Believing that it is a victim of “chronic underfunding”, and in the hope of increasing the number of French-speaking university graduates, the Université du Québec (UQ) network is asking the Legault government for a “major catch-up reinvestment” of at least $100 million per year.
“We have taken important steps, but it is an unfinished work, launches the president of the UQ, Alexandre Cloutier, speaking of the creation of the network in 1968. When we look coldly at the figures in terms of graduation, we are convinced that we can do better. »
In an open letter published in the pages of Duty, the president of UQ and the leaders of the 10 institutions in the network are concerned about the gap between Quebec and the rest of Canada. They speak publicly after the Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, launched a call for submissions in May for a review of university funding policy.
In 2021, they say, a third of Quebec’s population aged 25 to 64 had a university degree, compared to 40% for Ontario. The gap is also significant between the regions of Quebec, we note. In Montreal, 56% of people aged 24 to 65 have a university certificate, diploma or degree. This figure drops to 17% on the North Shore and in Nord-du-Québec, 23% in Bas-Saint-Laurent, 25% in Lanaudière and 29% in Montérégie. “We have equipped ourselves with the UQ to come and repair a historic delay in the past, underlines Alexandre Cloutier. But it is far from being filled and we have to work twice as hard. »
Quebec has the distinction of having CEGEPs at the post-secondary level. But university education has a significant economic impact, argues Alexandre Cloutier. In some areas, “there will always be a distribution of employment that is more manual labor than service-oriented work,” he says. “It is important to have, throughout Quebec, a community that is representative of what is done elsewhere in Quebec. »
Additional funding will definitely have a positive impact on student success, he argues. “We think we can do better for the support of our students, better in terms of the supervision rate of our professors, better in terms of administrative support, and better for the publication in French and the support of our teachers. in this regard”, says Alexandre Cloutier.
According to UQ figures, the other universities in the province manage to invest more in these services. For example, an employee of the network will have to help an average of 18 students, compared to a ratio of 12 students for one staff member in establishments outside UQ. “When we look at the pie of funding by university, we, it is less big”, underlines the president of the UQ.
Quebec universities derive a large part of their income from government operating grants. But the money from foundations and foreign students works against the UQ network and widens the gap. “There is certainly a need to rebalance, believes Alexandre Cloutier. The step is higher for French-speaking universities. »
UQ wants to increase graduation, but universities, including the University of Quebec in Montreal, are experiencing a drop in enrollment. Is the network still attractive? “My answer is that it should be more so than ever. We must work and remind Quebecers how much we pay collectively, each year, for an institution that is a jewel and that we must better recognize, he says. It is the cry of the heart that I make. »
The UQ is asking for more funding, but there is no question of opening the conversation on a tuition hike. “This debate does not interest us,” says Alexandre Cloutier. We were founded to meet accessibility needs in our territory. We are targeting the most remote people, who are therefore often forced to work to pay for their studies. The goal is to make yourself more accessible. »