6 National News

The Cadre

¢ 17November 1998

Arts degrees not useless, study says

By ANDREW SUNSTRUM

TORONTO (CUP) -- A new national study calling for in- creased funding to university arts programs debunks the myth that humanities and so- cial science graduates are not competitive, observers say.

Authored by Robert Allen and commissioned by the Humanities and Social Sci- ences Research Council of Canada, the study released last week warns of the economic consequences of failing to in- crease funding of university liberal-arts programs.

Allen, aneconomics pro- fessor at the University of British Columbia, argues it’s time to put the misconception torest that liberal-arts students are useless.

“My report showed that the profitability of investing in engineering and sciences is no greater than when you invest in social sciences and humani- ties,” said Allen, whose con- clusions are based on data generated by a series of Sta- tistics Canada micro surveys.

The economic spin-offs derived from investment in social sciences even outweigh the societal perks produced by heavily funding engineering, math and the physical sciences, he argues.

According to a cost- benefit analysis on the return rate to society, social sciences accounted for 10.2 per cent of returns, while engineering ac- counted for 7.9 per cent and math and the physical sciences contributed 7.4 per cent.

So society and govern- ment’s disproportionate em- phasis on technical programs is misguided, says Allen, who calls for increased funding to liberal arts in his report.

“The rapidly changing economy will require people to manage it and to think of crea- tive solutions to new prob- lems,” he said. “Perhaps these solutions will require imagina- tion beyond the technological.”

The social sciences and humanities fields ofknowledge include history, literature, phi-

losophy, anthropology, psy- chology, sociology, fine arts, native, religious, environmen- tal and women’s studies as well as economics, business and administrative studies, eth- ics, education, and law.

Pamela Wiggins, direc- tor of communication with the Social Sciences and Humani- ties Research Council, says she hopes the study will bury stereotypes about social stud- ies.

“Essentially there’s

been a lot of anecdotal infor- mation that social science grads will be driving taxis and flip- ping burgers which did not mesh with what we thought, so we wanted to find out factually what was the case,” said Wiggins.

“We were pleasantly surprised with the results of the study.”

The Canadian Federa- tion of Students said the report gives the group ammunition against a new provincial pro-

gram in Ontario that promises an unlimited amount of fund- ing to universities that can dou- ble their enrolment in compu- ter science, computer engi- neering and electrical engi- neering programs by 2000.

The Access to Oppor- tunities Program will award universities with both start-up grants of $10,000 per student as well as ongoing operational grants from $3,500 to $5,000 for the technology-based scholars.

“We want to stop the cult of technology,” said Mike Conlon, chair of the federa- tion’s national graduate coun- cil. “We’re disappointed with the obsession of the provincial government. Clearly, [Allen’s] report shows that it is a short- sighted way to maintain a strong economy.”

Inthe samereport, Allen argued tuition is a double tax onstudents whoeventually pay for their education through in- come tax.

York launches new public services degree

police,ambulance, immigration, largestpoliceorganization, the new recruits within the de- probation orcorrectional serv- program is especially impor- partment.

By TARAC. BRAUTIGAM

TORONTO (CUP) -- York University has landed Cana- da’s first university degree program for public servants.

The Bachelor of Arts in Public Service Studies, a pro- gram designed for emergency service workers, was an- nounced last week. Classes are set to begin in January.

“This indeed is a signifi- cant event in the history of the college,” said Livy Visano, dean of York’s Atkinson col- lege, which will house the pro- gram.

She added the degree -- which will include the study of law and justice issues, govern- mental structures, organiza- tional behaviour, the immigrant experience in Canada and fi- nances -- will balance the more technical education that public service workers receive.

Visano, a former parole officer, says the program was established because public se- curity organizations expressed a need for education into is- sues related to public services, including race relations and ad- ministrative studies.

York developed the pro- gram in consultation after more thana year of consultation with public service and security workers.

Potential students for the three-year program include people working in courts or in

ices, and those from private security companies. It’s de- signed for adult part-time stu- dents so that professionals can work and study simultaneously.

“There’s a really broad

interest in the program,” says ~

humanities Prof. Leslie Sand- ers, who will help coordinate the degree.

She adds graduates will be better leaders, especially in communities demoralized by economic hardship or urban decay.

Law-enforcement and fire officials say they’ re pleased the degree is being offered.

Don Crocker, the fire chief for the town of Moore, Ont., says it will benefit future firefighters.

“] think it’s really excit- ing to have a course on stream .. . for emergency services,” he said. “It will certainly help us out immensely.”

Peel Region Police Chief

Noel Catney says the new pro- gram will be especially helpful in light of the growing trend to integrate fire, police and public health services.

“T think when historians look back, they’re going to say that this really is a unique time in the public service sector,” he said.

Catney says that for Peel police force, Canada’s fifth-

tant. He plans to promote it to

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