TRU looks to STEM while considering new academic programs to attract students

TRU eyeing new programs

With federal policy changes causing international enrolment to drop by hundreds and forcing millions in budget cuts, Thompson Rivers University is eyeing new programs to stay on track.

At Monday’s senate meeting, TRU provost and VP academic Gillian Balfour said while the university’s student population has changed over the years, its programs haven’t kept pace and will need to become more relevant

She said new programming will need to meet the interest of prospective students, but also government interests.

“It’s also about meeting the ambitions of government in terms of the types of programs they’re willing to support, because they hold the attestation letters and a finite number of them,” she said.

B.C.’s attestation letter system sees each school issued an allotment of letters from the government. International students require a letter from their institution to apply for a study permit, although it doesn’t guarantee one.

Balfour said based on ministry priorities and market research, new program ideas include a post-baccalaureate in economics and math, a bachelor of engineering and computer engineering, additional seats in its cybersecurity diploma, and a potential offshore masters in education.

“Some of these resonate also with our domestic student recruitment strategy,” Balfour said.

New programs in TRU’s planning stage include a masters of data analytics, a masters of engineering science, and bachelor in kinesiology, health science and environment.

“You can certainly see where the sort of priorities sit, primarily in areas of STEM as well as graduate programs and health,” Balfour said.

Reassuring international market

Balfour said the policy changes have resulted in a great deal of concern among international students and families about coming to Canada, and TRU is trying to reassure the market.

Balfour said TRU is moving to a “very different approach” to international recruitment than what has worked in the past that is “far more cost intensive.”

She said work is also being done to reclassify programs under 15 different Classification of Instructional Programs codes to align with new post graduate work permit requirements, meaning students in those programs would once again be eligible for a permit.

Last year, Baihua Chadwick, TRU's vice-president international, said 95 per cent of post-baccalaureate diploma programs are no longer eligible for a work permit — programs she said were attractive to international students.

Balfour told senators TRU is also expediting international transfer credit partnership approvals to within two months, down from the current 18 month process, to open up more international partnership opportunities.

Balanced budget by March

Balfour said a balanced budget will be submitted for approval by the board of governors by the end of March, and plans for four more years of cuts before TRU's finances stabilize.

Of the $16 million in reductions needed in the 2025-26 budget, Balfour said a 5 per cent reduction by budget holders was a “partial success” and found $9.3 million. The remaining $7.3 million will be found through a “vacancy discount.”

“The last five years we’ve had a series of unfilled vacancies, they have fallen to the bottom and have generated our surpluses because we have not successfully hired,” explained Balfour.

“What we’ve been able to do for the purposes of this one time budget balance exercise, is to take a determination of the five year average of vacancies and credit back to the budget so we’re able to actually budget from this point in time.”

She said there are more than 100 vacancies and a hold on hiring is currently in place. TRU’s executive will review the positions to see which ones can be reduced.

Balfour said there will be no spending of in-year budget and mid-year budget reviews will be done to make sure TRU's is on track.

She also said a one time initiative where allocated funds from surpluses were used for “big ideas” or new strategic initiatives won’t continue.

International enrolment plummeting

TRU’s international enrolment target is now 2,800 students

That is down from 4,000 prior to the policy changes, which TRU surpassed by more than 600 in the winter semester last year when the changes were announced.

According to a report by TRU president Brett Fairbairn, international enrolment on the Kamloops campus is down 19 per cent and new international enrolment has plummeted by 59 per cent.

The Kamloops campus has seen a four per cent increase in domestic enrolment, the Williams Lake campus is up 23 per cent and domestic Open Learning enrolment is up seven per cent. OL has also seen a 45 per cent increase in international students.

“This growth suggests that Open Learning could play an increasingly important role in attracting students, particularly those seeking flexible study options,” Fairbairn said.