North Island College moves toward suspending 15 programs amid financial pressures

Students and faculty at North Island College say they are deeply concerned after the institution recommended suspending 15 programs across its Comox Valley, Campbell River and Port Alberni campuses.

The proposed suspensions are the result of an expedited program impact assessment launched last fall and are expected to go before the college’s board of governors for approval at a meeting scheduled for Feb. 5.

In a written statement, the college said the review took place during “a time of significant financial pressure for post-secondary institutions across Canada,” adding that suspensions are not intended to be permanent cuts, but rather a pause to allow the institution to “re-imagine how and what programs are delivered.”

Faculty leaders are skeptical of that framing.

Jen Wrye, president of the North Island College Faculty Association, said it would be unrealistic to assume suspended programs will return in their current form.

“It would be naïve for us to think that a program suspension and a reimagining would still meet the same needs, outcomes and opportunities,” Wrye said.

She noted many of the affected programs have strong enrolment and clear employment pathways, particularly in regions where there are few alternative post-secondary options.

“We are already seeing long wait lists and delays for students trying to complete their programs,” Wrye said, adding that faculty are worried about job losses and whether students will be able to finish their credentials.

The programs recommended for suspension include:

• Adventure Guiding Certificate

• Hospital Unit Clerk Certificate

• Bachelor of Business Administration – Marketing

• Global Business Management Post-Graduate Diploma

• Digital Design and Development Post-Graduate Certificate

• Digital Design and Development Post-Graduate Diploma

• Web and Mobile Application Development Diploma

• Web Design Fundamentals Certificate

• Advanced Digital Design and Development Diploma

• Android Application Development Certificate

• Fine Arts Diploma

• Coastal Forestry Diploma

• Coastal Forestry Certificate

• Furniture Design and Joinery Certificate

• Human Services Diploma

Concerns about student completion
Carissa Wilson, executive director of the North Island Students' Union, echoed concerns that the suspensions could derail students’ academic plans.

While students in affected programs were told the college is committed to helping them complete their studies, Wilson said those assurances may not fully account for part-time students who spread their coursework over several years.

“If you can’t get a seat in a required course, your credential gets delayed or you’re forced to take that course elsewhere,” she said.

Wilson said more students are already taking online courses through other institutions, such as Thompson Rivers University, and that waitlists at North Island College are the longest she has seen in her decade at the institution.

Funding pressures and enrolment decline
Both Wilson and Wrye attribute the situation to long-standing underfunding of post-secondary education, which institutions have historically offset through higher tuition paid by international students.

Recent federal reductions to temporary immigration programs, including international student permits, have significantly reduced that revenue stream.

Wilson said North Island College saw enrolment drop by about 350 students compared to the previous fall, with nearly all of the decline coming from international students. She added the college is facing an estimated $2-million deficit.

In a statement, B.C.’s Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills said it has invested $1.2 billion in post-secondary infrastructure grants since 2016–17, but emphasized that institutions are responsible for managing their own program offerings.

“The scale of enrolment decline, associated revenue losses, and ongoing economic volatility mean it is not practical for government to resolve these challenges with a large injection of new funding at this time,” the ministry said.

The province added it has launched an independent review aimed at stabilizing post-secondary institutions in the short term and ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

For faculty and students at North Island College, however, there is concern that the proposed suspensions could permanently narrow access to education and skilled training in communities that already have limited options.