D’you know?
This is one of those years in which the end of the academic teaching term coincides with Easter weekend, as indeed was the case in my first year as a professional academic, back in 1979-80. That... More
Archives: Dean’s Blog
Cherry Blossoms
Washington is awash in colour – the pink and white blossoms of a precocious spring. Actually, it feels much more like the height of summer. The temperature and humidity remind me of my... More
Articulation
Because education is a responsibility of the provincial government, and not of the federal government, Canada is in the unique and in my view unfortunate position of having ten different... More
This is Anfield
There are not many things that would induce me to leave the house on a Saturday morning when my two favourite football teams (Liverpool and Arsenal) are playing each other, but the annual New Sun... More
Reading Week in the Eternal City
On my first full day in Rome, the city is damp and wet, but mercifully the temperature has climbed above zero, and last week’s heavy snowfall is nothing but a melting memory. That said, as we... More
Taken at the Flood
It is always a pleasure to listen to someone who understands the power of the spoken word, both to entrance and to entertain, and last Wednesday a large FASS audience enjoyed the opportunity to... More
Owning the university
The number of people attending the meeting of FASS faculty and staff with the Mandate Working Group last week was rather disappointing, to say the least: by my count 9 faculty members (myself... More
Clifford Brown
If you ever find yourself feeling discouraged about the current state of post-secondary education and universities, either generically or specifically, there is no better tonic than serving on an... More