With cutbacks, downturns and layoffs leading most daily newscasts, The University of Western Ontario received positive financial news today in the form of increased funding for 504 new graduate student spaces.
The Ontario government will fund 274 new master’s and 230 new PhD spaces at Western, making it second only to the University of Toronto for the most new graduate students in Ontario universities.
Overall across Ontario, 1,925 new master’s spaces and 1,373 new PhD spaces will be created over the next three years, of which Western’s traditional percentage share has increased. The province will spend a total of $51.6 million to create the new spaces.
The provincial government contends that boosting the number of graduate students will create a stronger workforce, which is the key to success in today’s knowledge-based economy. It’s estimated that over the next decade, seven out of every 10 new jobs created in Ontario will require postsecondary education or training.
Western President Paul Davenport had praise for today’s announcement.
“I want to congratulate Minister (John) Milloy (Training, Colleges and Universities) and the McGuinty government for continuing their commitment to graduate education even in difficult times.
“The funding of graduate enrolment was perhaps the most distinctive part of ‘Reaching Higher’ (The McGuinty Government Plan for Postsecondary Education). Continuing that support for graduate studies is very good news for Western and for our students.”
Linda Miller, Vice Provost of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies also supports the province’s move.
“The university is currently facing serious economic challenges. I am delighted and grateful that the government has chosen to invest in the future through supporting the growth of graduate education,” said Miller.
The university’s Campus Master Plan confirms that Western doubled PhD enrolment from 1996 to 2006 – and intends to double it again from 2006 to 2016.
“This announcement is just the kind of support from the province that we need to keep on track with our goal of doubling PhD enrolment as part of our commitment to be a leading research-intensive university,” said Davenport.
“Graduate education is a vital component of a research-intensive university and graduate students contribute significantly to the university’s research mission. Government funding to support our graduate expansion is timely. This funding will enable us to focus on our priority for expansion and to continue to provide excellent graduate education opportunities,” said Miller.
Western’s focus on research is one of the key reasons the university fared well in allocation of funding and increased graduate student numbers.
“As Minister (Chris) Bentley (London West MPP) has indicated, Western did very well in this allocation because we’re a research-intensive university and we have done well in meeting our earlier targets for graduate enrolment. This is a great tribute to the hard work of our staff and faculty over the last three years…Minister Bentley also said there were research strengths on campus including alternative energy and green engineering that connect very directly to provincial government priorities,” said Davenport.
The announcement didn’t come as a complete surprise to administration.
Western had originally budgeted for 200 PhD students – but with the additional allocation to 230 PhD students, that represents an additional $780,000 that was not in budgetary plans.
Since the announcement from the province spreads funding over three school years from 2009-10 to 2011-12, not over two as originally expected, Davenport says, “we cannot say what the impact on our 2009-10 revenues will be yet. We need to know the timing of the allocations from the province.”
An economist himself, the president acknowledges the positive impact increasing funding for graduate students at Western will have. He echoed McGuinty’s words at a recent London Chamber of Commerce meeting when he said that “strengthening graduate studies is part of what will help bring us out of the recession in a competitive position in our global, knowledge-based economy.”
“So, yes indeed, Western and other Ontario universities will make their contribution to the Ontario economy of the future with outstanding graduate students,” said Davenport.
