Private Universities

Private Universities

2001 articles 2000 articles

 

Update July 2005: Robertson, Heather-Jane, David McGrane, and Erika Shaker
For Cash and Future Considerations: Ontario Universities and Public-Private Partnerships
BUS LC 1085.4.C3R6294 2003
From the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives site:"[This] study demonstrates that this method of "funding" Ontario higher education, embraced by the Ontario government and facilitated by a number of initiatives such as SuperBuild, the Ontario Challenge Research and Development Fund (ORDCF) and the Ontario Innovation Trust (OIT), entrenches inequality between and within institutions. It privileges technology and science disciplines over the liberal arts programs in which the vast majority of Ontario students are enrolled, and disproportionately financially benefits the larger research universities over smaller institutions."

Update: On December 12, the National Post reported that the University of Toronto Law School was considering doubling its tuition fees over the next five years. During the rest of December 2001 there were numerous articles in the Canadian press talking about university funding and tuition fees. For your convenience, citations to some of them are provided below. They are listed by newspaper and then in reverse chronological order. In addtion to these articles see also the editorial by Clifford Orwin - "Let the Market Set Tuition Fees" in the National Post, Dec. 18, 2001, p. A16.

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PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN ONTARIO

Larry Johnston
Research Officer
Current Issue Paper 203 February 2000

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2001 articles

Globe & Mail (Full text available on Factiva and DBW microfilm)
"Canada's law schools: High tuition v. academic excellence," Globe and Mail Thursday, December 20, 2001
By Bruce Feldthusen and Michael Geist,
-- "Earlier this week, Ronald Daniels, dean of the faculty of law at the University of Toronto, published his vision of law school excellence in the National Post. It included imagining a law school that brings together the best students and professors from across the country and around the world, defining legal debates and providing Canada with the great university it deserves..."

The Kitchener-Waterloo Record (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
December 17, 2001
"Universities seek scholarships based on need," Robert Faulkner
"As the debate over tuition hikes rages, the University of Guelph is joining a drive by the University of Toronto to increase the use of scholarships based on financial need..."

The Kitchener-Waterloo Record (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
December 12, 2001
"Crowded WLU faces tough choices," Luisa D'Amato
"Wilfrid Laurier University could cut down on the number of students crowding its tiny campus -- but it would face a deficit if it did,
the university's president said yesterday..."

London Free Press (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis and DBW microfilm)
December 15, 2001
"CRITICS BLAST PROPOSAL TO REMOVE TUITION CAP," Hank Daniszewski
"Students from lower income families will be shut out of Ontario's universities if a Queen's University proposal to deregulate undergraduate tuition gets the green light, critics say. Deregulation will lead..".

London Free Press (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis and DBW microfilm)
November 28, 2001
"COLLEGES CALLED OVERCROWDED; A NEW STUDY ALSO CITES UNAFFORDABLE UNIVERSITIES," Hank Daniszewski
"A new survey shows most London area residents think Ontario's colleges and universities are becoming overcrowded and unaffordable. At a news conference in London yesterday, Henry Jacek, president of the..."

London Free Press (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis and DBW microfilm)
November 27, 2001
"TUITION INFLUENCES EDUCATION QUALITY," Rory Leishman
"If Canadian university students expect a first-class education, they must be willing to shoulder substantially higher tuition fees. There is no conceivable alternative. Even the best doctoral-level universities in Canada..."

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW microfilm)
December 20, 2001
"Middle class will soon revolt against tuition hikes"
Re: Queen's has little tuition choice, Letter, Dec. 19. Eddie Wong seems to have a degree in finance but not in politics. His solution to student funding is to have...

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW microfilm)
December 20, 2001
"Education is worth paying for"
Re: "Elitist education, Editorial, Dec. 17. I would like to point out some of the misinformation presented in your editorial regarding the potential deregulation of Queen's undergraduate fees..."

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW microfilm)
December 19, 2001
"Queen's has little tuition choice"
Re:"An alumni asks Queen's to stop, Opinion, Dec. 18. If Stuart Laidlaw is so ashamed of Queen's University for not fighting hard enough for its students to the degree..."

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW microfilm)
December 18, 2001
Re "Tuition hikes 'generational warfare': MPP, Dec. 14. As medical students at the University of Western Ontario, we have witnessed the tremendously negative impact that tuition deregulation has had on..."

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW microfilm)
December 17, 2001
"Elitist education"
"Our politicians keep telling us that competition between countries is now knowledge-based, meaning that investments in people are now more important that investments in machines. Knowledge-based competition also means that..."

