http://boingboing.net/2012/02/20/canadian-universities-sign-bon.html

See Toronto Star comments:”University profs up in arms over copyright deal…” http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1135325–two-ontario-universities-sign-copyright-deal

“The final report of the Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services is a poor plan for ‘transforming’ our public services. It is essentially a roadmap for huge cuts hiding behind a screen of poorly costed and considered recommendations for change. In particular, the report:
1. Is based on a variety of questionable economic assumptions, predictions and
forecasts;
2. Is first and foremost a plan for huge cuts;
3. Sets the stage for hard-bargaining throughout the broader public service;
4. Proposes a funding framework for higher education that does not keep pace with
inflation or enrolment, and as the paper admits, will lead to a decline in quality;
5. Provides recommendations for generating efficiency and savings in the higher
education sector, with no evidence of how this will happen or how much it will save;
6. Proposes shifting educational cost onto students and their families; and
7. Relies on third-party policy entrepreneurs for research, much of which is incorrect.

In short, this is not the way forward for Ontario. The downturn-as-justification-for-cuts scenario is an old one, and it has been rejected by the public before. It is now critical that the Government of Ontario pursue an alternative strategy that takes into account the needs and concerns of Ontarians – a strategy that protects education, promotes effective economic and social development, and rejects the logic of austerity.”

One seat is available on the Academic Board, nominations from two librarians have been submitted: Bonnie Horne and Harriet Sonne de Torrens (see statements).

One seat is available on the Governing Council. Eight nominations have been submitted, one of which is Julie Hannaford (see statement).

http://arielkatz.ca/archives/1449

Recommendation 7-1: Grow government funding for the post-secondary education sector by
1.5 per cent per year until 2017–18.

Recommendation 7-2: Work with post-secondary institutions to reduce bargained
compensation increases, where they exist, and instead align them with trends in more recent
settlements in the broader public sector; a rigorous performance system should also be
introduced to guide compensation, where one is not already in place

Recommendation 7-3: If capital budgets are constrained, post-secondary institutions should
consider using alternative financing and procurement, especially for buildings that do not
qualify for government funding, such as residences.

Recommendation 7-4: By 2012–13, establish multi-year mandate agreements with
universities and colleges that provide more differentiation and minimize duplication; these
should be implemented beginning in 2013–14.

Recommendation 7-5: Institute a process for establishing mandate agreements using a
review by either a blue-ribbon panel or the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario to
ensure the highest-quality programs are funded to grow and expand. This should be
completed in the 2012–13 fiscal year and must be transparent for the institutions and
the public.
Recommendation 7-6: Establish and implement a rational and strategic division of roles
between the college and university systems.

Recommendation 7-7: Create a comprehensive, enforceable credit recognition system
between and among universities and colleges. This is an absolutely essential feature
of differentiation.

Recommendation 7-8: Post-secondary institutions need to devote more resources to
experiential learning such as internships; allow for more independent or self-assigned study;
develop problem-based learning modules; and increase study abroad and international
experiences.5 Many institutions already incorporate these features into their programs, funding them from within existing portfolios.

Recommendation 7-9: Encourage universities that do not presently have flexible provisions
regarding teaching and research workloads in their collective agreements with faculty to
consider such provisions in future bargaining. While each university must conduct teaching
and research, top-performing teachers and researchers should be recognized with the
appropriate workloads and rewards.

Recommendation 7-11: Link further provincial funding allocations to quality objectives, which will encourage post-secondary institutions to be more responsive. In addition, the province should alter the funding model to also reward degrees awarded, rather than just
enrolment levels.

Recommendation 7-12: Government and post-secondary institutions must measure learning
outcomes; that is, the value added through education, not just whether a person graduates.

Recommendation 7-13: Enhance performance measures in multi-year accountability
agreements with post-secondary institutions through the use of teacher performance scores
and student satisfaction ratings where the primary reasons for dissatisfaction are adequately
captured.

Recommendation 7-14: Work with private career colleges (PCCs) to collect and publish the
same performance indicators as public colleges and universities. Private career colleges
should bear the cost of such reporting.

Recommendation 7-15: As a part of the mandate agreements with post-secondary
institutions, tie outcome quality indicators to funding.

Recommendation 7-16: Evaluate the research funding system of post-secondary institutions
and research hospitals as a whole, including how it is affecting university and hospital
budgeting practices.

Recommendation 7-17: Award provincial research funding more strategically and manage it
more efficiently. Consolidating and offering a single-window approach for access and reporting through an online portal will greatly improve efficiency and reduce paperwork, both for government and for post-secondary institutions.

Recommendation 7-18: Maintain the existing tuition framework, which allows annual tuition increases of five per cent. However, simplify the design to maintain the overall ceiling but allow institutions greater flexibility to adjust tuition fees at the program level, within the ceiling.

Recommendation 7-19: Maintain the Ontario Student Access Guarantee, which represents
10 per cent of additional tuition revenue that institutions are required to set aside to fund
bursaries and other student assistance programs.
Recommendation 7-20: Reshape student financial assistance provided by both the federal
and provincial governments, including the newly announced 30% Off Ontario Tuition grant, to target more of the assistance to low-income students whose access is most likely to be
compromised by financial obstacles and broaden the approach to improving access to
post-secondary education.

Recommendation 7-21: Explore phasing out provincial tuition and education tax credits to
invest in upfront grants.

Recommendation 7-22: Streamline student financial assistance by decoupling loans and
grants. Eligibility for grants should not be contingent on loan applications.

Recommendation 7-23: Harmonize the variety of scholarships, grants and other assistance
programs that the government offers, into already-existing programs of a similar nature, across
post-secondary institutions.
Recommendation 7-24: Lower the current 25 per cent Ontario Student Assistance Program
default-rate threshold for triggering cost-sharing to 20 per cent for all post-secondary
institutions in Ontario and work with institutions towards the objective of setting a still-lower threshold in future.

Recommendation 7-25: Extend the review period for Ontario Student Assistance Program
default rates, which are now measured roughly two years after borrowers start repaying.

Recommendation 7-26: Have the post-secondary sector leverage its existing collective
purchasing capacity through the Ontario Education Collaborative Marketplace and regional
buying groups.

Recommendation 7-27: Establish a single pension fund administrator for all university and
college pensions, while recognizing differences in pensions.

Recommendation 7-28: Before new capital spaces are approved, require universities and
colleges to demonstrate increased use of space and consider year-round optimization of
existing spaces. Priority should be given to the deferred maintenance in the current capital
stock before new capital projects.

Recommendation 7-29: Compel post-secondary institutions to examine whether they can
compress some four-year degrees into three years by continuing throughout the summer.

Recommendation 7-30: Cease funding for international marketing of Ontario’s universities
and integrate it into existing trade mission activities. Universities, colleges and the federal
government already invest in these activities.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1130769–drummond-report-sweeping-education-reforms-recommended?bn=1