Brock professor warns cuts and layoffs may stifle innovation at Ontario colleges and universities [Video]

Stagnant funding, tuition freezes, and over-reliance on international student fees are pushing institutions toward program cuts and layoffs and, potentially, impacting innovation, according to a Brock University professor.

“The best way to have innovation is to actually have different colleges and different universities running parallel programs so that they can learn from one another,” said Louis Volante, an educational studies professor at Brock University.

The federal government has been cracking down on the number of international students entering the country. In January 2024, they announced a 35-per-cent cut to study permits issued and new restrictions for international students. Another 10-per-cent cut came in September.

Some colleges are already feeling the impact. Hamilton’s Mohawk College projected a $50 million deficit in November for the 2025-2026 school year. The college already cut 20 per cent of their administrative jobs in December, with more cuts to be announced later this month.

The cuts have also led to many programs …