YUFA
External
A CAUT Conference on Accountability and Quality in Higher Education
29-31 January 2010, Toronto, ON.
by Mitzi Grace Mitchell, Lecturer, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health
8 March 10 - In January 2010, YUFA gave me the opportunity to attend the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) conference. The Harry Crowe Foundation is the governing council for CAUT. Presenters from Canada, the United States of America, and Great Britain focused on accountability and quality in higher education. The main themes were: the evolution of academic assessment as a global process, the ways to stimulate excellence in academic productivity, the tensions between bureaucratic processes and academic quality of life, the effects of academic assessments on faculty members, and academic benchmarks.
At the end of day two, a round table discussion allowed faculty to discuss evaluation practices, and accountability and transparency issues; members reflected on and discussed possible solutions and outcomes. Issues such as the evaluation of processes, collegial governance, and academic integrity in the post secondary setting were brought forth.
The main impressions I took from the conference were: how important it is for the unions to stay actively involved in current trends and how academic freedom must be kept in the forefront of negotiations with the Employer.