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Recommendations for BC’s Post-Secondary Funding Model

January 12, 2025

Specific policy recommendations to inform BC’s review of the post-secondary education funding system. See how we believe the province can fund research universities for success.

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Funding Model Brief 6 Cover

BC's research universities embody the public interest and play a crucial role in social, intellectual, and economic innovation. Government is accountable for providing stable and sufficient funding that allows these institutions to achieve their public purposes. Yet the current post-secondary funding system in BC is fractured, and unable to keep pace with the current demands on research universities.

At CUFA BC, we believe the province’s funding model needs to be flexible enough to respond to emerging priorities while maintaining supports for core academic missions. This paper sets out specific recommendations to help inform decision making as BC reviews its post-secondary funding.

Our recommendations relate to:

  • Government
  • Research
  • Teaching and learning
  • Diversity of disciplines
  • Capital projects
  • Institutional autonomy and accountability
  • Change management and transition

These recommendations are based on five core principles identified earlier in this series, Funding for Success: Post-Secondary Education in BC.

“Supporting the human infrastructure, especially in areas of teaching and research, will be critical to the future success of a strong post-secondary system in BC.”

- Excerpt

Other recommended publications

  • Funding for Success: Post-Secondary Education in BC (Consolidated Brief Series)

    A timely series that aims to inform and guide BC’s review of post-secondary funding. Explore the core principles, evidence, and values that we believe should be prioritized in the review process.

  • Meet BC’s Research Universities

    An eye-opening introduction to five universities in BC and their contributions to social, economic, and technological innovation. See key facts and figures about their history, funding, and research.

  • An Overview of BC’s Post-Secondary Education Funding

    An essential overview of sources, models, and mechanisms for funding post-secondary education in BC. Explore the historical investment in universities and the capacity for change.