On Wednesday, November 17, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) released an alternative study to the much anticipated Review of Ontario Postsecondary Education, better known as the Rae Review. The 185-page document, entitled Our Bright Future, is yet another in a series of alternative reviews recently submitted by student groups to former premier Bob Rae.

Our Bright Future covers issues such as reforms in government financing, and makes several recommendations, including removing price differentials from different programs and regulating tuition fees. The report focused on the lack of accessibility of postsecondary education, noting that students from low-income backgrounds, aboriginal students, or students from rural areas face substantial barriers to attaining a degree.

“The actual costs of going to a university in Toronto are approximately $18,000,” said Adam Spence, Executive director of OUSA. “Many students will resort to private lines of credit, food banks, or have opted out [of pursuing a degree],” he said. OUSA suggests that more government-funded, non-repayable grants-in addition to a provincial government funding increase-would help alleviate these pressures and improve accessibility for those who face the most barriers.

The report also recommended that the formula for financial aid be revised to reflect the actual cost of attending university while at the same time allowing more people to qualify for assistance. OUSA further asked that the government will provide grants for students who want to participate in an international exchange.

Noting that the faculty to student ratio has increased from 17:1 in 1988 to

22:1 in 1999, OUSA calls for more funding to improve the quality of education by hiring more faculty and providing other resources. The report says that in order for Ontario to meet the national average of proportional funding, the government would need to spend $1.1 billion per year, but adds, “if Ontario is genuinely interested in improving the quality and accessibility of Universities…an additional $1.1 billion may be a difficult pill to swallow, but it is absolutely essential.”

The alliance believes that money is not the only factor in providing quality education. According to OUSA, quality includes being involved in research at the undergraduate level. Spence acknowledged that undergraduate research programs such as U of T’s Research Opportunity Program do exist, but said they are insufficient, as only a few hundred people enrol and there are not enough opportunities to be involved.

“We want students involved and engaged so they can have skills and opportunities beyond those [that come with] study,” said Spence. “It’s important for their own future,”

Our Bright Future also encourages universities to restructure at an institutional level: Spence suggested that universities should compose statements of institutional responsibility, which would be similar to an “academic bill of rights,” (such statements are frequently found at American universities).

The report further said that “students are underrepresented on university governing structures” and in many cases, institutions do not meet the minimum requirement of two students on a governing board. They also recommend that the provincial government should “mandate institutions to produce an