Following reports by the province’s Auditor General, Algoma University is hitting the brakes on five low-enrolment programs in the coming academic year – a move that will impact 18 prospective students.
According to an internal memo shared with SooToday, the board of governors has “approved a time-limited, one-year pause on first-year admission intake” into its Geography, History, Music, Sociology, and Visual Arts programs following recommendations from the Auditor General’s reports.
The university was included in the province’s 2022 Value-for-Money Audit, which brought forward a recommendation – among many others – to evaluate the financial contribution of its programs and consider restructuring to “ensure the long-term sustainability” of the university’s programming.
A follow-up report in 2024 determined the university had made “little to no progress” on this front, wrote interim president and vice-chancellor Donna Rogers, who authored the memo.
“The (Auditor General) noted that Algoma U had made little to no progress in determining whether there are programs that could be restructured to provide a net-positive financial contribution to the university, and little to no progress in implementing changes to make these programs sustainable,” Rogers wrote.
As a result, the university is pausing admission five programs for the coming year, which will impact 18 prospective students who have accepted offers to the affected programs.
“This decision was not easy, nor was it taken lightly,” Rogers wrote.
“However, the reality is that low-enrolment programs create long-term financial risks for universities, including reduced funding for student services, research grants, and faculty development. Continuing to offer under-enrolled programs without careful review can jeopardize the institution’s long-term stability, which we must protect.”
Rogers said affected students will have the option to pursue another area of study at the university.
“Affected prospective students have received a personalized letter with an offer of admission to another academic program aligned with their original choice, along with an invitation to explore other pathways at Algoma University,” she wrote. “Our registrar’s office will work closely with them to ensure they feel supported and valued as they consider their next steps.”
Students in their second, third, and fourth years of study in the affected programs will not be impacted, Rogers said, “with full access to the courses and academic support they require.”
“Furthermore, absolutely no layoffs will occur as a result of this temporary pause,” she added.
Rogers stressed the temporary pause is “not a program cut or a program suspension,” but “an opportunity to give departments the time, space, and support needed to thoughtfully reflect on program design and long-term sustainability.
The Auditor General’s 2024 follow-up report tracked the university’s financial management efforts on 57 recommended actions, along with the efforts of Nipissing University, Ontario Tech University, University of Windsor, and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
It found Algoma University had fully implemented 33 per cent of the recommendations, made progress on 30 per cent, little or no progress on 33 per cent, and will not be implementing four per cent of the recommended actions.
The full Auditor General’s report may be found here.