The Council of Ontario Universities has released two reports authored by Dr. David Smith. The first report “Will there be enough excellent Profs?” examines the prospective demand and supply conditions for university faculty in Ontario. The second report “How will I know if there is quality?” reviews the issues and experiences with quality indicators and quality enhancement programs within Ontario universities and those of other jurisdictions.

Dr. Paul Davenport, Chair of COU and President of The University of Western Ontario spoke about the importance of these two reports: “In his reports, Dr. Smith notes that Ontario universities are at a critical juncture in their history as they face the challenges of accommodating a large surge in enrolment, finding and funding first-rate faculty who will be needed to teach the increased number of students and replace an unusually large wave of anticipated retirements, while fulfilling their basic responsibilities to students and society at large.”

These reports are intended to complement “Will there be room for me?” a 1999 report, by PricewaterhouseCoopers, which was also commissioned by Council. The report projected that demand for university opportunity could expand by up to 90,000 places by the end of this decade.

Dr. Smith, a respected economist is a former Principal of Queen’s University and former Chair of the government-appointed Advisory Panel on Future Directions for Postsecondary Education.

Additional copies of these reports can be obtained by contacting the Public Affairs office of COU.

For further information:

Arnice Cadieux
Executive Director, Public Affairs
(416) 979-2165 ext. 224