Council of Ontario Universities

1. Council of Ontario Universities Keeping Wind in the Sails Presented to GRO Conference June 17 2009

2. COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES Framing of Presentation

3. COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES Framing of Presentation

4. COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES Presentation Overview

5. COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES Current Context • Major Recession/Ballooning Deficits • Ontario – Increased demand for PSE/Negotiation of Reaching Higher II/Rethinking of Ontario Commercialization Network • Federal – Major infrastructure investment/Conservatives less awareness of, or openness to, research agenda/Tendency toward targeted rather than general funding/Minority government

6. COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES Challenges • Complex system needs – not necessarily well understood • Limited fiscal resources • Tendency to think short-term • Diverse government audiences with mixed levels of awareness • Range of university voices

7. COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES Flexible Advocacy Approach • Advocacy approach needs to be flexible depending on audience and level of knowledge Awareness Dialogue Solution

8. COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES Framework for Viewing Universities • Flexible approach serves times of restraint and ‘when the ship comes in’ • Emphasis may vary according to order of government and where you sit in government (i.e. Minister, ‘backbencher’, official, staffer, etc.) Student Success/ Education Research Community

9. COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES Perceptions/Challenges Based on FrameworkOntario Government – Elected Representatives (Liberal) High Importance Important Important Student Success/ Education Research Community • “Education Premier” • Viewed as universites’ primary role • Tied to future economic • prosperity-translating student success into ‘best’ educated workforce • Colleges viewed as having more strategic role in retraining • Students important voting • block • Part of economic engine of province • (interest growing) • Link to regional economic • development • Concerned with health of • other parts of research supply chain • Commercialization • Other stakeholders supportive • (Ontario Chamber of Commerce) • Link not always well understood and activities • not known • When link is made, has high resonance with Members • Community Colleges perceived as more relevant

10. COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES Perceptions/Challenges Based on FrameworkOntario Government – Officials Important Less Importance High Importance Community Research Student Success/ Education • Not well understood and activities not known • Some resonance – see as opportunity to build political case • Community colleges perceived as more relevant • Viewed as universities’ primary role • Committed to new plan • with vision for future • (doing things differently) • Part of economic engine of province (interest growing) • Concerned with health of other parts of research supply chain • Commercialization

11. COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES Perceptions/Challenges Based on FrameworkFederal Government – Elected Representatives (Conservatives) High Importance Student Success/ Research • Viewed as universities’ primary role • Education is a provincial responsibility • Political base not engaged in issue • Limited opportunity to expand eligible voter pool • Parents/Grandparents target audience

12. COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES Perceptions/Challenges Based on FrameworkFederal Government – Elected Representatives (Conservatives) • Not a natural starting point • Tendency to view as elitist, not always relevant • Upset with community reaction to Budget 2009 • Universities not seen as responsive to priorities/always asking for money • Link to regional economic development – some resonance, but not well understood • Less bottom up engagement • Preference for targeted funding • Limited opportunity to expand voter pool Important Research

13. COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES Perceptions/Challenges Based on FrameworkFederal Government – Elected Representatives (Conservatives) Important Community • Link not well understood • When link is made, has resonance with Members • Community colleges perceived as more relevant

14. COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES Perceptions/Challenges Based on FrameworkFederal Government –Officials Less Important Important High Importance Community Student Success/ Education Research • Former Clerk highly engaged • Not seen as supportive of • government priorities/always • asking for money • Would like to see demonstrable • results in areas of federal policy • development and civil service • renewal • Commercialization • More sympathy for discovery • research • Viewed as universities’ • primary role • Interested in quality of • teaching/access • French language instruction • Less engaged in this area • Link not well understood • Some resonance- in some areas • Community colleges perceived as more relevant

15. COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES Opportunities • Telling the Whole Story Differently – broaden the understanding of our success and complexity/scope of our endeavours, emphasize the positive • Building New Alliances/ Partnerships/ Relationships – have others help to bring forward our brief • Finding “Less Usual” Places to be Helpful – build goodwill in other places so perception is positive when the big ask comes in • Making Support a Two-way Street - lending a hand in areas of importance to government agenda • Identifying Champions – important at all levels • Acknowledge Progress as it Occurs