Vancouver Island postsecondary unions sign open letter urging BC to address budget cuts, layoffs

Faculty and staff associations from North Island College, Royal Roads University, University of Victoria and Vancouver Island University have signed and sent an open letter to British Columbia Premier David Eby and BC Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Selina Robinson. The letter urges the Government of British Columbia to address the cuts and layoffs taking place at postsecondary institutions. It also notes that BC’s postsecondary institutions have become over-reliant on tuition fees, particularly the fees paid by international students, which they state is both unfair to students and results in a system that is vulnerable to enrolment fluctuations. The unions recommend a variety of measures, including securing international student enrolment, easing some entry requirements and experimenting with tuition levels, stabilizing employment with dedicated bridging funding and/or emergency temporary transfers, and encouraging the retention and promotion of sessional lecturers.