Nine of the top 10 ranked Canadian universities fell in this year’s QS World University Rankings, including Queen’s. The overall decline comes at the same time as a change in the ranking’s methodology, affecting how it scores faculty research citations, particularly in the areas of life sciences and medicine.

Queen’s placed 206th globally in the 2015 QS rankings, down from 187th in 2014. Queen’s had moved up slightly in the QS rankings last year, along with most of the other top 10 Canadian universities.

“There is always volatility in international rankings and this volatility can be heightened when there are changes in methodology,” says Alan Harrison, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic). “No international ranking captures all of Queen’s strengths, particularly the high quality of its student learning experience.”

Every international ranking uses a different methodology, with some relying heavily on measures of research output and some, including the QS rankings, also using reputational survey data.

“Queen’s is one of Canada’s leading research-intensive universities and its medium size and vision as a balanced academy are great strengths for the university, but this does not necessarily help us in international rankings.  Some rankings include measures that do not adjust for size, for example overall research output, which will favour larger institutions,” says Harrison. “Ultimately, the university’s success internationally will be built upon what drives its success within Canada – a transformative student learning experience enriched by the excellence of its research-intensive environment.”

Another international ranking, the Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), was released in August and saw Queen’s maintain its standing within the 201-300 range of the world’s top universities. The Times Higher Education World University Ranking is expected to be released in early October.

Queen’s continues to attract top students from around the world as it works toward a goal of having international students comprise 10 per cent of the incoming undergraduate class. Of the roughly 4600 students in this year’s first-year class, 318 are international students, an increase of 29.8 per cent over the same time last year. 

A domestic water and lab air shutdown is planned for Duncan McArthur Hall A-wing on Saturday, Sept. 19 between 8 am and 12 pm while contractors perform work associated with the removal of lab benches from room A339.

Please note the following pertaining to this shutdown:

• There will be no water available for hand washing, flushing toilets, kitchen or lab use in A-wing.
• There will be no lab air available to lab benches throughout A-wing.
• There are no fire safety implications arising from this work.
• Domestic water will remain available in B-wing while this work is completed.

Any questions regarding this planned work should be directed to Fixit by phone at extension 77301 or by e-mail.

They’re all women, they’re all graduates of Queen’s and, now, they are all returning to the university.

Award-winning sketch comedy troupe She Said What will be at Queen’s on Monday, Sept. 21 for a series of workshops with current students of the Department of Drama and Music, as well as a performance at Theological Hall in the evening.

The troupe is made up of four alumni – Emma Hunter, Marni Van Dyk, Carly Heffernan, and Megan MacKeigan, all Artsci’07 – who met while performing with Queen’s Players. Following graduation, they each moved to Toronto and formed their own group as a way to continue doing comedy and to create their own performance opportunities in Toronto.

As Ms. MacKeigan explains, the four are very much looking forward to performing again at Queen’s, particularly for the three others who either majored or minored in Drama.

“It’ll be great to go back and, I didn’t but all the others performed on that same stage so it’ll be quite nostalgic to come back and perform, especially for the Drama 100 class at 1 pm on Monday,” she says. “They all took that class when they started at Queen’s so it’ll be neat to see these budding young students in their second week of class.”

Ms. MacKeigan studied Applied Economics and is now a lawyer.

She Said What has performed in the Toronto and Chicago Sketch Comedy Festivals, won the Second City best of the fest at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival and was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award for best sketch troupe.

They were invited back to Queen’s by Director of the Queen's School of Drama and Music Craig Walker. He says it was an easy decision to ask them to come back.

“She Said What is a very funny, very entertaining sketch comedy troupe. They really put the lie to the stupid old canard that ‘women aren’t funny,’” he says. “So the main reason I invited them is that they will be very entertaining.  But the other reason I invited them is that they are terrific examples of successful alumni.”

Since graduating, the members of the troupe have had interesting and successful careers, Dr. Walker points out, adding that they have accomplished this by being “resourceful and flexible and often by creating their own work in a remarkably joyous way.”

Ms. Hunter has appeared on CBC's Mr. D as well as CTV's Spun Out, Pop Quiz, Match Game. Ms. Heffernan is also a Second City alumni and now writes and teaches with the company as well as a number of television shows. She also is a very active voiceover actor. Ms. Van Dyk  is a television producer, writer and producer of short films. She is also an actor on a number of web series and other television shows. Ms. MacKeigan is the new chair of the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, vice-president Queen's Players Toronto and a partner in a law firm.

 She Said What will perform at Theological Hall at 8 pm. Tickets are $5 at the door.