Summit on Higher Education

The Summit on Higher Education has wrapped up, but many people think it marked just the beginning of many conversations on what changes need to happen, and when. Claude Coulombe, a specialist in educational learning technologies, thinks the Summit missed out on an opportunity to figure out how Quebec universities should start moving towards on-line learning. At the moment, only two Quebec-based universities are looking into incorporating Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC). Hear why Coulombe thinks Quebec is in danger of missing out on a global trend in distance education.

Quebec's long-awaited summit on higher education kicks off today. Pierre Duschesne, the province's minister of higher education, has assembled a group of elected officials, university directors and student groups to try and find some common ground on themes of quality, accessibility and funding of the province's universities.

Many feel the future of these institutions hinges on this debate. We've been speaking to different participants in those meetings.

On the line with us this morning, we have Michael Goldbloom. He's the prinicipal at Bishop's University in Lennoxville and vice-chair of the CREPUQ, made up of Quebec universities' rectors and prinicipals.

The Quebec Liberals tried, but failed last year when in government to quell the student uproar over planned tuition fees.

Today, under the PQ government, a Summit on Higher Education opens. And one task still remains: what to do about tuition. The Summit begins today and there are still broad divisions on this and other issues.

Gerry Sklavounos is the Liberal critic for higher education and he joined us this morning.