It was recently brought to my attention that there has been some (subversive?) editing on the Carleton University Wikipedia page (click to enlarge):

Did you spot it…?  Look more closely:

The history of the edit shows that it was added yesterday (30th Jan 2012) and Carleton seems to be fairly responsive to the occasional “unofficial edit” that crops up from time to time so I wouldn’t imagine it will last long.  However, the edit raises a valuable point which really should be discussed more.  Sessional or contract instructors are employed on insecure, short term contracts, paid relatively little (although unionisation has resolved that to some extent), and are increasingly being used to teach undergraduates.  Those undergraduates are being charged increasingly extortionate fees for an education that is increasingly taught by educators who are not researchers in their fields.  While contract instructors do a fantastic job (and are frequently honored for their efforts), they are no replacement for an academic who spends their days immersed in the field that they are teaching.

For a bit of background on the “sessional problem”, see two articles at Macleans, and one at the Ottawa Citizen (for something a little closer to me) for a bit of background on why people feel so strongly.

(Hat tip to another Chris H).