There is more to Academic Matters than just the print issue. New articles are being added to the Academic Matters website every week. Here are some recent articles for your summer reading pleasure. And if you haven’t already, now is a great time to catch up on our latest print issue: Decolonizing the university in an era of Truth and Reconciliation.
Precarious employment in education impacts workers, families and students
By Michael Mindzak, Brock University
“Recent announcements in Ontario about public education have been controversial, with changes including larger classroom sizes, mandatory online courses and curriculum revisions. However, perhaps most significantly, the imposed changes will lead to the loss of teaching positions across the province. With government priorities focused on …”
Missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls: An epidemic on both sides of the Medicine Line
By Margaret Moss, University of British Columbia
“As an American Indian woman who recently moved to Canada, I’ve been saddened to see that the systemic and insidious racism towards Indigenous women and girls that is happening in the United States is also happening in Canada. My new provincial home, British Columbia …”
Retirement options for Canadians have changed dramatically
By Thomas Klassen, York University
“The plan by the Ontario government to reduce the wages of professors at age 71 illustrates the dramatic changes in the relationship between work, retirement, and pensions. Until recently, the expectation was that most Canadians would stop working between age 60 and 65 and then …”
Zero-hour contracts take a huge mental and physical toll – poor eating habits, lack of sleep and relationship problems
By Ernestine Gheyoh Ndzi, University of Hertfordshire and Janet Barlow, University of Hertfordshire
“The number of workers on zero-hours contracts continues to rise in the UK. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that between October and December 2018 there were between 777,000 and 911,000 people working on zero-hours contracts. But the impact of …”
Shifting priorities in the new university
By Thomas Klassen, York University
“The image of universities composed of mostly full-time tenured professors is long out-of-date. Half of all undergraduate students in Canada, as in many other countries, are taught by professors hired part-time or on short-term contracts. In the US, about three-quarters …”