PowerPoint Presentation

A Student Perspective Dal Vision 2020Our aim: present pieces of the puzzle, ensure lively debate about fundamental questions, raise issue of purpose1Student Experience Trivia

Question 1For students who work PT while enrolled, how many hours per week did they work on average?5102030 60% of students worked while enrolled; avg of 18hrs per week (CASA)

57% of students took 5 years to graduate (USA)3Question 2For Canadian students graduating with debt, what is the average amount owed?$10,000$20,000$30,000$40,000 $27kHow many owe it?4What percent of 20-29 year olds lived with their parents in 2011?10%20%30%40%Question 342% now, compared with 27% in 1981 CASA5What is the fraction of students who get jobs that dont require a PSE qualification?1/5th1/4th1/3rd

Question 4TheWalrus - Most university graduates get jobs, but more than a third accept positions that require no post-secondary qualifications, such as barista or car rental agent.

6Percent of students who say they felt so depressed its difficult to function?15%25%35%45%Question 536.4%Based on Ontario report

According to the Canadian Counselling Centre Survey (2004/2005), over the past 5 years, 92% of counselling centre directors reported believing the number of students presenting with severe psychological issues has increased. 89% reported that the severity of issues has increased and 97% reported an increase in number of clients taking medication. (Crozier and Willihnganz 2006, cited in COU submission 2010, p5)7Question 6If youth (ages 18-24) have parents that earn more than $100 000 in pre-tax income, how much more likely were they to have been enrolled in a university?10%20%30%40%50%

those whose parents were earning less than $25,000 (28%).8Where have these pressures come from?Academic Innovation?

University Participation Rate by AgeAN EXPLOSION!49% increase over last 10 years (00-10); Almost 3x over last 40 yearsCanada = highest PSE participation in OECD, among lowest govt fundingDemocratization and access > good!?Increased international students (Canada 6th overall)

11Education: For What?

To get a good jobTo acquire knowledgeImprove critical thinkingOther / Dont knowEducation for What?12

Decline of 50% in federal transfers for education over last 20 years (1993-2012) Greater government focus on accountability and measurement????Tuition fees as percent of operating revenue have increased from 12% to 35% Tuition fees have had real increase of 200% over 20 years

13University Expenditures vs. Academic Expenditures

Contract staffIncreased research14ResearchFrom 27% of total research in Canada to 35% over 15 years (1995-2009)In Atlantic Canada this is 57% (AUCC)15TensionsCivics/ VocationalismAccess/ ExcellenceResearch/ Teaching16GlobalTransient CommunitiesDemographic ChallengesGlobal Integration/ DisintegrationMental Health and WellnessIntergenerational DisconnectsPeak OilEnvironmental Degradation/ Climate Change

Workforce shortages - Conference Board of Canada report, a shortage of a million workers is expected in this country by 2020.

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Increasing InequalityBetween 19802005The top 20% of regular income earners experienced an increase in median earnings of 16.4% (in constant dollars). Median earnings of the bottom 20% dropped by 20.6% over the same period.Growing inequalityPeak OilGlobal conflictClimate change

Part-time employment rates increased most notably among youth aged 15 to 24. Almost half (47.4%) of the employed 15-to-24 year-olds worked part-time in 2011, compared with one in five (21.1%) in 1976.[1]In 2011, 27.2% ofpart-time workers stated a preference to be working full time. These are considered to be involuntary part-time workers.[2]

20DalspecificsEnrollmentResearchU-15DiversityAttracting intelligenceHalifax!

Who are we? What do we care about?21

To the Streets!What do students need?Clarified expectationsChoice & flexibility > time, program designApplied learningProfs who careFinancial freedomSoft skills (communications, social)Skills and Attributes Students Lack but most Wished they Had for Finding a Permanent JobSoft skillsWork-related knowledgeAccomplishments and achievementOther

Dont knowEducation for What?25

Importance of possessing various skills/traits when looking for a Job (4-point scale, 4 is high)One intriguing finding was what skills students thought would be important to demonstrate when looking for a job. By and large, they seem to think that it is what are often termed soft skills the ability to communicate, self-management, time-management, etc. that tended to come up as being more important. Of the more cognitive attributes, problem-solving, was the only one that ended up near the top; other attributes like creativity and numeracy came much further down the list. Actual intellectual achievements like having good grades or possessing a second language came almost bottom.26

What else could you institution have done to prepare you for the Labour Market?What does the world need?More credentials/expertise?More efficient workers?More human understanding?In closing

Any fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius-and a lot of courage-to move in the opposite direction.

- EinsteinThe future may be radically different than what we can imagine30null105406.555