Toronto — The Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC) is deeply concerned about recent layoffs and program closures and suspensions at several post-secondary education (PSE) institutions across Ontario. Layoffs and program closures are indicative of broader, systemic issues and problems resulting from the provincial government chronically underfunding PSE institutions. This has forced colleges and universities to find unstable and exploitative paths to financial stability, such as reliance on a precariously employed workforce and international student tuition.

The OUCC is particularly disappointed in the government’s treatment of international students in Ontario. International students are an important part of the post-secondary community and should not be treated as ATMs to fill gaps created by this provincial government’s neglect. For years, government has relied on international students to compensate for failures to fund the PSE sector properly. Despite incentivizing international student enrolment by capping domestic student funding, this government has used international students unfairly as a convenient scapegoat. International students, faculty, and staff – the frontline workers in post-secondary education – should not pay the price of being subjected to provincial austerity measures – all the while billions are being wasted on election cheques, a mega spa, and fantasy tunnels under our highways.

Now is the time for the province to step up to fill this financial gap and ensure that Ontario’s post-secondary education sector and Ontario’s students and their families get the support they need to thrive – something even the province’s own Blue-Ribbon Panel recommended.

As a provincial coalition which represents over 435,000 faculty, staff and students from every public postsecondary institution in Ontario, the OUCC calls on the provincial government to provide the necessary funding to stop current proposed program cuts and layoffs and to chart out a more sustainable funding model for the sector going forward.

• Nigmendra Narain, President – OCUFA
• JP Hornick, President – OPSEU/SEFPO
• Karen Littlewood, President - OSSTF/FEESO
• Fred Hahn, President - CUPE Ontario
• Adaeze Mbalaja, Chairperson - Canadian Federation of Students Ontario (CFS-O)
• Samia Hashi, Ontario Regional Director, Unifor
• Kella Loschiavo, Chair, OPSEU/SEFPO Universities Sector
• Sara McArthur Timofejew, Chair, College Support Part-Time Division, OPSEU/SEFPO
• Christine Kelsey, Chair, College Support Full-Time Division, OPSEU/SEFPO
• Pearline Lung, Chair, College Faculty Division, OPSEU/SEFPO