The 2012 Ontario Budget essentially took a ‘wait and see’ approach on funding for research and development. After abruptly cancelling three rounds of funding under the Ontario Research Fund (ORF) Research Excellence program late last year, there is no immediate prospect of further cuts. But there will be no new funding to keep pace with either inflation or [Read More…]
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The voice of Ontario’s university professors and academic librarians
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Committed to enhancing the quality of university education in Ontario
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Advancing the professional and economic interests of faculty and academic librarians at Ontario universities
On April 16, 2012, OCUFA President Constance Adamson, Executive Director Mark Rosenfeld, Research Director Donna Gray, and Government and Community Relations Analyst Erica Rayment met with Minister of Labour Linda Jeffrey. This was OCUFA’s first meeting with the Minister. In addition to introducing Minister Jeffrey to the organization, OCUFA sought clarification on some of [Read More…]
The average annual increase of 1.9 per cent in post-secondary and training announced in the recently tabled provincial budget may bring a sigh of relief in some corners. At first pass, it does seem better than the 1.5 per cent average recommended by the Drummond Commission . A closer look is far more disturbing. The projected 1.9 per cent increase is based on “all-in” expenditures by the Ministry [Read More…]
On April 4, 2012, 27 OCUFA ambassadors from faculty associations across Ontario met with MPPs at Queen’s Park. OCUFA representatives met one-on-one with 30 MPPs from university ridings, including six cabinet ministers. There was also a meeting with members of the Premier’s staff. The ambassadors made the case for renewed investment in public university [Read More…]
Writing in the Toronto Star , Michael Mendelsohn of the Caledon Institute for Social Policy observes that the relative size of Ontario’s deficit is not because of spending. In 2009-10, the Ontario government spent the lowest amount of any province per capita – $9,030, seven per cent less than ninth place British Columbia. He cites the Drummond report and points out that 39 per cent [Read More…]
OCUFA has completed a full analysis of the 2012 Ontario Budget. We are deeply concerned about the inadequate operating funding, as well as the apparent willingness of the Government of Ontario to interfere in collective bargaing, pensions, and compensation. Read the full analysis.
Some progress was made recently in the first collective agreement negotiations at Brescia with the parties signing off on three articles. The same cannot be said for St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto; the pace of first contract negotiations there is best described as glacial. The parties have met eight times over four [Read More…]
OCUFA is disappointed that today’s provincial budget effectively cuts university resources while signaling increased government intervention in labour relations. “If you look behind the numbers in the budget, the government is providing less money to universities than recommended by Don Drummond,” said Constance Adamson, President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). “University education is one [Read More…]
By almost any measure, provincial public funding for Ontario universities has lagged behind every other province for nearly two decades. Reckoned in terms of inflation-adjusted per student funding, provincial support bottomed out in 2002-03, rose again for a few years, and has been falling again since 2008-09. Operating expenditures follow a similar pattern. Over [Read More…]
The Government of Ontario has scheduled the 2012 Provincial Budget on March 27, 2012. In advance of its release, OCUFA is pleased to announce its plan for accessible, affordable, and high quality university education. Investing in Ontario’s Future: OCUFA’s 2012 Budget Brief argues that Ontario must reject the ‘austerity agenda’ that has followed in the wake of the Drummond Report and commit to creating a [Read More…]