Bob Rae met with our MPA class today for about twenty minutes (he arrived late). I asked the first question: "Do you think that the funding formula for operating grants should provide incentives for year-round undergraduate education?" Mr. Rae didn't seem very interested in the idea. At first, he said that it's already a twelve month operation, with summer classes. In reply, I pointed out that University of Waterloo, which is likely a leader in year-round education, only enrolled 40 per cent of its fall enrolment in the summer term. I also mentioned that problems associated with student migration flows might be mitigated by year-round education. In response to a question by one of my classmates about employment, Mr. Rae said that he wouldn't be including an incentive for year-round education in his report (apparently he has mostly made up his mind!).
So my submission will need to be very persuasive--more persuasive than my questions and comments today were.
From your account I think you posed that question quite articulately. It is difficult to fully realize the benefits of a complicated idea like that in a question/answer session, maybe it will sink in over time!
What else has he “made up his mind” on?
Let’s hope it sinks in!
He seems intent on differentiation between universities. He also said something about “not fearing excellence.” He talked about reforming OSAP to better account for living costs. He also mentioned flexibility in setting tuition and ridiculed both the neo-con voucher position and the CFS “tuition is bad” position.
Of course, this is just my representation of his comments. I don’t know exactly what he plans to recommend.