International student cap won't have an impact in 2024, but beyond is uncertain: Fanshawe president
CBC
Fanshawe College's international enrolment will remain largely unchanged for 2024, with the province set to issue roughly 11,000 study permits to the post-secondary institution, the school's president told staff and faculty on Tuesday.
Peter Devlin unveiled the figure during a virtual town hall and Q&A which lasted for roughly 30 minutes, held to answer questions about the college's finances, and the impacts of the federal two-year cap on international study permits.
The full impact of the cap is not yet known, but the college is set to see a slight reduction in revenue, and some part-time faculty and staff may be laid off, he says. It's also uncertain what the college's allocation will be for 2025.
The college's international student population has grown substantially over the past several years, with around 11,700 permits granted in 2023, nearly triple the 4,064 it received in 2018. It's an increase that has also been seen at other Ontario colleges and universities.
"I'm pleased that we will have a similar number of international students than we had in 2023," Devlin told those watching, adding that the province expects the school will see a 55/45 international/domestic student ratio, about the same as 2023.
Tuesday's town hall marked the first time Fanshawe College administration has updated staff and faculty of the college's allocation for the year, which it received from the province in late March.
It comes after Ottawa announced in January that it would cap new permits issued over the next two years to address the impacts of the growing international student population on housing and other public services.
Devlin said it will take "a couple of months" to understand the full impact of the cap, but says some part-time faculty and staff will likely be impacted in some programs, although he provided no further detail.
"I suspect there will be other areas, other program areas, where we will need additional part-time faculty and staff."
The college is also set to see its revenue "slightly reduced" as a result of the cap, he said, with further impacts from the province extending its tuition freeze for domestic students to 2027 -- a freeze which forced colleges and universities to rely more on higher-paying international enrolment for revenue.
In February, the province announced it would provide a one-time $1.2 billion financial aid package to help colleges and universities stabilize their finances. Devlin said he estimates Fanshawe will receive between $4-5 million.
"I think it's important for all of us to realize that Ontario remains the most poorest-funded post secondary sector in Canada," he said. "We are reliant on international students, and with that reliance comes some level of uncertainty."
More information to come.
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
Nine First Nations in Ontario are asking a court to declare a pair of federal and provincial laws meant to fast-track infrastructure projects unconstitutional and are seeking an injunction that would prevent the governments from using some of the most contentious aspects.
A growing wildfire that started Monday on the Bonavista Peninsula has destroyed cabins, but the exact toll remains unknown.
Aidan Kazur is looking at his hometown of Kirkland Lake with different eyes this month.
Unhygienic conditions, bedrooms without locks and assaults against residents were among the problems plaguing two supportive housing sites in Halifax before the province cut ties with the non-profit managing the locations, a government official alleged Monday.
New Brunswick's biggest industrial carbon emitters pumped out lower amounts of greenhouse gases in 2023, but the reductions were not enough to keep pace with tightening emissions standards.
Quebec will say its final goodbye at a national funeral on Tuesday to honour late singer Serge Fiori, whose passing has deeply impacted many Quebecers.
Some Manitobans without health cards can now see doctors in hospitals, thanks to a change intended to ensure vulnerable patients receive better medical care.
Brooke Kindel's recurring nightmare of fleeing her home in Denare Beach, Sask., as a wildfire closes in doesn't disrupt her sleep as regularly as it used to.
In retrospect, Kenzie Sproat thinks there were warning signs that all was not right in her year-long relationship. She says her partner seemed to shift from a gentleman to someone who controlled and ridiculed her.
The Federal Court of Appeal will hear arguments from a B.C. ostrich farm Tuesday as it seeks to protect its herd from a cull ordered due to the avian flu, in a case that has sparked accusations of government overreach from critics in Canada and the U.S.
Mayor Andrea Horwath is appealing to the Ontario government for help in getting nearly 500 homes built in Hamilton despite CN Rail blocking the project for years.
Public Health officials in Chatham-Kent are warning people to avoid wild, aggressive or stray animals after a bat tested positive for rabies.
Camping in Jasper National Park may be a surreal experience for returning visitors and a startling one for first-time tourists, nearly one year after wildfire ripped through sections of the park.