From Dr. Maggie Matear, President & CEO, Selkirk College
Dear Community Members,
As you know, Selkirk College has been an integral part of the West Kootenay and Boundary communities for almost 60 years, providing accessible post-secondary education that meets the demands of our region. We take great pride in our graduates, who are actively contributing their skills, ideas and energy to our communities.
Recent changes to federal immigration policy have forced a massive shift in the Canadian post-secondary sector by restricting the number of international students we can recruit. This will have an impact on our college, students and employees and on the communities we serve. Earlier this year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reduced the number of international students that post-secondary institutions can accept by 35% and recently announced a further 10% decrease. In addition, IRCC has placed new restrictions on post-graduate work permit (PGWP) applications, which will further reduce the number of international students who choose Selkirk College and the West Kootenay and Boundary regions.
In 2023/24, Selkirk College welcomed 760 international learners, about 33% of our student population. We anticipate a significant drop in international enrolment in the coming years. This will result not only in lower tuition revenues but also in reduced programming. Equally important, we’ll experience a loss in the diversity, vibrance and cross-cultural exposure that international students bring. Furthermore, losing a substantial number of international learners will significantly impact the number of students we graduate, which in turn means fewer skilled people available to our local labour force. We also forego the economic boost that international students bring by simply living and working in our communities.
Selkirk College is working with its supervisors and college union leaders to find ways to mitigate the impacts of these changes. In the meantime, we continue to provide domestic and international students with high-quality, accessible programming and support services. It’s important to note that the IRCC changes do not affect current students.
Stand Up for Education in Your Community
In this time of significant challenge, we’re asking for your help to make sure political leaders and policy-makers understand how the IRCC decisions will hurt rural British Columbia. The federal government directs immigration policy, and post-secondary education is primarily the provincial government’s responsibility. Both senior levels of government should listen to the people of the region so we can ensure that policy directions and proper funding of post-secondary continue to benefit all Canadians.
Please write or email your representatives to let them know that post-secondary education in rural British Columbia is the key to addressing many of the housing, health and economic issues we face. It is the foundation of an educated and skilled workforce that contributes to thriving, prosperous communities.
For more insight into advocacy work being done at Selkirk College, you may wish to read this letter from our Board of Governors to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
BC Colleges and Colleges & Institutes Canada (CICan) have both released formal statements addressing the impacts of the federal government’s new caps on international student enrolment and changes to work permit eligibility.
- Opinion: This is not the time to discourage students from choosing public colleges
- A Message to Canadians from Canada’s Public Colleges and Institutes
Navigating turbulent waters is not new to the post-secondary sector. We will continue to be transparent as we work through the coming months and are grateful as always for your ongoing support.
Dr. Maggie Matear
Selkirk College President & CEO