Higher education in Ontario

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Higher education in Ontario includes postsecondary education and skills training regulated by the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities and provided by universities, colleges of applied arts and technology, and private career colleges.^[1] The current minister is John Milloy who assumed the role October 30, 2007 from the previous minister Chris Bentley. The ministry administers laws covering twenty-one public universities,^[2] seventeen privately funded degree granting institutions,^[3] twenty-four colleges,^[4] and over 500 private career colleges.^[5] The Canadian constitution provides each province with the responsibility for higher education and there is no corresponding national federal ministry of higher education.^[6] Within Canadian federalism the division of responsibilities and taxing powers between the Ontario and Canadian governments creates the need for cooperation to fund and deliver higher education to students. Each higher education system aims to improve participation, access, and mobility for students. A university and college admissions system manages the process of students' entry into higher education institutions. The Ontario Universities' Application Centre and Ontario College Application Service are two central organizations that assist with this admissions process. Upon admission, students may get involved with regional student representation with the Canadian Federation of Students, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, or through the College Student Alliance in Ontario.

Contents 1 History 2 Structure 2.1 Higher education institutions 2.2 Associations 3 Funding 4 Participation, access, and mobility 5 Future 6 See also 7 References

[edit] History

See also: Federal presence in higher education in Canada

Higher education preceded Canadian confederation with the establishment of private and sectarian universities in Ontario during the early 1800s.^[7] In 1867, the Canadian constitution established in section 91 that the government of Canada has responsibility for trade and commerce whereas section 93 conferred to each province responsibility for education.^[8] Higher education in Canada reflects this division of powers in Canadian federalism through the overlapping of interests and responsibilities between the provinces and the federal presence in higher education in Canada. In 1874, the Canadian government established the first federal institution of higher education in Kingston, Ontario, the Royal Military College of Canada.^[9] By 1900, there were eight public universities established in Ontario. In 1906, controversy over the role of the Ontario government and the leadership of the University of Toronto led to the Flavelle Commission that articulated a separation of powers that led to the widespread adoption of the bicameral governance model in Canada.^[10] Over the next forty-two years, four more public universities were added in the province. In 1996, the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training released the first review of higher education as a system.^[11] By 2000, there was a total of twenty public universities established in Ontario. In 2005, the Honourable Bob Rae released a comprehensive review of postsecondary education entitled Ontario: A leader in learning or more commonly referred to as the Rae Report (or Rae Review).^[12] Within four months of its release, the provincial government of Premier Dalton McGuinty implemented an investment plan for postsecondary education called "Reaching Higher" outlining its strategy until 2010.^[13]

[edit] Structure

The higher education system in Ontario includes the interaction between government, external advisory bodies, educational institutions, and associations. The Canadian constitution allocates final authority for higher education in Ontario to the provincial government. In practice, the responsibility lies with the Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities who is a member of the Executive Council of Ontario (or cabinet) reporting to the Premier and held accountable by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The deputy minister manages the operations of the ministry that includes five main divisions. As a whole, the ministry has responsibility for administration of laws relating to postsecondary education and skills training in Ontario. The divisions cover employment and training, postsecondary education, strategic policy and programs, corporate management and services, and French-language education and educational operations.^[14] The divisions report to the deputy minister who then reports to the minister.^[15] The Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities works with several external advisory bodies to assist the governance of the higher education system in Ontario.^[16]

[edit] Higher education institutions

See also: List of universities in Ontario and List of colleges in Ontario

Ontario is home for three out of the six Canadian Ivy League universities. Governance within Ontario universities generally follows a bicameral approach with separation of authority between a board and senate.^[17] In total, there are twenty-one public universities and seventeen privately funded institutions with degree granting authority in a list of universities in Ontario. In addition, there are twenty-four colleges and over 500 private career colleges that are not classified as universities.^[18] Ontario's private career colleges provide specific skills training for employment and must be registered with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.^[19] A program run by ServiceOntario enables students to search for career colleges providing vocational training in their field of interest.^[20]

[edit] Associations

See also: List of Ontario students' associations

There are seven associations in Ontario that provide representation for faculty, staff, institutions, and students by interacting within the structure of higher education in Ontario.

• Established in 1962, the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) represents twenty degree granting institutions through a committee consisting of one executive and one academic from each member institution.^[21] The COU supports a wide range of activities regarding issues to enhance the role of universities (e.g., Council & Committees) and collaboration between institutions to increase effectiveness (e.g., sharing information through Common University Data Ontario).^[22]
• Established in 1964, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) represents 15,000 teachers, researchers, and librarians through its interaction with the Ontario government, opposition parties, related agencies, and associations. In addition, OCUFA allows its twenty-three member faculty associations to coordinate media relations and research for collective bargaining.^[23]
• Established in 1974, the Confederation of University Staff Associations & Unions (COUSA) represents non-union and union non-academic staff by providing a forum to share information, workshops, a common lobbying voice, and a method for collective action. In addition, COUSA participates in a Coalition for Post-Secondary Education that includes the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and related higher education associations.^[24]
• The twenty-four colleges in Ontario have access to representation and advocacy delivered by Colleges Ontario.
• Established in 1975, the College Student Alliance (CSA) represents 109,000 students across twenty-three student associations at colleges in Ontario. The CSA focuses on developing its members and advocacy on issues for students at college and college-university institutions.^[25]
• Established in 1981, the Canadian Federation of Students Ontario represents 300,000 students across thirty student unions in Ontario.^[26] The federation focuses on advocacy through effective research, lobbying, and student mobilization. ^[27]
• Established in 1992, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance represents 140,000 students at seven Ontario higher education institutions. The alliance focuses on higher education issues related to accessibility, affordability, accountability and quality.^[28]

