Education commission tables recommendations on quality, accessibility and funding of universities
Principal Heather Munroe-Blum urges government to propose solutions
McGill University welcomed the tabling today of the final report by the Commission de l'éducation Consultation générale sur les enjeux entourant la qualité, l'accessibilité et le financement des universités au Québec.
Heather Munroe-Blum, McGill principal and vice-chancellor, praised the commission's work and hearings as a positive and timely exercise: "A number of the recommendations point in a positive direction. What is urgently needed now is for the government to announce how it is going to address the central issues of university underfunding and the accessibility and quality of Quebec's university network.
"We look forward to hearing the minister's proposal and solutions to the challenges that Quebec universities are facing and to working with our sister universities and the government to implement them, and to build an even stronger network of higher education," she continued.
Principal Munroe-Blum praised the commissioners for recognizing the urgent need to substantially increase the funding of Quebec's university network, to increase accessibility, to enhance the quality of teaching and research, and to provide adequate support to students.
"We also welcome the recognition in the report of the specific underfunding issues that single out and affect McGill. We urge the government to quickly correct this inequity," she said. "We applaud the commission for recognizing that maintaining historic buildings, like many of those at McGill, requires special attention and funding to enable the University to protect these important patrimonial assets. These special and significant costs are not currently addressed in the funding framework of universities."
Dr Munroe-Blum noted that the commission recognized the unique recruitment challenges that universities face in the regions and added that Quebec's larger city-based universities also faced daunting challenges in recruiting the best and the brightest faculty to Quebec from around the globe. McGill and other research-intensive universities play a special role in attracting the talent necessary to grow the economic and innovation capacity of Quebec. This is especially important in the context of the decline in population growth.
The principal noted that the multi-year funding recommendation would help universities plan for the future.
Dr Munroe-Blum urged the government to act quickly on proposing solutions for universities.
In addition, she urged the government to take into account the important role that philanthropy and other sources of private funding must come to play in Qubec, not as an alternative to effective public funding, but as a means of growing the quality and accessibility of universities. Government incentives should be created in this regard.
