Exploring Ontario Universities' Strategic Mandate Agreements
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Exploring Ontario Universities’ Strategic Mandate Agreements’ New Performance-Based Model in Relation to SMA’s Original Differentiation Goals Matt Clare Department of Educational Studies Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education Faculty of Education, Brock University St. Catharines, Ontario © Matt Clare, 2021 Abstract Efforts have been underway for over a decade to define and differentiate Ontario’s postsecondary education (PSE) system by creating differentiation clusters out of the 21 universities and 24 colleges, the primary tool being strategic mandate agreements (SMAs). In 2019 through 2020, the third iterations of SMAs (SMA3) were negotiated. This research discusses SMA3’s 10 new Performance-Based Funding (PBF) metrics that will govern up to 60% of provincial transfers. SMA3 also introduces an institutionally allocated metric weighing scheme. A summary of PBF literature and Ontario’s SMA policy is followed by descriptions of each metric accompanied by relevant experience with similar PBF programs in other jurisdictions, and a discussion of each metric’s implementation. Metrics created for SMA3 are justified only by their adherence to neoliberal new public management objectives; not PBF literature. SMA3 fails to incorporate established mitigations against access bias while introducing the risk of untested and ideologically motivated metrics. Keywords: Performance-based funding, outcome-based funding, Strategic Mandate Agreements, SMA, postsecondary education, higher education ii Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to Brock University, as both a university and employer. Brock University’s employee tuition assistance program is at the same time evidence of the institution’s belief in its academic mission and its employees. Thank you, Dr. Robert McGray, for your support, guidance, and humor during unprecedented times. Thank you to my family, who might have expected to see more of me during two Ontario lockdowns. I was lucky to have the best classmates to work with. iii Dedication This paper is dedicated to a family that is distinguished by generations of contributions to education. iv Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents .................................................................................................................v List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY ....................................................1 Positioning of the Study .......................................................................................................1 Background of the Study .....................................................................................................4 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................9 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................................10 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE...........................................11 Ontario’s Strategic Mandates .............................................................................................11 Performance-Based Funding ..............................................................................................15 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURES......................................32 The Social Construction of Target Populations .................................................................32 Research Design.................................................................................................................37 CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF RESULTS .....................................................39 Differentiation and Strategic Mandates in Ontario ............................................................39 SMA3 Measures Individually ............................................................................................43 CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, IMPLICATIONS, AND CONCLUSIONS ..............117 The Social Construction of Target Populations ...............................................................117 Discussion ........................................................................................................................123 Limitations of the Research and Implications for Practice ..............................................127 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................128 References ........................................................................................................................130 Appendix A All University Metric Weights ....................................................................150 Appendix B Distribution of Institutional Themes ...........................................................163 v List of Tables Table Page Table 1 Social Constructions and Political Power: Types of Target Populations .............34 Table 2 Ontario’s PSE Performance Metrics .....................................................................44 Table 3 Graduation Rate as Included in Each SMA3 With Each Element of Allowable Performance Target Calculation ........................................................................................56 Table 4 University Strengths and Focuses, Ranked by 2020–21 Target ...........................71 Table 5 Each Institution’s Community/Local Impact Metric’s Historical Data and Elements of Target Calculation .........................................................................................83 Table A1 All SMA3 University Metrics as Weighted by Institutions Over All Three Years ................................................................................................................................150 vi List of Figures Figure Page Figure 1 Ontario SMA Generations, With 2020 COVID-19 Related Delay and Unchanged SMA3 Conclusion Date ....................................................................................7 Figure 2 SMA3 Intended Bilateral Discussion Timeline .....................................................8 Figure 3 Spending on Tertiary Education, Private/Public, Percent of Education Spending, 2016 or Latest Available ....................................................................................................25 Figure 4 Summary of Public Funds Projected to Have Been Granted to Universities as Part of SMA1 in 2015–16 ..................................................................................................30 Figure 5 Average Institutional Percentage Weighting of Metrics Over All Five Years of SMA3 .................................................................................................................................42 Figure 6 All University SMA3 Metric Weights in 2022–23 .............................................80 Figure 7 Co-op, Internship, and Experience-Related Metrics Measured in Seats .............89 Figure 8 Co-op, Internship, and Experience-Related Metrics Measured in Student Income ............................................................................................................................................90 Figure 9 Economic Impact on Ontario or Region(s) .........................................................94 Figure 10 Institutional Partners ..........................................................................................97 Figure 11 International Student Enrolment........................................................................99 Figure 12 Invention Disclosures Per AUTM Licensing Survey ......................................101 Figure 13 Start-Ups ..........................................................................................................104 Figure 14 Historical Tri-Agency Percentage of Ontario Funding and Research Funding and Capacity: Federal Tri-Agency Funding Allowable Target .......................................109 Figure 15 Revenue From Private and Nonprofit Organizations ......................................111 vii Figure 16 Institutional Weightings of Each Research Metric ..........................................113 Figure B1 Institutional Strength and Focus Themes........................................................163 viii List of Abbreviations AUTM: Association of University Technology Managers CAUBO: Canadian Association of University Business Officers COU: Council of Ontario Universities CUDO: Common University Data Ontario ELMLP: Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform HEQCO: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario’s MCU: Ministry of Colleges and Universities NPM: new public management MTCU: Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities OSAP: Ontario Student Assistance Program OUGS: Ontario University Graduate Survey OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OBF: outcome-based funding