Rethinking leadership in a feminized profession

May 12, 2014By

By Christina Neigel

Like many educators in applied fields, I began my journey as a practitioner, specifically in the field of Library and Information “Science”. After performing as both a support worker (library technician) and as a manager (librarian), I gained important exposure to the ways in which a feminized profession operates. Later, as an instructor and head of a library and information technology department in a moderately sized academic institution, I was responsible for preparing (mostly) women for increasingly complex and changing roles within this field. Through this experience, I began to see the ways in which my peers and former students are able or unable to position themselves as leaders in their workplaces. I question how leaders and leadership are acknowledged and by whom. In turn, I consider the possibility that leaders define the crises and who is needed to lead through those crises (Grint, 2005).

READ MORE

Transfer credit: The rational choice

May 9, 2014By

By Barbara Gustafson (Cannexus15 GSEP Award Winner)

Transfer credit is an increasing popular method for postsecondary students to gain training and credentials, a reflection of the exploratory nature of postsecondary education today. A study by Shaienks, Gluszynski and Bayard (2008) of Canadian postsecondary students showed two-thirds had participated in multiple programs. The National Graduates Survey of the Class of 2005, conducted by Statistics Canada, showed that 45% of college graduates had previous postsecondary activity before entering the program from which they graduated (Statistics Canada, 2008). Statistics from the Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer (ACAT), and the Pan-Canadian Consortium on Admissions and Transfer (PCCAT) also showed a growing trend of transfer credit (ACAT, 2012; PCCAT, 2012). More students are enrolled in postsecondary studies than ever before (Hango & de Broucker, 2007), but the path taken is often more circuitous than for past generations.

READ MORE