Questions on Diversity at McMaster and Sessional Profs
04-02-2008 at 06:15 PM
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#31
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lol, well being a Soc Sci AND Hummer student, you have more experience with the Soc Sci faculty than I do. I have edited my post. Sound better?  |
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04-03-2008 at 09:26 AM
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#32
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Thanks for the responses. Hopefully that new building is up before I leave... but I won't get my hopes up.
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04-04-2008 at 08:11 AM
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#33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chad
As for course selection, if the demand is there then Mac will most likely hire interm professors to teach the courses.
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from what I understand, the SocSci faculty getting rid of all their contract profs, so that's about 3 to 4 profs from each department. why would they lay off profs and only to hire other ones.
There have been all sorts of petitions being passed around in my classes for people to protest the fact that so many professors are being laid off. It's kinda stupid, the prof that just won the teaching award for social science is one of the people they're getting rid of.
I dunno, it seems a bit messed up, but I'll be done and gone after next year anyway. |
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04-04-2008 at 08:38 AM
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#34
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Tenured professors cost more, which is why there are so many sessional profs. Also, if they are tenured they get health and dental benefits.
When I was in second year, there was a big debacle with two particular English/CSCT profs getting laid off. One of them told me if he was to be hired back he was going to get half the pay and no benefits; this was for teaching the same amount of classes. He decided to go elsewhere for work.
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We are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed in universities, looking uncomfortably into the world we inherit. -- Port Huron Statement
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04-04-2008 at 08:56 AM
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#35
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I guess the question becomes:
Do sessionals provide as good of a quality of education as the contract profs being let go? What implications does that have for the quality of education we're paying for?
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04-04-2008 at 09:14 AM
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#36
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There's an article in this week's Sil regarding tenured vs. sessional profs and how they feel
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04-04-2008 at 09:41 AM
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#37
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I've actually disliked most of my tenured profs because they think that they're better than students because they've been at the school for so long.
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McMaster Combined Honours Cultural Studies & Critical Theory and Anthropology: 2008
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We are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed in universities, looking uncomfortably into the world we inherit. -- Port Huron Statement
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04-04-2008 at 10:16 AM
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#38
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I'm a little bit miffed about what's happening because two of my favorite profs are being let go. Meanwhile a lot of the useless ones still stick around. What's bugged me more is that relatively few people seem to know or at least care about what's happening.
I'll have to pick up the Sil and take a look.
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04-04-2008 at 08:16 PM
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#39
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About that whole class size thing, I'm pretty sure Mac's is pretty standard for first year. Our tour guide said it doesn't really get bigger than 300-400. I've heard of classes having close to 1000 students at UofT so it's a huge difference. Hopefully the new building will perk up the socsci/humanities atmosphere. (And I hope it's there when I'm there!)
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04-04-2008 at 08:29 PM
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#40
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Aaand at UofT there is the 'half of you will fail' unofficial rule.
I have a friend who went there, and her older brother went there too. In both of their classes, they were told at their midterm (so December) half of them would be failing the class. Then for the final exams, half of those who were left would be failing too.
Because that's a huge incentive to me...
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We are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed in universities, looking uncomfortably into the world we inherit. -- Port Huron Statement
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04-09-2008 at 10:48 PM
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#41
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Wait... Dr. B-C isn't coming back?! That's who you mean re: the soc sci teaching award, right? If that's the case, I'm really sad. She is a great professor, and Mac needs more people like her.
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04-12-2008 at 08:54 PM
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#42
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If you are upset with the letting go of these profs, make sure you get involved with the MSU, specifically the University Affairs Committee and the External Affairs Committee. Talk with the VP Education who is currently Arati Sharma, but in a few weeks will be Vishal Tiwari. Use these resources to help you voice your opinion to Mac!
and on another note, I have been a Soc Sci student for 3 years now, and I was a rep for Soc Sci on the Student Representative Assembly. Soc Sci is an AMAZING faculty at mac! we do get brushed to the side a bit, but it is still high class!
The new building will not be built for a while! From what I hear, it is taking Wentworth Halls place, which has been condemned for quite a few year now. So I dont see it being built anytime soon
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04-14-2008 at 09:29 AM
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#43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Naheed
Wait... Dr. B-C isn't coming back?! That's who you mean re: the soc sci teaching award, right? If that's the case, I'm really sad. She is a great professor, and Mac needs more people like her.
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According to the petition that was going around, she won't be back. Neither will any of the other CLAs in Sociology. :( |
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04-16-2008 at 07:23 PM
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#44
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Quote:
Originally Posted by feonateresa
About that whole class size thing, I'm pretty sure Mac's is pretty standard for first year. Our tour guide said it doesn't really get bigger than 300-400. I've heard of classes having close to 1000 students at UofT so it's a huge difference. Hopefully the new building will perk up the socsci/humanities atmosphere. (And I hope it's there when I'm there!)
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Most of my classes are about 100-ish and my profs know who I am. However, I'm in one class where there are 600 students (and 12 TAs-haha). So it balances out |
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