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Six of Ontario’s publicly-funded colleges chose not to apply to a government fund set up to look for operational efficiencies, including one that is now under the control of a provincially-appointed supervisor.
The Ford government created its efficiency and accountability fund as part of a $1.3-billion funding announcement in 2024 to stabilize the post-secondary sector after the federal government introduced a cap on the number of international students.
The pot was launched for colleges and universities to hire outside consultants to look at where they could make savings — during a time when critics said the government was significantly underfunding them.
While the majority of Ontario’s 24 publicly assisted colleges and universities applied for the money, several did not.
Information obtained by Global News using freedom of information laws confirms the universities of McMaster, Ottawa, Waterloo, Western and Université de l’Ontario did not complete reviews.
Nor did La Cite, Humber, Niagara, St. Clair, Sheridan or Conestoga in the college sector.
The latter college has been mired in financial turmoil since the number of international students allowed in Ontario has been capped and dropped dramatically, ending a major revenue stream.
Recently, the provincial government appointed an administrator to run Conestoga after an audit discovered “significant financial misuse and governance failings” at the Kitchener, Ont., institution.
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The province said the move came after an extensive audit revealed “egregious financial decisions” that lacked appropriate oversight by the college’s board, including the approval of a 55-per cent salary increase to more than $636,000 in 2024 for a former president.
It said the audit also uncovered that three senior leaders at the college took a $23,000 trip to Italy and other similar trips, where the school paid for business class airfare, luxury accommodations and premium transportation.
The government indicated there were also “repeated, ineligible hospitality expenses,” such as a $1,300 staff dinner where half of the pre-tax bill was alcohol.
Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn, however, said he didn’t think Conestoga signing up for his government’s efficiency review would have avoided the chronic problems.
“Some of those schools that you referenced were not at high risk when it comes to the financial effectiveness of the institution,” he told Global News.
“Things have changed in the last couple of years, and we’ll continue working with the institutions themselves to ensure that all institutions see the benefit of those efficiency reviews.”
This spring, two years after the efficiency fund was set up and the cap on international students, the government announced a tuition fee increase and funding boost for post-secondary institutions.
Quinn said places like Conestoga had “had their fiscal house get a little precarious” since the cap on international students was introduced.
His office suggested the efficiency reviews wouldn’t have touched on international students, even though they took place after the cap came in.
The government’s logic is that the reviews were based on financial data from the previous year, when unlimited international student places were available.
“Since the reviews have taken place, a lot has changed in the sector. I think we’ve had three different announcements from the federal government and international students,” Quinn said.
“Some of those reviews are dated at this point, but there are a lot of common themes in them that the schools are utilizing right now to become more efficient and put more dollars into student services.”
Conestoga did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Ontario NDP MPP Peggy Sattler said she thought the efficiency reviews were only announced to shift the focus away from government funding concerns.
“I’m not entirely sure that these efficiency reviews actually contributed anything,” she said.
“When the minister appeared before the estimates committee, I had asked what happens to those reports. Once those recommendations are made, are institutions going to be mandated to proceed with those? He said no, that it would be voluntary.”
— with files from The Canadian Press
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