2025 was an extraordinary year at Langara, and 2026 will be too. The College has never gone through such upheaval, and the LFA has never lost so many members in the space of a few months. While a few chose regular or early retirement as their natural next step, most of the 220+ faculty departing the College have lost their work, their livelihoods, and even their career path, as the entire post-secondary sector shrinks.

In December (2025), the LFA board grappled with how to handle this situation. Historically, when a faculty job typically meant long service culminating in formal retirement, the LFA provided modest funding ($250) for department chairs to buy their retiring faculty member a recognition gift. (The LFA’s gift was separate from any recognition our employer, the College, might provide for long-service employees deserving a thank-you.)

However, with nearly 25% of our faculty community leaving, the LFA’s budget for recognition and gifts is insufficient. And how do we recognize one person leaving with full retirement benefits, while another may have taught more than a decade, but not even receive basic severance pay from the College? (Most members have lost their jobs without even getting a letter from their employer, after years of full-time work.)

The board decided to share the recognition, the celebration, and the budget. Stay tuned for a faculty-wide event in April, where we hope all faculty will come together to mark an inflection point in so many lives: those who are retiring, those who are re-making careers outside Langara, those who are staying and bidding farewell to colleagues. We hope everyone can agree that using the recognition budget to celebrate all members is the right response to these unprecedented times. And we hope to see you at the party!