Lambton College’s president says he hopes its longstanding partnerships with private schools can be exempt from newly-announced federal cuts to international student permits the college estimates might eventually reduce its income by as much $30 million.
Lambton College’s president says he hopes its longstanding partnerships with private schools can be exempt from newly-announced federal cuts to international student permits the college estimates might eventually reduce its income by as much $30 million.
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Rob Kardas said Thursday he’s also hopeful the government can be convinced to slow down the pace of the changes.
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Along with about 1,900 international students, out of a total of 4,100 students at its campus in Sarnia, Lambton College has partnerships with private Toronto-area schools, Cestar College and Queen’s College, which attract international students. Their financial impact at Lambton is “substantial,” Kardas said.
College spokesperson Marilyn Mason said Lambton’s initial forecasts are a potential loss of revenue won’t happen all at once but eventually “could be as high as $30 million.” The college’s 2023-2024 budget calls for total revenue of $146.6 million.
Mason said Lambton remains committed to international education and college officials “hope we’ll still enjoy the same number of international students at the Sarnia campus.”
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“Whatever we do, we will not lessen the quality of the academic experience or the student experience,” she said.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced the cap on Monday, saying his department will issue no more than 360,000 new visas this year, 35 per cent lower than last year, and keep them at that number for two years.
“I think they’re at risk,” Kardas said about Lambton’s partnerships with private colleges, because of the cuts.
“We’re going to be advocating hard that our public-private partnerships are exempt from that announcement based on how long they’ve been around and how mature they are, and what they’ve done for the Canadian labor force,” he said .
Lambton College’s recent surpluses, including $16.5-million projected in its 2023-2024 budget, would not be possible “at the level they’ve been at” without international students, Kardas said.
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Under the federal changes, visas will be handed out proportionally to provinces based on their population, which will force even larger cuts at some schools in Ontario and the new cap could mean a 50 per cent reduction in the number of new students schools can admit. Miller was still working with provinces on specific allocations, but Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia were expected to have to make the biggest reductions.
“Right now, what we’re dealing with is a real lack of clarity,” about what the cap on Lambton’s international students will be, Kardas said.
“But, innovation has always been our trademark here at Lambton and we will continue to relentlessly pursue our mission of community and student success,” he said. “It might look a little different. We may have to realign operations to do it, but that’s our focus.”
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Lambton College has spent millions on its Sarnia campus during the last decade, including adding a new gym and health wing, updated technology labs and a recently opened renovated west entrance. Work is underway on an Indigenous student center.
“That would not have been possible without our significant commitment and leadership in international education,” Kardas said about the improvements.
He said Lambton College’s private college partners also have donated directly to capital projects at the Sarnia campus, as well as community projects such as the Sarnia-area’s wide-load corridor and the Inn of the Good Shepherd.
“I want to be on the record to say we’re very proud of our public-private partnerships,” Kardas said. “The public and the political perception in Ottawa does not align with what we’re doing.”
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He said “millions of dollars” have been spent on labs and facilities to ensure quality education and Lambton scores high when it comes to graduate and student satisfaction.
“I take exception to our public-private partnerships being lumped in with bad actors,” Kardas said. “I’m not saying there aren’t bad actors out there, but our public-private partnerships are very mature.”
Lambton was among the first colleges to form the partnerships 15 years ago, Kardas said.
“Some of the best and brightest international students we have graduated from those public-private partnerships, and they are now contributing citizens in the labor market, in Canadian society,” he said.
The fact Lambton led the college system in visa approval rates in 2022-2023 is a “telltale about quality and about what the federal government thinks about our program,” Kardas said.
“I’m advocate hoping, and we’re going to hard, that we move forward a little more slowly and that our public private partnerships be exempt because they are not what has been suggested,” he said.
With files from Ryan Tumilty, National Post
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