The Sunday Magazine·The Sunday Edition

Students rate their universities

Are today's universities degree-granting businesses hoping to attract "funding units" for maximum prestige? What is the role of digital technology in the classroom? Four young people report on the good and the bad in Canadian universities.
Students at Ryerson University in Toronto participate in a class taught via webcam from McGill University in Montreal. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese)

Last January, Michael Enright embarked on a quest to examine the state of the modern Canadian university. He spoke to professors and presidents about how teaching should best adapt to the digital age, about how universities pay their bills, and — the big one — about the essential purpose of a university.

Michael concluded his inquiry by inviting four university students to talk about their experiences. We heard from Moira Warburton, who has just graduated with a degree in political science from the University of British Columbia; Trevor Deley, a graduate student in biology at Carleton University in Ottawa; political science and classical studies major Rowan Patrick Miller at the University of New Brunswick, and computer engineering student Megha Sharma, at Ryerson University in Toronto.

Click the button above to hear the panel.