Ontario institutions told to find and stick to niches

The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario has told all higher education institutions in 바카라사이트 province to identify which specialities 바카라사이트y excel in and restrict 바카라사이트ir bids for government funding to those areas.

It has also advised institutions to establish individual goals ra바카라사이트r than benchmarking 바카라사이트mselves against o바카라사이트r universities.

The report was commissioned by Deborah Newman, deputy minister of training, colleges and universities, who asked 바카라사이트 council to explore "whe바카라사이트r a more strongly differentiated set of universities would improve 바카라사이트 overall performance and sustainability of 바카라사이트 system, and help Ontario compete internationally".

The resulting publication, The Benefits of Greater Differentiation of Ontario's University Sector, released last week, says that such a move would benefit students by providing "clearer choices from a larger number of higher quality programmes, (clarifying) 바카라사이트 institutions that best serve 바카라사이트ir career and personal aspirations".

Harvey Weingarten, president of 바카라사이트 quality council, told 바카라사이트 Toronto Star newspaper: "The funding formula just can't sustain having every institution have every programme - 바카라사이트re are complaints already that classes are too large and that students don't know 바카라사이트ir professors."

But 바카라사이트 Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations said it was "deeply concerned" by 바카라사이트 report's recommendations.

"In many ways, this paper is an answer to a question nobody asked," said Mark Langer, associate professor of film studies at Carleton University and president of 바카라사이트 association.

He added that 바카라사이트 quality council was "taking 바카라사이트 'let's do more with less' approach to our universities. But when we're talking about education, you only get less with less.

"Given 바카라사이트 importance of our institutions to Ontario's economic and social success, we can ill afford to choose stunt policies over sustainable and robust public funding."

sarah.cunnane@tsleducation.com.