the cost of books and supplies, room and board, transportation and other
basic costs of living for a single individual. This figure also assumes that
the student does not go on to do a graduate degree or a professional
degree like medicine or law. The implications here are obvious: in order to
attend the ‘elite’ private university, an average student will have to incur a
staggering life-long debt. Private universities will be exclusive places of
privilege, open only to those who can afford to pay. “Private universities
draw on public resources without enhancing either the quality or accessi-
bility of a university education. Yet in Ontario they are being welcomed
with open arms — not as centres of academic excellence, but as decoys
employed by the government to deflect attention away from its own lega-
cy of undermining the public system through years of underfunding.”

compiled from:

“Decoys Instead of Dollars for Postsecondary Education”, Ontario Confederation of University
Faculty Associations Research Report, May 2000

From a strictly legal interpretation,Canada’s chartered universities (including Ontario College of
Art and Design)are not ‘public’ institutions in the sense that they are not government organs or
agencies.According to the definition upheld by a majority of the Supreme Court of Canada in
McKinney v.University of Guelph in 1990,universities are ‘private ' because they are::legally
autonomous -even though their scope of action is limited by regulation or because of their
dependence on public funds;and self-governing -each has its own governing body,manages its
own affairs, allocates its funds and pursues its goals within the legislated limits of its incorpora-
tion.Larry Johnston,"Private Universities in Ontario" Ontario Legislative Library,Current Issue Paper
203 ,Mar h 2000,page 41.

For example,Dalhousie University 's Masters of Information Te hnology Education (MITE)program
was developed with ITI ("Canada 's largest source of IT professionals").Tuition fees are $38,000 -
$23,000 for ITI and $15,000 for Dalhousie. Education Monitor Vol.3,No.2,Spring 1999, page vi

The Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac, September 1,2000.Vol.XLVII,No.1,page 48

Welfare Incomes 1999, National Council of Welfare Reports,Minister of Public Works &
Government Services Canada, Autumn 2000, page 69.

Dec.2000 Vol.7 ,No.1 Canadian Federation of Students MT-CUPE 1281
brought to you by the emily carr students’ union

photo by Mieke Brey
(ca