Reza Moridi, MPP for Richmond Hill, has been appointed Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities in the Cabinet of Premier Kathleen Wynne. Minister Moridi also retains his post of Minister of Research and Innovation. OCUFA looks forward to working with Minister Moridi to build a high quality and accessible higher education system in Ontario.
Minister Moridi is well acquainted with academia. With a PhD in Physics, he has worked as a professor, a Dean, and an academic librarian. This experience will hopefully serve him well as he approaches the challenges and opportunities in Ontario’s university sector.
The challenges are not modest. Ontario universities currently have the worst level of per-student public funding in Canada, and the worst student-to-faculty ratio. This puts the quality of education offered by our institutions at great risk. Low public funding also means that tuition fees at Ontario’s universities are the highest in Canada.
Ontario’s universities continue to attract some of the world’s brightest students – from home and abroad – who are taught by committed and skilled faculty. Minister Moridi must build upon these strengths by investing in our institutions, hiring more full-time faculty, and controlling educational costs. OCUFA stand ready to provide analysis and advice to assist the new Minister in this important work.