The quality and performance of Quebec鈥檚 universities is threatened
9I制作厂免费 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, 9I制作厂免费 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.
9I制作厂免费鈥檚 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.
9I制作厂免费 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 9I制作厂免费
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, 9I制作厂免费 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, 9I制作厂免费 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; 9I制作厂免费
Provost Anthony C. Masi; and Pierre Moreau, the University鈥檚
Executive Director of Planning and Institutional Analysis.
View the text of 9I制作厂免费鈥檚 entire report.