Academic work and institutional diversity in Canada

Authors

Keywords:

Institutional diversity, Horizontal diversity, Vertical diversity, Canadian professoriate, Maclean's ranking, U15, Academic work

Abstract

The objective of this article is to determine if the work of full-time professors in Canada varies depending on the type of universities in which they are employed. A nonparametric comparison of multivariate samples based on data from the Academic Profession in the Knowledge Society (APIKS) survey was used to examine faculty perceptions of their academic work. The results show statistically significant, albeit minimal, differences between primarily undergraduate, comprehensive, and research-intensive institutions. This article confirms that, to a small extent, institutional diversity in Canada is mirrored in academic work, and argues that both vertical and horizontal forms of diversity may exist simultaneously depending on the relative value granted to specific academic activities.

Author Biographies

Olivier Bégin-Caouette, Université de Montréal

is an Associate Professor in comparative higher education, as well as the coordinator for higher education programs at the Université de Montréal. He is also one of the co-founders of the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Research on Higher Education (LIRES). His research focus on the interactions between higher education systems and their political, economic, social and cultural contexts. olivier.begin-caouette@umontreal.ca

Sébastien Béland, Université de Montréal

Sébastien Béland is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Policy and Foundations at the Université de Montréal, Canada. He is also a member of the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Research on Higher Education (LIRES). His research is at the intersection of statistics, educational measurement, academic integrity, and classroom assessment within higher education. sebastien.beland@umontreal.ca

Grace Karram Stephenson, University of Toronto

is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Grace teaches recurring issues in higher education, comparative higher education, and teaching and learning in higher education. Her research explores the academic profession, international branch-campuses in the Arab Gulf and Southeast Asia, study abroad programs and spirituality. grace.karram@utoronto.ca

Glen A. Jones, University of Toronto

is the Ontario Research Chair in Postsecondary Education Policy and Measurement, Professor of Higher Education and Director of the Centre for the Study of Canadian and International Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. His research focuses on higher education governance, policy, and academic work. glen.jones@utoronto.ca

Amy Scott Metcalfe, University of British Columbia

is a Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Her research focuses on higher education in Canada and the North American region, including (post)critical approaches to internationalization, academic labour and mobility, and critical policy studies in education. amy.metcalfe@ubc.ca.

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Published

2024-02-21

How to Cite

Bégin-Caouette, O., Béland, S., Karram Stephenson, G., Jones, G. A., & Metcalfe, A. S. (2024). Academic work and institutional diversity in Canada . McGill Journal of Education / Revue Des Sciences De l’éducation De McGill. Retrieved from https://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/10063

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