St. Lawrence College and Fleming College announced Friday that they plan to combine operations.Ashley Fraser/The Globe and Mail
Two Ontario colleges are merging in the face of financial difficulties in the sector, the first merger to occur in the province’s post-secondary system since the reckoning brought on by a reduction in international enrolment.
St. Lawrence College and Fleming College announced Friday that they will combine their operations. The move is described as an integration of equals that will result in a larger, stronger institution.
For the moment, they said, there will be no campus closures and students will remain enrolled in their current institutions. Fleming is based principally in Peterborough, Ont., and St. Lawrence’s main campus is in Kingston, but both also operate smaller campuses in their respective regions.
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Both colleges had enrolment of about 10,000 full-time students in 2023-24, according to Statistics Canada. But the federal government’s move to reduce the number of international students in Canada, which began in January, 2024, in response to pressure in the housing market, has had a dramatic impact on the enrolment and finances of Ontario colleges, which had come to rely on international tuition fees to fund a significant portion of their operations.
Ontario colleges have tried to rapidly cut spending and jobs in response. In the last two years, there have been more than 8,000 job losses and more than 600 program suspensions across the college sector.
Recently, the provincial government boosted funding for the sector and announced that domestic tuition fees would be allowed to rise for the first time since 2019, but many colleges and universities are still looking for ways to cut costs.
The new integrated institution will be led by St. Lawrence college president Glenn Vollebregt. Fleming college interim president Theresa Knott will be the associate president and chief academic officer.
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In a joint news release, the two colleges said their boards had approved a framework deal for the merger. The next steps will include a process with “meaningful opportunities to provide input” for the people and communities affected.
“As governors, our responsibility is to help ensure our institutions remain strong, relevant and sustainable for the students and each of the communities we serve,” said Don Gillespie, chair of the board at Fleming College. “This integration process reflects a thoughtful, long-term approach to building greater capacity, expanding opportunities, and protecting the strength of college education across our region.”
Mr. Vollebregt said the schools are committed to giving students the tools and programs that will help them succeed in a changing economy.
“This integration gives us the scale and capability to serve more students, offer more opportunity, and build a stronger institution for the long term.”