George Brown College has suspended enrollment for some programs and is offering staff buyout incentives in a bid to shore up strained finances.
In an email on Feb. 10, college president Dr. Gervan Fearon told staff and faculty that intake would be paused for “several programs and sections” in the 2025 spring and summer semesters.
The following day, human resources staff informed faculty and administrative workers that the college is offering voluntary retirement incentives to longtime workers, and voluntary exit incentives to full-time employees and part-time support staff.
In an emailed statement, George Brown College said it has no specific headcount reduction target.
The changes come as the college is “proactively managing costs to address sector-wide financial challenges,” including a change to international student policies, ongoing funding challenges and the lasting impacts of COVID-19, the statement said.
Asked which programs have had enrollment paused, the college did not provide a direct answer.
George Brown College is the latest among the province’s post-secondary institutions to undertake a reduction in programs and staff amidst a precipitous drop in international students and a provincially-mandated, multi-year tuition freeze.
Yesterday, TorontoToday reported that York University is pausing enrollment to 18 programs, including Indigenous studies, Jewish studies, and gender and women’s studies.
Last week, Mohawk College laid off nearly 200 staff, including about 20 per cent of the college’s full-time faculty.
Will student experience suffer?
Torsten Hamelin, a spokesperson for OPSEU Local 557, which supports George Brown College’s part-time and support staff, said the changes will result in worse experiences for students.
The pause in the intake of some programs will mean some students may not be able to take classes of greatest interest to them.
Tom Tomassi, president of the union representing the college’s faculty, OPSEU Local 556, said he believes that approximately 25 programs may have been impacted.
Hamelin said the buyouts may also make “understaffing” worse.
He said there’s a misconception among much of the general public that workers at provincial colleges all have “cushy” jobs. The reality, he said, couldn’t be further from the truth.
Hamelin said a significant share of the college’s staff are part-time or precarious workers, many of whom make about $30,000 per year.
He added that a reduction in headcount will increase burnout among the workers who remain — staff in enrollment, counselling, library services, and elsewhere.
He said the difference will be clear to students in the form of longer wait times and more automated services.
Asked how the changes might impact students, the college did not respond directly.
“Maintaining a high-quality student experience remains a priority, with continued investment in key academic and student services," said a statement from George Brown College.
Unions caution against buyouts
Spokespeople for both of the college’s two unions told TorontoToday they’re lukewarm on the buyout incentives.
Employees who are near retirement who accept the “voluntary retirement incentive” will receive a six-month lump sum payment and 12 months of health benefits, according to an email sent to staff.
While Tomassi said the benefits are likely attractive, he added that the cash incentive is equivalent to what employees might have received as severance had they been laid off.
The “voluntary exit program" incentive is more modest still.
Staff have until the end of the month to decide whether to accept. Hamelin said his union is encouraging staff to decline the voluntary exit program offer.
He added that some staff are "pissed off” by what the college has put on the table, while others are confused about where they stand and whether layoffs might be coming next.
‘Brain drain’
Tomassi said George Brown College’s financial troubles are not as significant as other colleges, owing to the institution’s more moderate reliance on international students in recent years.
This may mean their headcount reduction may not be as significant as other post-secondary institutions provincewide.
However, should some staff and faculty accept the buyout, Tomassi said there will be long-lasting effects in the form of “brain drain.”
Hamelin said the provincial government needs to step up to improve the situation, noting Ontario’s spending per pupil trails each of its provincial peers nationwide.
Tomassi agreed. “If you want a healthy post secondary education then you need to invest in post-secondary education,” he said.
