Dear Colleagues;
Today, the Government of Ontario made a pre-budget announcement of funding for 60,000 new student spaces at Ontario colleges and universities by 2015. Attached is OCUFA’s response to this new funding. The press release indicates our appreciation for the new funding, but warns that additional funds will be required to ensure high-quality teaching and research alongside this enrolment growth.
OCUFA will also be attending the Budget Lock-Up tomorrow and providing commentary and analysis on the 2011 Budget. Please stay tuned for more budget-related materials.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
Best regards,
Graeme
Graeme Stewart
Communication and Government Relations Manager
Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations
300-83 Yonge St. ~ Toronto, ON ~ M5C 1S8
416 979 2117 x232 (Office) | 647 280 3175 (Mobile)
[email protected] | www.ocufa.on.ca | www.twitter.com/ocufa
Ontario faculty welcome investments in post-secondary education, highlight need to fund quality teaching
TORONTO – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is pleased by today’s announcement that the Government of Ontario will create 60,000 new college and university spaces by 2015. However, OCUFA cautions that the government will need to make additional funding available to support teaching so as to ensure that these students receive a high quality education.
“Ontario’s professors and academic librarians appreciate the funding announced today by the provincial government. University education strengthens our economy and builds success for our young people, so of course it should be as widely available as possible,” said Mark Langer, President of OCUFA. “However, the government also needs to make sure these new students have access to the faculty and facilities required to make good on their investment.”
Despite the Government’s important funding increases, the core activities of Ontario’s universities – teaching and research – remain underfunded. Right now, Ontario has the worst student-to-faculty ratio in Canada at 27-to-1. Adding new students to the system without investing in new faculty and infrastructure renewal will make this situation worse and threaten the quality of higher education in the province.
“The Government of Ontario under Dalton McGuinty has an impressive record of investment in higher education,” said Langer. “The premier understands, as we do, how important high-quality universities are to the future of Ontario. We hope tomorrow’s budget will recognize the need to invest in teaching by providing funds for new faculty hiring and the renewal of classrooms, labs, and libraries.”
Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty and academic librarians in 27 faculty associations across Ontario. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at http://www.ocufa.on.ca.
Contact: Graeme Stewart – 416 979 2117 x232 (office) or 647 280 3175 [email protected]