Universities – Page 13

As the debate about the reintroduction of some form of third level fees rumbles on (and on, and on), the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) – a UK think tank established in 2002 with the laudable aim of ensuring that higher education policy development in the UK is informed by research and by knowledge of the experience of others – has just published a report by Juliet Chester and Bahram Bekhradnia on Financial support in English universities: the case for a national bursary scheme. …

UDI – Universities’ Declaration of Independence?

16 September, 2008

| 7 Comments

| college funding, Universities

Given the ongoing debate over the possible reintroduction of student payment of third level fees, and the dangers that lurk there for the universities, a rather unnerving thought occurs to me. It may be that the best universities in Europe are not yet private universities, but Irish universities seeking the freedom to set their own fees might decide to “de-nationalise” and “go private” by means of a Unilateral Declaration of Indepdence. My point is not that Universities should declare independence from government on the matter of fees, but that they should declare independence from government in all matters. There would be steep legal and regulatory obstacles to surmount, but assuming that this can be done, it would give any universities that did so complete freedom of action, not only in the realm of fees, but across the board.

Of course, it will never happen. The universities’ ties to the government are very strong indeed, and go well past the question of fees. There are the various research councils and funding bodies which are a vital part of the universities’ cash flow, and they would not want to jeopardise that. Moreover, the government has recently indicated that it will acquire the universities’ pension fund assets; this will afford the government some cash flow in the short term, and meet a significant shortfall in the funds in the long term; and the universities would not want to jeopardise that.…

Teaching Evaluations – the best of both worlds?

15 September, 200815 September, 2008

| 1 Comment

| Legal Education, Universities

Two – relatively recent – posts on Concurring Opinions caught my eye. They both deal with student survey evaluations of lecturers’ teaching skills.

In the first, Sarah Lawsky asks some important questions:

about teaching evaluations: how they are best structured and analyzed, disseminated, and used to make decisions, and, in the larger scheme, how differing interests should be weighed as we address these issues.

And in the comments, she receives some excellent advice (“the overriding principle is to have a clear understanding of who the intended audience for an instrument is”) and links to further resources on the topic.

In the second, Dave Hoffmann points to another paper on the issue, and concludes from it that

well-regarded, young, inexperienced teachers provide better short-term results (hypothesis: enthusiasm), but over the longer term unpopular, older, experienced teachers add the most value.

Query: in an attempt to give students the best of both worlds, can teachers and lecturers not be both enthusiastic and experienced?…

Sage transatlantic advice

25 August, 200827 August, 2008

| No Comments

| law school, Universities

A little late, from Law is Cool, with added links, an extract from a recent speech by Prof Harry Arthurs (pictured) which is as relevant to graduates on this side of the pond as it is in Canada:

Success Should not come at Expense of Social Justice

By: Law is Cool Contributor · August 22, 2008 · Filed Under Law Career, Pro Bono ·

York University President Emeritus Harry Arthurs told graduands at Spring Convocation ceremonies last [June] …,

…if you have abilities, if you have resources and opportunities, you also have an obligation to use them on behalf of people who donâ€™t.

Arthurs, a renowned labour law scholar, graduated with his law degree from the University of Toronto in 1958.

A video of his speech is available here.

There is more on the speech, with photos and background, here. …

University fees? Yes, Minister

12 August, 200816 August, 2008

| 3 Comments

| college funding, Irish Society, Universities

Whenever I hear discussions of the funding of universities, my thoughts turn first to a classic Yes Minister (BBC | imdb | wikipedia) episode (imdb | synopsis | wikipedia | YouTube) in which the worthies in Sir Humphrey’s Oxford College lobby him against the pernicious effects of government funding policies. Much of that sketch is relevant to the current debate in Ireland about third-level tuition fees (Irish Times | RTÃ‰ News), where it seems to me that two separate issues have been conflated (or confused) in some quarters. Moreover, one of these issues needs to be resolved before any of the other elements of the current debate can be properly addressed.

In 1996, when the Government “abolished” third-level fees, what actually happened was a little more complicated. …

So is iTunes U good for you?

12 June, 200816 January, 2009

| No Comments

| Universities

I think the availability of university content in this way has been one of the simply fantastic developments online â€” itâ€™s giving university extension classes, and lifelong education opportunities, to anyone with a computer … Iâ€™ve watched the gradual increase in college content via iTunes with some delight and am off to go find some free â€˜classesâ€™ to attend incognito again.

But is it really such a good thing? Roger Clarke, guesting on the wonderful House of Commons blog writes:

The iTunes conditions appear to preclude the University from making material placed on iTunes U subject to an open content licence. It appears that the conditions apply not only to the version available through iTunes, but also to versions available through other channels … That would mean that anything that a university makes available through iTunes is locked-down and proprietised … Unless and until the iTunes U conditions are found to be different from what I fear (or they are changed), content-producers who want their materials to be openly available need to refuse permission for them to be made available through that channel.

…

What do University Presidents do all day?

5 June, 200816 January, 2009

| 2 Comments

| Universities

I’ve often wondered what my ultimate boss, John Hegarty, Provost of Trinity College Dublin, does all day. Now we mortals at the bottom of the academic ladder might actually find out what university presidents do all day. Ferdinand von Prondzynski, President of Dublin City University (DCU), has started a blog in which he promises to spill the beans on precisely this question. This is definitely a first for Ireland, and is ahead of the curve internationally. This is how he explains the big adventure on which he is embarked:

It is sometimes asked what value university Presidents add to the life and success of their institutions. I may not be the best person to suggest an answer, but in these notes I shall try to set out a little what in fact I do, from day to day, and how this may affect my own institution.

As a much more inconsequential university blogger, allow me to welcome Ferdinand to the wonderful world of blogging. I look forward very much to his comments and insights.…

Universities and Patents

28 April, 200821 May, 2010

| 2 Comments

| Academic Freedom, Law, Universities

In Ireland, the law relating to patents is governed by the Patents Act, 1992 (here and here) as amended in 2006 (here and here). According to the Irish Patents Office, a patent

confers upon its holder, for a limited period, the right to exclude others from exploiting (making, using, selling, importing) the patented invention, except with the consent of the owner of the patent. A patent is a form of ‘industrial property’ [IP], which can be assigned, transferred, licensed or used by the owner.

The same site also clarifies that any person

may make an application for a patent; the right to a patent belongs to the inventor or the inventors’ successor in title. However, if an employee makes an invention in the course of his/her employment the right to the patent may belong to the employer.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, my employer (Trinity College Dublin) claims ownership

… of all IP created by College Staff in the course of their employment and/or in the fields of expertise in which they choose to work, and thus inventors are required to assign their rights to the College through Innovation Services. In return for this assignment, College contracts with the creators of the IP to share with them any financial benefits received, in accordance with College Regulations.

…

cearta.ie

Category: Universities

Footnote on Fees and Funding

UDI – Universities’ Declaration of Independence?

Teaching Evaluations – the best of both worlds?

Sage transatlantic advice

Success Should not come at Expense of Social Justice

University fees? Yes, Minister

So is iTunes U good for you?

What do University Presidents do all day?

Universities and Patents