Academic Matters
Encyclopedia
Academic Matters: The Journal of Higher Education is a Canadian
magazine
which publishes articles on issues of relevance to postsecondary education in Canada and internationally, as well as literature
and film reviews, original fiction
, research
notes and commentaries
. The magazine's mandate is to be a forum for original, thoughtful and engaging discussion of current trends in higher education and consideration of academe's future direction.
coverage of universities
. The idea for the magazine came from the recognition that while universities are influential in many ways, there was no independent Canadian journal that examined university issues in a serious but accessible and visually engaging manner for both academics and the general public.
Published by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations
, Academic Matters has a circulation of 24,000 readers, including professor
s, academic librarian
s and others interested in higher education issues across Canada. The magazine's editorial board consists of highly regarded academics and journalists who have worked at The Globe and Mail
, Canadian Broadcasting Centre
, National Film Board of Canada
, and the New York Times.
A quarterly publication, the thematic issues of Academic Matters have included the education "arms race" and public perceptions of higher education; "Generation Next
" – the new wave of faculty now entering universities; threats to academic freedom
in Canada, the United States
, United Kingdom
and Australia
; the impact of technology
on universities; and diversity and equity on university campuses.
Articles in Academic Matters have been picked up by media in both the United States and Canada, including The Chronicle of Higher Education
, The Globe and Mail, National Post
and Toronto Star
.
, Carl Wieman
, Camilla Gibb
, David Foot, George Elliott Clarke
, Richard Lipsey
, Lee Gowan
, Kim Echlin, Eric Wright
, Judy Rebick
and David Suzuki
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
which publishes articles on issues of relevance to postsecondary education in Canada and internationally, as well as literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
and film reviews, original fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
, research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
notes and commentaries
Commentary
Commentary may refer to:*Play-by-play commentary, describing sporting events on TV or radio**colour commentary, supplementing play-by-play commentary with talk not directly about play*Commentary or narration, the words in a documentary film...
. The magazine's mandate is to be a forum for original, thoughtful and engaging discussion of current trends in higher education and consideration of academe's future direction.
History
Academic Matters was launched in November 2005 to fill a critical need in the Canadian mediaNews media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
coverage of universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
. The idea for the magazine came from the recognition that while universities are influential in many ways, there was no independent Canadian journal that examined university issues in a serious but accessible and visually engaging manner for both academics and the general public.
Published by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations
Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations
The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations is a Canadian non-profit organization that represents 16,000 teachers, researchers, and librarians through its interaction with the Ontario government, opposition parties, related agencies, and associations...
, Academic Matters has a circulation of 24,000 readers, including professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
s, academic librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
s and others interested in higher education issues across Canada. The magazine's editorial board consists of highly regarded academics and journalists who have worked at The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, Canadian Broadcasting Centre
Canadian Broadcasting Centre
The Canadian Broadcasting Centre, located in Toronto, Ontario, is the broadcast headquarters and master control point for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's English-language television and radio services...
, National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
, and the New York Times.
A quarterly publication, the thematic issues of Academic Matters have included the education "arms race" and public perceptions of higher education; "Generation Next
Generation Next
Generation Next was a professional wrestling stable in the Ring of Honor promotion. Formed in Philadelphia, PA at the event Generation Next, on May 22, 2004, by Alex Shelley, the original Generation Next consisted of Shelley, Austin Aries, Roderick Strong and Jack Evans...
" – the new wave of faculty now entering universities; threats to academic freedom
Academic freedom
Academic freedom is the belief that the freedom of inquiry by students and faculty members is essential to the mission of the academy, and that scholars should have freedom to teach or communicate ideas or facts without being targeted for repression, job loss, or imprisonment.Academic freedom is a...
in Canada, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
; the impact of technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
on universities; and diversity and equity on university campuses.
Articles in Academic Matters have been picked up by media in both the United States and Canada, including The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is a newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty, staff members and administrators....
, The Globe and Mail, National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
and Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
.
Contributors
Academics, journalists and novelists who have contributed to Academic Matters include Michael IgnatieffMichael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
, Carl Wieman
Carl Wieman
Carl Edwin Wieman is an American physicist at the University of British Columbia and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics for the production, in 1995 with Eric Allin Cornell, of the first true Bose–Einstein condensate.-Biography:...
, Camilla Gibb
Camilla Gibb
Camilla Gibb is a writer living in Toronto.Born in London, England, she grew up in Toronto and studied at the North Toronto Collegiate Institute and the Jarvis Collegiate Institute...
, David Foot, George Elliott Clarke
George Elliott Clarke
George Elliott Clarke, OC is a Canadian poet and playwright. His work largely explores and chronicles the experience and history of the Black Canadian community of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, creating a cultural geography that Clarke refers to as "Africadia".-Life:Born to William and Geraldine...
, Richard Lipsey
Richard Lipsey
Richard George Lipsey, OC, FRSC is a Canadian academic and economist. He is best known for his work on the economics of the second-best, a theory of constrained optimization by government of the tax system, which he co-authored with Kelvin Lancaster, a mathematical economist of high...
, Lee Gowan
Lee Gowan
Nelson Lee Gowan MFA is a Canadian novelist.He grew up on a farm near Swift Current, Saskatchewan, and studied at the University of British Columbia, where he received a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing...
, Kim Echlin, Eric Wright
Eric Wright (writer)
Eric Wright is a professor and Canadian writer of mystery novels.Wright was born on Kennington Park Road, in South London, England. He is the son of seamstress Caroline , and carter Joseph Wright. Wright was born to a large poor family of ten children...
, Judy Rebick
Judy Rebick
Judy Rebick , arrived in Toronto at age 9, and is a Canadian journalist, political activist, and feminist.-Career:...
and David Suzuki
David Suzuki
David Suzuki, CC, OBC is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a Ph.D in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department of the University of British Columbia from 1963 until his retirement in 2001...
.
See also
- Academic journals
- Education in CanadaEducation in CanadaEducation in Canada is for the most part provided publicly, funded and overseen by federal, provincial, and local governments. Education is within provincial jurisdiction and the curriculum is overseen by the province. Education in Canada is generally divided into primary education, followed by...
- Higher education in CanadaHigher education in CanadaHigher education in Canada describes the constellation of provincial higher education systems in Canada and their relationships with the federal government, provinces, and territories.-Higher education systems in Canada:...
- List of universities in Canada
- List of colleges in Canada
- Ontario rubricOntario rubricThe Ontario rubric is a rubric system used to mark students in the Ontario province's school system.The Ontario rubric is typically a chart with five columns. The first defines the category that is being evaluated, and the other four show levels 1 through 4. Level 1 is 50%-60%, Level 2 is 60%-70%,...