Future Proofing: Federal Leadership for Post-Secondary Education & Research - Submission to Finance Canada's Pre-Budget 2021 Consultation - CAUT
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Submission to Finance Canada’s Pre-Budget 2021 Consultation Future Proofing: Federal Leadership for Post- Secondary Education & Research February
Submission to Finance Canada’s Pre-Budget Consultation February
Summary economic crisis, and struggling to address significant
The Canadian Association of University Teachers is social inequities, particularly those driven by racism
pleased to participate in the pre-budget consultations and colonialism. The recommendations outlined in
in advance of the 2021 Budget. In this time of unique this submission highlight how the post-secondary
circumstances, we recommend investment in the education sector can respond and assist with these
following four critical areas: crises and build a better, stronger, and more equitable
Canada after the pandemic.
A national strategy with the provinces and
territories that provides adequate, stable federal COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of our
funding to support quality post-secondary research and science community in providing advice
education and protect jobs; and solutions towards navigating through this crisis.
Supporting Francophone and bilingual post- Post-secondary education institutions, through the jobs
they provide and the knowledge they generate,
secondary education institutions to ensure the
vitality of Canada’s Francophone minority alleviate the impacts of the current economic crisis,
communities; reduce inequalities, and increase social cohesion.
Accelerating research through enhanced The impact of the pandemic has amplified many of the
investments in the Tri-Councils’ granting pre-existing problems in the post-secondary sector,
programs and increasing graduate student including the weaknesses in the funding model with
scholarships; and, its over-reliance on student fees and dependence on
Securing opportunities for Canada’s youth and precarious workers. Post-secondary institutions were
not eligible for the wage subsidy program and were
unemployed Canadians through increased access
to higher education through a free tuition model left out of the Safe Restart Agreement. Some
institutions have had no choice but to lay off staff, cut
for low- and middle-class Canadians who attend a
educational and research programs, and raise the cost of
public university or college.
tuition, just when students and families can least
Introduction afford it.
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) Budget 2021 will be the blueprint for Canada’s post-
is the national voice of academic staff. CAUT represents pandemic future. It must set out a path forward to
more than 72,000 teachers, librarians, researchers, carry Canadians through this crisis and build the
general staff and other academic professionals in 125 foundation for a better and more just society and
Canadian post-secondary institutions including economy. It must build on our strengths and address
universities, colleges and polytechnics. the weaknesses revealed through this crisis. Strategic
investments in universities and colleges must be made
A strong and vital post-secondary education sector is an now to ensure a safe re-opening, a strong recovery
essential foundation for social cohesion, innovation, and a more resilient future.
science and economic success in Canada. It creates the
knowledge needed to meet national and international
challenges, trains the talent necessary to make Canada a Develop a national plan for post-
competitive leader, and contributes to social mobility,
secondary education
decent work, reduced inequality, and a robust culture
In cities and communities across the country, universities
and democracy.
and colleges are job-creating institutions, cultural
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed our centres, and regional economic drivers. They employ
nation in the span of months, leaving not only local people, contribute to community well-being,
governments, but many Canadians, working to find bring in students that support local businesses, and
ways to navigate through the pandemic and recover attract research and innovation. Whether in smaller
from its financial and social impacts. As a country, at municipalities, or in larger urban centres, universities
this moment we are a facing a public health crisis, an and colleges are significant employers that create and
train people for family-supporting jobs. Nationally,
Canadian Association of University Teachers 2Submission to Finance Canada’s Pre-Budget Consultation February
Canada’s post-secondary education system drives our To ensure that provinces are active partners in
prosperity and global competitiveness, underpins our supporting the post-secondary education sector,
democracy, and develops solutions to existing and this federal funding must include accountability
future challenges. mechanisms to ensure that these funds are spent
by the provinces as designated.
The impacts of COVID-19 have put in stark relief the
broken funding model for post-secondary education. Establish a federal post-secondary education
Public spending on post-secondary education in secretariat or branch within the federal
Canada has not kept pace with enrolment over the government to facilitate intergovernmental
past several decades. In 1990, just over 80 per cent of collaboration and coordinate initiatives such as
university operating funding came from public research and science, student assistance, data and
funding. As of 2018, that figure had plummeted to innovation.
about 47 per cent. With years of declining
government funding in real terms, institutions are Invest in French-language post-
adjusting their budgets by cutting jobs, increasing secondary education institutions
student tuition fees, and reducing programs.
