Report of the President’s Academic Colleague to the University Senate

Meeting of Academic Colleagues

Council of Ontario Universities

February 16-17, 2006

a). Initial meeting of the Academic Colleagues (February 16th)

The Academic Colleagues met in the afternoon of Thursday, February 16, 2006. The agenda consisted of an update on the Executive Committee’s recent activities, an update on the activities of those COU committees and task forces on which colleagues sit, a discussion of a draft Academic Colleagues’ working paper on research chairs in Ontario, and a roundtable discussion on graduate education.

Marilyn Rose (Brock) provided an update on the Executive Committee meeting held on January 20, 2006. Janet Mason (Asst. Deputy Minister) joined the meeting by phone. Items discussed included graduate funding for next year, Interim Accountability Agreements (10 institutions have signed their IAA for next year and can expect to receive their allocation of the Quality Improvement Fund in February 2006), and the tuition fee framework (still under development as of the January 20th meeting). There continues to be anxiety among COU Executive Committee members concerning the slowness of the process of establishing tuition fees and graduate funding mechanisms by the Government.

There was one report presented by a Colleague member on COU committee activities. Kathryn Shailer (OCAD) reported on a meeting of the COU Standing Committee on Human Rights. She noted the committee’s request to have its terms of reference altered slightly was approved by the COU Policy and Planning Committee. The Human Rights Committee also requested that a report on university women published in 2000 be updated to reflect today’s reality. (COU confirmed the report is being updated in-house and will be completed later this year.)

Discussion of the content of a forthcoming Academic Colleagues’ Working Paper, tentatively titled “Academic Stars” and co-authored by Antoni Lewkowicz (Ottawa) and Paul Schellenberg (Waterloo), was initiated by the second author. This paper focuses on Research Chairs (Canada Research Chairs, NSERC Industrial Chairs, endowed research chairs, etc.) and, among various aspects of the research chairs, their impact on their home institutions in research, graduate supervision, teaching, and service.

Lastly, the Colleagues discussed graduate enrolment planning at their respective home institutions in general terms. Not surprisingly, there is a range of planning mechanisms for graduate growth among COU institutions, and institutions are at varying stages of their planning process. Members also discussed the matter of international graduate students and their ineligibility for government funding which makes it difficult to attract top-quality individuals.

b). Second meeting of the Academic Colleagues (December 17th)

The next morning (Friday, December 17th), the Colleagues met again for approximately 45 minutes. At this meeting, the Colleagues were provided with an update on current COU issues by Jamie Mackay (COU Vice-President of Policy and Analysis). The main issues at the forefront of recent discussions between the COU and the provincial government include: the Quality Improvement Fund, accountability agreements, the tuition fee framework, application statistics for 2006-07, graduate enrolment growth, Freedom of Information and Privacy Protection Act, athletic scholarships, high school Math, Science, and Technological Education reviews, provincial research funding programs, and the proposed provision of financial information to high school students.

Two recent Government news releases were distributed, one confirming the extension of the consultation on the Grade 12 U Math curriculum and the other announcing the establishment of eight new Ontario research chairs (in public policy) at six universities. A total of 37 proposals were submitted by 14 Ontario universities for these eight chairs.

c). Meeting of Council (February17th)

The Council (Executive Heads and Academic Colleagues) met at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, February 17th. The agenda comprised reports from the President, the Executive Heads’ Round Table, the Academic Colleagues, and the Ontario Association of Deans of Education, presentation of an Academic Colleagues’ Working Paper, and the COU Operating Budget for 2006-07.

Ian Clark (COU President) presented an overview of recent and ongoing COU and government activities, including (i) a meeting of the Executive Heads with the Minister and the Chairs of University Boards of Governors on February 16th, (ii) consultations with the Government regarding the tuition fee framework, (iii) the next issue of the publication “Council Highlights”, (iv) announcement of the winners of the new Ontario Research Chairs in public policy, and (v) private sector-university partnerships.

This was followed by a summary of the Executive Heads’ meeting of the previous day. Their discussions included: (i) a meeting of the Executive Heads with the Minister and the Chairs of University Boards of Governors on February 16th, (ii) the appointment of a new Deputy Minister of Education, (iii) student health clinics on university campuses, (iv) the delay in the announcement of the new tuition fee framework, (v) the COU public information strategy/campaign on the benefits of a university education, (vi) access to professional programs for double-cohort students, (vii) update on activities and initiatives of the Quality and Productivity Improvement Task Force, (viii) multi-year accountability agreements between individual universities and the provincial government, (ix) graduate expansion funding (still no news from the government), (x) COU working group report on university research, (xi) COU task force report on the implementation and impact of the Freedom of Information and Privacy Protection Act, (xii) UHIP premiums for foreign students, and (xiii) athletic scholarships.

Alan Shepard (Guelph) and Marilyn Rose (Brock) then reported on the Academic Colleagues’ meetings of February 16 and (early morning) February 17, 2006 [see section (a) and (b) above for details].

An Academic Colleagues’ Working Paper, entitled “Academic Leadership” and co-authored by Paul Thompson (Toronto), Philippe Constantineau (RMC) and George Fallis (York), was presented by the senior author. Discussion of the paper followed. Working Papers are available on the COU web site ( under “Recent News”.

Pat Rogers (Windsor, and Chair of OADE) reported on the recent activities of the Ontario Association of Deans of Education (OADE) and on the current issues concerning this Association. The latter included availability of research funding for the field of education, a new teacher induction program in the province, and competition from private/offshore institutions offering teacher training.

The meeting ended with a presentation of the approved COU Operating Budget for 2006-07.

Jean-Guy Godin

Academic Colleague

February 26, 2006

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