Federal plans on research and post-sec. education

[Richard Plant]

Hello All:

Here's a recent update from HSSFC on the Federal approach (or lack of it)
to education and research in humanities and sociaL sciences. I wonder
whether any of you feel the same twinge that I sometimes do: that we've
somehow failed to provide our country with well-trained, sensitive,
knowledgeable and perceptive leaders. I often note that our political
leaders graduated from universities, some even from humanities and/or
social sciences programmes. Where have we gone wrong? Do we need to learn
ways of getting the proverbial mule to drink as well as simply to the
water? (Many of the mules are very good at the trough already, so no
increase in capabilities on their part is needed in that case.)

Richard Plant
Dept of Drama, Queen's University
and
Graduate Centre for Study of Drama,
University of Toronto

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 10:35:43 -0500
From: Fedcan <fedcan at hssfc.ca>
To: @hssfc.ca



Press Release


For immediate release
28 February 2000


Government Fails
in Comprehensive Strategy
for Research and Post-Secondary Education


Ottawa - "The Government continues to take an ad hoc approach to funding
Canada's largest research community," said Dr. Louise Forsyth, President of
the Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada.  "Despite
increasing evidence that casts serious doubt on the legitimacy of our
political institutions, the equity of our social structure, the health of
our children, the long-term robustness of our economy and our sense of
cultural identity, the Government refuses to make a comprehensive
investment in researchers seeking Canadian solutions to these very problems."

Despite claiming to "promote leading edge research and innovation in
universities," the Government has tied the hands of 25,000 researchers in
the humanities and social sciences by refusing to increase support for the
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.  Last year, the Council
was unable to meet an overwhelming demand from community organizations,
small businesses and researchers for collaborative "Community-University
Research Alliances".  At a minimum, the Government had to increase the
Council's budget by $120 million over three years to sustain a productive
and viable Canadian research community.

Moreover, neglecting research in the humanities and social sciences also
prevents the development of a strategic Canadian approach to the cultural,
social and economic challenges that demand integrated solutions from
humanists, scientists, engineers and social scientists.  "While we are
pleased that the government has made important investments in the physical
and medical sciences through support for the Canada Foundation for
Innovation (CFI) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), it
is time to complete the renovation of our research infrastructure and
ensure that maximum benefit is drawn from these investments by providing
adequate funding for research in the humanities and social sciences," said
Dr. Forsyth.

"The post-secondary education system also requires a strategic long-term
investment from the federal government," she added.

Universities serve Canadians as centres of research and teaching excellence
as well as repositories of public knowledge.  Yet, it has become
increasingly difficult for universities to fulfil this public mission since
the Federal Government took over $2 billion out of the post-secondary
education system in 1995.  Even though universities increased student
tuition fees by $1 billion nationally and increased private sector funding
to levels now greater than that of their American counterparts, they have
still suffered a 23 per cent real loss of funding in the last five years.

"We are pleased that the government recognized its role in supporting
post-secondary education through the creation of two thousand "21st Century
Chairs of Research Excellence," but we call on all levels of government to
take a concerted approach to post-secondary education in the year ahead.
In the 2001 Federal Budget, the Federation will expect the Government to
take a more strategic approach to research and post-secondary education,"
concluded Dr. Forsyth.  "Such an approach must recognize the real value to
Canadian society of well-funded scholarship in the humanities and social
sciences.  Any delay will have serious costs for the citizens of Canada."



- 30 -



The Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada represents 25,000
researchers in 68 learned societies and 69 universities. The Federation
promotes teaching, research and scholarship in the humanities and social
sciences and a better understanding of the importance of such work for
Canada and the world.

Additional information on the Federation's activities and programmes is
available at the Federation's Website (http://www.hssfc.ca).




For more information please contact:

Mr. Garth Williams
Director of Public Affairs
Tel: 613-238-6112 ext. 306
Fax: 613-238-6114
gwilliams at hssfc.ca