Lethbridge Polytechnic has announced further program cuts and layoffs, prompted by an expected, significant drop in revenue it says is due mainly to federal immigration policy changes. Read More
Leadership, support staff and faculty jobs will be cut from the post-secondary school
Leadership, support staff and faculty jobs will be cut from the post-secondary school
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Lethbridge Polytechnic has announced further program cuts and layoffs, prompted by an expected, significant drop in revenue it says is due mainly to federal immigration policy changes.
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Lethbridge Polytechnic president and CEO Brad Donaldson said Tuesday that an $8-million shortfall has meant that 53 permanent positions have or will be terminated by June 30.
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Of the 53 positions 27 were involuntary and the remaining 26 were voluntary, through early retirements, redundancies or modified hours, said Donaldson during a news conference. The cuts affect all employee groups, including leadership, support staff and faculty.
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“Staffing reductions are especially tough here as we have a close-knit and caring community,” he said during a Tuesday news conference.
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Cuts results in closure of English language centre
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Tuesday’s announcement comes less than three months after the post-secondary institution said it is closing its English language centre at the end of June. That closure, which is in addition to the cuts announced this week, affects 19 employees. Donaldson blamed that closure on significant cutbacks to the Language Instruction to Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program run by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
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On Tuesday, Donaldson said Lethbridge Polytechnic is suspending three programs and one diploma major: the commercial greenhouse technician certificate, agricultural sciences diploma with an animal sciences major, health-care aid government of Alberta certificate, and education assistant diploma.
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The post-secondary institution will continue to offer its education assistant certificate, and the agriculture sciences agronomy and agriculture business majors also continue to be offered.
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The post-secondary institution is also closing its Aquaculture Centre of Excellence. Created in 1999, the centre conducts applied research on a variety of aquatic-based topics, according to the Lethbridge Polytechnic website.
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“We still continue to offer a number of agriculture-related programs. This just happens to be the one that just doesn’t have the student demand to warrant continuing its offering,” said Donaldson.
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Students in affected programs can still graduate
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Lethbridge Polytechnic will ensure that students currently in the affected programs finish their studies and graduate, he said.
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The programs were eliminated from Lethbridge Polytechnic’s offerings due a lack of student demand.
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“Suspending these programs frees up resources to work on new programs not offered in southern Alberta,” said Donaldson, adding dental assistant, powerline technician and advance care paramedic programs are among new ones being considered.
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