In Canada, non-permanent faculty are no longer simply a reserve, flexible labour pool available for administrators to draw on when needed (e.g. during times of fluctuating enrollments); rather, they represent a strategy utilized by universities to reduce overall labour costs. In this article I bring together Women's Studies, feminism, contingent…

The pursuit of objectivity is among the most critical yet unresolved problems confronting the study of higher education. The entire process of research is theory-laden, putting into question the possibility of objectivity in historical investigation. A change of approach to address this issue is recommended. (MSE)

A Canadian Senate committee's recommendation for a major change in the federal provision of support to the provinces for postsecondary education, eliminating cash transfers and replacing them with transfers of tax points to provide the same amount of money, are criticized as encouraging unfavorable changes in provincial spending priorities. (MSE)

Research on college instruction is reviewed for common factors in effective teaching, characteristics of the teaching setting needed for effective instruction are examined, and some conclusions about effective teachers are drawn. (MSE)

Issues in strategic planning for higher education are examined in the context of institutional climate, governance, management considerations, the collegial tradition, conflicting objectives, and the disciplines. It is proposed that management for change begins with the rebuilding of a sense of community in the institution that will foster…

The language used by scientists to discuss their work and the social logic underlying scientific research is examined, and viewed from the perspective and as an extension of the space-time continuum that scientists study. (Author/MSE)

Unique characteristics, responsibilities, and pressures of business faculty members combine to set them apart as a group in academe and to create polarization around academic and vocational extremes of attitude, a situation that may be found to a lesser extent in other vocationally-oriented disciplines such as engineering, computer science, and…

The changes occurring in historiography in recent decades and their effects on the present state of writing about Canadian higher education are outlined and discussed. The kinds of questions needing to be asked and some assumptions that need to be analyzed are examined. (MSE)

Sources of disenchantment with behavioral sciences research are examined, including research paradigms and problems in discarding them when they are dysfunctional, and politics, academic policies, and the reward structures of research and publication. (MSE)

Regular program review is recommended for universities, preferably under the authority of the university rather than an external group. The policies and procedures of the University of Alberta since 1980 that allow for continuous review of all academic and support units with a minimum of formal procedures are described. (MSE)

Some issues in managing university cutbacks are explored in light of research on retrenchment in both public and private sectors. The nature and significance of decline in the Canadian university system are discussed, some general and specific problems are outlined, and some specific recent cuts analyzed. (MSE)

Care must be taken in examining studies that compare one method of teaching to another. The need for precise identification of the critical variables in instructional methods is stressed. The critical contribution of variables other than "method" should be examined. (Author/MLW)

It is argued that Canadian teacher education is characterized by a paradox of change and no change. The cause is delinquency in implementation, with the abilities to change at the structural and practice levels poorly matched. Barriers to change, institutions' role tensions inhibiting their functioning, and institutional differences are discussed.…

A survey of Canadian agencies and institutions collecting materials on higher education is reported. Four problem areas are identified: definitions, collection policies, accessibility, and collection coordination. Further information exchange and the compilation of a more complete directory of collections are recommended. (MSE)

There is an urgent need for complete, comprehensible, and readily available labor market information for college students to make intelligent career choices. Colleges must help students see that liberal education is often the most effective occupational preparation, be responsive to student choices and enrollment patterns, and provide labor market…