Media release

AUCC asks parties to demonstrate support for higher education and research

Ottawa, September 10, 2008

“If your party forms the next government, will you commit to maintaining Canada’s G-7 leadership in public sector research investment?”

This is one of the 12 questions asked by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada in a questionnaire sent today to the five main federal party leaders.

Universities matter to Canada and to Canadians. In uncertain economic times, strategic investment by governments can make a major impact on the well-being of their citizens. In this questionnaire to the federal party leaders, AUCC asks all parties in the 2008 election if they will commit to maintaining and improving the federal government’s support for higher education and university research.

“Our university participation is only middle of the pack compared to other developed countries,” says Claire Morris, President and CEO of AUCC. “This is not good enough.”
AUCC’s questionnaire asks the federal parties if they will commit to working with the provinces to increase per-student funding for Canadian universities to internationally competitive levels.

“As a country, we need to ensure that every young person, regardless of their social or economic status, has an opportunity to obtain a quality postsecondary education,” said Tom Traves, AUCC Board chair.

AUCC has created an election website to promote higher education and university research as an election issue for all Canadians – www.universitiesmatter.ca. Answers from the federal parties will be posted on the website October 3.

Successive federal governments have made major investments in research in the past decade with impressive results. The association, representing 92 member universities across the country, asks all party leaders to commit to continuing support for funding for research across a broad range of disciplines and to funding the institutional costs of supporting research at internationally competitive levels.

AUCC also asks all parties if they will increase funding for Aboriginal students and students from lower-income families as well as support for Canadian students seeking international study opportunities.

The website offers a short list of facts about universities’ contributions to the economy, trends in enrolment and funding, and Canada’s educational ranking in the world. It also provides useful statistics for journalists and voters and links to AUCC reports on trends in higher education.

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To visit the AUCC election website go to www.universitiesmatter.ca

For more information, please contact:
Leslie Cole
AUCC Communications Officer
Tel.: (613) 563-3961 ext. 330
E-mail: lcole@aucc.ca