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Category: Canada

PSE History Through Election Manifestos: 1979-1993

Late to this incredibly hip party on Canadian PSE history?  Catch up with the previous two installments here and here. The late 70s to mid-90s were maybe the ghastliest period in Canadian history.  Economically, they were full of unemployment, inflation and debt.  Yet our politics were driven not by economics, as they would have been in normal countries, but by national unity: a referendum in 1980, constitutional conferences in 1981, repatriation in 1982, the Meech Lake Accord in 1987, three

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September 25, 2019 No Comments

Canadian PSE History through Election Manifestos: 1963-1974

If you’re just joining us, we’re exploring the history of post-secondary education in Canada as seen through election manifestos. 1949 to 1962 was yesterday.  The party manifestos for the five federal elections from 1963 to 1974 represent a kind of a highpoint in dealing with post-secondary education, research, and skills. It’s a fascinating period because you can see the pendulum swing from activist federal ambitions in education and skills to total avoidance. The Socreds were the most consistent party through

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September 24, 2019 No Comments

Canadian University Finances 2017-18

So, the 2017-2018 Financial Information of Universities and Colleges survey dropped in July, and as usual I’ve got a two-parter, one on income and balances (today) and one on expenditures (tomorrow). Figure 1 shows the big, long-term picture. University income, in real dollars, is still on an enormous long-term up-tick. This year, total income was $38.7 billion, down very slightly this year from last because it wasn’t quite as bumper a year on the investment/endowment front. Figure 1: University Income

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September 12, 2019 No Comments

Oh Hey, Tuition Data!

Every year in Canada, we have a back-to-school ritual: some time during the first week of the postsecondary term (usually on the Wednesday or Thursday), Statistics Canada releases its annual tuition fee survey. Pretty much everybody and their third cousin come together in our local, regional, and national newspapers to talk about how terrible it is that postsecondary education in this country “costs so much”. Like clockwork, articles appear, arguments are recycled, and there is much bewailing. Except this year.

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September 10, 2019 No Comments

The Liberal Record

Though the writs won’t be issued for another few days, we are already deep into the election run-up. Over the course of the next few weeks I will be giving you some analysis of the various party platforms with respect to higher education. However, before we get to platforms, it’s worth taking a look back at the record of the current government. To break down their performance, let’s start by examining whether the Liberals actually delivered on their promises from

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September 4, 2019 1 Comment

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One Thought to Start Your Day is our founder and CEO Alex Usher’s popular daily blog, brimming with up-to-the-minute insights and informed opinions on today’s higher education industry.

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