Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Dal may outsource international student instruction
Dalhousie University Faculty Association pans proposal to bring Navitas onto campus
Posted by Tim Bousquet on Wed, Feb 17, 2010 at 4:00 AM
The students would receive whatever additional English language or other remedial training was deemed necessary to bring him or her to Dal standards. As well, a first year selection of Dal accredited courses---with standards set by Navitas “in consultation” with Dalhousie academic departments---would be taught by Navitas-hired instructors. At the end of those two years, the student is to meet Dal standards, and will be admitted into the second year of study at the full university.
Navitas, whose half-yearly revenues at the end of 2009 were AU$270 million (about CN$254 million), presently operates at 22 universities, primarily in Australia. But earlier this month the company announced it intends to expand into 10 new universities in the US, Canada and the UK; the announcement specifically mentioned Dalhousie. Taylor says the company approached Dal officials “more than 18 months ago,” but the university did not initially respond. “But approximately six months later, as we were talking about various things, we went back to them.”
Taylor expects to bring the Navitas proposal before the Dal Faculty Senate this spring.
He says the possible agreement with Navitas reflects a concern about declining enrollments. “We either get smaller, or we become more global,” he says.
But the discussion doesn’t sit well with the Dalhousie Faculty Association.
“We absolutely support the university’s attempt to attract more international students,” says Carrie Dawson, president-elect of the DFA. “But we want to encourage the university to develop an in-house capacity to educate and support international students, rather than out-sourcing to a company’s whose primary motive is profit.”
Dawson expresses concerns that Navitas---not the university---will establish admission criteria and teach classes using university facilities.
“We’re concerned that where classes are being taught on Dal’s campus, by Navitas staff to Navitas standards, that the departments lose control over those classes,” says Dawson. “It’s also the case that we’re going to be admitting students that do not meet our admission requirements. Not only did they not pass the TOEFL [Test of English as a Foreign Language], but their grades are generally low---these are students who we wouldn’t typically be admitting.
“The university obviously stands to benefit from international student revenue; these are tight days, we could really benefit,” she continues. “But not such that we think it’s reasonable for some students to be able to pay for the privilege of bypassing regular admission criteria by paying for a backdoor entry into our programs.”
Additionally, Dawson says that her counterparts at the University of Manitoba, where Navitas presently operates, complain that Navitas get priority when it comes to allotting campus resources.
Taylor admits that Navitas instructors will not be bound by Dal’s union contracts with instructors, but says at other universities where Navitas operates instructors are paid at prevailing rates. Those instructors are primarily sessional and retired profs, says Taylor.
“What I think is not being realized [by DFA],” he says, “is what kind of a labour situation it would be if Dalhousie has to contract to 80 percent of its size. I believe the union should be quite concerned about that. If we have to contract, that gets real messy---what departments do we start deleting?”
“That assumes that our only interests are financial ones,” responds Dawson. “We understand that the university wants the revenue that international student fees can generate. But we don’t think that outsourcing and creating a back door into our programs and risking our reputation are worth it.”
Survey Asks
Do you agree with Halifax's school board cutting 152 teachers?
Comments (7)
Showing 1-7 of 7
(a) By allowing Navitas to use DAL Physical Infrastructure is not the right way to increase the DAL's revenue, in the name of attract more International students (which by the way would be targeting financially rich & Academically low scale spoiled students)
(b) The correct way is to attract & admit more meritorious International students from developing countries
(c) DAL needs to have a better policy to market itself globally, by advertizing more about it's state-of-art Facilities, excellent Faculties & updated infrastructure, they should open Centers or involve with the country's local Educational consultants to encourage and gather more International students,
(d) they should in no way comprise the Brand image of DAL University nor the quality education it provides to the quality students given admission at DAL,
There are many correct ways to increase revenue, they should Hire MBA from good B-Schools to help them, not implement cheap shortcuts
Regards
cool_toad_7
like
dislike
(a) By allowing Navitas to use DAL Physical Infrastructure is not the right way to increase the DAL's revenue, in the name of attract more International students (which by the way would be targeting financially rich & Academically low scale spoiled students)
(b) The correct way is to attract & admit more meritorious International students from developing countries
(c) DAL needs to have a better policy to market itself globally, by advertizing more about it's state-of-art Facilities, excellent Faculties & updated infrastructure, they should open Centers or involve with the country's local Educational consultants to encourage and gather more International students,
(d) they should in no way comprise the Brand image of DAL University nor the quality education it provides to the quality students given admission at DAL,
There are many correct ways to increase revenue, they should Hire MBA from good B-Schools to help them, not implement cheap shortcuts
Regards
Ankur
I think it's okay to support university's attempt to attract more international students as long as the primary motive is not the profit but the quality of education. The learning of each student should reach the high level.
Why would they admit students who were not qualified for Dalhousie, based on international student status - through this? Where's my acceptance letter, and another place to get my chance? Give me that, and i'll support this. But it's totally a monetary motive.
Quite clearly, Dawson and the DFA don't get it. The money is no longer going to be there to allow the old ways to continue and Dal needs to change. I'm glad they are taking this first small step towards financial sustainability.
When a Dalhousie administrator at a recent meeting was asked would academically gifted international students be recruited through Navitas, the response was, "no". Clearly it is the dollars that are speaking here.
| ||||||
|
Guides
- Home |
- Dating |
- Bitch |
- News |
- Music |
- Movies |
- Dining |
- Arts |
- Opinion |
-
Best Of
| - Halifax Free Classifieds |
- Jobs |
- Housing |
- For Sale |
- Classes |
- Bulletin Board |
- Health, Beauty |
- Services |
- Real Estate |
- Wanted
- About Us |
- Our Staff |
- Contact Us |
- Advertise |
- Work With Us |
- Send us a Tip |
- Privacy Policy |
- Comments Policy |
-
RSS Feeds
|
- Archives
