More than 30 positions have been cut from Calgary’s Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), according to a internal memo sent to all departments this week, and obtained by CityNews.
In the email, dated April 14, Heather Magotiaux, vice president of student affairs and external relations, said the abolished positions are in the student affairs and external relations division. Services and staffing have been reduced across Advancement, Communications, Marketing, the Lamb Learner Success Centre, Career Advancement Services, Student Engagement, Student Development and Counselling, Academic Advising, the Library and the Office of the Registrar.
Some programs have also been paused, including peer mentorship, English Language Conversations and the student engagement program known as LEADS, the memo says.
LINK, the alumni magazine, is also being moved to a fully digital format and scaling down events.
This comes weeks after cuts were announced to the school’s People and Culture division, specifically in Environmental Health and Safety and Community and Belonging.
SAIT says six educational developer roles, one communications coordinator, one program development coordinator and two instructional designer roles were elimnated on March 3.
Other changes include the departures of three individuals in leadership positions within these divisions.
Magotiaux extended her thanks for the contributions of those former employees.
“We recognize the weight of these changes and the continued pressure they place on our community,” she said. “Thank you for your professionalism, focus and commitment as we move through this period together.”
The union representing some employees at SAIT says 65 positions are being cut from the post-secondary school.
“Some people have already taken their severance package, so those positions are gone, and obviously they don’t get replaced when they abolish positions,” AUPE president Sandra Azocar said.
According to Azocar, the positions impacted include maintenance, funding specialists, placement advisors, guest services, and housing: “Anything that you can think of that makes your post-secondary experience successful.”
She explains that many of those who are now unemployed have been at SAIT for years.
“Anytime that you go to work and are unsure as to the future of your employment, it’s not an easy thing to have to face for anybody, regardless of where you work,” Azocar said. “It creates uncertainty, it creates a lack of trust in terms of your employment future, and it makes you rethink as to where you need to be. And so it doesn’t bode well for recruitment and retention, and definitely doesn’t bode well for morale.”
SAIT declined an interview request from CityNews but provided the following statement from spokesperson Chris Gerritsen: “Like post‑secondary institutions across Canada, SAIT has been impacted by recent changes to federal international student policies. These changes have resulted in a decline in enrolment, requiring the institution to make difficult but necessary budget adjustments. We are currently working through organizational and workforce adjustments.”
The union says SAIT isn’t the only instituition seeing cuts — positions have also been eliminated at Bow Valley College, Red Deer Polytechnic, Fairview, and more.
Azocar says a lack of funding is to blame, including a decrease in international student funding after the federal government placed caps on enrollment.
Minister of Advanced Education Myles McDougall says in a statement that staffing decisions are made by each instituition, and the government respects their autonomy to manage operations.
“Budget 2026 provides $2.2 billion in direct operating funding – a 3% increase – for post-secondary institutions, and since 2022, more than $430 million has been invested to expand seats in high-demand programs based on labour-market demand,” he said.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017 – Heritage Hall stands tall on the SAIT campus in Calgary. (File image)