The Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union reported that Saskatchewan Polytechnic has laid off 58 non-faculty employees and 66 faculty members since January. Deb Zawada, a provincial bargaining chair for the union and a media technician at Sask Polytech’s Prince Albert campus, mentioned that 48 of the non-faculty layoffs occurred since August, leading to feelings of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness among campus staff.
Various positions, including bookstore workers, counsellors, and procurement specialists, were affected by the recent layoffs. The union is currently devising strategies to address the situation, as Sask Polytech’s president, Larry Rosia, stated in internal emails that 71 vacant positions remain unfilled, signaling more difficult decisions ahead.
Sask Polytech attributed the job cuts to a significant drop in international student enrollment, resulting in a substantial revenue shortfall for the current academic year. This decline in international student numbers is a trend seen across post-secondary institutions in Canada due to recent changes in federal immigration policies.
The school’s international student population has grown substantially in recent years, with 4,604 students on international visas, accounting for 23% of total enrollment. In response to the financial challenges, the school plans to reorganize its student services, including restructuring counseling services and implementing a technology-based approach to student support.
The transition involves introducing five student services outreach and success navigators while reducing educational counsellor positions from 14 to five to focus on more complex student needs. Additionally, the closure of the contact center for student services follows the sudden shutdown of school bookstores at the Moose Jaw and Prince Albert campuses in October, raising concerns about potential further closures among staff members.
Zawada expressed worries about the future, particularly regarding potential campus closures at the smaller Prince Albert and Moose Jaw campuses. The tight-knit staff at these campuses are apprehensive about the impact of ongoing changes on the institutions.