Course cuts are happening and I’m worried.
Concordia University has seen a decline in enrollment in the past couple of years. As a result, measures have been placed to cut 7.8 per cent of the university’s total costs, CTV reported. This news mostly covered its impact on staff; however, students should be concerned as well.
As for the Fall 2024 semester, tuition is expected to increase by 33 per cent for out-of-province students. The decline in enrollment in recent years has already led to financial loss. Tuition is now expected to double for some students, which is expected to lower the annual enrollment rate even more.
The news about tuition hikes for out-of-province students was already upsetting. I remember the moment when one of my professors made the announcement that made my classmates and I go in shock: course cuts would begin as of Winter 2024. We learned this information before news outlets published their articles about Concordia’s budget cuts. The professor urged us to register for our courses for the upcoming semester as soon as possible, as she explained that courses with low enrollment by Nov. 15 could be eliminated.
Course cuts will now be a means for the university to limit its annual budget. This will not only be problematic in terms of schedule-making, but it could affect the entire student body’s future tuition as well.
I learned through listening to class discussions in my classes that low enrollment in a class ultimately means that a course with let’s say a cap of 25 students would need to fill 80 per cent of its seats. The number, however, depends on the class size.
I still have a number of courses to take before I finish my degree—a few program-based courses and electives. Course cuts could derail my graduation plans, as I’m hoping to finish my degree by the end of this year. Should my courses get cut, I’ll have to extend my studies even longer. I’ve been a student at the university for many years and have worked hard to get myself on track for graduation. It’s been an important goal of mine over the past few years, especially because there was a period when I was unsure about continuing my studies. I persevered, however, and I’d like to see it through.
Every student is in a unique position. Some students begin their studies halfway through the year, while others drop their courses for personal reasons. Life is unpredictable as it is, so it’s worrisome that course offerings might now be increasingly unpredictable as well.
Course cuts affect everyone—students, professors, and staff alike. They might help the university’s budget, but they would be disastrous for the Concordia community. This begs the question: are course cuts worth it at the expense of our studies?
