York University temporarily suspending new admissions to 18 programs

York University is temporarily suspending new admissions to 18 programs due to low enrollment and financial pressures, a spokesperson says.

The pause is intended to help the university "achieve financial sustainability in light of unexpected policy directions at the provincial and federal levels affecting higher education," university spokesperson Yanni Dagonas said in an email to CBC Toronto on Tuesday. 

He said the temporary suspension will give faculty time to review and enhance these programs so that they can be offered "sustainably." 

Students already enrolled in these programs can continue their studies and will be supported to meet graduation requirements, Dagonas said. 

Elective courses will still be offered in affected programs, he said. 

Here is a full list of the affected programs: 

• English (at Glendon College).
• Global history and justice (at Glendon College).
• Spanish and Latin American cultures (at Glendon College).
• Sociology (at Glendon College).
• Spanish.
• Gender and women's studies.
• Classics and classical studies.
• East Asian studies.
• German studies.
• Hellenic studies. 
• Italian studies.
• Indigenous studies. 
• Jewish studies. 
• Portuguese and Brazilian studies. 
• Religious studies. 
• Biomedical physics. 
• Environmental biology.

Other universities, colleges projecting budget shortfalls

York University is the latest post-secondary institution to report financial challenges in the wake of the federal government recently cracking down on international student visas.

But it's the first university in the country to announce significant program suspensions, said Alex Usher, president of Higher Education Strategy Associates, a consultant group that's focused on post-secondary education.

In September, the federal government announced it would slash the number of visas it issues by 10 per cent. The new target for 2025 and 2026 will be 437,000 permits, while in 2024, the target was 485,000 permits.

Universities and colleges have been reporting significant drops in international student enrolment, with some projecting budget shortfalls tied to losing tuition revenue from international students. 

Ontario is home to over 40 per cent of the country's university system, but it provides the lowest amount of per-student funding for domestic students out of all the provinces, according to a 2021 auditor general report. 

Under Doug Ford, the province froze direct provincial funding to the post-secondary sector in 2019, while cutting tuition by 10 per cent and encouraging colleges to recruit international students.

Last month, Centennial College announced it was suspending 49 programs as it deals with the fallout from this federal cap on international study permits. In November, Sheridan College similarly said it was putting 40 programs on hold and laying off staff, citing a drop in student enrollment. 

Usher said he expects more than 1,000 college programs to shutter in Ontario as a result of federal and provincial policies. 

"There's going to be a lot fewer choices for Ontario students going forward," he said in an interview with CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Tuesday.