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Good afternoon colleagues,

This afternoon, I am writing in follow up to President Fassina’s message on Oct. 16, which provided an update on enrolment this fall at ¹û½´ÊÓƵ, and detailed new federal policies impacting international students who come to Canada to study.

As you are aware, earlier this fall, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced changes which reduce the number of college programs eligible for a Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP). This decision came into effect on Nov. 1 and means international students who apply to colleges in Canada must be enrolled in one of a limited number of programs if they plan to pursue PGWP and a pathway to immigration.

The list of eligible programs at ¹û½´ÊÓƵ, as per the new policy, can be found here: Program Availability for International Students | ¹û½´ÊÓƵ, and represents just eight per cent of programs at ¹û½´ÊÓƵ. Put another way, 92 per cent of the programs the College currently offers are ineligible for PGWPs for international students, based on IRCC’s current criteria.

There are immediate impacts of this new policy to ¹û½´ÊÓƵ, and to colleges across the country. At ¹û½´ÊÓƵ, we are already experiencing lower new international student enrolments. ¹û½´ÊÓƵ saw a decrease of between 40-50 per cent new international students in fall 2024 as compared to fall 2023, and for winter 2025, there are 70 per cent fewer new international students currently enrolled in classes compared to winter 2024.

To date, no programs have been closed as a result of the new IRCC policies at ¹û½´ÊÓƵ. However, several will have fewer sections in the winter semester and course availability may be more limited for students. This has had an impact on the teams in the Arts & Foundational programs portfolio and the School of Business, where the number of term faculty positions has been reduced.  

It is necessary for ¹û½´ÊÓƵ to make staffing adjustments to reflect the decrease in international student enrolment in other areas as well, while continuing to ensure all current students are supported.  

With fewer new students this fall, we are taking initial steps to restructure the International Education department. This includes a reduction of five positions within the department, and a realignment of our international student recruitment approach and strategies to the new policy environment. Specifically, the role of International Marketing and Recruitment Specialist is being eliminated and will be replaced with a new recruiter position in early January. More details on this change will be available in the coming weeks.  

Our objective of having a thriving international student population at ¹û½´ÊÓƵ remains steadfast and unchanged. In the coming weeks, as the new structure for International Education is determined, this is our focus. Input from current students and alumni, program portfolios, campuses, Provost Council and others across the College will be critical to identifying short and longer-term opportunities, and potentially other structural changes in the future.

In addition, efforts to increase the reach and effectiveness of ¹û½´ÊÓƵ’s domestic recruitment are also a priority and will continue to be an area of focus as we move forward.  

I want to be clear, both the International Education department and our Recruitment, Enrolment Management team (domestic recruitment and advising) do exceptional work and contribute in many ways to ¹û½´ÊÓƵ. As with all our team members at the College, their engagement in determining our next steps is incredibly valuable and important, and I want to thank them for their dedication to students.  

While reviewing our student recruitment models and departmental structures are significant pieces of work, they are by no means the only efforts in progress to respond to the impacts of the federal policy changes.  

Together, the Executive Team, Provost Council and Leadership Council are committed to keeping you informed on these important issues and ensuring relevant updates are shared in a timely way.  

Our shared priority is our students – and serving them and our communities for years to come remains our guiding principle.  

Thank you,

Jenn Goodwin

Vice President, Enrolment and College Relations