Peterborough\u2019s Fleming College has announced plans to merge with another college in eastern Ontario, a move that it says will provide students with \u201cexpanded academic pathways\u201d and \u201cincreased access to specialized programs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fleming College and St. Lawrence College announced on Friday<\/a> that they have begun a formal process to \u201cintegrate as equal partners.\u201d<\/p>\n The colleges say that they will maintain their \u201clocal brands\u201d but will now have a single management team led by President and CEO Glenn Vollebregt.<\/p>\n \u201cAs governors, our responsibility is to help ensure our institutions remain strong, relevant and sustainable for the students and each of the communities we serve,\u201d Fleming College Board Chair Don Gillespie said in a news release. \u201cThis integration process reflects a thoughtful, long-term approach to building greater capacity, expanding opportunities, and protecting the strength of college education across our region.\u201d<\/p>\n The colleges say that while their boards have both approved a \u201cintegration framework agreement,\u201d the formal merging of the institutions will not proceed until a \u201cstructured engagement process,\u201d which will include \u201cdetailed due diligence, operational planning, and community engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n Discussions to merge the colleges come amid a challenging fiscal environment for Ontario\u2019s college sector due to a cap on international students implemented in 2024.<\/p>\n The union representing 55,000 college faculty and support staff across Ontario has previously warned of widespread job losses as a result, calling it \u201cone of the largest mass layoffs in Ontario\u2019s history.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n