This government recognizes our linguistic duality is
The last federal top-up to the transfer to the provinces essential to Canada's success and has committed to
for post-secondary education was in 2008. Canadians support policies and programs to “enhance the vitality
need a stronger federal partner for post-secondary of official-language minority communities, protect
education and research if we are to meet the their institutions, and support and increase
challenges in building back better from the pandemic, bilingualism across the country.”
including reskilling workers, reducing barriers to
Last year this government committed $63 million
educational attainment for marginalized groups, and
over 5 years to support the Université de l'Ontario
ensuring young people are not burdened by education
français to help meet the needs of 620,000
debt before entering the workforce. The sector is
Francophones in Ontario, particularly those in the
suffering under years of chronic underfunding all
Central-Southwestern region. As well, through
despite the fact that post-secondary education has
the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018-2023, the
become an essential part of Canada’s economic
government is investing $5 million over 5 years in five
growth. The Department of Finance’s Advisory
post-secondary institutions to expand their health-
Council on Economic Growth calculated in 2017 that
specific training programs to cover regions where it is
the additional funding required for adult reskilling
difficult to access French-language programs.
through post-secondary education over the next
decade is $3 billion. Investment is necessary to ensure The government needs to go further by committing
that quality education remains accessible to students additional funding in Budget 2021 to support existing
and to provide fair and sustainable employment Francophone and bilingual institutions that are at risk
opportunities in communities across our country. due to chronic underfunding and recent events.
Recommendation: Develop a national strategy Recommendation: Dedicate $200 million over 5
with the provinces and territories that provides years to directly support Francophone and
adequate, stable federal funding to support quality bilingual post-secondary education institutions to
post-secondary education. ensure the vitality of Canada’s Francophone
minority communities and safeguard Canada’s
A minimum of $3 billion in direct federal
linguistic duality.
funding through a dedicated education transfer to
provinces and territories will ensure universities Making headlines are the financial troubles of both
and colleges can make education more affordable Laurentian University in northern Ontario and the
for all, increase access for those who need it, and Campus Saint-Jean at the University of Alberta.
address issues of precarious work. Reductions in public funding are chief among the
Canadian Association of University Teachers 3Submission to Finance Canada’s Pre-Budget Consultation February
issues facing all universities and colleges, however Restarting research activities across the country will
those serving minority communities are particularly at take a concerted and planned effort. Without continued
risk, due to higher per student costs. investment, Canada risks falling even further behind
in its competitiveness internationally. Canadians need
Their educational missions are intertwined with a new knowledge and new ideas to improve our quality
commitment to retain a connection with the historic of life and to help us meet the critical challenges we
Francophone communities in the region and the face. The final report from the Advisory Panel on
preservation and interpretation of archival and Federal Support for Fundamental Science, released in
cultural material in the communities. They provide an 2017, provides the blueprint to ensure Canada is a
opportunity for Canadians to pursue higher education world leader in research. The report recommended
entirely in French and train a bilingual workforce. increasing base funding for Canada’s research granting
Tri-Councils (the Canadian Institutes of Health
This fund should provide operating funding needed to Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering
secure programs, staff and the long-term future of Research Council, and the Social Sciences and
these institutions. Humanities Research Council) from $3.5 billion to $4.8
billion over four years. This investment would raise
funding to a level that is equal to those of other G7
Support and expand research & science countries which would ensure long-term viability and
infrastructure competitiveness.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the
importance of research as we look to scientists and Despite increases in 2018, there remains a shortfall of
researchers for the information and tools necessary to approximately 40 per cent to reach the levels
guide us through this pandemic. This public health recommended by the Advisory Panel on Federal
crisis has also emphasized that, as a country and a Support for Fundamental Science to stay competitive
global partner, we need research infrastructure— on the international stage. Additionally, support for
including physical and human resources—ready at any early career researchers still falls significantly short, at
given moment to respond to challenges and crises that only 22 per cent of the levels recommended by the
arise. We simply cannot develop solutions to our same committee.
country's challenges without having highly trained
Support for basic research will be essential to
and well-supported researchers alongside laboratories,
rebuilding our social infrastructure, growing our
equipment, tools, and a working knowledge base.
