From The Globe and Mail’s Elizabeth Church:
From The Globe and Mail’s Elizabeth Church:
As the last grim signs of winter fade from Canadian campuses, the spring rite of cutting classes is taking on a whole new meaning.
Course calendars across the country are under the microscope as universities, trying to do more with less, are taking a hard look at programs and class sizes. The end result will likely be fewer choices for undergraduates and larger classes in September – another symptom of the financial squeeze on higher education.
The new measures are sparking a wave of protests on-line and on campus from students and academics worried that the elimination of programs will narrow the scope of teaching and research, and diminish the quality of education.
Student leaders fear tuition hikes in the coming years, and new measures such as the University of Toronto’s plan for flat fees for full-time arts and science students regardless of course load.