Bader College will offer global opportunities while draining resources closer to home.
On Sept. 25, the University announced that Bader College at Herstmonceux Castle will be reopening in Winter 2026 with a focus on faculty-led international learning. The reopening comes after students were sent home from the castle in November 2023 due to structural issues. Pending further renovation, we’re left wondering if keeping the castle is worth the cost.
According to a 2025 Board of Trustees Report, the University has provided Bader College with $8.3 million in financial support to date, and will require another $3 million to support the college for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The exorbitant costs of maintaining the castle are a slap in the face to those in Kingston who’re battling layoffs and reduced course offerings.
Bader College was donated to Queen’s by Dr. Alfred Bader and his wife, Dr. Isabel Bader, in ’93, to establish a global study and research center for Queen’s students and faculty.
Queen’s gets millions of dollars per year in donations, and for the most part, students understand the need to keep these donors happy. However, in the case of Bader College, the need to appease donors should’ve been taken into consideration before the castle went uninspected for 25 years.
Pouring money into an institution that only seems to require more and more costs to upkeep doesn’t seem like a wise move from the University that’s become a poster child for budget deficits across the province.
While Bader College boasts a unique cultural experience, it’s time to face the fact that it’s just a bunch of Canadians doing school in a different location. While the prospect of weekend trips to different cities in Europe sounds exciting, it’s hard to see how attending Bader College meaningfully enhances the value of one’s degree.
With $40,000 in costs to attend Bader College, it’s upsetting to see the University fund an institution that’s only accessible to a fraction of the student body. The College only had 155 students the year it shut down, an experience completely unattainable for the nearly 30 per cent of students in Kingston reliant on financial aid.
At a time when students and faculty are grappling with program cuts and staffing shortages in Kingston, the university can’t afford to prioritize expensive projects over education. The reopening of Bader College may be a symbol of honouring donors’ requests, but symbolism doesn’t pay for courses, professors, or student support.
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Bader college, BOT, Budget, Queen's
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