CIMM – Conestoga College – February 28, 2024

Key Facts and Figures

Conestoga College is the largest Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada by a significant margin. There are nearly 8,000 more study permit holders at Conestoga College compared to the next largest DLI.
On December 31, 2023, there were over 38,000 study permit holders at Conestoga College, an increase of 187% over the last five years (13,000 on December 31, 2019).
International students at Conestoga College alone accounted for over 4% of the entire study permit holder population on December 31, 2023.
College President John Tibbits has issued statements in defense of Conestoga’s record and has criticized the federal government’s implementation of a cap on the intake of study permit applications, arguing that “Canada’s reputation as a destination for post-secondary education is threatened.”
Tibbits has also argued that “international students are needed to fill employment gaps to ensure the economic prosperity of the communities we serve.”

Canada’s reputation as a global leader in providing high quality education requires that international students have a positive and enriching experience while studying in Canada.
To do so, institutions need to ensure that the number of international students they welcome is commensurate with their ability to support them throughout their studies, otherwise, students risk becoming vulnerable to fraud and exploitation schemes.
The implementation of a two-year intake on most study permit applications is meant to help recalibrate the number of international students who come to Canada in 2024 and 2025 such that they are adequately supported.
Education is a provincial and territorial responsibility in Canada, and it is up to provinces and territories to continue to use their policy levers to support a healthy post-secondary education sector.
Under the national intake cap, each province/territory is responsible for determining to distribute allocation spaces to each of their institutions.

On February 15, Conestoga College’s Board of Governors announced that they are reviewing an internal matter regarding Dr. Tibbit’s use of unacceptable and offensive language while discussing international students with local media after a recent presentation on the college’s economic impact.

Responsive:

I am aware of the remarks made by Conestoga College’s president and allow me to take this opportunity to reiterate that derogatory language is unacceptable and has no place in discussions on international students, or any matter.
We all have a role to play in fostering a culture of inclusivity and respect for our colleagues, including staff and students, and the people we serve. I hope that leaders in the post-secondary education sector take this incident as an opportunity to better lead by example in this effort going forward.