WHEREAS, the Federal Government has recently announced policy changes that will negatively affect publicly funded colleges, particularly those in small, northern and rural regions of Ontario, by altering the framework through which international students are admitted and managed;
WHEREAS there is growing concern over the current funding model of postsecondary education, which has placed additional financial pressures on publicly funded colleges, undermined their sustainability and made it more difficult for colleges to respond to the needs of local employers;
WHEREAS Fleming College has developed an important public-private college partnership with Global University Systems (Fleming College Toronto) that contributes $26 million annually in net revenue to Fleming College, money that is invested locally for students and our community;
WHEREAS students enrolled in programs offered through the Global University Systems public-private partnership campuses are recognized as students of a publicly funded college and are held to the same high standards of academic rigor, are provided with comparable wrap-around support services to those offered at Fleming College and receive a Fleming College credential;
WHEREAS, the elimination of Post-Graduate Work Permits by the Federal Government for students graduating from programs offered through the Global University Systems public-private partnership campus would result in an immediate suspension of revenue to Fleming College, adversely affecting the sustainability of the college and undermining the ability to support local employers;
WHEREAS, the Federal Government’s policy changes have been made without any consultation with postsecondary institutions and without a clear understanding of the severe financial hardship this will result in for smaller public colleges based primarily outside of the GTA;
WHEREAS international students bring many benefits to the community including meeting local workforce needs, bringing diversity of perspectives, economic benefits, and cultural enrichment;
WHEREAS, the Government of Ontario has recently called together a group of experts who have released recommendations in the Blue-Ribbon Panel report that are designed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the postsecondary education sector in Ontario;
WHEREAS, the flow of international students is anticipated to be drastically reduced as a result of these changes, which would have a direct, negative impact on the local Peterborough economy:
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Peterborough City Council urge the Federal Government to reconsider its recent policy changes and specifically exempt public-private partner institutions from being excluded in offering students who successfully complete their program of study a Post-Graduate Work Permit; and,
THAT Peterborough City Council request the Government of Ontario to immediately implement the Blue-Ribbon Panel recommendations and actively work with the Federal Government to restore the eligibility of public-private partner colleges, to grant students who successfully complete their program of study, a Post-Graduate Work Permit.