Cuts at the Wrong Time

This Globe & Mail article highlights some of the issues that colleges and universities are facing currently in Ontario/Canada. Unfortunately, the writer points out (likely correctly) that student service units will likely be an area targeted.

In a recent post I suggested that fundraising is something that Student Affairs needs to get involved in. The fact that PSE institutions in Ontario had to cut budgets last year, when the economy was in good shape, and must make deep cuts this year, when demand is going to increase more then normal, reinforces the need that alternative sources of funding must be sought out.

Taking the initiative now could prevent decision makers from making choices such as contracting out services. To some this may seem like a ridiculous suggestion, but food services, bookstores and residence operations have all been contracted out for quite some time. Employment firms, counselors and health care clinics are well established outside of higher education. It is not inconceivable that one day a President could take a risk and contract out a career centre to Work opolis, a counseling unit to private providers and student health operation to a local health clinic.

One Student Database

Accountability is a topic increasing in importance. With data becoming increasing easy to capture and analyze the push for one large database that contains all students, from elementary school to higher education, will intensify. This Inside Higher Ed article explores the issue a little and explains how the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation may have provided a path to a new solution.

Student Affairs staff and leaders in the field need to pay close attention to this issue in order to influence the type of data that is captured.

Creating a Creative Future for Education

Ontario Premier, Dalton McGuinty, sought the advice of Roger Martin & Richard Florida from UofT on the future of the Ontario economy. Roger Martin is Dean of the Rotman School of Management, one of Canada's top business schools, and Richard Florida is a US born professor at UofT and author of several popular books. A report was prepared and made public recently.

Two education blogs I follow both put up postings about the report:

• Dale Kirby from MacLeans Oncampus
  
• George Siemens blog is elearnspace
  

I have yet to read the report, but I look forward to seeing what opportunities it contains for student affairs since we can be a rather creative bunch ;-)

The Road Ahead for Higher Ed

Gordon Gee is President of Ohio State University which is one of the largest schools in the US. This Inside Higher Ed article, called Gordon Gee's Call for 'Reinvention' of Higher Ed points out some of the highlights of a recent speech by Gee. I see two points worth noting for staff in student affairs:

• Interdisciplinary Approach
• Importance of Community Colleges
  

The interdisciplinary comments could have a direct impact on student affairs staff in that this presents an opportunity for work outside the classroom to increase in value, especially when Gee is quoted as saying "that faculty members need to be rewarded for contributions broadly, not just those that advance their own fields."

Gee's prediction that “the drivers of our future will be this nation’s community colleges,” speaks to the increasing importance of applied learning. Again, this line of thinking supports the focus on learning outside the classroom that student affairs staff are so heavily involved in.

Student Affairs Needs Fundraising Staff

My last post showed a chart outlining how the Ontario government allocates funding to various categories. Funding for post-secondary institutions in the 05/06 fiscal year amounted to 5.6% of the province's expenses. The revenue collected by a university comes from more then the province though.

As Daniel Lang, from OISE, has outlined the different sources of revenue for universities has fluctuated over time. This chart shows four points in time over a 40 year period beginning in the late 1950's:



The chart clearly shows a trend the governments are providing a lower portion of the revenue for universities in Canada. Some schools have been fortunate enough to receive major donations in the past decade from some of Canada's wealthy people such as Ted Rogers (Ryerson), Seymour Schulich (York, UWO, Calgary, McGill), George Vari (Ryerson, York, UofT), Richard Ivey (UWO), Wallace McCain (Mount Allison), Mike Lazaridis (Waterloo), Jim Balsillie (Waterloo, WLU) and others.

There is little reason to believe that the trend of declining government funding will be reversed in the near future, which means that Canada's post-secondary schools must continue to look to wealthy citizens. To date the vast majority, if not all, of the donations made to higher education in Canada have been directed to academic activities and faculties.

This last fact makes me wonder if student affairs is missing out on an opportunity. The work of student affairs staff can have a tremendous impact on a student's career and chances are that today's donors were likely heavily involved in activities outside of the classroom. For this reason it might be time that student affairs staff get involved in fundraising efforts.

(Source: Lang, D. (2004). Financing Higher Education in Canada. In Steve O. Michael (Eds.), International Perspectives on Financing Higher Education (pp. unknown). Kent, OH: Kent State University Press.)

Government Funding for Student Affairs

Have you ever wondered how much money government spends on post-secondary education? College and university staff and faculty in Canada should have an interest because our post-secondary education (PSE) model is heavily funded by the federal and provincial governments.

The 2005/2006 Ontario budget included about $84 billion in revenue. Approximately 5.6% of the provincial expenses was directed to PSE & Training. By far the largest category of expenses was spent on health care which amounted to nearly 40% of the Ontario's budget.

Daniel Lang, from OISE, has conducted research on funding for PSE and he points out that a great deal has changed over the past half century. In the mid 1960's there was no formal funding formula for universities (Ontario Colleges were introduced in 1966). A basic funding formula, especially when compared to today's standards, was introduced in the late 1960's and it has become increasingly complex. Today, in Ontario, 17 different "envelopes" exist in the Ontario Operating Funds Distribution Manual (03/04):

1.1 Basic Grants
1.2 Enhanced Accessibility for students with a disability
1.3 Performance Fund
1.4 Quality Assurance Fund
1.5 Expansion Funds (Accessibility; Medical Enrolment Expansion; Nursing Enrolment Expansion; Teacher Education Expansion)
1.6 Mission-Related Institution Specific (Northern Ontario Grants; Bilingualism; Differentiation; Extraordinary Grant to Algoma; Extraordinary Grant to Hearst)
1.7 Research Overhead's/Infrastructure
1.8 Special Purpose Grant
1.9 Institution-Specific Grants
1.10 Learning Opportunities Task Force
1.11 Partnerships Grants (Access to Opportunities Program; Graduate Scholarships in Science & Tech)
1.12 Enrolment Adjustment/Accessibility
1.13 Transition Grants
1.14 Program Adjustment
1.15 Library Enhancement & Student Equipment Fund
1.16 Pay Equity Assistance
1.17 Fair Funding for Universities

None of the envelopes provide dedicated funding for student affairs or for work outside the classroom. The government would likely suggest that a portion of various envelopes is used in activities outside the classroom. With the focus on student engagement and experience intensifying in recent years an argument could be made that the work of student affairs is increasing in importance and a dedicated envelop should be created.

Several associations in the US have been organizing themselves in the last five years for the purpose of lobbying government. Their work has influenced the political agenda. For example political discussion following the high profile shootings at Virgina Tech or Northern Illinois University was modified because of the work of association staff and other leaders in the student affairs' field. Student affairs staff north of the border could benefit from organizing for the purpose of lobbying the government as well. Organizing our field to develop a more formal relationship with the government would raise the value and profile of our work and could even lead to our own "envelope" in the future.