2022 Ontario Election Advocacy

This election presents a valuable opportunity to put postsecondary education on the agenda and build a better future for Ontario. Each political party is making promises and proposals that will affect university faculty, students, our families, and our communities.

This election, OCUFA is focused on three advocacy priorities:

  • Fairness for contract faculty to ensure all faculty are treated with respect and shift Ontario universities away from their dependence on precarious contract labour.
  • Increase student financial assistance and replace OSAP loans with grants.
  • Strong public funding for universities is necessary to support excellence in teaching and research, especially at universities in Northern Ontario and those that offer Indigenous and bilingual programming.

This webpage provides action you can take to pressure your local Ontario election candidates to support these important investments and includes documents that clarify how the platforms and positions of each political party will impact Ontario’s universities. Please share this site with your friends and colleagues and promote it on your campus.

Check back often for the latest news and additional resources.

This public opinion poll conducted for OCUFA by Ekos Research Associates shows broad support for Ontario’s public postsecondary education system and OCUFA’s election advocacy priorities.

Highlights include:

  • 69% of Ontarians believe that postsecondary education should be a high priority for Ontario’s next government.
  • The majority of Ontarians believe that the next provincial government should provide more funding to universities.
  • Two-thirds of Ontarians agree that students in Northern Ontario should have access to university education in Northern Ontario.
  • 71% of Ontarians support legislation that would ensure contract faculty receive equal pay when doing the same work as their full-time colleagues.
  • The majority of Ontarians support replacing student loans with non-repayable grants.
View Resource

Over the years, OCUFA has been a strong advocate for accessible, high-quality postsecondary education delivered through secure academic jobs, by publicly funded, autonomous universities that are governed collegially through shared governance. This vision has been formalized in several OCUFA policies over the years and informed the organization’s advocacy and political lobbying. Below are the main areas of OCUFA’s advocacy platform for the 2022 Ontario election.

View Resource

Why faculty expertise is essential to implementing university technology


In the latest issue of  Educated Solutions  on the theme of technology in postsecondary education, OCUFA President Nigmendra Narain made the case for why faculty expertise must be integrated into university decision-making around technology and artificial intelligence, now and in the future.   “Students should expect a transformative experience in a classroom. And it’s our faculty who […]

Faculty and academic librarians say more can be done to improve campus safety


OCUFA President Nigmendra Narain spoke to media about the issue of campus safety, following the tragic attack at University of Waterloo in June 2023. In several interviews, he offered recommendations for universities and the provincial government to improve safety for all members of the campus community.   Funding universities properly is an important part of […]

Ontario faculty call for transparency from government on student housing crisis consultations


TORONTO, September 13, 2023 – Faculty and academic librarians are calling for more clarity and bold solutions from the Minister of Colleges and Universities after a recent announcement that the Ministry will host consultations on the student housing crisis this fall. The Minister announced the start of roundtable meetings that include representatives from municipalities, private […]

A Labour Day Interview with OCUFA President Nigmendra Narain


  OCUFA’s new President Nigmendra Narain, a Lecturer in Political Science at Western University, started his two-year term in July 2023. In recognition of Labour Day, he talks about the labour issues faculty and academic librarians face today, and how we can work collaboratively to improve working conditions for all workers across our campuses and […]

The Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC) Joint Statement on Ontario’s Blue-Ribbon Panel


TORONTO, June 1, 2023 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO), Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers Federation (OSSTF/FESSO), Canadian Federation of Students (CFS-Ontario), Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) are deeply concerned about the composition, […]


© 2023 OCUFA. Elections content authorized by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations.

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