Academic Libraries – the
Institutional Context
PART II - How Universities
Work: Everything You Should
Know About Your Future
Employer
What is a University (in Ontario)?
 Exclusive right to grant degrees in Ontario
 Publically funded
 COU – “Provincially Assisted”
 Broader Public Sector (BPS) transfer partner
 Often called PSE for Post-secondary education sector
What is a University (in Ontario)? (2)
 Definition:
“Universities in Ontario are autonomous, private
institutions which receive most of their funding from
government and are expected to help in the attainment of
public policy objectives. Government encourages this by
using four mechanisms, namely: a funding formula,
extra-formula grants, controls which may be legislative or
regulatory, and incentives.” (Darling 564)
‡ Darling, Alexander. 1989. “Autonomy and control: A university funding formula as an instrument of public policy”
Higher Education 18 (5): 559-583.
What is a University (in Ontario)? (3)
 Each institution is incorporated by an Act of
Provincial Parliament (except Queen’s)
 In Ontario…
 22 Public Funded Universities
 24 Publicly Funded Colleges
 Managed by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and
Universities (TCU or MTCU) but Finance still pays
the bills
Overview of Funding
 In Ontario…


Funds distributed on an Operating formula called “ONTARIO
OPERATING FUNDS DISTRIBUTION MANUAL”*


Current formula in place since 1967
Each institution receives fixed share of Provincial funds based
on historical weighted enrolment levels referred to as Basic
Income Units (BIUs)
*Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. 2009. The Operating Funds Distribution Manual Accessed: July 16,
2013. Available: http://www.uoguelph.ca/analysis_planning/images/pdfs/2009-10-Operating-Manual-Sept09.pdf
Overview of Funding (2)
 University autonomy is reflected in a number of
factors:




Differing salary scales which are negotiated / decided locally
Freedom to raise private funds
Ostensible freedom to set tuition fees (which in practice is
limited)
Ability to offer or close programs (gov’t still decides which
students are ‘funded’)
 Provincial jurisdiction, but… Federal Involvement
 Research funding (Tri-Council Research, CFI, Funded Chairs,
Canada student loan guarantee)
Overview of Funding (3)
 Ontario
 Basic Operating Grants have decreased over the past 30 years
both as proportion of GDP and as proportion of universities’
budgets
Date
% of Budget from Basic
Grants‡
1976
92%
1989
72%
2010
53%
‡ Darling 559; and OCUFA. 2010. Investing in students, ensuring success Submission to the Standing Committee on
Finance and Economic Affairs. Accessed: July 16, 2013. Available: http://ocufa.on.ca/wordpress/assets/SCFEASubmission-FINAL.pdf
Overview of Funding (4)
 University of Guelph (MTCU Operating FY 2012/13)
University of Guelph. 2013. University Budgets.
https://www.uoguelph.ca/finance/reports/university-budgets
Overview of Funding (5)
 University of Toronto (MTCU Operating FY 2012/13)
University of Toronto. 2013 Budget Reports.
http://www.planningandbudget.utoronto.ca/Assets/Academic+Operations+Digital+Assets/Planning+$!26+Budget/2
Overview of Funding (6)
 Funding Trends
 $ Increasingly targeted from 1980s on (public policy aims)
 Away from direct (operating) investments and towards direct
funding to individuals (students and families)


Tax credits, loans, bursaries
Importance of ‘Diversified funding’:
Development and fundraising
 International (full-fee) students

University Governance
 Most Universities are Bicameral
 Univ. of Toronto is the exception – Unicameral (Governing
Council)
 Typically two oversight groups:
 Finance & Operations = Board of Governors
 Academics & Research = Senate or Academic Council
University Governance (2)
 Finance – Board of Governors/Trustees
 Constituted by a majority of external appointments (not
university employees)
 Act as trustees for financial matters (pensions, investments
etc.)
 Must work in concert with Senate to ensure funding and
sustainability of academic matters
University Governance (3)
 Academic - Senate
 Includes faculty, administrators, staff and student
representatives
 Main decision making body for teaching curriculum,
programs, changes, deletions
 Typically many sub-committees dealing with programs of
various levels, sometimes library
 Responsible for “research” including Research Ethics
Senior University Administrative Staff
BoG/T

President

Vice-President Academic (Provost)

University Librarian/Director of Libraries/Chief
Librarian (Dean equivalent)
Whiter the Lowly Librarian?
 Employee Classification and Representation

Most Librarians belong to Faculty Associations

Faculty Associations
Most Faculty Associations are Unionized
 Previously most were professional associations (do not belong to
larger trade union)
 Membership Organizations for advocacy:
 CAUT
 OCUFA

Realities of the Academic Librarian (1)
 Employee Classification and Representation

“Out-of-Scope Positions”
Director/Chief Librarian > Out-of-scope
Associate UL/CL > Out-of-scope
Unit Head or Below (Equiv. Dept. Chair) – Usually “In-Scope”

One Library – Many employee groups (librarians, support
staff, exempt professional groups, etc…)

A manager (to staff), a union member (to peers) - BOTH
Realities of the Academic Librarian (2)
 Exclusive Agency – what does it mean?
 Collective Bargaining rights
 Grievances
 Continuing Appointment (equivalent to tenure)
Realities of the Academic Librarian (3)
 Academic Status and the “Other” Parts of the Job

Peer review

Publications & Presentations

What is “Service”?
Realities of the Academic Librarian (4)
 Academic Freedom

Distinct from freedom of speech (Charter Right) = an
employment right

Intramural vs. extramural freedom


Fundamental role in promoting ‘collegial governance’
Importance of Academic freedom
Academic Library/ian Trivia
 Interesting Positions held by academic librarians in
Ontario
 Chief Information Officer (CIO)
 President of Faculty Association
 Head, Student Learning Services
 Chief Negotiator (Faculty Association)
 Senior Development Liaison, Desire2Learn
Wrap-Up
Questions?
Comments?
Thanks for Listening!
Scott Gillies, Head, Information Resources
University of Guelph
<sgillies@uoguelph.ca>