economy, and ensuring that Canada trains and retains
Throughout the pandemic, financial support and global research talent. With this support, Canada’s
flexibility from the Tri-Council funding agencies have world-class researchers will help to solve emerging
assisted many research teams to pay their staff and problems, such as mitigating the impacts of climate
extend the timelines of their research. Despite this change.
assistance, there have been unavoidable setbacks. The
intense focus on emergency remote teaching and Recommendation: Accelerate research through
learning, the physical closure of labs, and the public enhanced investments in the Tri-Councils
health measures that limited physical contact have led granting programs and increase graduate student
to a sharp decline in research activities. A survey of scholarships.
CAUT members demonstrated that 19 per cent have
been unable to do any research at all, and another 45 Annual increases to the Tri-Councils granting
per cent had to reduce their research activities after programs are needed until Canada reaches funding
public health measures were put in place. This hiatus that falls proportionally in line with other G7
in research work will have significant downstream countries. This funding will increase the sustainability
impacts on the innovation and knowledge that of Canada’s innovation and research capacity and
supports Canada’s economy, health research, and ensure that Canadians are not left behind in an
social supports. adapting world—both socially and economically.
Canadian Association of University Teachers 4Submission to Finance Canada’s Pre-Budget Consultation February
Increasing scholarships for graduate students to tuition fees for Canadian families will diversify the
the recommended levels in the Fundamental student populations, provide opportunities for
Science Review is necessary to support early Canadians struggling in the current economic climate,
career researchers and offer much needed balance reduce education and income disparities, and create a
to the diversity of our research workforce where more just society. To this, the top-up to the Post-
currently women and racialized researchers are secondary Student Support Program that helps fund
underrepresented due to limited options for early First Nations and Inuit education was capped at an
career researchers. annual 2 per cent growth in 2016, even as inflation
and population growth exceeded these benchmarks.
Improve student financial assistance As a result, the program is falling short in addressing
The pandemic and other macroeconomic conditions the backlog of Indigenous students for this program.
have displaced many workers. In these times of high
unemployment, more Canadians than ever could Recommendation: Secure opportunities for
benefit from training and retraining. Unfortunately, Canada’s youth and unemployed Canadians by
the impact of COVID-19 has imposed significant moving to a free tuition model for low- and middle-
financial barriers on current and would-be students. class Canadians at public universities and colleges.
The escalating costs of tuition and the rapidly
changing world of work are putting post-secondary Current federal programs for post-secondary
education out of reach for some and contributing to education and training encompass a complex mix of
unsustainable levels of debt for others. Although the limited opportunities. Streamlining these programs
federal government has expanded student loans and should focus government spending on eliminating
grants, the grants remain lower than the average direct costs for students, as opposed to measures that
undergraduate tuition fees which are on the rise. increase student debt. This would include
repurposing the Canada Training Benefit to ensure
Historically, when federal student loan and grant that Canadians looking to build their skills and
programs have been increased, tuition has also risen, knowledge have meaningful access to opportunities
making the impact on Canadians trying to access higher and redirecting the $900 million in unused federal
education negligible. A new system that removes the funding from the failed Canada Student Service
barrier of direct costs for Canadians to access education Grant program to direct student support.
is needed. Access to higher education will provide
opportunities to young Canadians and workers, and act Improve education funding options for students and
as an equalizer across the country—increasing social families and reduce generational debt by moving
mobility, growing and supporting the middle class, towards a 50:50 grants and loans model.
and reducing inequities. Reducing generational economic inequities by
permanently eliminating interest on federal
Federally, the enhancements to the Student Loans and student loan debt.
Grants program since its introduction in 2009-10
have had some impact in reducing need for loans. Yet Eliminating the gap in post-secondary attainment
the federal government still disburses $2 in loans for between Indigenous students and non-Indigenous
each $1 in grants, while upwards of $150 million in students by increasing funding for Indigenous
loans is written off each year. A more equitable post-secondary education by a minimum of $650
disbursement, particularly with a focus on low- million annually.
income and middle-income families, would be to
move to a 50:50 grants and loans model.
A national plan to strengthen higher education should
include support for targeted free tuition programs.
Many marginalized communities have been excluded
from higher education as a result of cost. Removing
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