Last week, postsecondary instructors, staff, and students gathered outside the Vancouver Art Gallery to protest the Government of Canada’s cap on international student enrolment. The rally, organized by Vancouver Community College instructors, drew participants from institutions across the Vancouver area. Protesters expressed their opposition to job losses and program cuts linked to the cap. VCC Faculty Association VP Taryn Thompson said institutions were encouraged years ago to recruit international students as a revenue source, adding that the cap has since undermined this practice and caused the “biggest funding crisis to hit our sector.” Protesters called on the provincial and federal governments to provide emergency funding to institutions in British Columbia in order to give them time to develop sustainable plans.
