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New Poll: Increased university funding, good jobs, more student aid should be priorities of next Ontario government

Thursday, March 31st, 2022

Although 81 per cent of Ontarians believe that all eligible students should have access to a university education, two out of three (68 per cent) are concerned that today’s young people might not be able to afford a university education due to the cost and 52 per cent believe that the provincial government offers too little financial support to students wanting to attend… 61 per cent of Ontarians support replacing government student loans with grants that do not have to be repaid.

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Posted in Education Debates | 1 Comment »


Laurentian’s collapse driven by Ford government’s agenda of austerity and privatization

Friday, February 25th, 2022

The Ford government’s obsession with austerity and privatization was a major driver of Laurentian University’s insolvency and collapse… Years of chronic underfunding incentivized Ontario universities to seek other forms of financial support, including alarmingly high tuition fees and private funding with strings attached. This approach drove Laurentian to the brink and Ford’s apparent refusal to support the university in that moment of need pushed it over the edge.

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Posted in Education Delivery System | 1 Comment »


Strong, stable funding for Ontario’s Universities is an investment in Ontario’s future

Friday, February 11th, 2022

Public funding for universities in Ontario is at record low levels, while tuition fees are high, and academic work is becoming increasingly precarious… OCUFA’s recommendations are to: Increase per-student public investment… to improve Ontario’s rank by one spot among other provinces… restore the enrolment-based funding model… Implement meaningful increases to the Northern and Bilingual Grants, special purpose funding (particularly for Indigenous programming and supports), and research funding…

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Laurentian’s collapse driven by Ford government’s agenda of austerity and privatization

Thursday, February 10th, 2022

The Ford government’s obsession with austerity and privatization was a major driver of Laurentian University’s insolvency and collapse… Northern Ontario deserves better. The Ontario government must recognize the important mandate of northern and bilingual institutions and increase special purpose grants for those institutions while also making additional investments in universities that serve Indigenous communities.

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Posted in Education Delivery System | 1 Comment »


Faculty associations ask federal candidates to protect public institutions from private-sector restructuring

Thursday, September 16th, 2021

This federal election is an opportunity to commit to our cherished public institutions that have been created for the common good, including universities, and to ensure that they are protected from proceedings designed for private sector corporations under the BIA and CCAA acts. It is the responsibility of federal and provincial governments to ensure the health and sustainability of public institutions through appropriate instruments and regulations for the public sector.

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Posted in Education Delivery System | 1 Comment »


CCAA at Laurentian University threatens Indigenous studies and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action

Tuesday, May 4th, 2021

OCUFA is deeply concerned about the impact of the CCAA process on the Indigenous Studies program’s staff, students, and faculty, as well as Indigenous communities in the North. The historic injustices Indigenous people in Canada have been and continue to be subjected to, in addition to the chronic underfunding of postsecondary education and Indigenous education, mean that Indigenous students and faculty are disproportionately impacted by this process.

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Laurentian’s senior leadership and Minister of Colleges and Universities should step down in wake of financial crisis

Wednesday, April 14th, 2021

The devastating cuts at Laurentian are the direct result of negligence on the part of Minister Romano, who was well aware of the financial challenges Laurentian was facing at least six months before they became public. Faculty no longer believe that Romano is listening to their concerns, or those of staff or students. As a result of the Minister’s inaction, Ontario’s university faculty and academic librarians have lost confidence and trust in Romano’s commitment to the university sector.

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Posted in Education Delivery System | 19 Comments »


OCUFA calls for resignation of Ross Romano amid devastating cuts to jobs and programs at Laurentian University

Tuesday, April 13th, 2021

The financial crisis facing Laurentian was created by the provincial government, which has chronically underfunded Ontario’s universities, cut and froze tuition fees without providing equivalent public funding, and abandoned an important Northern university in its greatest moment of need… Romano has demonstrated the same resistance to consultation, transparency, and accountability as the Laurentian administration.

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Posted in Education Debates | 2 Comments »


2021 budget a missed opportunity to invest in Ontario’s future

Thursday, March 25th, 2021

The budget doesn’t increase operating grants for universities, which continues the chronic underfunding of Ontario’s public university system. Under the Ford government, per-student funding for universities will drop even further, as institutions will be expected to increase enrolment over the next three years without any additional money… further destabilizing a sector already reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic and jeopardizing our economic recovery.

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OCUFA condemns the Ford government for granting McVety’s Canada Christian College university-status

Tuesday, January 12th, 2021

“Granting Canada Christian College university status and the ability to offer Bachelor of Arts and Science degrees sends Ontarians exactly the wrong message about education, religious diversity, and multiculturalism,” said David Seljak. “It tells the people of Ontario that it is perfectly acceptable to publicly promote extremist views that target minority populations.”

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Posted in Education Debates | 23 Comments »


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