Toronto Metropolitan University's Independent Student Newspaper Since 1967

All News

MORE POLITICS, FEWER PROFS

By André Voshart

A new politics degree starting in the fall will save Ryerson money at the expense of teachers, say concerned faculty.

The program, Politics and Governance, will be open to roughly 210 students, but instructors aren’t sure how additional teaching resources will factor into the equation.

“People look at what we’re doing and ask, ‘Oh my God, how are you going to do this?'” said politics chair Colin Mooers. “With the amount of hiring we’ll be doing, things will be tight,” he conceded. “You don’t get support like new administrative staff until you get the students.”

But politics professor Mike Burke isn’t convinced. Burke said Ryerson “rarely gives the administrative support they need,” adding that “the administration (seems to be) exploiting our commitment to students in order to save money.”

The co-ordinator of the new undergrad program, politics professor Neil Thomlinson, said he doesn’t think the department is in bad shape.

“There is a problem university-wide about administration shortage, so we won’t be different in that regard,” he said.

Currently, three full-time arts faculty positions are open–one in each of the three branches of the degree program.

New staff will be hired steadily through the first four years as first-year students complete their degrees.

Still, Burke isn’t sure instructors in the early years will be able to build the never-before-taught courses from the ground up. “(The program) will be delivered on the backs of faculties,” he said.

Leave a Reply