The Ontario government failed to allocate any additional graduate student spaces to York over the next three years in its recent strategic mandate signing spree with colleges and universities.
The government had been signing agreements with Ontario’s 45 post-secondary institutions, requesting that they provide lists of 10 programs they consider their strongest and five programs they wish to expand.
The decision to sign the agreements, otherwise known as “strategic mandate agreements” was allegedly made to end the duplication of programs and to move towards a more specialized system.
Regarding additional graduate student spaces, the University of Toronto will receive 580 new spots, Ryerson will receive 256, and York will receive none for the periods of 2014-2015 to 2016-2017.
In an article in the Toronto Star, York president and vice-chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri said he believed York was penalized in regard to graduate funding allocation because most of its current graduate students are not Canadian or permanent Canadian residents.
“On the one hand, the government tells us to take in more international students, then they don’t count them because they don’t fund them,” said Shoukri.
Rhonda Lenton, vice-president academic and provost says it is important to note York has one of the largest graduate student
populations in Ontario. “We continue to advocate for recognition and funding for international students, along with our colleagues in the sector.”
May Nazar of the communications branch at the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities says York was not given additional graduate spaces over the three-year period because eligible graduate enrolment has been under York’s targets in recent years.
According to the SMA between York and the MTCU, York was 341.18 under its target for the 2013-2014 period.
“York University still has room for eligible graduate enrolment growth, as its current enrolment remains below the target confirmed as part of the process,” says Nazar.
In its SMA, York identified engineering and science, bilingual programs, arts, digital media, performance and design, business/management/administration, and healthy individuals and communities as its proposed programs for future growth.
The SMA also notes a medical school on the horizon for York by 2020 in its vision statement.
Nazar, however, says at this time the ministries of Health and Long-Term Care and Training, Colleges, and Universities are not predicting medical education expansion over the short and medium term.
“We remain open to the future possibility of establishing a medical school,” says Lenton.
Lenton says in addition to focussing on York’s five designated programs, York will continue to set the foundation for a medical school.
Ashley Glovasky, News Editor
Photo courtesy of the government of Ontario.
Well, what do you expect? With all the negative publicity recently about York U. I am surprised that they didn’t reduce funding for the University! Crime Wave, Shootings, Sexual Assaults on Campus, Anti-Semitic incidents, SAIA hate-fest, you think no one on Parliament Hill reads the papers – including THIS ONE?
Let me explain further, the Ontario government is, in effect, saying: “Read My Lips” to the University Administration.
They may not be up front about it, but they are communicating their displeasure about what is going on here… and in a very effective, attention getting manner, right in YorkU students pocketbook.