Taking Public Universities Seriously

Patrice Milewski is an assistant professor in the School of Education at
Laurentian University.

This volume is a compilation of the proceedings of a symposium held at
the University of Toronto’s Munk Centre for International Studies on
December 3–4, 2004. The symposium brought together university leaders
from around the world to consider and study issues related to
post-secondary education, including justice, efficiency, and political
feasibility.

One of the key issues addressed is the declining rate of government
funding of public universities—an issue that most contributors agree
speaks to the fundamental question of the nature of democracy. Countries
such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand have
responded to the problem by making aid available to low-income and
disadvantaged students.

The question of funding is closely linked with the issue of
accountability and the criteria of evaluation. As this collection makes
abundantly clear, there are marked difference between teaching-oriented
universities and those that focus on research. The criteria by which
success or efficiency should be measured cannot be a question of one
standard fitting all.

Taking Public Universities Seriously is an excellent starting point for
further debate on the complex issues facing universities today.