Faculty at Langara Returning to a Mass Layoffs
September 2, 2025
As faculty and students gear up for the start of term Langara College announced another round of layoffs. 69 full-time, continuing faculty got layoff notice last week. That is in addition to the over 150 faculty who lost jobs in the prior two rounds of layoffs, and this does not include temporary faculty who were merely told there was no work available for them. Amidst this devastating scene unfolding for faculty, President Paula Burns hosted a town hall on the future of the college. All the while, the provincial NDP government continues to be silent about the crisis it created in our sector.
“Faculty at Langara are appalled that our President would hold this PR stunt on the college’s so-called Future Focused Plan during this unprecedented crisis” said Langara Faculty Association (LFA) President Pauline Greaves Aylward. “Instead, we need answers about these layoffs and to hear what the plan is to rebuild the reputation of Langara College. It is completely tone deaf to hold an event like this while the college guts the ranks of faculty” continued Greaves Aylward.
In March 2024, the federal government abruptly announced an immediate cut to the number of international student visas by 35%, starting in September 2024. In addition to this change, the federal government changed regulations for student work permits and ended the possible pathway to permanent residency. This immediate and arbitrary cut in international visas has hit Langara particularly hard as they aggressively pursued international students, with the support and encouragement of the provincial government.
“This reliance on international students was an explicit policy set out by the provincial government. Now that our members are in crisis, the government has amnesia about setting up this risky, unreliable model of funding” said Brent Calvert, FPSE President. “The provincial government encouraged and enabled international student recruitment as a way of backfilling a lack of public funding. We believe the province now has an obligation to work with faculty and students on how we adjust to these changes” concluded Calvert.
Unlike in provinces like Ontario, the NDP government has ignored the plight of the post-secondary sector in BC as jobs and programs disappear across the province. In response to the precipitous drop in international enrolment, the Ontario government set up a $1billion emergency fund and increased core funding for colleges and universities in its last budget. FPSE is calling on the BC government to do the same for institutions in this province
“Faculty who have worked their whole career to build this institution are stunned,” said Greaves Aylward.“At this time of crisis we need leadership from the province and the college administration. Instead, we’re getting platitudes and PR spin. It is time for bold action from the province. The LFA is asking the college administration to demonstrate their commitment to reductions across the college, such as senior administrative positions, and find more creative solutions than simply laying off faculty. I am worried for our students and all of the opportunities that have now been closed off with program closures” concluded Greaves Aylward.
For more information contact Michael Conlon at 604-873-8988, or info@fpse.ca
Link to the Media Release https://fpse.ca/news/langara-mass-layoffs-250902