January saw significant developments in a number of OUSA’s ongoing projects. Most notably, the annual Blue Chair Campaign was a great success at our campuses across Ontario, shedding much needed light on issues of accessibility and early intervention.
With the release of the Provincial budget just around the corner, OUSA continued its advocacy push with a number of presentations to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. We were also happy to receive an endorsement of our financial aid recommendations from the Ontario Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
Finally, I was pleased to accept an invitation from the Honourable John Milloy, Minster of Training, Colleges and Universities, to join him at the head table for his speech to the Canadian Club of Toronto on January 18. The Minister’s remarks largely focused on where we’ve come in the five years since the Honourable Bob Rae presented his review of the post-secondary education system in Ontario. He stressed the vast increases in enrollment seen under the McGuinty government and the significant improvements to financial aid provided through the expiring Reaching Higher Plan. For the future, the Minister stressed accountability and credit transfer as important files. Unfortunately, while all the perennial issues were touched on, the Minister said very little on the issue of quality of education, in the past or the future.
