Critics of the bill say it infringes on universities' right to decide who to admit, which could affect marginalized or underrepresented students.Tuan Minh Nguyen/The Globe and Mail
Student and faculty groups are criticizing an Ontario bill that would force universities to make admission decisions on the basis of what the government defines as “merit,” arguing such overreach would undermine the autonomy of postsecondary institutions.
The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), which represents more than 150,000 students at nine schools across the province, said the changes proposed by Premier Doug Ford’s government will undermine educational quality and diminish the pathways available to underrepresented groups in the postsecondary system.
Bill 33, introduced at Queen’s Park last week, contains provisions that would require universities and colleges to assess applicants for admission based on merit and to publish the criteria on which students will be judged.
But what constitutes merit is complex, according to those who study education.
Under the Supporting Children and Students Act, the Ontario cabinet could dictate which criteria must or must not be used in admission decisions. Critics say this would infringe on a university’s long-held right to decide who it will admit to its programs and on what basis.
Sayak Sneddon-Ghosal, president of OUSA, said his group is concerned about the impact this change could have on marginalized or underrepresented students, as well as those from groups that have faced historical barriers to postsecondary education.
“Who is defining merit and who is left out of that definition of merit?” Mr. Sneddon-Ghosal said.
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“It seems to signal that they might be looking at narrowing the broadened pathways that allow those from underrepresented or diverse groups to gain access to post-secondary education.”
Nolan Quinn, Ontario’s Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, was not available for an interview about Bill 33. In a statement, his spokesperson, Bianca Giacoboni, said officials will consult colleges and universities to understand their admissions policies with the goal of creating more transparency for prospective students.
“Our government believes students applying to our postsecondary institutions deserve to know the evaluation criteria directly related to their academic achievements and potential for success at an institution,” Ms. Giacoboni said.
“To be clear, there will always be pathways for those with disabilities and other underrepresented groups, and the consultations will help ensure we are increasing transparencies around these policies to make it easier for students to apply.”
Steve Orsini, president of the Council of Ontario Universities, said his organization is still reviewing the bill and won’t comment until that review is complete.
Nigmendra Narain, president of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, said the proposed legislation constitutes unreasonable political interference in a realm that has historically been the exclusive domain of universities.
All universities have standards that they use to admit qualified students, which they publish and make widely known, Prof. Narain said. He said the government’s move smacks of “going after EDI,” the term for equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives that provide support and in some cases specialized pathways for students from underrepresented groups to gain admission to academic programs.
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Marc Spooner, a scholar of higher education policy at the University of Regina, called Bill 33 “a scandalous overreach,” saying not only does it interfere with university autonomy, but it takes a simplistic view of the question of merit.
His impression is the government is saying that factors other than student grades should not be considered in admission decisions. But grades in high school in particular are often heavily correlated with factors outside the classroom over which students have relatively little control, he said, such as poverty, parental education and the home environment.
“Universities should have the autonomy to decide who gets in and what they’re going to assess to determine the best qualified candidate for any individual program,” Prof. Spooner said.
Student groups also spoke out against provisions of Bill 33 that would allow students to opt-out of mandatory student fees.
Olami Ogunnote, director of advocacy for Ontario Student Voices, which represents students at 10 colleges, said the bill gives the government sweeping regulatory powers over what fees students can choose not to pay, which could undermine campus services. The government lost a court battle over a similar policy, the Student Choice Initiative, in 2021.
“We’re worried that if the government does pass this bill, students will lose access to food banks, mental health services, a lot of really important supports on campus,” Mr. Ogunnote said.