Students and faculty in 18 programs at Edmonton’s Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) are facing an uncertain future. NAIT is pausing 18 of its programs for review then possibly shutting them down permanently. Peter Leclaire, NAIT’s vice-president academic, said Thursday the school is facing cost pressures from several angles. One major issue is shrinking enrollment for international students after a policy change by the federal government early last year. Such enrollment at the north-central Edmonton institution is projected to drop from about 4,000 to roughly 1,200 in the next few years. Students from abroad can pay up to three times the tuition of domestic students. NAIT uses that money to support expensive or less popular courses. “This isn’t about scaling back, it’s about creating space to invest in high-demand areas and to increase access, support innovation and ensure we’re well positioned to introduce new programming where it’s needed most,” Leclaire told media. About 450 students and 100 faculty are in programs affected by the pause, which could lead to job losses. Students part way through the programs will be able to finish their studies. Those who have already enrolled for the fall will be refunded or placed in similar NAIT programs. The school’s board of directors will decide whether the pause becomes permanent in a matter of months. Tara Teves, who graduated this spring from Captioning and Court Reporting, said Thursday “it’s very upsetting” to her and her classmates that the program – the only one of its kind in Canada, she said – is being put on hold. Teves, who volunteers for the program’s student executive, says demand is high and graduates find work fast, so finding it on the chopping block baffles her. “We’re doing well,” she said. “I don’t know what the review process was. I wish they would’ve talked to students about it, too.” Programs paused
