Higher Education

The early-bird registration discount for OCUFA’s “ Future U: Creating the universities we want ” conference ends on Dec. 20, 2013. Register now to save on your conference fee! Future U will consider current trends in higher education, and will explore alternatives that serve the needs of students, faculty, and communities. Topics include: Re-imaging research, teaching, community service, and governance The real uses […]

Much has been made about the supposed Canadian “skills gap”, or the mismatch between the skills needed to fill vacant jobs and the skills actually possessed by workers. But new research by TD Economics suggests that the “gap” is largely a myth. The study, Jobs in Canada , finds that concerns about the skills gap are unsupported by […]

On June 19-21, 2013, OCUFA was please to co-host Worldviews 2013: Global Trends in Media and Higher Education . Over three days, 250 speakers and delegates came together to discuss the relationship between media and higher education, a critical issue for those who study and work in higher education institutions as well as those who make their living covering university and college issues. Participants included […]

Talking about tuition fees out of context makes little sense, according to a report on Learning and Earning by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). Hugh Mackenzie writes that the role of the income tax system must be taken into account in any discussion of tuition fee policy. In most provinces, government funding is the largest single […]

A group of academics from around the world intend to commit Sociology at every panel, keynote and even during coffee breaks at Worldviews 2013 , a conference co-organized by OCUFA. Download the Twitter Avatar! Download the Facebook Cover Image!Keep Calm and Commit Sociology ” reads the promotional buttons produced by a group of academics who took Stephen Harper to task today over recent comments about the sources of terrorism […]

Higher education is a provincial responsibility, which gives the federal government a free pass when it comes to scrutiny of university and college funding. But the decline in federal transfers for postsecondary institutions is a big reason why tuition is so high and per-student public funding levels are so low. Federal funding for universities, colleges, and […]

Today, OCUFA released new poll findings on public attitudes towards higher education and austerity in Northern Ontario. Presented at a news conference at Laurentian University, the results indicate that residents of the region do not want the government’s deficit-cutting agenda to compromise the quality of university education in the province. Key findings include: 74 per […]

The free-fall in US state government support for universities is over. According to data collected by the Grapevine project at the Illinois State University Center of Education Policy, total state support in 2012-13 remains virtually the same as the previous year. That said, it is still 11 per cent lower than it was five years […]

Today, OCUFA released new poll findings on public attitudes towards higher education and austerity in Southwestern Ontario. Presented at a news conference at the University of Western Ontario, the results indicate that residents of the region do not want the government’s deficit-cutting agenda to compromise the quality of university education in the province. Key findings […]

On Wednesday, February 6, 2013, OCUFA will be co-presenting a town hall discussion on austerity and higher education at Western University. We invite all London-area students, staff, and faculty to join us for an evening of discussion and analysis. Speakers include: Jeff Tennant – Associate Professor, Department of French Studies, UWO Alison Hearn – Associate […]

On Tuesday, January 29, 2013, OCUFA will be co-presenting a town hall discussion on austerity and higher education. We invite all Ottawa-area students, staff, and faculty to join us for an evening of discussion and analysis. Speakers include: David Macdonald – Senior Economist, The Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives Prof. Tyler Chamberlin – Assistant Professor, […]

Today, OCUFA released new poll findings on public attitudes towards higher education and austerity in Ontario’s 905 region. Presented at a news conference at McMaster University in Hamilton, the results indicate that residents of the 905 region do not want the government’s deficit-cutting agenda to compromise the quality of university education in Ontario. Other key […]

Ontarians do not want the government’s austerity agenda to compromise the quality of university education in the province, according to a new study released today by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). While most Ontarians think it is important to reduce the provincial deficit, over two-thirds oppose any cost-cutting measure that reduces the quality of education received by students. “The […]