OUSA Welcomes Brad Duguid, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities

TORONTO, Feb. 12, 2013 /CNW/ - The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) welcomes Brad Duguid as the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities for Ontario. Students look forward to working with Minister Duguid to recommit Ontario's post secondary system to affordability, through a clear change in course on tuition.

In November of last year, students met with then Minister of Economic Development and Innovation Duguid.  "We have always appreciated Minister Duguid's willingness to meet with students to discuss opportunities to improve the landscape of experiential education in Ontario," said Rylan Kinnon, Executive Director of OUSA.  "In the past year, we have had discussions about undergraduate research, cooperative education, and entrepreneurial learning with the Minister, conversations we hope to continue in his new portfolio."

Students also look forward to working with Minister Duguid on a number of key issues that have been discussed in depth within the sector this year. Of primary concern to students is the introduction of a new tuition framework.  A government committed to affordability and sustainability cannot allow the existing framework, which has substantially increased costs for students and the government, to continue.  Based on this, students in Ontario have asked the government to freeze tuition for at least one year, and ensure that any future increases do not exceed inflation.  Students also ask the government to end the process of flat-fee billing, which charges students, often those most in need, for education they do not receive. To read more about OUSA's position on tuition and related fees, please click here and here.

Students look forward to meeting with Minister Duguid in the immediate future to discuss the aforementioned issues, as well as other means to improve the accessibility, affordability, accountability and quality of Ontario's post-secondary system.

"OUSA also wishes outgoing Ministers of Training, Colleges and Universities John Milloy and Glen Murray the best of luck with their new appointments as Government House Leader and Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure respectively," said Alysha Li, President of OUSA.  "Former ministers Milloy and Murray have made lasting contributions to post-secondary education in Ontario.  We thank them for fostering the current dialogue surrounding transformation within the higher education sector and look forward to continuing this conversation with Minister Duguid in the months to come."

About the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA)

OUSA represents the interests of over 155,000 professional and undergraduate, full- and part-time university students at nine member associations across Ontario.

SOURCE: Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance

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