Fleming College in Peterborough suspends 29 programs in wake of international student cap

Fleming College in Peterborough, Ont., is suspending more than two dozen programs in the wake of the federal cap on international students and other funding shortfalls.

On Wednesday morning, the college announced that on Tuesday the college’s Board of Governors approved changes to 29 program offerings beginning in Fall 2024.

In a public statement, college president Maureen Adamson said as a result of the recent federal cap on international students coming to Ontario, along with the elimination of “educational private partnerships,” the college has made the “difficult, but necessary, evidence-based” decisions about program continuation and suspensions.

Global News has obtained a copy of a letter Adamson forwarded to college staff on Wednesday. She say the related significant reduction to the college’s budget — as a result of the cap and private partnerships — has had a “profound impact on college operations.”

“We are moving quickly to stabilize our institution and prepare for future years,” the letter states.

Adamson notes the labour market demand, regional needs and demographics also impacted programming decisions.

The college president says current students are not impacted by the decisions. Fleming has campuses and centres in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton.

“Our priority will be to enable program completion of any student that is currently enrolled in any of the suspended programs,” Adamson stated.

Global News has reached out OPSEU Local 352, which represents the college’s faculty, for comment. Adamson’s letter says the college “will work closely” with the union to follow a “robust employment stability process, consistent with the collective agreements.”

In January, Adamson called the federal government’s two-year cap on international student visas a “rash decision” and noted it would have a major economic and human impacts on the region.

Fleming reports nearly 30 per cent of its student population is from outside of Canada.

Earlier this month, the provincial quotas of international students was announced.  Nationally there will be a 28 per cent decrease in international students with 485,000 approved study permits.

In Ontario, 141,000 student permits are expected to be approved — a 41 per cent decrease from the more than 239,000 student visas issued in 2023.

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These 29 programs at Fleming will be suspended, the college reports:

• Business – Accounting (BAC)
• Business – HR (BHC)
• Conservation and Environmental Law Enforcement (NRL)
• Ecological Restoration (ERJ)
• Ecosystem Management Technology (EMX, EPX, EPD, EMD)
• Electrical Power Generation (EPG)
• Emergency Management (EMP)
• Environmental Technician (ETN)
• Environmental Technology (ETY)
• Environmental Visual Communication (EVC)
• Fish & Wildlife Technology (FW)
• GAS Environmental & Natural Resource Studies (GSN)
• General Arts & Science University Transfer (GSU)
• GIS Applications (GIA) & GIS Applications Online (GAO)
• GIS Cartographic (GC)
• Global Business (GBS)
• Health, Safety and Environmental Compliance (HSE)
• Heavy Equipment Techniques (MPH)
• International Business Management (IBM)
• Law Clerk (LCK)
• Marketing Management (MKT)
• Mechatronics (MTY)
• Project Management (PMG)
• Recreation & Leisure Services (RLS)
• Supply Chain (SCL)
• Therapeutic Recreation (THR)
• Urban Forestry (UF)
• Urban Forestry Technician (UFT)
• Waste Resource Management (SWM)

“Fleming continues to offer nearly 100 programs and is committed to quality education that meets the current and future labour market needs of our local and regional community,” Adamson states.

— More to come.

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— with files from Uday Rana/Global News