Outcomes based funding Current status promising practices and emerging trends

The evolution of outcomes-based funding: Institutional mission matters Outcomes-based funding – linking government funding to institutional performance based on identified outcomes – is relatively new to postsecondary systems that have long been accustomed to dollars driven by enrolment. But funding formulas are the most powerful government instruments available to steer system changes and the behaviour […]

What is an internship An inventory and analysis of internship opportunities available to Ontario postsecondary students

Ontario postsecondary internship programs should emphasize educational quality There is significant variation in the structure of internship programs offered in Ontario’s colleges and universities – from length of program to requirements for completion. But a new study from the Higher Education Quality Council (HEQCO) also finds that when viewed through the lens of experiential learning […]

Ontario Private Career Colleges: An Exploratory Analysis

Private Career Colleges an Under Examined Part of Ontario’s Postsecondary System Despite serving 53,000 full time equivalent students, or about 1 in 15 of the province’s postsecondary students, private career colleges are an understudied higher education option in Ontario. A new report by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) provides an overview of […]

The “Other” University Teachers: Non-Full-Time Instructors at Ontario Universities

More research needed on the “other” university teachers: Non-full-time instructors Over the last decade, increases in Ontario university enrollment have outstripped growth in full-time, tenure-stream faculty. Non-full-time faculty, which include sessional and graduate student instructors, play a significant role in addressing increased teaching demands although there is a dearth of public information about hiring trends […]

Beyond Labs and Libraries Career Pathways for Graduate Students

Research Summary: New reports explore the stark realities of the university doctorate  Doctoral enrolments in Ontario universities have nearly doubled over the last decade, with roughly two-thirds of doctoral students hoping to become university professors. Considering that Canadian full-time professors are now the highest paid in the world – working more hours but enjoying better […]

@ Issue Paper No. 15 So You Want to Earn a PhD? The Attraction, Realities and Outcomes of Pursuing a Doctorate

Research Summary: New reports explore the stark realities of the university doctorate Doctoral enrolments in Ontario universities have nearly doubled over the last decade, with roughly two-thirds of doctoral students hoping to become university professors. Considering that Canadian full-time professors are now the highest paid in the world – working more hours but enjoying better […]

Provincial government must adopt more active role in system planning

Ontario College and University Strategic Mandate Agreements Government must play a more active, assertive and purposeful role to drive system-level planning and change, according to an Expert Panel convened by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) that reviewed Strategic Mandate Agreement submissions from Ontario’s 44 public colleges and universities.  The Panel’s report, Quality: Shifting […]

College-to-University Transfer Arrangements and Undergraduate Education Ontario in a National and International Context

Research Summary: College-to-university transfer: 2 + 2 = potential savings for students and government Students who transfer from college to university to complete their undergraduate degree are likely to save themselves and the government money, and they often earn grades equivalent to students who go directly into university from high school, according to a new […]

Ontario postsecondary system must increase productivity to maintain quality

While Ontario’s colleges and universities are already quite productive, constrained resources and increased demand mean the system must increase productivity to maintain quality, according to a preliminary report by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO). The report, The Productivity of the Ontario Public Postsecondary System, was initiated at the request of the provincial government to […]