No Place to Learn

A thoughtful, skeptical view of Canadian universities. Because the authors are devoted to the mission, they are careful not to scorch the earth; but they deliver the kind of tough criticism that Canadian (and US!) universities need to hear. It should be required reading, especially for its compelling argument that student teaching remains the core of the contract between university and society. Donald Kennedy, President Emeritus of Stanford University, and author of Academic Duty

Raises challenging questions about practices currently plaguing the performance of Canadian colleges. No Place to Learn demolishes what it calls ‘the myth of mutual enrichment,’ that only active researchers make good teachers, taking a critical look at the allegedly hard-nosed, narrow research favoured by promotion and tenure committees. Although they will not agree with every point, Canadians with a stake in postsecondary education will benefit greatly from this book. John Meisel, Sir Edward Peacock Professor of Political Science Emeritus at Queen’s University