A new university focusing on undergraduate education should be created in the GTA, according to a report from Ontario’s advisory board on higher education. The report calls on the province to consider the creation of a Toronto-area free of the research intensity of a full-service institution.

The study comes on the heels of what education leaders say is an excess demand for spaces in undergraduate studies. With growing interest in post-secondary education fuelling an expected increase of 25,000 students to the GTA over the next 15 years, the document urges the province to consider opening a new university to quell the demand.

Since the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario released the 30-page report on Feb. 13, it has met with criticism from the president of Humber College, who views it as a “very university-centered view of the world.” Officials from Toronto’s three major universities, however, praised the idea of a new undergraduate university, saying they cannot handle the increased demand for higher education.

The new campus-based institution would focus mainly on arts and science with more emphasis on teaching then research. Those seeking the quality and reputation of a “full-service” university need not worry, said co-author Glen Jones, an OISE professor. “There are quite a number of very highly respected liberal arts colleges in the United States that provide an excellent undergraduate education,” Jones said.

An open online university without academic requirements for applicants is another option the province could take. Jones said an online university provides accessibility to those who work full time, have credit-transfer issues, or are returning to their education. The report cites Athabaska University in Alberta, which provides a virtual campus for students to attend online from any location. “The fact that almost a third of the students enrolled at Athabaska University are from Ontario says something about demand,” said Jones.

He acknowledged only a limited number of students seek online education: “I would not imagine that the open university would attract many traditional students who are interested in a traditional on-campus student experience.”

The possibility of online schooling has its supporters. “We go to school to learn, not to party,” said George Bolduc, a former online student of Ryerson University. He said that open online universities offer something to students who want post-secondary education without the traditional campus experience or costs. The report doesn’t mention fees, but for some universities that already follow the online model, the annual tuition costs are usually lower, because they forgo campus commodities like residence or extra-curricular activities.

The report suggests expanding existing universities by upping satellite campus enrolment. U of T’s president David Naylor, however, said he supported the suggestion for a new undergraduate university over expansion. “We welcome the proposal for a new undergraduate institution with laser-like focus on the liberal arts,” he told the Toronto Star. Naylor said that both of U of T’s satellite campuses are already stretched to the limit.