Camosun College says it will combine its staff and course offerings into five areas of study to save administrative and other costs as it deals with a projected budget deficit of at least $5 million.
The college said this week it would implement layoffs amid fallout from a federal decision to cut the number of visas for international students, which sharply reduced tuition revenue at many colleges and universities.
“We have worked to minimize the impact and set the college up for future success,” Camosun said in a statement Thursday to the college community, adding changes will come into effect gradually. “These are significant changes, and it will take time for things to fully settle. ”
The five areas of study are arts, access and academic preparation, including Indigenous studies, some language studies, English, math and special programs; business, including sport management; health, human services and sport science, which will include kinesiology, massage therapy and athletic therapy; science and technology; and trades, training and professional studies, which will include short-term programs, microcredentials and industry training.
The federal government has said the national cap for international students will be set at 437,000 study permits in 2025 — which is based on a 10 per cent reduction from 2024 targets — with the same number set for 2026.
Camosun said this week the caps have led to 400 fewer international students than budgeted for this fall — 1,800 instead of the 2,200 expected, an 18 per cent drop. International students make up about 15 per cent of the student population.
Camosun had budgeted for $35.6 million in revenue from international student enrolment in 2024-25 before the lower student numbers came in, said spokesperson Rodney Porter.
Tuition for international students is typically three to four times higher than domestic tuition, in part because international tuition is not subsidized like domestic tuition.
For example, a two-year associate science degree in biology at Camosun costs $9,000 for a domestic student and $33,000 for an international student, while a degree in massage therapy costs $36,000 for a domestic student but $86,000 for an international student.
The college’s consolidated budget for 2024-25 is about $162 million, with the base grant from the province $114 million.
Erynne Grant, labour-relations officer for CUPE Local 2081 at Camosun, said that post-secondary institutions have been forced to rely too much on international student tuition for many years.
Details of the layoffs among Camosun’s staff of about 1,400 have not been released. “It would not be appropriate to discuss numbers, specific positions or employees,” said Porter, adding layoffs will occur in positions across all employee groups.
“We want it to be as small a number as possible. The college will be working with the three union groups and following the terms and conditions of employment for exempt employees.”
Camosun College Faculty Association president Lynelle Yutani said members are still hoping for more consultation with the college. She said her group and the Camosun College Student Society met Thursday on campus with Victoria MP Laurel Collins to discuss their concerns with the federal policy on international students.
In a statement, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said imposing limits on the number of post-secondary international students was “a necessary initial step” to ensure that just the students who can be properly accommodated are allowed to come to the country.
“The Government of Canada expects designated learning institutions to only accept the number of students that they can reasonably support, including providing housing options for them,” said the ministry, which announced the cap on international students in January.
It said the annual growth in the number of international students couldn’t be sustained “while ensuring students receive the support they need.”
The ministry said it will “continue to work closely” with provinces and territories, learning institutions and national education stakeholders to develop a “sustainable path forward” for international students.”
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