Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada Addresses and Open Letter Asking Canada's Federal Leaders to Outline Their Higher Education Priorities. (December 16, 2005)

    The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) has written an open letter to the four leaders of Canada's principal political parties saying in part:

On January 23, Canadians will vote to elect a government that best represents their values and aspirations.  Canadians will look to their government to ensure that all citizens and communities are able to participate fully in the highly competitive, global knowledge-based economy of the 21st century. 

Investing in people and ideas is essential to the future productivity, prosperity and quality of life of Canadians.  At the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, we look to the government of Canada for decisive action to:

• ensure that universities have the capacity to offer high-quality education to growing numbers of undergraduate and graduate students;
• ensure that postsecondary education opportunities are affordable, that no qualified individual is denied access because of financial circumstances, and that outreach and support are available to increase the participation and retention of Aboriginal Canadians and other under-represented groups;
• ensure that more international education opportunities are created to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need as global citizens, and to make Canada a destination of choice for the best and brightest from around the world;

• and ensure that Canadian universities can attract and retain the researchers and graduate students that this country needs to compete in a global knowledge-based economy and to enhance the prosperity and quality of life of its citizens.

Then follows, "[We submit] eight questions for your consideration.  We ask that you provide your response to our questions by December 30th.  On January 11th, 2006 , we will release your responses to media, post them on our Web site, and share them with our member institutions across Canada, in an effort to make sure that all parties’ views on these important questions reach as many voters as possible."

Open Letter from the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada to:

    Paul Martin, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
    Stephen Harper, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
    Jack Layton, Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada
    Gilles Duceppe, Leader of the Bloc Québécois

Questions to party leaders on investing in higher education

December 9th, 2005

Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

Investing in Capacity and Quality

1.  In constant dollars, per student operating funding from all levels of government for Canadian universities is at a record low. In the United States, governments invest $5,000 more per student in four year public universities and colleges.  One way for the federal government to help close this gap and to ensure that universities can offer high-quality education to growing numbers of students is to provide more resources to the provinces for higher education.  

If your party forms the next government, will you work with the provinces to negotiate a dedicated transfer for postsecondary education?

2.  The federal Indirect Costs program reimburses a portion of the costs (such as the general costs associated with operating facilities, managing the research process, and with regulation and safety compliance) that universities incur to conduct federally-sponsored research. Currently, the program provides support for indirect costs at an overall average level equivalent to 25 percent of direct costs funding.  This falls well short of the minimum 40 percent rate required to cover a significant portion of the indirect costs that universities incur.  Thus, they must find money in their general operating budgets to cover the remainder.

If your party forms the next government, will you ensure that the Indirect Costs program provides reimbursement of a minimum rate of 40 percent of the direct costs of federally sponsored research so that universities will cover fewer of these costs from their general operating budgets?

Investing in Affordability, Outreach and Support

3.  Student assistance is important to ensure that no academically qualified individuals are unable to pursue postsecondary education opportunities because they lack the necessary financial resources.  The student financial aid system in Canada is complex.  It involves the federal government, the provinces, universities and third party organizations and is delivered through a mix of grants, loans and tax credits. 

If your party forms the next government, what will you do to ensure that money invested in student financial aid is going to those students most in need and that it is sufficient to meet the need?

4.  This country can ill-afford to under-develop the potential and under-utilize the skills, knowledge and creativity of important segments of Canadian society.  Several groups such as low income individuals, Aboriginal Canadians and some recent immigrants are under-represented in the Canadian university system.

If your party forms the next government, what measures will you take to ensure that financial aid is available to under-represented groups and that universities can provide the necessary outreach and support to ensure that these groups can benefit fully from higher education?

Investing in International Educational Opportunities

5.  International education opportunities for Canadian students help them to develop the global skills and perspectives that are in high demand in the labour market and Canadian society.  Opportunities for students from other countries to study in Canadian universities create important linkages between Canada and the rest of the world. Currently, less than one percent of Canadian university students participate in short-term, for-credit study, internship, or research experiences abroad each year – far less than in other key OECD countries. Canadian universities have set a goal of having five percent of university students participate in an international educational opportunity. As a first step, universities aim to triple the number of students who participate by 2010 – moving from 6,000 to 18,000 annually.

If your party forms the next government, will you take the necessary measures to triple the annual number of university students who have an international education opportunity, and to ensure that the best and brightest students from other countries are attracted  to study at Canadian universities?

Investing in Graduate Studies and University Research

6.  Many business leaders and analysts have identified the relative underproduction of graduate degrees in Canada as a barrier to increasing this country’s international competitiveness and productivity.  The United States produces more than twice as many master’s graduates and 50 percent more PhD graduates on a per capita basis than Canada.     

If your party forms the next government, will you undertake the necessary investments to begin to close this gap by supporting more students to pursue graduate studies and ensuring that universities have the faculty and infrastructure necessary to educate 25 percent more graduate students over the next four years?

7.  In 2004, Canada invested 1.89 percent of its GDP in research and development – far below the OECD average of 2.26.  The United States stood at 2.73 percent in that year.  Universities are the lynchpin of Canada ’s R & D effort, performing more than one third of all research and educating the country’s highly qualified research personnel.  They are the only sector to perform research for all other sectors, across the full range of disciplines and with a significant presence in all regions.  Funding for university research through the three federal granting agencies (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research) has increased significantly in recent years.  However, competitor countries around the world are not standing still.  For Canada to compete in the global race for talent and ideas, funding for university research must be internationally competitive. 

If your party forms the next federal government, will you ensure that university-based research in Canada is funded at internationally competitive levels through the federal research granting agencies?

8.  Competing effectively in an internationalized R&D environment requires investments in cutting-edge university research infrastructure. The Canada Foundation for Innovation, in partnership with provinces, universities and the private sector, has been the major funder of new university research infrastructure in Canada in recent years.  The international standard for supporting research infrastructure is 20 percent on top of the direct costs of research.

If your party forms the next government, will you ensure that the Canada Foundation for Innovation is able to meet and maintain this international 20 percent standard for funding of university research infrastructure?