10/15/2009
Ontario needs more full-time faculty
A new OCUFA research report highlights a glaring problem in Ontario's university system: we simply do not have the full-time faculty we need to ensure a high quality education experience for our students.
The specific conclusions of the report are disturbing. Ontario continues to lag peer jurisdictions in Canada and the United states in terms of student-to-faculty ratios. Faculty hiring at our institutions has not kept pace with significant increases in student enrolment. Increasingly, cash-strapped universities are also turning to sessional faculty to cope with the burgeoning student population. While these part-time or teaching-only instructors make valuable contributions to the university community, they typically are unable to conduct the research upon which university education depends.
The OCUFA report also indicates that Ontario universities are failing to meet their faculty targets outlined in their Multi-Year Accountability Agreements (MYAAs) with the provincial government. While they are only off by an average of three per cent system-wide, OCUFA believes the targets themselves are insufficient to meet demand in Ontario. So, they are essentially underperforming on an inadequate target.
This is a big problem. Quality education means meaningful student engagement with their faculty. Big classes and inadequate full-time faculty makes this interaction extremely difficult.
So what do we do about it?
Ontario's faculty woes are the result of chronic underfunding in the university system. Universities do not have the resources they need to hire an appropriate number of full-time instructors. OCUFA estimates that 5,000 new faculty are required to bring Ontario in-line with student-to-faculty ratios in the rest of Canada and improve student engagement. These new faculty positions will cost money. OCUFA recommends an additional $1.1 billion in operating grants be injected into the university system. This money will allow universities to hire more faculty and make other key quality enhancements on their campuses.
But we need your help to make sure the government makes this vital investment. Please, take the time to
send a letter to Premier Dalton McGuinty stating your support for increased government investment in higher education. Together, we can ensure our university system has the resources to build the social and economic vitality of our province.