On Thursday and Friday last week, a delegation from OUSA attended the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation’s final conference and the release of the latest iteration of The Price of Knowledge, their flagship publication. Also in attendance at the conference were student groups from across Canada, as well as university administrators, NGOs, and bureaucrats from Canada and the United States.
Deborah Bial, President and Founder of The Posse Foundation, led things off Thursday morning with a breakfast address to attendees. She described the tremendous success her Foundation has had sending “posses” of students from diverse backgrounds to select colleges and universities in the United States. Over 2,200 students have participated so far, with an astounding 90% graduation rate. Discussion focused on whether the Posse Foundation model could be applied to the Canadian system with the same success.
Later that afternoon, John Mighton, Founder of JUMP Math, spoke on the myth that some people just can’t learn math. He argued that anyone can be taught math if it is done in the right way, and that a vast amount of research exists to back his argument. As a math major myself, I found his presentation particularly stimulating. OUSA President Dan Moulton also get into it, volunteering to help Mr. Mighton solve some math problems in front of the group.
Without doubt, the highlight of the conference was the gala dinner Thursday night, featuring Robert Birgeneau, Chancellor at the University of California, Berkeley. His address outlined the pros of California’s higher education system, including the seamless transfer pathways, the large amount of financial aid available, and the success they have had in attracting students from underrepresented groups.
OUSA bought a table for the event and invited our partners from across the sector to join us, including Leah Myers, head of the government’s post-secondary secretariat devising a new long-term plan for higher education.
On Friday, Greg Darnieder, Special Assistant and Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Education addressed the delegates. He explained the recent steps taken south of the boarder to improve access for African American and Latino students.
Later that day I attended a session with Dr. Joy Mighty, President of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. She impressed upon her audience the need to encourage active learning methods in our universities and described some of the innovative ways instructors are pushing the boundaries of traditional teaching pedagogy. I left with a renewed sense of urgency on the need to push the government and our institutions to change the culture around teaching and learning.
Sadly, the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation is approaching the end of its mandate and will be closing its doors in the new year. We at OUSA are deeply concerned about the research gap that will be left when it is gone.
If you’re interested in reading the latest version of The Price of Knowledge, you can download a copy from the Millennium website:
http://www.millenniumscholarships.ca/en/research/PriceKnowledge.asp
-Alexi White