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW microfilm)
December 17, 2001
"Deregulated tuition fees spell end of higher education"
Re: Tuition hikes 'generational warfare': MPP, Dec. 14. I was utterly sickened to read that the Harris government is considering deregulating undergraduate tuition fees. Such a move would be the.."

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW microfilm)
December 15, 2001
"Students urge Ontario to keep tuition caps" Theresa Boyle
"University students are pleading with the province to reject a proposal to allow post-secondary institutions to hike tuition beyond government-imposed caps. They warned yesterday the move would lead to the..."

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW microfilm)
December 14, 2001
"Students fear 'sticker shock'," Isabel Teotonio
"Bryce Rudyk is suffering from "sticker shock" after learning that tuition at U of T's law school may more than double and reach $25,000 as part of a five-year..."

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW microfilm)
December 13, 2001
"Cutbacks forcing Queen's hand on tuition increases, official says",Phinjo Gombu
"Queen's University has no intention of becoming a private university and its controversial request to Queen's Park to set its own undergraduate tuition fees is simply a response to a..."

The Toronto Sun (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis)
December 13, 2001
"U OF T TO HIKE LAW TUITION," Brodie Fenlon
"A tuition hike at University of Toronto's law faculty is guaranteed but no one's talking specifics, the school's dean says. Ronald Daniels said law students can expect to pay more..."

2000 articles

A recent headline in the student newspaper at the University of Western Ontario noted that "Harris Gives Private U's Thumbs Up" (Chris Lackner, The Gazette, Vol.94, Issue 05, Friday, June 16, 2000). Conflicting views were presented in that article and they reflected the intense debate occurring in Ontario over the prospect of privatized, for-profit educational institutions. The purpose of this brief guide is two-fold: 1) to lead you to resources about the specific situation in Ontario and the political/philosophical issues and 2) to introduce you to some of the companies that are now involved in the 'education business'.
A list of articles about the issue that appeared in the Canadian press during the first half of 2000 is presented below. As well, one will find a brief list at the end of this report of some of the companies involved in the 'education business'. The best place, by far, for starting research on the subject of private universities in Ontario is to be found in the following source. The table of contents is provided to indicate the scope of the report. The report is available in the Business Library and over the web.

Update:"Private Universities Closer," by Terry Rice, Western News, Dec.7, 2000, p.3. In this brief piece it was noted that the legislation that would allow private degree granting institutions was close to getting its final consideration and that students continued to object. The Vice-President of the UWO Students' Council, Jeff Sutton wrote that " in Canada...the government should invest in improving current public institutions that we already have". This controversial issue also attracted the attention of our Southern neighbors. See, "Critics Decry Canadian Government's Aid to a For-Profit Online Institution," by Janice Paskey, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Dec.15, 2000. In that article, which talked about funding for Lansbridge University, the President of the University of New Brunswick said, "I think it's inappropriate to be funding private universities at a time when public universities are starved for funds. This is an issue of a business declaring itself as a university, and being offered government dollars to do so". Lansbridge had also been attacked by the CAUT in the Ottawa Citizen. In response, the President of Lansbridge noted that "The CAUT doesn't want competition because they know full well that surveys consistently show that students have a very low opinion of the majority of the professors that have ever taught them". For background on Lansbridge, see "Unexus to Lansbridge" in the October issue of the Business Library staff newsletter, Bottomfeeder.

Update: From the London Free Press: "Ontario Moves to Allow Private Universities," Friday, October 20,2000 Ontario is pushing ahead with plans to let private universities set up shop in the province. But Colleges and Universities Minister Dianne Cunningham, of London, who tabled a bill yesterday after announcing the plan this past spring, said private institutions won't get public money...... Cunningham argued the bill would promote "excellence" by giving students more choice. "It is critical to making the system more responsive to the needs of the students"...... University of Western Ontario president Paul Davenport doesn't see private schools as a serious threat....... Western has three concerns, he said: that evaluation of applications for degree-granting status be transparent; that new institutions meet the same high standards as existing schools; and that there be significant investment in public universities to ensure excellence and accessibility....... Critics say the bill could lead to a two-tiered system with elite schools open only to wealthy students..... Currently, only New Brunswick has private universities, though B.C. has been pondering the idea.

