University of Winnipeg cancels English Language Program, puts women's soccer team on hiatus

A program at the University of Winnipeg to help international and domestic students improve their English skills is being shut down and the school's administrators are blaming Ottawa's crackdown on the number of international students allowed to study in Canada.

In a short written announcement posted Tuesday on the U of W website, president and vice-chancellor Todd Mondor said that "as a result of significant financial challenges" the university decided to suspend the women's soccer program and end the school's English Language Program.

"Enrolment in the English Language Program (ELP) has dropped dramatically due to changes in federal policies affecting international student mobility," Mondor said in the announcement. "As a result, ELP is no longer financially viable. Individual programs currently in progress will run to completion, but no additional programming will be launched."

The federal government imposed the restrictions earlier this year to try to stop small private colleges from taking advantage of international arrivals and to bring relief to the country's crowded housing market, particularly in Canada's biggest cities. 

As of Nov. 1, enrolment of first-year international students at the U of W dropped 34 per cent from the previous year. The university didn't provide the number of students this represents, but it taught more than 1,500 international students last year.

On its website, U of W says the English Language Program offers a certificate for people seeking to teach English as an additional language to adults, as programs and private tutorials to help internationally educated professionals.

ELP offers a certificate program for those seeking to teach English as an additional language to adults, as well as customized programming and private tutorials — including communication coaching and workplace communication skills enhancement for internationally-educated professionals.

The school provided no additional details about the program Tuesday and wouldn't say how many students are currently enrolled or how the numbers this year compare to previous years.

Tomiris Kaliyeva, an international student from Kazakhstan who serves as president of the University of Winnipeg Students' Association, knew there would be changes as a result of new caps on international students but didn't know the English Language Program would be cut until the school announced it.

"We're very disappointed," Kaliyeva said. "We're hoping to work with administration to see how we can save other programs." 

She sees the program as beneficial and isn't sure where students who need help improving their English skills will go instead.

"This program was a way for students to integrate in an English society and to learn English language via this integration," she said. "So I think that was very useful for people who want to learn English very well."

It's a sentiment echoed by former University of Winnipeg student Alina Oliinyk who said benefited from the program. She came to Canada from Ukraine nearly six years ago and took the English Language Program for three months before getting a diploma in Public Relations, Marketing & Strategic Communications Management.

Oliinyk said it was upsetting to learn that a program that helped her so much is ending and worries about the impact on other students.

"I feel like it will bring integration challenges for sure for international students who will come to study … it will be very challenging to integrate to the new culture, new country."

"For many this program served as a bridge to higher education and specialized training."

Loss of soccer program will have 'drastic effects'

Mondor said in the school's announcement the women's soccer program will not return for the 2025 season and that the university will work with affected student athletes to support them during the change. The university doesn't have a men's soccer team.

In an email to CBC later in the day, U of W communications manager Cheryl Parisien said the school "is prioritizing using its limited financial resources to support the core academic and research functions of the university."

Peter Miller, president of the University of Winnipeg Faculty Association was disappointed to learn of both the loss of the women's soccer program and English Language Program.

"Student athletes are a big part of university culture and the campus community," Miller said. "I know that's going to have pretty drastic effects for some students who are involved in soccer. I teach myself actually quite a number of students who play on the Wesmen sports teams and so I immediately felt for them.

"The English Language Program's another big part of the campus community in a way in which the U of W helps international students who come to campus."

Miller said faculty association members aren't directly involved with the English Language Program but described it as "a strong program that guided a lot of students" who came to the university to study.

He said it's disheartening international student enrolment caps have made funding challenges at the school worse and he's concerned it could lead to more cuts to what the university offers.