Both WolfPack soccer teams take provincials Pg. 11
The Omega Thompson Rivers University’s Independent Student Newspaper
News Pages 1, 2
Editorial & Opinion Page 3
Volume 23, Issue 9 October 30, 2013
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Life & Community
Arts & Entertainment
Sports
Pages 5, 8
Pages 6, 7
Page 11
Current publishing model not benefiting libraries Jessica Klymchuk Ω News Editor
The Globe and Mail’s Canadian University Report was released on Oct. 22 but faculty don’t necessarily think it does TRU justice. (Sean Brady/ The
Omega)
Canadian University Report misses the mark: TRU admins Jessica Klymchuk Ω News Editor A profile of TRU was featured in The Globe and Mail’s Canadian University Report released Oct. 22. But the report wasn’t necessarily a good thing for the school. The profiles are informed by the National Survey for Student Engagement (NSSE), which TRU was last a part of in 2011. The report of the survey results suggested that students at TRU complained most over few internships and co-op opportunities, and rated their education less favourably than the average. The report categorizes TRU as specializing in applied or vocational learning and undergraduate education, and notes that the school has performed higher than average in some sections of the NSSE and that it caters to non-traditional students. The Globe named TRU the “accessible education pioneer” and emphasized TRU as an open learning university.
Associate VP academic Katherine Sutherland was “extremely proud” to see TRU highlighted as accessible, but doubts the report does the value of accessibility any justice. “I’m definitely not disappointed to be represented in that way. I’m disappointed that the reporters don’t seem to understand why it’s a good thing,” she said. “They don’t get it.” Sutherland said TRU’s value for accessibility allows students to enter university even without a high school diploma, and can also see them go on to apply for law school. The interdisciplinary studies program, which is highlighted in the profile and Sutherland helped draft, allows student to transfer credits from trades or vocational studies into academic programs. The value of such programs isn’t wellrepresented in the profile, she said. “It’s easy to teach social justice. It’s a completely different thing to live social justice every day, and by opening our doors whether [students] are privileged or not, we practice social justice,” Sutherland said.
The TRU library is looking towards a new model for resources, but there’s a long road ahead. Unlike traditional published works, open access literature is digital, online, free of charge and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. There are currently 10,000 open access academic journals. Free online access could revolutionize the production and distribution of research globally and radically change the culture of publishing research. Director of the centre for teaching and learning at UBC Okanagan, Peter Arthur has been promoting open access since 2004 and visited TRU on Oct. 22 to discuss open access. Around 15 people took part in the discussion,
many of them TRU librarians. “Imagine how the world would change. What would happen if every person could access all scholarly research?” Arthur asked. He also asked if the traditional publishing model was working. The librarians’ answer was no. “Journal costs are going up far more than inf lation, and our funding is standing still, so we are forced to make decisions about what to keep and what to cancel and that’s not benefiting our academic community,” librarian Penny Haggarty said. “Wouldn’t it make sense that there should be more money for research if we didn’t have to pay so much for subscriptions?”
See UBCO Pg.
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The profile states limited course offerings as a con, particularly in the arts faculty, but TRU’s interim dean of arts doesn’t agree. “I think we offer a wide variety of courses in programs, and I think we are continually developing courses,” Sandra Vermeulen said. “We have to keep in mind our size.” Vermeulen said she thinks TRU does very well at what it does offer, and is very responsive to demand for changes. She also said TRU is a very comprehensive university and couldn’t recall why it would be referred to as having program gaps. Sutherland said that the report seems to be Ontario-centric and favours the G15 universities, which she said are concerned with hierarchy and cater to highachieving privileged students. “I look at other universities that skim off the top five per cent of high school achievers and then talk about their success rate,” she said. “Well, I should hope so.” Sutherland also noted that TRU students are just as successful after coming in with lower credentials.
See ALUMNI, Pg.
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Peter Arthur has been supporting open access literature since 2004 and helped UBC Okanagan form a position statement supporting open access. ( Jessica Klymchuk/ The Omega)