Sheridan College to suspend 40 programs, reduce staff amid international student cap

A person walks past Sheridan College's Hazel McCallion Campus in Mississauga, Ont., on Friday, January 26, 2024. Canada will temporarily stop approving student visas so federal and provincial governments can take time to assess the program. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

An Ontario college is suspending dozens of its programs and reducing its staff, citing a shift in government policy and expected decline in enrolment as factors in what it described as an “organizational change.”

The 40 programs impacted at Sheridan College include those in the faculties of Animation, Arts & Design; Applied Health & Community Studies; Humanities & Social Sciences; Applied Science & Technology and Pilon School of Business. (See list here)

“All current students in these programs will have the opportunity to graduate, but we will not be enrolling new first-year students moving forward,” Sheridan College announced on its website.

The school, which has campuses in Brampton, Mississauga and Oakville, added that some suspensions will go into effect as early as May but “programs will close on a rolling basis over the coming months and years.”

Sheridan College explained in its post that many colleges and universities across the country have been forced to examine how they operate given the “rapidly evolving and complex environment.”

“Factors such as dramatic shifts in government policy, economic pressures, social and technological disruptions, and the resulting declining enrolment are reshaping the entire sector,” the school said.

Earlier this year, Ottawa announced that it was reducing the number of international student permits in response to the housing shortage and cost of living. Last month, the Council of Ontario Universities said the limit could cost Ontario schools close to $1 billion in revenue.

Sheridan College said it will have about 30 per cent fewer students in the coming years.

“This contraction is about achieving sustainable scale, not compromising quality. We will continue to galvanize our students to shape an ever-changing world,” Janet Morrison, the college’s president and vice chancellor, said in a statement.

In addition to the cuts, 27 programs will go into “efficiency review.” Sheridan College school is also making “role reductions.” It did not say how many workers are affected.

“These decisions were not made lightly, and we remain committed to supporting employees through this transition,” Sheridan College said.

According to the school, which was founded in 1967, it has more than 40,000 students. It is considered the top animation school in Canada with seven Sheridan-trained animators winning the Academy Award.

Last month, Seneca Polytechnic announced it was temporarily closing its Markham campus due to the cap on international student permits.