The following paper dealing with Private Universities in Ontario is available at the Weldon Library. (DBW Govt CA2ON LA31 2000P203)

C-203 Private Universities in Ontario

Current Issue Paper 203
March 2000
Larry Johnson, Research Officer
Ontario Legislative Library
Research and Information Services

Contents:
Introduction;
The Context:
Defining "Private Universities':
Privateness in Higher Education
Ontario's Institutions
The Impetus for Private Universities
Arguments for Private Universities
Efficiency Arguments
Quality Arguments
Community of Values
Arguments Against Private Universities
Education is a Public Good
Absence of Market Conditions
Universities are Privatizing and Competing Already
The Destructiveness of Markets
Externalities
Quality
Buckingham and Bond
Recommendations in Ontario
Conclusion
Notes.

A bibliography is provided in the paper. For additional books use the general heading - "privatization" - and the more specific one "privatization in education". A good Canadian work is Douglas Auld's Expanding Horizons: Privatizing Universities. For an overview of the broader issues see Kuttner's Everything for Sale: The Virtues and Limits of Free Markets.

Private Universities in Ontario: The Debate in the Press
(alphabetically arranged by the source)

 

The Cambridge Reporter (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis)
Thursday, May 11, 2000
"NAFTA makes Tory plan for private colleges ill-advised"

The Cambridge Reporter (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis)
Saturday, April 29, 2000
"Academics, students slam advent of private universities"

The Cambridge Reporter (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis)
Monday, April 10, 2000
"Do we really want to pay for private universities?"

The Cambridge Reporter (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis)
Thursday, March 30, 2000
"Privatizing colleges no free ride for taxpayers"

Canada NewsWire (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Friday, April 28, 2000
"DeVry Institute applauds private university announcement, pledges support to Ministry"

The Canadian Press (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis)
Thursday, June 22, 2000
"Critics slam Ontario government plan for private universities"

The Canadian Press (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis)
Friday, April 28, 2000
"BC Ont Legis Sked"

The Canadian Press (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis)
Friday, April 28, 2000
"Ontario to introduce private universities under new policy"

The Canadian Press (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis)
Friday, April 28, 2000
"Ontario to introduce private universities under new policy"

The Canadian Press (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis)
Friday, April 28, 2000
"Private universities a go, critics predict start of two tiered education"

The Canadian Press (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis)
Friday, April 28, 2000
"Protests erupt as province announces introduction of private universities"

The Canadian Press (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis)
Sunday, April 2, 2000
"With AM Ont New Session"

The Canadian Press (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis)
Friday, March 3, 2000
"AM Private Universities"

CTV - CANADA am (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis)
Monday, May 1, 2000
"Analysing Ontario's Decision to Allow Private Universities"

CTV - CTV NEWS (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis)
Friday, April 28, 2000
"Ontario will soon have its own Ivy league university"

The Fredericton Daily Gleaner
Thursday, May 4, 2000
"Legislation in works"

The Fredericton Daily Gleaner
Thursday, May 4, 2000
"Unexus wins first round"

Guelph Mercury (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Sunday, May 7, 2000
"U of G student association spokesperson says 'it's a terrible announcement for students'"

Guelph Mercury (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Monday, May 1, 2000
"Private universities? Not a bad idea"

Guelph Mercury (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Saturday, April 29, 2000
"Private universities a go, critics fear two-tiered education"

Guelph Mercury (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Sunday, March 12, 2000
"Tories preparing way for private universities"

Guelph Mercury (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Sunday, January 23, 2000
"Critics attacking push for private universities"

The Halifax Chronicle-Herald (Full text available on DBW microfilm)
Saturday, April 29, 2000
"Private universities mean two-tiered education - critics"

The Hamilton Spectator (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Thursday, May 11, 2000
"Tories manipulated opinion on private universities"

The Hamilton Spectator (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Tuesday, May 9, 2000
"Private universities challenged"

The Hamilton Spectator (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Tuesday, May 2, 2000
"Private university protest; Students oppose two-tier system"

The Hamilton Spectator (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Saturday, April 29, 2000
"Grading private universities"

The Hamilton Spectator (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Saturday, April 29, 2000
"McMaster VP questions wisdom of Tories' proposal"

The Hamilton Spectator (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Saturday, April 1, 2000
"What letter writers told us this past week ..."

