic staff, students, research, libraries and international comparisons.

EDUCATION FOR ALL

Over 100 ministers and vice-ministers responsible for Education or Cooperation for Development as well as representatives from a further 47 countries participated in a two-day debate on how to accelerate progress towards Education for All by 2015.

Communiqué of the Ministerial Roundtable on Education for All, convened by UNESCO on 7 and 8 October 2005, during the 33rd session of the General Conference, Paris.

NEWS IN BRIEF

On the 25th anniversary of the Confédération des associations étudiantes de l’Université Laval, Professor Pierre Hébert of Université de Sherbrooke gave a public talk entitled “L’université est-elle encore libre ?” (Is the university still free?). The speaker warned us about the structural changes that have occurred along with the considerable cuts to university budgets: the erosion of university autonomy as regards actors, disciplinary field and the institution itself.

Please also see Professor Hébert’s thoughts on the leadership of universities, in particular so-called “organizational” leadership which focuses on individual empowerment and instrumentalization.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

“If you think that education is expensive, try ignorance ….” Professor Marie Larochelle, Faculté des sciences de l’éducation, Université Laval. Source: Daphnée Dion-Viens “Les profs à bout de souffle,” Le Soleil, 25/02/06 : A4.

SUGGESTED READINGS

Glen A. Jones, Patricia L. McCarney et Michael L. Skolnik (dir.), Creating Knowledge, Strengthening Nations : The Changing Role of Higher Education, University of Toronto Press, 2005

Frank Iacobucci et Carolyn Tuohy (dir.), Taking Public Universities Seriously, University of Toronto Press, 2005

Marilee Reimer (dir.) Inside Corporate U : Women in the Academy Speak Out, Sumach Press, 2004

Enjeux de mots

Marc Chevrier « Savoir ou s’avoir : les mutations de la propriété intellectuelle au XXIe siècle »