Drummond report underscores importance of higher education to economy, says Council of Ontario Universities

Ontario universities appreciate the focus on postsecondary education issues provided by the Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services, welcoming particularly its support for sufficient tuition revenue so that universities can continue to maintain the quality of the student experience, the Council of Ontario Universities announced in a news release yesterday.

“The Commission has emphasized that the province’s economic growth and competitiveness depends on a strong postsecondary sector, which confirms the importance of the government’s commitment to fund 41,000 new spaces for university students over the next five years,” said COU chair Alastair Summerlee. “Through our own commitment to student success, quality and efficiency, Ontario universities will provide Ontario with talented graduates for the workforce and conduct research that drives economic and social change.”

COU president Bonnie Patterson said the report, released Wednesday, “has drawn attention to the need for efficiency in the broader public sector and universities are actively engaged in doing this.”

Read the COU’s entire response on its Web site.