The latest provincial-level data on Research and Development (R&D) shows that R&D expenditures as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Ontario continue to be higher than the national average. Only Quebec spends more. Although Canadian – and Ontario and Quebec – businesses spend comparatively less than the OECD average , they still account for the largest proportion of R&D expenditures. Quebec businesses invest […]
Happy New Year! As 2013 gets underway, OCUFA will be busy representing professors and academic librarians as we work to build a high quality and accessible university sector in Ontario. Key initiatives include: Launching a new campaign, “We Teach Ontario”, on January 22, 2013. This new initiative promotes the important connection between teaching and research […]
The Council of Canadian Academies’ report on the gender dimensions of Canada’s research capacity found that the pattern of under-representation of women in universities is similar to that in other advanced countries. While recognizing Canadian women have made great strides, the assessment identified a number of life-course factors affecting their success. The broadest factor concerns the learning and professional trajectories of […]
It is with great sadness that OCUFA announces the passing of Henry Mandelbaum, former Executive Director and cherished member of the OCUFA community. Henry died in Toronto on December 8, 2012 after a long illness. Henry was the Executive Director of OCUFA from 1996 until his retirement in 2011. During this time, he navigated the […]
Female academics in Canada have made gains, but their progress remains uneven by discipline and rank according to new research. The Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) recently released an assessment of the factors influencing the career paths of women academics at Canadian universities. Part of the story it tells is similar to the one outlined in last year’s Statistics […]
Last week, former COU head Ian Clark published an article in the National Post calling for Ontario to adopt California-style university differentiation. Based on a larger research paper submitted to the Government of Ontario, Clark argues that Californian universities get more teaching and research for public dollars than Ontarian institutions. In a recently published response , Ken Snowdon takes this argument apart (full disclosure: OCUFA did […]
On November 28, 2012, OCUFA President Constance Adamson met with Rob Leone, MPP for Cambridge and PC Critic for Training, Colleges, and Universities. The purpose of the meeting was to provide the faculty perspective on higher education issues for an upcoming Tory white paper. During the meeting, Adamson highlighted the need for teaching and research to […]
Much has been made recently about the “productivity” of Ontario’s universities. But when it comes to graduation rates – a key indicator of productivity – Ontario leads the United States by a huge margin. In 2010, the Ontario government set a goal of a 70 per cent post-secondary attainment rate (including apprenticeships) amongst Ontarians by 2020. This would mean […]
As the print edition of Academic Matters arrives in faculty mailboxes across Ontario, we would like to invite you participate in our reader survey. Your feedback ensures that the magazine remains relevant, focused, and attentive to the issues that matter most to the academic community. When you complete the survey, you will be entered to win […]
Our latest conference is coming up quickly—only a month and a half remains to register for “Academia in the Age of Austerity.” The program features two days of insightful presentations and engaging discussion with speakers and participants from universities, research institutes, government, and the private sector in Canada, the United States, and Europe. The conference will […]
The latest survey of faculty by the Higher Education Research Institute indicates that stress levels have gone up for full-time faculty members at US universities and four-year colleges. The single most common cause of “some” or “extensive” stress for those at public universities is “institutional budget cuts” – cited by 86 per cent of respondents, as compared […]
The November issue of Academic Matters, OCUFA’s journal of higher education, is now available online and in faculty association offices across Ontario. Featuring articles by Ken Coates and Chilean academic Andrés Bernasconi, as well as several Quebec faculty members and students, the issue examines “Anger and the Academy”. Looking at the recent and unprecedented protest […]
Bill Morneau, the Government of Ontario’s advisor on pooled asset pensions, has released his recommendations on how to combine the assets of Ontario’s smaller public pension plans, including those for university faculty. OCUFA is currently conducting a thorough analysis of his report, which we will make available on the OCUFA website soon. In the meantime, […]
The latest education indicators from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) suggest that Canada ranks third amongst OECD countries in annual expenditures per student in tertiary (college and university) education. These figures include expenditures by governments on direct support to colleges and universities, support for research and development, and financial support to individuals in the […]
Glen Murray has resigned his cabinet post as Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities to pursue the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party. The leader – and premier – position was left open following the resignation of Dalton McGuinty on October 15, 2012. Minister Murray’s campaign page, RenewLiberal.ca, does not yet contain full platform details. […]