A new study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) – Tier for Two: Managing the Optics of Provincial Tuition Fee Policies – finds that tuition fees across Canada continue to rise, as public funding falls. The report notes that Ontario consistently has the highest tuition fees in Canada, and predicts that fees in the province will hit $9,438 by 2017-18. Across Canada, tuition fees […]
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“Class Struggles” – a CBC Radio documentary airing this Sunday – presents faculty across Ontario and Canada with an opportunity to begin e a national conversation about the growing precarity of university sector workers. Interviewer Ira Basen spoke with part-time faculty at several universities across Ontario. The documentary looks at the challenges facing precarious faculty. […]
Research and development should be a partnership between business, universities, and government. The latest data on Industrial Research and Development have now been released by Statistics Canada, and it shows that business is letting down its side of the deal. Canadian business spending on research and development activities is expected to be at its lowest level in 2014 than […]
Today, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) released the Strategic Mandate Agreements (SMAs) signed with every Ontario college and university . Each SMA covers a three-year period, expiring in 2017. The agreements are intended to determine a university’s key priorities, and to align these priorities with the government’s Differentiation Policy Framework. It is expected that the SMAs will have an impact on new program approvals. It […]
The latest data from the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO) indicates that Ontario’s per-student provincial operating funding for 2012-13 was 35 per cent less than the average in the rest of Canada. When it comes to funding levels, we are the undisputed kings of the basement. After the deep cuts imposed by Mike […]
On Monday, July 14, the Liberal government introduced a new budget identical to the one that sparked the recent election. And with a majority in the legislature, this budget is certain to pass. So what does it mean for higher education in Ontario? In short, small funding increases in some areas, but a continued slide […]
Ontario’s professors and academic librarians are today looking forward to working with Premier Kathleen Wynne and her government to address Ontario’s higher education challenges. “While Ontario’s colleges and universities were not a focus of the election campaign, they are among our most powerful tools for creating jobs, boosting the economy, and building a fairer society,” […]
There are only 24 hours left until Ontario goes to the polls to choose its next government. In an election that was supposedly all about jobs and the economy, the leaders of the three major parties have said very little about our job creating and economy boosting universities. But you can remind them how important […]
On Thursday, March 8, 2014, the Premier Kathleen Wynne unveiled a sweeping “Accountability Act” that, among other reforms, will allow the provincial Ombudsperson – currently Andre Marin – to investigate universities. The proposed act also extends Ombudsperson oversight to municipalities and school boards. Other reforms include changes to the lobbyist registry and a new requirement for MPPs and civil servants to […]
New data shows that the Ontario government operating funding to universities in 2012-13 did not keep up with enrolment increases. For the first time in a while, the level of funding also failed to keep up with inflation. The latest Financial Report of Ontario Universities from the Council of Finance Officers – Universities of Ontario shows that provincial operating funding was […]
On January 28, 2014, Premier Kathleen Wynne announced the creation of a Technical Advisory Group to advise the government on strengthening retirement security in Ontario. This follows last week’s appointment of Paul Martin as a special advisor on the creation of a provincial pension plan. The new advisory group will “advise the government on how to improve the retirement income system, including an Ontario-based alternative to a Canada Pension Plan (CPP) enhancement.” […]
A new survey by the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) shows that the people of Ontario think universities make an important contribution to the province , behind only hospitals and schools in public esteem. Ontarians also think that students “benefit greatly” from a university education. This level of public support demonstrates the resilience of public attitudes in the face of negative – and […]
OCUFA is pleased to announce the release of our 2014 budget recommendations. As with past years, our budget submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs (SCFEA) seeks to improve the quality of higher education in Ontario through investment in operating grants and hiring of full time faculty. We are sensitive to the […]
Ontario’s professors and academic librarians are welcoming the news that former Prime Minister Paul Martin will help develop a new Ontario Pension Plan. Martin’s appointment was announced yesterday by Premier Kathleen Wynne. “A consensus is building that that an enhanced public pension plan is a desirable solution to the growing retirement income security crisis for […]
The latest international comparative education data was recently released by Statistics Canada. As with previous editions, Canada fares well when it comes to the percentage of 25 to 64 year olds with tertiary education (college and university) credentials – 51 per cent compared to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average of 33 […]