DOES THE NEW UNIVERSITY FUNDING PLAN PASS THE TEST?

By SHAGORIKA EASWAR

University funding in Ontario is now to be tied to the success of its graduates, according to a plan put forward by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

According to an article by Kristin Rushowy in the Toronto Star dated November 27, 2020, the province had signed agreements with post-secondary institutions in which they would decide the weight of the 10 metrics that 60 per cent of their funding would depend on starting 2024-25.

This calls for an “on the other hand” debate made famous by Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. The much-loved story of a man who tackles all that life throws at him and the choices his five daughters make by making an honest attempt to understand both points of view. Just as he convinces himself that one is the right thing to do, he thinks, on the other hand...

So, back to tying funding to performance, to graduate employment rates and salaries. Makes sense, when you consider the huge numbers of graduates being churned out each year by the universities who then swell the ranks of those looking for meaningful employment. How many graduates do you know who are working in the field in which they went to university for other than perhaps doctors or lawyers? Engineers do business management courses, life sciences graduates go back to get a second degree or pursue a Master’s to postpone the inevitable dawning of realization that they are, pretty much, unemployable.

In the article, Ontario minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano is quoted as saying, “That’s why we are making sure Ontario’s publicly-assisted post-secondary institutions have a clear mandate that is focused on meeting the needs of students and equipping them to succeed in rewarding careers.”

Sounds good?

On the other hand, are universities solely responsible for this sorry state of affairs? After all, they offer a slew of courses, and if someone chooses to study a subject with no real application in the real world, how are they to blame?

But then, as Jane Jacobs predicted in Dark Age Ahead, “credentialling” was going to signal the downfall of universities. First published in 2004, the book presents her view that the North American civilization showed signs of decay comparable to the collapse of the Roman empire.

One of the “five pillars of culture” that she wrote about was education. And quality of education, in her view, was endangered by universities that were functioning like factories processing students.

Having completed just two years of undergraduate studies at Columbia University, Jacobs was dismissed in some circles as a housewife who lacked formal education. Was she the best person to comment on education? Today, her theories on urban planning are widely studied and Jane’s Walks are conducted in honour of the journalist, author and activist who was a strong proponent of walker-friendly neighbourhoods.

On the other hand, how are universities to ensure “rewarding careers” when a majority of the jobs in Canada are in the service industry? Most manufacturing is outsourced, reducing demand for graduates who could be gainfully employed in many industries if only those industries existed in Canada.

And let’s say a university offers courses in areas that do offer a wealth of opportunity. That’s based on today’s needs and today’s markets. Rapid changes in technology and consumer behaviour combined can make those careers redundant even before the graduates complete said courses.

Also, if a university offers courses based only on marketable skills, wouldn’t the liberal arts suffer? What can one do with a degree in philosophy, one might ask, but shouldn’t it be available for students with that bent of mind. How many philosophers, thinkers or poets would our generation lose if we simply cut those courses off the menu of programs on sale?

Books like The Thief Who Stole My Heart would never have been written because a scholar like Vidya Dehejia would not have found a taker for her erudite work. Fortunately, we’re not there yet and the South Asian Art professor teaches at Columbia University and her book was published by Princeton University.

Once upon a time, kings or benefactors and patrons supported institutions of higher learning. Today international universities dole out doctorates to Shah Rukh Khan – five, at the last count! Opinion may be divided on his acting prowess, but a doctorate? Why?

One assumes it was in the hope of making headlines in India and attracting students from wealthy families. But when universities dilute their own brand, we are on a slippery slope.

I am reminded of a long-ago conversation between the head of the physics department and a classmate of mine. One of the few male professors at my all-girls college which was part of Bangalore university, he obviously wasn’t very happy with his lot in life. Exactly how unhappy became clear in the course of this exchange. We’d just finished our final BSc exam and were in a happy, celebratory mood. He was talking to us about our future plans. This girl, a brilliant student, said she wanted to pursue “pure science”. His response shocked us into silence.

“To what end?” he asked. “You’ll end up teaching like me.”

Even back then, so many years ago, a mere degree in science didn’t lead to a rewarding career. I lost touch with that girl, but I like to think that she used her degree as a stepping stone to further studies in a field she was passionate about.

There’s the famous teaching in the Gita, “Karmanye vadhikaraste, ma phaleshu kadachana,” in which Krishna tells a conflicted Arjuna he has a right to Karma (actions) but not to the fruits thereof. That one should do the best one can, and not be motivated or affected by the end-results.

I used to joke with our sons that parenting is a classic illustration of this philosophy. Parents do the best they can with no agenda other than wishing the best for their offspring. How the kids turn out is up to them.

I believe the same applies to universities and colleges. Good educational institutions instill knowledge, seed ideas, fund research. The rest, really, is up to individual students.

On the other hand... but no, I believe I’ve run out of other hands!