Last weekend, the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Glen Murray met with OCUFA’s Board of Directors during its October meeting. The Minister was questioned on his plans for higher education reform in Ontario, on the government’s agenda for university pension plans, and on public sector wage restraint.
Overall, it was clear that the Minister has opted for a longer-term, more measured approach to university reform. While he is interested in pursuing pilot projects at specific universities – informed by the Strategic Mandate Agreement process – there will not be an attempt to impose change across the sector.
On pensions, the Minister announced that the Government of Ontario will support OCUFA’s proposal to research the implications of suggested changes to university plans. The Minister also reiterated the government’s desire for a two-year wage freeze for university faculty, although he did not indicate how they plan to achieve this goal in the wake of the prorogation of the Legislature.
OCUFA will continue to meet with Minister Murray and his staff to ensure that faculty perspectives are well understood and reflected in policy proposals going forward.
This article originally appeared in the OCUFA Report. To receive stories like this every week in your inbox, please subscribe.