By Melissa Lanyon
Featured image: North Island College in Campbell River. Photo by Melissa Lanyon
As students prepare to return to North Island College (NIC) campuses this fall, the institution is managing impacts from what it calls “pausing” 15 programs, including several focused on training for local industries.
The pause is a cost-saving measure triggered by an estimated $8.4 million drop in international student tuition revenue expected this year.
Forestry and tourism impact
Among the suspended programs are several directly tied to local resource and tourism sectors, including the Coastal Forestry Diploma, Coastal Forestry Certificate, and the Adventure Guiding Certificate. These programs are designed to train students for careers in local forests, regional eco-tourism, and wilderness charter businesses.
International student decline equals $8.4 million decrease
The suspensions were approved earlier this year by NIC’s Board of Governors following an Expedited Program Impact Assessment (EPIA) conducted by the college. The affected programs span trades, continuing education, business, fine arts, digital technology, and coastal industry training.
Earlier this year, the college released a “fast-facts” document that attributed the review to financial pressures from federal caps on international study permits and stricter post-graduate work permit rules. From the 2024/25 to 2026/27 fiscal years, the college projects full-time international student enrolment to drop from 640 down to 75. This decrease will reduce tuition and fee revenue from $9.6 million to an estimated $1.2 million.
The College’s Response
In a statement provided to the Strathcona Standard, Colin Fowler, NIC’s vice-president of Finance and College Services and also the current acting president, said the college is adjusting to reflect available funding and provincial priorities.
“Students come to North Island College (NIC) to build a future they can count on,” Fowler said. “We continue to review our offerings and operations to align resources with current enrolment and revenue. Our focus is on delivering innovative, in-demand education in a sustainable and efficient way, while ensuring programming reflects NIC’s ministry mandate and provincial labour market needs.”
The college did not directly address inquiries regarding the decision-making behind the suspension of forestry and adventure guiding credential programs, specifically, whether the decision was prompted by decreased hiring demand, or by low cohort sizes unsustainable without international tuition revenue.
What’s next?
According to NIC policy, a “pause” for a program is a suspension which “means that the intake of new students is suspended and the program is removed from the academic calendar for up to two years.” This gives time for the institution to “revise, reimagine, or re-evaluate” the future of each program.
For students already enrolled in a suspended program, plans are in place through the Registrar’s office to ensure students are able to complete their graduation requirements.
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