Ottawa’s Algonquin College cutting 37 academic programs starting in September

Algonquin College is considering cutting up to 16 per cent of its programs as it grapples with severe financial issues. CTV’s Peter Szperling reports.

Algonquin College is looking at suspending 37 academic programs this fall and offering a “voluntary exit registry” for employees willing to leave, as the Ottawa-based college deals with a multi-million-dollar deficit due to the new federal cap on international students, a tuition freeze and provincial funding shortfalls.

It’s the latest move by the Ottawa college to trim spending, after announcing last month it was closing its campus in Perth, Ont. in August 2026.

In a letter to faculty, initially obtained by CTV News Ottawa, Algonquin College president and CEO Claude Brulé said Algonquin is facing “unprecedented financial challenges,” and is recommending to the college’s Board of Directors that it cut more than three dozen academic programs starting in September.

“To ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the college, we are implementing mitigation measures immediately and taking decisive steps to reduce expenses, optimize resources, and explore new revenue opportunities,” Brulé said.

“Note that while the measures announced this week will make an important contribution to closing the financial gap, it will not completely eliminate the projected deficit. Therefore, a Phase 2 is in progress to explore additional measures. This includes an Efficiency and Accountability Initiative undertaken with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to identify further mitigations that will help restore the College’s long-term fiscal health.”

Brulé says Algonquin College is recommending the suspension of 37 academic programs, starting in the fall of 2025, representing 16 per cent of all programs at Algonquin.

“If approved by the Board, no new students will be admitted to these programs starting Fall 2025,” Brulé said. “Current and Spring 2025 students will be able to complete their studies, provided they meet all the necessary academic requirements. Employees and learners impacted by these changes will receive additional messaging from their respective Vice President.”

The list of programs that will not accept new learners for the Fall of 2025 include Broadcasting – Radio and Podcasting, Interior Decorating, Performing Arts, and several programs in the school of business and hospitality. Algonquin College says program cuts at the Pembroke campus include Police Foundations, Outdoor Adventure Naturalist and Water and Wastewater Technician.

Teri Loretto, the program coordinator for Algonquin College’s scriptwriting and performing arts programs, told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron she was “blindsided” by how many programs could be cut.

“We don’t exist in a bubble. We recognize that, financially, the colleges are in a difficult position,” she said. “What we were not expecting was 37 programs. We were thinking maybe a dozen to 16, 17.”

Loretto said many of the programs are highly sought after by domestic students, with some having waiting lists.

“The students were very upset today. Some of the students are already mobilizing. They’re creating testimonials, they’re creating videos,” she said. “Colleges, unlike some other post-secondary institutions, are really hands-on. These are students who are going out in the community, they’re doing internships, they’re learning on the job. These are practical jobs.”

Brulé said in January that Algonquin College is projecting a $32 million loss in revenue for 2024-25, and “without mitigation measures to change course” the college is facing a $60 million loss in 2025-26 and $93 million for 2026-27.

Algonquin College’s Board of Governors will vote Feb. 24 on the proposed cuts to programs. The college says no new students will be admitted to the suspended programs and current students will be able to complete their studies.

Algonquin College is also introducing a “Targeted Retirement Departure Initiative” to offer a one-time, lump-sum financial incentive to eligible employees at least 50 years of age and will be launching a “voluntary exit registry” for employees to apply to depart the college and “receive a modest financial incentive.”

“While layoffs are unavoidable, we are committed to mitigating their impact through staged resource adjustments,” Brulé said. “Workforce impacts related to program changes may not occur immediately due to the need to teach out current cohorts.”

Algonquin College currently has campuses in Ottawa, Pembroke and Perth, and offers AC Online, a fully online post-secondary education program.

The union representing faculty at Algonquin College says the cuts are the “direct result of the policies” of the Ontario government.

“The news of program cuts is a devastating blow to faculty, students and the wider community,” Ontario Public Service Employees Union Local 415 state in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.

“These programs affect dozens of faculty who are dedicated to training Ontario’s future. Decisions made so far mean that Ottawa, Ontario’s second largest city, will not have a public school offering training in dozens of vial roles for our community, from broadcasting and hairstyling through to theatre and technical writing. Imagine, in a capitol city of a G8 nation, not having a specialist program in Regulatory Affairs.”

Last month, St. Lawrence announced it will be cutting 55 program intakes starting in the spring of 2025 due to federal policies impacting international student enrolment.

In January 2024, the federal government announced a temporary two-year cap on international student levels by 35 per cent this year. Last September, the government announced new international student study permits will be reduced by another 10 per cent to 437,000 permits, with the target continuing into 2026. The federal government also announced changes this fall to post-graduate work permits, with the permits restricted to areas that have labour shortages in Canada.

Here is the list of recommended suspended programs at Algonquin College

Faculty of Creative Arts and Media (FCAM)

• Brand Management
• Brand Management (two-year)
• Broadcasting – Radio and Podcasting
• Creative Industries Management
• Interdisciplinary Studies in Human-Centred Design
• Interior Decorating
• Performing Arts
• Photography – Content Creation
• Professional Writing
• Scriptwriting
• Teachers of English as a Second/Foreign Language
• Visual Development for Entertainment

Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence (ACCE)

• Building Information Modelling – Lifecycle Management
• Building Information Modelling – Lifecycle Management Canadian Context
• Energy Management

Algonquin College Online (ACOL)

• Business – Trades

School of Advanced Technology (ATEC)

• Bachelor of Technology (Digital Health) (Honours)
• Digital Health
• General Arts and Science – Aviation Management
• Regulatory Affairs – Sciences
• Technical Writer

School of Business and Hospitality (SOBH)

• Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management (Honours)
• Business Administration – Human Resources
• Business Administration – International Business
• Business Administration – Marketing
• Financial Services Canadian Context
• Human Resources Management
• International Business Management
• Marketing Management
• Marketing Research and Analysis
• Office Administration – Executive
• Retirement Communities Management
• Strategic Global Business Management

Pembroke Campus

• Outdoor Adventure Naturalist
• Police Foundations
• Regulatory Affairs – Sciences
• Water and Wastewater Technician