Many of the issues faced by Langara faculty have been described as “operational” by our administration – therefore, not of concern for our Board of Governors. This report points out that multiple operational problems, taken together, do add up to a governance problem – and the Board of Governors must pay attention. This report was included in the Board’s Agenda Package for the June 2026 meeting. 

LFA Report to the Board of Governors

Submitted by LFA President, Pauline Greaves, on behalf of the LFA Board

As we all know, we are wrapping up a long and difficult year. The LFA has been here to speak to you at every one of your meetings this year, and we appreciate the opportunity to continue to do so. We have raised a number of issues over the past year, on behalf of faculty. Our purpose was, and is, to inform the BOG of the state of affairs within the College. We feel our role is to provide insight into the on-the-ground impact of decisions you make; how they affect the day-to-day experience of our clients – the students – and our faculty, those who deliver Langara’s primary service.

Over this past year, we have sent clear messages that things are not good at the college. We have described issues that we feel should be taken seriously and addressed to ensure the college’s sustainability. Some of them, our Board of Governors has pushed back on, pointing out that some of these are operational issues. However, there is a reason we have raised operational issues to your attention. When you take them together, and view them as a package, there is a consistent pattern that is a matter of governance. Under the College and Institute Act, the BOG has fiduciary responsibilities and obligations for all aspects of the institution (employees, students, finances, governance, assets, and liabilities).

The issues that concern us include the following:

• Lack of clear The numbers that are put forward by the LFA are questioned and are often challenged, but we do not get follow-through on corrections or updates. An example is our ongoing request for clear information about how many faculty are on what types of contracts.
• Lack of consistent We have provided specific data on the inconsistency across the college in the way that decisions are made about whether a class should be cancelled. We have still not received an explanation about what factors are used to determine this. Even if there are differences in different program areas, there should be consistent, explainable process – especially when decisions to cut classes translates directly into cutting jobs.
• Unclear decision-making around cancellation of credentials, programs, and degrees. An example continues to be the “suspension” of the BBA program, which represented four of Langara’s seven baccalaureate degrees, 580 students a year, with 75% domestic After three years of inattention, 18 months of no student intake, work to rejuvenate the program again stalled, and more than 60% of the faculty in the School of Management out of work, the difference between suspension and outright cancellation is hard to recognize. Now we are told that the Journalism program is “suspended, not cancelled.” This is one of the only accessible, affordable, journalism training programs in our province. Its existence transcends just program cost. We ask our Board of Governors to consider whether you are doing your jobs and serving the people of BC effectively if this respected 60-year old program is allowed to fade away.
• Inconsistent leadership. Langara has gone through the past two years of crisis with provost, and several dean roles filled by interim assignments, with people administering programs outside their expertise area, and in several cases with one person covering two roles for extended Now we are trying to fill the two dean positions in a sudden rush of a few short months over the summer. How does this represent thoughtful and prudent leadership?
• Staffing not in line with goals. We have been told there is a freeze in hirings at the college, and vacant positions will not be However, we continue to see layoffs in student support services, and new hirings in areas such as People & Culture, which do not interface with students. This does not represent our administration’s professed goals of focusing on student support and experience.

Many of these may be considered operational issues. However, they add up to a lack of strategic focus, consistent management, clear leadership, and a sense of future vision and purpose. Taken together, this is a governance issue.

We call upon our Board of Governors to more firmly articulate a strategic direction for Langara. In the way decisions are being made, we do not recognize a coherent future vision for this institution. We do not see how decisions that are being made are tied to a bigger picture. These are questions not about operations, but about public service, good governance, and the appropriate use of taxpayer dollars: all of these sit solidly on the plate of the Board of Governors.

These are difficult times, and there have to be difficult decisions. We understand this. But we do not want to lose 30% of our faculty members just to see Langara “muddle through.” What faculty are calling on you to do is to ensure a better, stronger, successful and thriving Langara will emerge from these ashes. Please examine the governance impact of these “operational” issues and ensure that you do the best to secure a strong future for Langara.