A couple of members of the Laurentian University senate are taking university administration to task for using what was referred to as a “clickbait” article about online learning to promote its programs, with one senator begging them to stop.
The article in question was published by University Magazine Feb. 17, 2021, just a few weeks after Laurentian initially declared insolvency.
It ranks Laurentian second after Athabasca University under the headline “The Best Online Universities in Canada 2021.”
The article has a short caption under the section on Laurentian, saying it’s “a mid-sized bilingual public university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. One of Canada’s Top Undergraduate Small Universities with small class sizes ensures you’re treated as an individual.”
This was all that was written about Laurentian in the article, which did not reveal how it came up with this ranking.
(University Magazine, by the way, describes itself on its website as “created by a student for students to provide tips on student life, financial, career, majors, ranking and important news that will impact students”).
Lexey Burns, editor-in-chief of the Lambda, Laurentian’s English student newspaper, criticized Laurentian in an editorial back in February for promoting this ranking.
Burns said it was already embarrassing to explain Laurentian’s insolvency to friends at other universities, and “when our own president endorses a ranking report with no research behind it and shares it with the Laurentian community, it doesn’t help.”
Laurentian president Robert Haché referred to the article in his March 2021 report to senate.
“Laurentian’s online programs and course offerings have long been acknowledged as a leader in Ontario,” said Haché’s written report.
“Now, University Magazine has ranked Laurentian University amongst the top universities to study online in Canada.
“Laurentian University is ranked 2nd, ahead of McGill University in 3rd place, and just behind Athabasca University. This result has been realized thanks to the dedication of many faculty members, staff, and students who have contributed and of course with special acknowledgement of the Laurentian Online team for their great work.”
The topic came up again at the Nov. 16 meeting of the Laurentian senate, with senator Albrecht Schulte-Hostedde asking Haché about a line in his written report to the senate this month.
The line in question in Haché’s report is as follows: “Anchored by a strong core of on-campus learning and research, we are also a national leader in online learning — reaching out across the North and beyond to provide access to learning opportunities, full-time, part-time, through full degree programs, microcredentials and lifelong learning.”
Schulte-Hostedde, a behavioural and evolutionary ecologist and Laurentian professor, said he realizes that Laurentian is “trying to portray a more positive reflection of what’s happening,” but there were a couple of points in Haché’s report that “gave me pause.”
“So you make a point here ‘we are also a national leader in online learning,’” he said.
“I’m wondering if you can provide empirical evidence for that statement, because I don’t think that’s true. I don’t think that we know that that’s true.”
Haché replied that “I think there is a fair amount of evidence for that,” referring to the aforementioned University Magazine article.
Joël Dickinson, dean of LU’s faculty of arts, also followed up on the question.
She also referred to the University Magazine article, and added that she is contacted daily by both Canadian and international students who are looking into Laurentian’s international programs.
“So I think we have tons of empirical evidence both in rankings, and if you want to say anecdotally, from my conversations with many students, prospective students and parents,” Dickinson said.
“So an anecdote and a clickbait website,” said Schulte-Hostedde. “OK.”
Later in the meeting, Dan Scott, an associate librarian with Laurentian, also referred to the controversy regarding the University Magazine article.
“If you look at the website … you will note that it has absolutely no credibility as an authority on the subject,” Scott said. “And if you look at the article, there is no methodology that is used to determine that ranking.
“And it's frankly an embarrassment for us to rely on that as something to promote our proficiency in online learning. So I would beg the university to stop using this article.”
