(London, Ont) – As announced by the Provost at Senate on Friday February 14th, Western University has revived discussions on a potential partnership with Navitas, a for-profit education provider specializing in international “pathway” programs. Despite adjustments from the initial 2020 proposal, our fundamental concerns about privatization, academic integrity, and precarious labour conditions remain unchanged.

Outsourcing first year programming for international students to a private corporation threatens Western’s control over critical aspects of its academic mission. The model shifts decision making on curriculum, admissions, and student support away from the university and into the hands of a profit-driven company. The reliance on contract-based instructors remains a serious issue, raising concerns about job security, fair compensation, workload protections and the lack of commitment to faculty research. While Western suggests that Navitas instructors would be unionized under UWOFA, the mechanisms for this are not clear. It also does not guarantee job security or equitable working conditions because of the senior administration’s refusal to invest in its people. Many current faculty on ‘limited term’ and ‘limited duties’ contracts already experience second-class citizenship and are not well-supported in their research endeavours. We are currently seeing faculty cuts and non-replacements across campus; outsourcing could further exacerbate job insecurity and polarization across the University.

Beyond academic governance, the corporate approach to international student recruitment poses significant risks. Research from Canada and the UK has demonstrated that for-profit education providers often employ aggressive recruitment strategies and maintain lax academic standards, placing undue pressure on instructors to pass students regardless of performance[1]. This risks undermining the integrity of Western’s admissions process and raises serious equity concerns for international students, who deserve well-supported academic pathways built on rigorous standards and ethical recruitment. Unlike Navitas, Western’s existing English Language Centre – designed and operated in-house – already provides a structured and transparent transition for international students.

In response to the renewed exploration of a Navitas partnership, Johanna Weststar, UWOFA President, stated:

“In 2020 we did our research, listened to our faculty experts and learned from the experiences of other universities that had partnered with Nativas. In response to the overwhelmingly negative evidence, Western faculty stood together, asserted our rights to collegial governance and systematically opposed private pathway colleges. We will do so again.”

The renewed push for a Navitas partnership comes at a time when Canadian universities are facing increased financial pressures and shifting government policies on international education. Privatizing core academic functions is not the solution. Rather than diverting resources to for-profit education providers, Western should be reinvesting in its own faculty, academic programming, and student services to ensure long term sustainability and uphold the university’s commitment to public education and academic excellence.

Contact:

Bethany Taylor, UWOFA Communications and Engagement Officer
outreach@uwofa.ca
519-661-2111 x. 87965

[1] Tamtik, M. (2024). Selling out the Public University? Administrative Sensemaking Strategies for Internationalization via Private Pathway Colleges in Canadian Higher Education. Journal of Studies in International Education, 28(2), 296-313. https://doi.org/10.1177/10283153221137687

(London, Ont) – Decades of Provincial underfunding and new Federal caps on international student enrolments have created systemic challenges for Ontario’s universities. While we agree with calls for more sustainable public funding, we urge the Western administration to remember that every budget is a choice—a reflection of institutional priorities. The approach being taken by senior leadership lacks a positive and compelling vision for our collective future. It is demoralizing our campus community and pitting units against each other.

A strong university depends on a solid foundation: permanent faculty, librarian and archivist positions that uphold our responsibilities under the UWO Act and the mission of the university. These roles are not optional; they are essential to Western’s academic excellence, research impact, and student experience. Like the administration, we want to improve Western’s rankings and strengthen its reputation, but real success comes from stability and collaboration, not short-term cuts. The best universities invest in their people, knowing that secure, meaningful academic work drives innovation, enriches teaching, and builds a thriving campus community. Western must do the same and, indeed, has an opportunity to lead.

The Consequences of Austerity Choices

Western is in a strong financial position with $3.07 billion in net assets, $51.4 million in operating reserves, and a $219.5 million surplus in 2024. The caps on international student enrolment have not affected us like the college sector or even some other universities. Indeed, we have room for international student growth under the existing caps. Yet, the administration is pushing austerity measures on faculties and support units that compromise the university’s core missions:

• Graduate Funding Cuts: These cuts diminish the critical research and teaching contributions of graduate students, weakening our reputation as a school of choice.
• Cuts to Contract Faculty: Reducing contract faculty positions limits course availability for students and increases class sizes unless there is reinvestment in full-time faculty jobs.
• Erosion to Tenure stream positions: Failing to invest in tenure track hiring reduces research capacity, mentorship opportunities for students, and the ability to offer stable, long-term academic expertise.
• Decline in librarian and archivist roles: Cuts to these roles weaken research support, diminish academic programming, and reduce access to critical scholarly resources.
• Workload Redistribution and Increases: Shifting workloads of faculty, librarians and archivists creates unsustainable demands, harming teaching, research, and collegial environments.

Such measures are not inevitable—they are choices. Western has the financial capacity to support its students, faculty, librarians, archivists, and staff in the short-term while preserving the university’s long-term reputation and academic excellence. By imposing cuts and structural changes, the administration risks undermining the very elements that contribute to its success: strong academic programs, thriving research initiatives, and a rich student experience. There is no justification for eroding the strengths that make Western a leader in higher education, especially when the latest key financial indicators show that Western is in a stronger financial position than its peers. In a year of political turmoil, Western should be using its advantages to support its community, not undermining it.

A Call for Thoughtful Leadership

UWOFA calls on the Board of Governors and Western’s administration to demonstrate leadership by rethinking its budgetary choices. We urge senior administrators to adopt a hopeful and unifying vision, one that strengthens the campus community rather than resorting to a strategy of austerity, division, and the relentless erosion of resources through cuts. We recommend that Western:

1. Strategically Leverage Financial Reserves: Instead of imposing harmful austerity measures, Western must use its reserves and surplus funds to sustain graduate funding, expand tenure track hiring, maintain essential contract faculty positions, and secure permanent librarian and archivist roles. Investing in these areas strengthens academic programs, ensures equitable workload and upholds the quality of education and research.
2. Invest in Core Academic Roles: Graduate students, contract and tenure stream faculty, and librarians and archivists drive Western’s teaching and research mission. The administration must restore graduate funding, stop reducing hiring, and reinvest in stable, full-time academic positions that enhance mentorship, student success, and research excellence.
3. Engage in Transparent Decision-Making: Faculty, librarians, and archivists must have a real voice in decisions that shape their work. Western’s leadership must commit to meaningful consultation and evidence-based financial planning that prioritizes academic excellence over cost-cutting.

Advocating for Systemic Change Together

The broader funding crisis in Ontario’s post-secondary system demands collective advocacy. UWOFA will stand with the Western administration in urging the Provincial and Federal governments to provide stable, sustainable funding for universities to reduce reliance on international tuition and ensure a bright future for higher education. But every budget is a choice. Western’s financial strength provides the flexibility to make decisions that uphold its mission, protect its reputation, and sustain its teaching, research, and service. UWOFA calls on the administration to prioritize thoughtful, strategic, planning that will safeguard the university’s excellence for generations to come.

Sincerely,

UWOFA

University of Western Ontario Faculty Association representing 1,700 faculty, librarians and archivists

Contact:

Bethany Taylor, UWOFA Communications and Engagement Officer
outreach@uwofa.ca
519-661-2111 x. 87965