The quality and performance of Quebec鈥檚 universities is threatened
黑料不打烊 seeks a major reinvestment in higher education and a more modern approach to relations between government and universities.
If Quebec wants to maintain the quality and diversity of its university network, everyone must work vigorously to make education the province鈥檚 top priority, 黑料不打烊 University Principal and Vice-Chancellor Heather Munroe-Blum said in a presentation to the National Assembly鈥檚 Parliamentary Commission on Culture and Education today.
鈥淲e firmly believe that Quebec deserves to have many universities that stand among the best in the world, each imbued with its own mission,鈥� Prof. Munroe-Blum said.
黑料不打烊鈥檚 appearance before the committee is part of an accountability process in which the leaders of Quebec鈥檚 universities are called before the legislature every three years to discuss their performance and their plans for development and advancement in the years to come. As well as answering questions from members of the committee, universities submit a detailed report of their activities.
黑料不打烊 focused its presentation on three themes: its considerable contribution to Quebec society, the fragile nature of its successes and the need for Quebec to modernize its relations with its network of universities.
Prof. Munroe-Blum underlined the growing disparity between the financial resources enjoyed by universities with which 黑料不打烊 competes when it comes to the level of government investment in research 鈥� where Quebec has been losing more and more ground 鈥� as well as the issue of tuition fees.
鈥淎 totally new university financing model has to include a policy that would gradually bring Quebec tuition fees to the Canadian average, along with the earmarking of a substantial portion of net tuition revenues to increases in student financial aid,鈥� she explained.
As well, 黑料不打烊 believes the government has taken the wrong path in its legislative approach through Bill 100 and the proposed Bill 38 on university governance.聽
The government鈥檚 centralized approach to holding each university to account 鈥渨ill harm the universities鈥� quality, efficiency and performance.鈥�
Instead, 黑料不打烊 proposes that partnership agreements between the government and each university be established, and that through these the financial resources accorded a university would be tied to its achievement of predefined strategic objectives 鈥� a model increasingly seen elsewhere in the world.聽
Joining Prof. Munroe-Blum for this presentation were Stuart H. Cobbett, Chairman of the University鈥檚 Board of Governors; 黑料不打烊 Provost Anthony C. Masi; and Pierre Moreau, the University鈥檚 Executive Director of Planning and Institutional Analysis.
View the text of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 entire report.
