Education in Politics Archives - Wilfrid Laurier University Staff Association

Government-announced PSE funding is inadequate and falls short of what is needed for a robust, sustainable post-secondary education sector

March 6, 2024/in Did you know?, Education in Politics, OSSTF/by Tracy Cochrane

The Ontario University and Colleges Coalition (OUCC), which represents over 435,000 faculty, staff, and students from every public postsecondary institution in Ontario, has been ringing the alarm on the post-secondary education sector’s underfunding crisis, which has been in the making for over a decade through consecutive austerity budgets, privatization, and burdening students and their families with financing the sector. The issue of underfunding is well documented by labour unions and associations in the sector, confirmed by multiple reports from the Auditor General of Ontario, and also echoed by the government’s own Blue-Ribbon panel.

https://campuscoalition.org/post/pse-funding/

Ford Government’s University Funding Announcement Continues To Failstruggling Universities

February 26, 2024/in Education in Politics, OSSTF/by Tracy Cochrane

MEDIA STATEMENT
For Immediate Release: Monday, February 26, 2024

https://wlusa.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024FebOSSTFFEESOPostSecondaryFundingStatement-2.pdf

Stacey: It’s time to shrink Ontario’s university administrations

February 5, 2024/in Did you know?, Education in Politics/by Tracy Cochrane

Every university position should have to be justified in terms of a university’s primary mandate: to educate students and produce knowledge.

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/stacey-its-time-to-shrink-ontarios-university-administrations

Federal Government Institutes Cap on International Students

January 24, 2024/in Did you know?, Education in Politics, OSSTF/by Tracy Cochrane

In case you missed it the Liberal Federal Government has put into place a cap on the number of international student visas they will allow. They are also going to control what parts of the country visa students are allowed to study in.

For more information go to: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/international-student-visas-1.7092512

Karen Littlewood , president of OSSTF/FEESO has spoken out about this cap and the impact it will have on post-secondary institutions and students. In addition OSSTF/FEESO has put out a statement in response.

The link to President, Karen Littlewood’s radio interview this morning with 900 CHML (Hamilton) on underfunding in the post-secondary sector (starts around 13:50 mark): https://twitter.com/AM900CHML/status/1749822661297930345

A link to the media release OSSTF/FEESO published yesterday (see attachments) in response to the announcement: https://www.osstf.on.ca/news/cap-on-international-students-exposes-ford-government-underfunding-of-universities.aspx

More or Less: Its All Being Done With Less. Or Is It?

January 12, 2024/in Did you know?, Education in Politics, Labour Movement/by Tracy Cochrane

Deficits and budget cuts are a systemic problem across the post-secondary sector across all of Ontario. We are all being forced to do more with less, or in our case less with less. The Ford government is doing everything it can to privatize not only our healthcare system but also education.

We can no longer sit back and think that Ford’s policies are someone else’s problem. While the next provincial election is a long way off this should not mean that we do not call out our local MPPs. This is a call to action; to stand against those are seeking to dismantle public education.

https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/it-s-simply-at-a-breaking-point-universities-warn-of-dark-days-ahead-and-call-for-end-of-tuition-freeze-1.6722240

https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/deficit-is-an-acute-problem-queen-s-university-eyes-drastic-cutbacks-addresses-students-1.6722358

Ontario Universities Facing Insolvency Due to Doug Ford’s cuts

December 12, 2023/in Education in Politics/by Tracy Cochrane

Multiple new reports about the state of Ontario’s universities are calling for more funding from the provincial government, citing cuts under Premier Doug Ford that are pushing some institutions toward insolvency

https://www.blogto.com/city/2023/12/ontario-universities-facing-insolvency-doug-ford-cuts/

After years of work, Ontario faculty say major victory achieved on protecting public universities

December 12, 2023/in Did you know?, Education in Politics, Uncategorized/by Tracy Cochrane

Some possible protection given our current financial situation.

After years of work, Ontario faculty say major victory achieved on protecting public universities

The University of Waterloo is projecting a $15-million deficit this year. Here’s how it happened, and what can be done.

November 29, 2023/in Did you know?, Education in Politics/by Tracy Cochrane

We are not trying to say that misery loves company but sometimes it’s good to know we are not alone.

https://www.therecord.com/opinion/contributors/the-university-of-waterloo-is-projecting-a-15-million-deficit-this-year-here-s-how/article_5c671382-4802-5690-9129-195d1130801d.html

Blue-Ribbon report recommendations not enough for Ontario universities to achieve excellence

November 29, 2023/in Did you know?, Education in Politics/by Tracy Cochrane

The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) says the government’s Blue-Ribbon Panel’s recommendations fall far short of what is required to even adequately fund Ontario’s world-class public universities. https://ocufa.on.ca/press-releases/blue-ribbon-report-recommendations-not-enough-for-ontario-universities-to-achieve-excellence/

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