Conestoga College is eliminating another 32 full-time faculty positions.
In an email sent out to employees on Monday, Interim President Norma McDonald Ewing called the job cuts “difficult” but “necessary.”
“At Conestoga, international enrolment has declined significantly over the past two years, resulting in substantially lower overall student enrolment and reduced demand in a number of programs,” the email said. “While we have taken several steps to manage these challenges and delay workforce reductions where possible, changes to our staffing complement have been confirmed necessary following a comprehensive review of the college’s operational and financial requirements.”
The school is currently dealing with a $32.8 million deficit.
According to Conestoga’s Consolidated Statement of Revenue and Expenditures, revenue dropped to nearly $444 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year which ended March 31. Total operating expenses came in at $477 million.
That’s a significant shortfall, especially considering the school reported a $121 million surplus in 2024-2025 and a $252 million surplus in 2023-2025.
When the federal government put a cap on international student enrolment in 2024, tuition revenue plummeted at Conestoga College. Documents showed it dropped from $564 million in 2025 to $241 million in 2026.
Another factor that played into the shortfall was the departure of the school’s former president, who suddenly stepped down in January 2026. The last few years of John Tibbits’ tenure was marred by controversy, including his hefty salary. In 2024, Ontario’s Sunshine List showed Tibbits earned $636,107 and was the region’s highest-paid public sector worker. He was also given termination payments that added up to 83 times his monthly salary.
“Shuffled off with gold-plated shoes,” according to Leopold Koff, president of OPSEU Local 237.
The payout triggered an audit by the provincial government which found “numerous egregious financial decisions which lacked appropriate oversight by members of the college’s board.” The board was relieved of their duties in May and Linda Franklin was brought in to get the school back on track.
Conestoga College laid off 181 full-time faculty members and 197 support staff in December 2025.
The latest announcement comes one week before classes were set to start for the fall term.
Why now?
“This was not a decision made lightly, and I fully appreciate its significance,” McDonald Ewing’s email said. “I recognize the valuable contributions to our students, programs and college community these employees have made and want to express my sincere gratitude for their dedication and service. I also recognize that this news will be difficult for many members of our community, particularly those who work closely with the colleagues affected.”
McDonald Ewing also called it a necessary decision to support the long-term sustainability of the school.
Koff was skeptical of that claim.
“They’re focused only on one option – which is reduction of operating costs,” he told CTV News.
OPSEU Local 237 represents full-time faculty, librarians, counsellors and partial-load instructors at Conestoga College.
“We question if this is the only option open and available to the college,” said Koff. “We feel that there are financial resources that are available to the college, monies that are still retained and haven’t been assigned. There are other actions that they could take to reduce costs in other areas.”
He believes the school is focused on “the cheapest solution to delivering programs.”
“That [work] is now broken up piecemeal into part-time contracts for anyone who’s willing to take those part-time contracts on, instead of having full-time faculty, counsellors and librarians,” Koff said.
Those jobs, he stressed, would not have guaranteed salaries or benefits.
Conestoga College’s new president is expected to start by the end of the year, but a formal announcement about who will take the helm has not been made.
Koff wants to have a better relationship with Tibbits’ successor.
“Hopefully [they will be] more transparent and collaborative in working to change the culture and the environment at Conestoga College.”
Message from Conestoga College
CTV News reached out to the school for comment on the announcement.
They sent a statement on behalf of McDonald Ewing, which read: “In response to decreasing enrolment in the international student program, Conestoga has had to make changes to support the continued success of our institution for years to come.”
It continued: “Alongside a multi-year sustainability plan and the provincial government’s new funding model, we will continue to deliver a world-class education that prepares students for good-paying, in-demand jobs and careers while strengthening southwestern Ontario’s highly skilled workforce for decades to come.”
