University Will Continue to Face Budget Challenges in Year Ahead
At the Dec. 14 meeting of Senate, president Alastair Summerlee said he expects the upcoming budget cycle to be the most difficult yet. U of G will continue to face increasing costs, tuition fees will remain frozen, and the increase in the quality assurance fund associated with the double cohort has not materialized. Although the Rae panel will be submitting its report early this year, the provincial budget will not be released until May 2005.
The president noted that the Council of Ontario Universities had met with former premier Bob Rae on more than one occasion, and there is optimism about the support his panel is receiving for investing in higher education. The challenge will be whether or not the government can respond in time to the need for additional resources, Summerlee said.
Senate received and discussed two documents in an informal session: the proposed revised code of conduct for suppliers and the final report of the Task Force on Accessibility to University Education. Both discussions were chaired by Prof. David Murray. (See story on the code of conduct.)
The task force's final report contains 53 recommendations that address financial and non-financial barriers to university education.
The president noted that, in general, the report has received strong support from student and faculty groups. He confirmed that recommendations on issues specific to U of G would be forwarded to the appropriate units or governing bodies within the institution. Recommendations on system-wide changes, such as significant change to the student financial aid schemes, would be forwarded to the Rae panel, the government and external organizations, he said.
Members of Senate applauded the recommendations on non-financial accessibility issues intended to improve access to university education for part-time students and those with disabilities.
