Following the extension of solvency relief to some universities (those that have already qualified for Stage 2 relief), OCUFA has been active on many fronts of the pension file. Notable among these are consulting with government on draft regulations for transferring assets between plans; implementation of the Morneau report recommendations; and the pension coalition research project. A draft regulation has already been produced […]
On December 20, 2013, the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities quietly released its Major Capital Expansion Policy Framework . The new policy governs how the government will allocate funds for major new infrastructure projects, including the creation of satellite campuses. The framework establishes four basic criteria for capital projects: Accommodates enrolment growth of more than 1,000 full-time students in the […]
Professors and academic librarians across Ontario are calling for the Government of Ontario to make university teachers a meaningful part of its new “Ontario Online” initiative. The $42 million program was announced today by Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities Brad Duguid. “Ontario’s professors are the ones who design and teach online courses, and yet […]
TORONTO – Professors and academic librarians across Ontario are calling for the Government of Ontario to make university teachers a meaningful part of its new “Ontario Online” initiative. The $42 million program was announced today by Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities Brad Duguid. “Ontario’s professors are the ones who design and teach online courses, […]
The new agreement for contract academic staff at Laurier has been ratified by members and the university’s Board of Governors. The new three-year deal will expire on August 31, 2016. Of the contract academic members voting, 82.1% cast their ballot in favour of the agreement. The new deal provides a 1.5% scale increase in each year, […]
The early-bird registration discount for OCUFA’s “ Future U: Creating the universities we want ” conference ends on Dec. 20, 2013. Register now to save on your conference fee! Future U will consider current trends in higher education, and will explore alternatives that serve the needs of students, faculty, and communities. Topics include: Re-imaging research, teaching, community service, and governance The real uses […]
Across Canada and in Ontario, business and provincial government investment in research is falling, and universities are picking up the slack. The latest data on research and development (R&D) from Statistics Canada indicate that aggregate research expenditures in Canada will fall this year. Once forecast GDP inflation (1.3 per cent) is taken into account, the decline […]
On November 29, 2013, the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities Released its “ Differentiation Policy Framework .” This document is the finalized version of the framework that was leaked in September and then made public on the Ministry’s website. It lays out the principles, components, and metrics that will guide the Ministry’s differentiation policy going forward, and is intended to inform the Strategic Mandate Agreements (SMAs) currently being […]
Contract Academic Staff at Wilfrid Laurier University reached a tentative deal last Tuesday after a mediation session with William Kaplan. The ratification vote is scheduled for Monday, December 2, 2013 and will run until December 6th. OCUFA Report will have more details after the vote is complete. As part of the bargaining strategy, the faculty association […]
The term “program prioritization” has been making headlines recently, as several Ontario universities have begun this controversial rationalization process. Program prioritization involves ranking every academic and administrative program according to set criteria, and then directing more resources to highly ranked programs while marking poor performers for cuts and closure. Program prioritization is based on a […]
On Friday, November 29, 2013, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) released its policy framework for differentiation in Ontario’s university and college sector . According to the document, MTCU views differentiation as “a primary policy driver for the system.” As such, the framework will be used to inform the Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA) process and on-campus initiatives like program prioritization. The document lays […]
Listening to the pundits, you’d think there is an employment crisis for university graduates in Ontario. In fact, our grads are doing just fine despite the negative effects of the financial crisis. The Council of Ontario Universities recently released the results of the 2012 Graduate Survey . According to the report, 92 per cent of those graduating in […]
On November 14, 2013, the magazine Fast Company published a remarkable article . A profile of Udacity founder and Massively Open Online Course (MOOC) evangelist Sebastian Thrun, it contains a stunning revelation: even those closest to the MOOC industry have serious doubts about their quality and educational impact. As Thrun states: “We were on the front pages of newspapers and magazines, and […]
On Thursday, November 14, 2013, contract staff at Wilfrid Laurier University voted in favour of a strike. Of those who voted, 90.6 per cent supported the strike mandate. A date for mediation has been set for November 26th. The 376 contract faculty at Laurier are represented by the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association (WLUFA). As reported in […]
On November 7, Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa presented the government’s Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review to the Ontario Legislature. The fall economic statement allows the government to signal its fiscal priorities between budgets, and Minister Sousa’s November 7 statement indicated a new direction for the provincial government. Under the leadership of Premier Kathleen Wynne, the […]