[edit] Funding

The public funding of higher education in Ontario primarily relies on cooperation between the government of Canada and the government of Ontario. Public funding of higher education involves direct public funding of institutions for instruction, investment, and research combined with funding of students.^[29] To fund public higher education institutions, the government of Ontario can use funds from the Canada Health Transfer, Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing programs for financing instruction and investment. Funding of research is supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Canada Research Chairs program, the Indirect Costs of Research program, and through Networks of Centres of Excellence. Both governments of Canada and Ontario provide funding and support for postsecondary students.

• Parents receive funding from the government of Canada to save money for the post-secondary education of their children. The Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) is a financial instrument that acts as a tax shelter. The Canada Education Savings Grant provides funds to eligible parents to deposit into a RESP account. The Canada Learning Bond targets assistance to parents less likely to have funds available to contribute to a RESP account.
• Students may receive funding through loans from the Canada-Ontario Integrated Student Loan, grants or targeted bursaries available through the Ontario Student Assistance Program, or funds available from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation.^[30] In addition, students with earnings who have previously contributed to a Canadian retirement tax shelter (i.e., the Registered Retirement Savings Plan) may make tax-free withdrawals under the Canadian tax system using the Lifelong Learning Plan as long as the funds are repaid within a ten year period.

[edit] Participation, access, and mobility

The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities of Ontario through the Ontario’s Student Access Guarantee policy supports post-secondary students in financial needs to cover the cost of books, tuitions, and other mandatory fees.^[31] To determine if students are eligible to obtain funding, they need to meet the student loan eligibility criteria and/or grant eligibility criteria in addition to be attending to an approved program at an approved postsecondary institution. Students are encouraged to contact the financial aid available through Ontario colleges and universities.^[32] Post secondary institutions that want to increase access to students through financial support and wish to become approved for the Ontario Student Assistance Program need to apply to OSAP.^[33] Administrators of post-secondary and lending institutions that want to participate in the adminstration of Ontario Student Assistance Program should get permission from their Program Administrator or Banking Coordinator.^[34]

The Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities of Ontario, Dr. Milloy, works regularly with the Ontario Student Assistance Appeal Board and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program Selection Board to consider students appeals from OSAP and policies concerning accessibility to the Ontario Graduate Scholarship program. The Ministry’s Review of the Post-Secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000 is being reviewed by the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities to ensure that all Ontarians have access to an affordable, high quality education. At the government's request, the Honourable Bob Rae conducted a review of postsecondary education in Ontario. Reaching Higher: The McGuinty Plan for Post-Secondary Education responds to the recommendations of that review. Reaching Higher will provide a cumulative investment of $6.2 billion in Ontario's postsecondary education and training system by 2009-10 with the expectation that this investment will result in more access, higher quality and better accountability.^[35]

According to the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), student access includes offering to all willing and qualified students the opportunity to enter and complete their degrees within Ontario’s system of post-secondary education. OUSA sates that, despite the $6.2 additional billion, Ontario faces accessibility challenges since certain groups such as lower-income backgrounds, aboriginal, rural and single parent students are underrepresented in the post secondary system.^[36]

For provincial mobility, the Ontario Transfer Guide Index provides information about student transfer, credit transfer and policy among post secondary education institutions in Ontario and other provinces in Canada.^[37] It also provides information for international students on pre-requisites for admission and credential recognition.^[38] For international mobility, the Canadian Centre of International Credentials (CICIC), a unit of the Council of Ministers of Education of Canada (CMEC), offers information about admissions to colleges and universities and credential assessment services across Canada. CICIC advocates for a wider recognition of higher education and professional qualifications.^[39][40][41]

[edit] Future

The future of Higher Education in Ontario will face gradual economic constraint, increasing integration with business and industry, and an extensive use of technology.^[42] Internalization of higher education is also on the rise. The number of domestic students studying abroad and international students studying in Canada is increasing rapidly.^[43] Students who are involved in higher education programs in western developed economies may have a gross rate of return to a year's additional education ranges between 5 and 10 per cent. The World Bank, amongst other development specialists, has recognized that low levels of education are often key risk factors for poverty. A TD Economics paper reports that a university-educated worker's weekly earnings are on average 61 per cent higher than their counterparts with just a high school education. However, in combining the revenues for peer state private and public universities, Ontario invested 44 per cent less annually in its university system compared with the system in the peer states. Continuous under funding of education can be linked to Ontario's prosperity gap. Studies reflect that under funding in education is one of the contributing factors of a $6,000 per person prosperity gap between Ontario and the jurisdictional average.^[44]

[edit] See also

• Higher education in Canada
• Education in Ontario
• Ministry of Education (Ontario)
• List of Ontario students' associations
• List of universities in Ontario
• List of colleges in Ontario

[edit] References