October 28, 2025
Faculty at Langara College have received a decision from Langara’s Board of Governors after a 92% vote of no confidence in the College’s President held earlier this month. In a campus-wide email yesterday, the Board’s Chair, Scott Murray, announced that an evaluation of the College’s President, Dr. Paula Burns, will begin immediately with a report due in January 2026.
“This shows the Board of Governors is listening, which is positive,” says Pauline Greaves-Aylward, President of the Langara Faculty Association (LFA). “But a performance review that will not be delivered for more than two months isn’t enough. We are in a crisis moment.”
Langara has been hard hit by federal cutbacks in international student visas, resulting in plummeting enrolment and revenues at the college. More than 219 faculty (about 30%) and dozens of administrative members of CUPE are losing work, and long-running programs are being cut or sidelined. The LFA demanded the immediate removal and replacement of President Burns after the decisive vote of no confidence.
“Langara’s future is being shaped every day by uncertainty and declining capacity, yet we see nothing more creative than cutbacks to cope with it,” says Greaves-Aylward. “It has been more than 18 months since the federal cuts were announced. Dr. Burns’ too-little, too-late efforts in the face of mounting concerns show inadequate care and attention. She has not demonstrated an awareness of the scope of what we are going through, or provided the strategic leadership we need.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Burns, who started at Langara in June 2022, is entering the renegotiation phase of her contract, towards re-appointment in 2027.
“Only six presidents – out of more than 220 postsecondary institutions in Canada – have had a vote of no confidence since the enrollment decline began,” notes Greaves-Aylward. “Other institutions have handled this better. We’re calling on our Board to do more.”
“Langara Board’s policies allow it to strike a Task Force to work on specific issues. Our situation warrants this level of attention immediately,” she says. “We also call on the Board to ensure feedback from College employee groups for both the evaluation and any discussions about re-appointment, as described in the policies. The LFA looks forward to supporting our Board on these endeavours.”
The Board’s policies also require both the Board and President to ensure adequate risk management is in place. Greaves-Aylward points out that risk has not been properly addressed, because people started losing work a full year ago, yet until two weeks ago (as the faculty took their vote), there was no comprehensive discussion of a crisis or a crisis management plan. The Board’s policies, including those related to evaluation of the President, are posted online.
“We believe in Langara’s proud history and continued potential as a quality postsecondary option for BC’s students,” says Greaves-Aylward. “Our leadership must do everything they can to protect that.”
Contact: Pauline Greaves-Aylward
info@yourlfa.ca