On Monday, January 9, OCUFA president Judy Bates presented the priorities and concerns of Ontario’s university faculty to representatives of the Ministry of Finance as part of the Ontario government’s pre-budget consultations.
Bates highlighted the need to ensure that Ontario’s universities provide a high quality learning experience adequately resourced through robust public financial support. Currently, Ontario universities receive the lowest level of per-student funding in Canada and have the worst student-to-faculty ratios.
For Ontario’s universities to thrive, the government should invest in hiring more full-time faculty to close the gap in student-to-faculty ratios and reduce institutional dependence on precarious contract faculty positions.
Faculty voices on the 2017 Ontario Budget will be heard again on January 19 when Bates presents to the government’s all-party Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs.