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 Glen Murray who assumed the role October 19, 2011 from the previous minister John Milloy. The ministry administers laws covering 22 public universities,[2] 24 public colleges (21 Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATs) and three Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning (ITALs)),[3] seventeen privately-funded religious universities,[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. There are two central organizations that assist with the process of applying to Ontario universities and colleges: the Ontario Universities' Application Centre and Ontario College Application Service. While application services are centralized, admission and selection processes vary and are the purview of each institution independently. Admission to many Ontario postsecondary institutions can be highly competitive. Upon admission, students may get involved with regional student representation with the Canadian Federation of Students, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, or through the College Student Alliance in Ontario.
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The Constitutional Act of 1791 by the British House of Commons divided the old province of Quebec into two British colonies. The western colony became Upper Canada with John Graves Simcoe as its first head of state by fulfilling the role of Lieutenant Governor. Governor Simcoe was the first advocate for establishing educational institutions in the new colony to increase citizens' connection to Britain and prevent the incursion of influence from post-revolutionary schools in the United States.[7] In 1797, the Duke of Portland agreed, on behalf of the British King, to the request from the Legislative Council and House of Assembly of Upper Canada for a portion of Crown Land to support the foundation of grammar schools and a college or university.[8] Higher education preceded Canadian confederation with the establishment of private and sectarian universities in Ontario during the early 19th century.[9] Initially, Ontario's first three universities were formed with religious affiliations.[10] Established in 1827, King's College was associated with the Church of England through its first president John Strachan. The Presbyterian Church established Queen's University in 1841.[10] In addition, the Roman Catholic Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate established the College of Bytown in 1848.[10] In 1849, the government of Upper Canada decided to secularize King's College and the institution became the University of Toronto. In 1866, the College of Bytown completed its conversion to the University of Ottawa through incorporation by Royal charter from the government in London, England.[11]
In 1867, section 91 of the Canadian constitution established that the government of Canada has responsibility for trade and commerce whereas section 93 conferred to each province responsibility for education.[6] 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 1868, the province of Ontario withdrew financial support for religious universities.[10] In 1874, the Canadian government established the first federal institution of higher education in Kingston, Ontario, the Royal Military College of Canada.[9] In 1876, the Ontario Society of Artists founded the forerunner to the Ontario College of Art & Design at the Toronto Normal School. In 1878, Bishop Isaac Hellmuth founded the "Western University of London" with religious affiliation to the Anglican Diocese of Huron and later the institution became the non-denominational University of Western Ontario. In 1887, William McMaster founded McMaster University by merging Toronto Baptist College and Woodstock College. By 1899, there were seven higher education institutions established in Ontario.
In 1900, the Dominican Order established the Dominican College of Philosophy and Theology that later became the Dominican University College.[12] 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, resulting in the widespread adoption of the bicameral model for university governance in Canada.[13] In 1911, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada founded the Waterloo Lutheran Seminary that was associated with the development of the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University.[14] Higher education was a low-priority under the provincial government of Mitchell Hepburn due to the effects of the Depression but universities supported the national war effort through funding from the government of Canada.[15] In 1942, the Ottawa Association for the Advancement of Learning established the non-denominational Carleton College that later became Carleton University. By 1945, there were three publicly supported secular universities, six denominational private colleges, and several vocational institutes.[16]
| Percentage of population aged 20 to 24 enrolled in school[17] | 1921 | 1931 | 1941 | 1951 | 1961 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 7.1 | 12.6 |
In 1946, the government of Ontario established the Lakehead Technical Institute in Thunder Bay that later became Lakehead University. In 1948, Howard Hillen Kerr persuaded the government of Ontario to turn the Training and Re-Establishment Institute for veterans into the Ryerson Institute of Technology. Over the following forty-five years, the institute expanded its vocational focus to become Ryerson University.[18] In 1951, the provincial government hired a part-time consultant on higher education policy matters to support the Minister of Education given that no office in the government or agency had ever had full responsibility for the sector.[19] In 1956, Premier Leslie Frost replaced the consultant with a committee of senior government officials who served two years before being replaced by civil servants from the government departments of economics, education and treasury who made up the University Committee.[19] In 1957, Gerry Hagey, Ira Needles, and Rev. Cornelius Siegfried founded the Waterloo College Associate Faculties that later became the University of Waterloo.[20] In 1959, the government of Ontario established York University and Murray Ross served as the founding president. By 1960, there were five publicly supported secular universities.[19] In 1960, the government of Ontario forms Laurentian University as a bilingual federation representing Roman Catholic, United, and Anglican religious affiliations.[21] In 1961, the government expanded and changed the University Committee into an Advisory Committee on University Affairs consisting of civil servants and non-government members.[22] In 1962, the government of Ontario formed the University of Windsor as part of turning Assumption University into a federated institution. In 1964, the government introduced a Department of University Affairs within the Ministry of Education under Minister Bill Davis.[23] In the same year, the provincial government founded Brock University named after Sir Isaac Brock, the University of Guelph through integrating three institutions, and Trent University. In the mid-1960s, the government of Ontario passed legislation to establish a new category of post-secondary institutions called Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATS) with an emphasis on vocational, technological, and general education.[24] In 1966, the provincial government began to establish a applied arts college system with the Centennial College of Applied Arts and Technology as the first college. In 1967, the government of Ontario established twenty-three more CAATs. The universities retained a monopoly over the right to grant degrees and the government defined clear non-degree granting mandates for the CAATs thereby creating a binary system of higher education within Ontario.[25] Also in 1967, the government of Ontario responded to citizens' interest to form Algoma College which became a university in 2008.[26] In addition, the government formed Nipissing College in affiliation with Laurentian University.[27] In 1992, the provincial government converted Nipissing College into Nipissing University. The 1995 Ontario general election provided a large majority for the new Mike Harris government. After 1995, the provincial government undertook actions that led to increased privatization within higher education, blurred boundaries in the binary structure, institutional differentiation, and the overall system's expansion.[28] In 1996, the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training released the first review of higher education as a system.[29]
By 2000, there were a total of twenty public universities established in Ontario. In 2002, the government of Ontario created the University of Ontario Institute of Technology to increase supply and address a change in the Ontario Academic Credit system that created a double cohort of students entering post-secondary education. In 2005, the Honourable Bob Rae released a comprehensive review of postsecondary education entitled Ontario: A leader in learning, more commonly known as the Rae Report or Rae Review. 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.[30] As part of this plan, the provincial government accepted a recommendation of the Rae Report to establish the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario as an independent advisory agency. On June 18, 2008, the provincial government converted Algoma University College into Algoma University.[31]
| Timeframe | Duration | Political Party | Party Leader(s) | Major Reports on Higher education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 - 1985 | 42 years | Conservative | George Drew, Leslie Frost, John Robarts, William Davis | The Learning Society. Report of the Commission on Post-Secondary Education in Ontario, 1972 |
| Growth in Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. Report of the Minister's Taskforce on College Growth, 1981 | ||||
| Report of the Committee on the Future Role of Universities in Ontario. Ministry of Colleges and Universities, 1981 | ||||
| Ontario Universities: Options and Futures. Commission on the Future Development of the Universities of Ontario, 1984 | ||||
| 1985 - 1990 | 5 years | Liberal | David Peterson | Report of the Advisor to the Minister of Colleges and Universities on the Governance of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. Walter Pitman, 1986 |
| 1990 - 1995 | 5 years | NDP | Bob Rae | Vision 2000: Quality and Opportunity. Ontario Council of Regents for Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology, 1990[32] |
| University Accountability: A Strengthened Framework. Task Force on University Accountability, 1993 | ||||
| For the Love of Learning. Royal Commission on Learning, 1994 [33] | ||||
| 1995 - 2003 | 8 years | Conservative | Mike Harris | Excellence Accessibility Responsibility. Report of the Advisory Panel on Future Directions for Postsecondary Education, 1996[34] |
| 2003 - present | 8 years to date | Liberal | Dalton McGuinty | Ontario: A Leader in Learning (The Rae Report). Bob Rae, 2005 [35] |
The higher education system in Ontario includes the interaction among 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.[36] The divisions report to the deputy minister who then reports to the minister.[36] The Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities works with several external advisory bodies to assist the governance of the higher education system in Ontario.[37]
Governance within Ontario universities generally follows a bicameral approach with separation of authority between a board and senate.[38]
Ontario has a binary public post-secondary education structure consisting of parallel college and university systems. The public college system comprises 21 colleges of applied arts and technology and three institutes of technology and advanced learning. The public university system is comprised of twenty-two universities. Some universities have federated and/or affiliated colleges which are considered part of the public university system. In addition, there are seventeen private religious universities and over 500 private career colleges that are not classified as universities.[5] Ontario's private career colleges provide specific skills training for employment and must be registered with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.[5] A program run by ServiceOntario enables students to search for career colleges providing vocational training in their field of interest.
There are eight associations in Ontario that provide representation for faculty, staff, institutions, and students by interacting within the structure of higher education in Ontario.
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.[51] 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 post-secondary students.
Ontario boasts the highest postsecondary participation and attainment rates among Canadian provinces, ranking high in international comparisons as well.[53] A 2010 report from Statistics Canada, Education Indicators in Canada: An International Perspective, indicates that 63% of Ontario's population aged 25-34 have educational attainment to at least the tertiary level as compared to the national average of 56% and the average across OECD countries of 37%.[54]
Despite these comparatively strong participation and attainment rates, under-represented groups in Ontario face access issues that are common around the world. The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) illustrates that issues such as geography and disability have negative impacts on participation that may largely relate back to family income and the cost of postsecondary education, but the two most significant factors affecting postsecondary participation in Ontario are parents' level of education and Aboriginal status, factors that relate more to the perception of higher education rather than the actual costs.[55]
Ontario's Liberal government and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (Ontario) embarked on the Reaching Higher plan for postsecondary education in the province beginning in 2005. The plan calls for a $6.2 Billion investment in postsecondary education to address such issues as capacity, access, financial assistance and more, including a target postsecondary attainment rate of 70%.[56]
Reaching Higher follows the 2005 report by the Honourable Bob Rae, Ontario: A Leader in Learning (a.k.a. the Rae Report), which also sparked the creation of the HEQCO. While current government efforts are intended to address issues of access, the HEQCO warns that a lack of reliable system-wide data will make it difficult to monitor the effects of these efforts and the state of access and participation in the future. One current source of data, Stats Canada's Youth in Transitions Survey (YITS)[57] , will soon end while another Stats Canada source, the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID)[58], provides less comprehensive data with respect to higher education transitions specifically.[59]
Ontario has a binary postsecondary education system consisting essentially of universities on one hand and colleges on the other. (see Structure for details) This binary structure has been long-standing and intentional with little mobility between the two sides; a characteristic that has been maintained through formidable resistance from universities to develop a more articulated system. Only in recent years have pathways begun to emerge between these two otherwise distinct types of institutions.
In 1996, the provincial government initiated the College and University Consortium Council (CUCC) in order to foster closer collaboration between colleges and universities in Ontario. Three years later, in 1999, the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) and the Association of Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario (ACAATO) jointly endorsed a set of principles governing mobility and transfer that has become known as the Port Hope Accord.[60]
In the decade following, a collection of laddering and degree-completion agreements had begun to accumulate on the Ontario College University Transfer Guide (OCUTG). The agreements tend to be very specific between one university and one college. This style of transfer agreement differs from articulated systems such as those in British Columbia (see: British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer) and Alberta (see: Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer).
The Honourable Bob Rae's 2005 report, Ontario: A Leader in Learning, makes the most recent call for improvements to student mobility and institutional cooperation. Following government endorsment of the Rae Report, in 2011 the CUCC evolved into the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT)[61], which has assumed jurisdiction over the OCUTG; now known as the Ontario Postsecondary Transfer Guide (OPTG).[62]
In a recent study of student perspectives of postsecondary mobility in Ontario published in the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education Professional File, PhD. candidate Christine Arnold writes, "Transfer pathways have progressed significantly in the province over the last five years (College-University Consortium Council, 2007); resources and sources for transfer currently do not match this level of care."[63]
The future of Higher Education in Ontario will face gradual economic constraint, increasing integration with business and industry, and an extensive use of technology.[64] The rapid increase (60% from in the last decade) in student enrollment in Ontario universities has not been met in similar increase of university professors (28% increase in the same time span) resulting in a student-to-faculty ratio of 26-1, which is much higher than the national average. [65] Internationalization of higher education is also on the rise. The number of domestic students studying abroad and international students studying in Canada is increasing rapidly.[66]. 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 ranging 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.[67]
The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (Ontario)'s Reaching Higher plan for postsecondary education in the province, initiated in 2005, includes a $6.2 Billion commitment to postsecondary education to address such issues as capacity, access, financial assistance and more. The plan calls for, among other deliverables, a target postsecondary attainment rate of 70%.[68] Following the October 2011 provincial election which resulted in a Liberal minority, the government re-affirmed its commitment to the reaching higher plan by announcing that 3 new undergraduate campuses will be established to serve increasing demand.
Academic Reform: Policy Options for Improving the Quality and Cost-Effectiveness of Undergraduate Education in Ontario, written by Ian D. Clark, David Trick and Richard J. Van Loon, provides recommendations on the way forward for Ontario higher education.
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