On March 6, 2012, OCUFA President Constance Adamson met with NDP Critic for Training, Colleges and Universities Teresa Armstrong. Adamson highlighted several issues important to Ontario’s professors and academic librarians, including the need for renewed investment in higher education. Ms. Armstrong and her staff indicated her desire to work with OCUFA and bring these issues forward in the legislature.
On March 7, 2012, OCUFA’s Executive Director and Government and Community Relations Policy Analyst sat down with some of Premier Dalton McGuinty’s senior staff. They provided some clarity on leaked government proposals for higher education that have been circulating in the media. Namely, these proposals – three-year degrees, year-round university programming and greater use of online learning – do not reflect official policy but are intended to provoke discussion within the sector. The Premier’s staff also indicated that the online institute is paused while the government works through its current fiscal situation. The proposal to create three new satellite campuses will be going ahead, but the timelines are unclear.
OCUFA will continue to meet with politicians, political staff, and civil servants over the coming weeks to ensure the faculty perspective is included in all policy discussions.
This article originally appeared in the OCUFA Report. To receive stories like this every week in your inbox, please subscribe.