College slashes 29 programs, raising fears across sector

Cuts at Peterborough campus tied to cap on foreign students

- NICHOLAS KEUNG ,KRISTIN RUSHOWY

Public-private college partnerships such as Fleming College’s with Trebas Institute Ontario, pictured, have been blamed for the influx of international students. The province was forced this year to restore a moratorium on these partnerships and decided not to provide any of its rationed study permits to these partnership schools.

An Ontario public college that is the first to announce cuts — slashing 29 programs — has dire warnings about what is happening to the postsecondary sector with the drastic drop in international students.

“There have been significant external events that have had an adverse effect on our college,” said Maureen Adamson, president of Peterborough’s Fleming College, in a letter sent to staff. “Most recently the federal cap on international students coming to Ontario, and the elimination of educational private partnerships.

“The related significant reduction to our budget has had a profound impact on college operations, and we are moving quickly to stabilize our institution and prepare for future years.”

The unions representing hundreds of staff say they were caught off guard by the school’s abrupt decision to cancel more than one in five programs in response to the declining international enrolment this fall, which they fear signals what’s to come in the sector.

Fleming expects to lose $40 million in tuition as other colleges have reported similar financial challenges.