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
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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
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presented by the senior author. Discussion of the paper followed. Working Papers are available
on the COU web site (www.cou.ca), 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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