The Hamilton Spectator (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Tuesday, March 28, 2000
"Mike Harris isn't giving taxpayers all the facts"

The Hamilton Spectator (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Friday, March 10, 2000
"Private universities are nothing to fear"

The Kitchener-Waterloo Record (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Tuesday, May 9, 2000
"Private universities may upset the whole system"

The Kitchener-Waterloo Record (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Thursday, May 4, 2000
"Private universities a good thing"

The Kitchener-Waterloo Record (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Thursday, May 4, 2000
"Private universities meet public needs"

The Kitchener-Waterloo Record (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Saturday, April 29, 2000
"Laurier may open private campus"

The Kitchener-Waterloo Record (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Friday, April 28, 2000
"Ontario to allow private universities; colleges to grant applied degrees"

The Kitchener-Waterloo Record (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Friday, March 31, 2000
"No free ride; Private universities will cost Ontario taxpayers money, count on it"

The Kitchener-Waterloo Record (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Thursday, March 30, 2000
"WLU chief doesn't fear private universities"

The Kitchener-Waterloo Record (Full text available on Factiva and Lexis/Nexis)
Wednesday, March 8, 2000
"Harris favours private universities"

The London Free Press (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis and DBW microfilm)
Saturday, April 29, 2000
"Ontario Opens Door To Private Universities"

The Moncton Times and Transcript
Saturday, April 29, 2000
"Private universities spark protest"

National Post (Full text available on CBCA, Factiva, Lexis/Nexis, ProQuest Canadian Newstand and DBW Microfilm)
Thursday, June 1, 2000
"School choice"

National Post (Full text available on CBCA, Factiva, Lexis/Nexis, ProQuest Canadian Newstand and DBW Microfilm)
Monday, May 29, 2000
"Private universities are 'sucking up government money,' warns researcher"

National Post (Full text available on CBCA, Factiva, Lexis/Nexis, ProQuest Canadian Newstand and DBW Microfilm)
Wednesday, March 8, 2000
"Ontario will consider private universities"

The Ottawa Sun (Full text available on Lexis/Nexis and ProQuest Canadian Newstand)
Saturday, April 29, 2000
"Private University Plan Has Grits Red"

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW Microfilm)
Tuesday, June 6, 2000
"Private universities will intensify funding crunch"

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW Microfilm)
Thursday, June 1, 2000
"Neo-liberalism is selfishness"

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW Microfilm)
Wednesday, May 24, 2000
"Private Canadian universities would give students choice"

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW Microfilm)
Wednesday, May 10, 2000
"Contempt for education shines through"

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW Microfilm)
Tuesday, May 9, 2000
"Schools plan could cause scandal"

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW Microfilm)
Sunday, May 7, 2000
"University Inc. plan is premature"

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW Microfilm)
Thursday, May 4, 2000
"University Inc. plan avoids real problem"

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW Microfilm)
Tuesday, May 2, 2000
"Harris University Inc."

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW Microfilm)
Tuesday, May 2, 2000
"Students gear up to protest private universities"

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW Microfilm)
Saturday, April 29, 2000
"Jeers greet Private university promise"

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW Microfilm)
Friday, March 31, 2000
"Private universities called a drain"

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW Microfilm)
Saturday, March 11, 2000
"Tough choices on university funds"

The Toronto Star (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW Microfilm)
Wednesday, March 8, 2000
"Harris candid on universities"

The Toronto Sun (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW Microfilm)
Saturday, April 29, 2000
"Private University Plan.."

The Toronto Sun (Full text available on Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and DBW Microfilm)
Wednesday, March 8, 2000
"PCS eye private universities"

The "education business" now covers every segment from pre-school to post-graduate and the services are delivered from brick buildings as well as over the internet. Articles are easily found in a wide variety of sources and databases. For a recent one of interest, for example, see "The Bubble Bursts for Education Dot-Coms: Downturn in Internet Stocks Speeds a Shakeout of the Industry," Chronicle of Higher Education (June 30, 2000 - available on ProQuest and in the D.B.Weldon Library). For company information, see the analysts' reports that are available on Thomson One Banker. For good coverage on Bloomberg one can use the following command to get news on the industry: NI - Edu. For your convenience, the ticker symbols for some of the companies involved are provided below. On Bloomberg simply enter the symbol and then press the Equity button.

APOL ARGY CECO COCO DV EDMC ESI NLCS QEDC SKDS STRA

Apollo Group Argosy Education Group Career Education Corp. Corinthian Colleges Devry Education Management ITT Educational Services National Computer Systems Quest Education Corp. Smarterkids.com Strayer Education

This brief list is by no means exhaustive. For additional help in researching the subject, consult with Library Staff.

Update - November 2000

"Why was Vancouver-based business student Brenda Ambrosi willing to pay three times as much for a private university degree as she would have for the same degree from a publicly funded university?" For the answer to this question and additional information about such things as accreditation issues relating to private universities, see the article in a special supplement on eduction in The Globe and Mail- "Private Universities a Viable Option: For-Profit, Degree-Granting Institutions are Here to Stay for Adults Who Need Flexibility," November 6, 2000, pE2.