While the post-secondary education sector in Ontario may be at its “breaking point,” Interim Dean Bob Lemieux wants to assure students that “we’re not alone.”
The Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS) Assembly held its final meeting of the calendar year on Dec. 4, featuring a highly anticipated guest—Interim Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS), Bob Lemieux. In an email to The Journal, ASUS President Cole Olidis praised Vice-President (Society Affairs) Helena Shimwell for her dedication and commended Lemieux’s willingness to attend the ASUS Assembly to keep students informed about FAS’s financial situation.
This summer, the University announced former FAS Dean Barbara Crow will be commencing her administrative leave effective Aug. 1 with the appointment of Lemieux to fill the position for the next two years.
Lemieux was previously a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry from 1992 to 2015 and served as the FAS Associate Dean from 2011 to 2014. He is currently on a leave of absence from the University of Waterloo where he served as the Dean of Science.
“Although the circumstances of my homecoming are certainly not ideal in terms of budgetary challenges—I do like challenges—and I think this [Queen’s] University and this [Arts and Science] faculty, in particular, can overcome these challenges,” Lemieux said, addressing Assembly.
FAS budgetary concerns
Lemieux acknowledges while Queen’s has become the “poster child” for its current budgetary challenges, these financial issues aren’t unique to the University and are being felt by institutions across Ontario.
He notes universities in Ontario are collectively facing an almost $600 million deficit. For example, the University of Waterloo is facing a $75 million deficit for the 2024-25 academic year, while York University ended the last fiscal year with an operating budget deficit of $142 million.
According to Lemieux, these problems started in 2008 when the province’s grant value per full-time equivalent (FTE) student stopped increasing, even though costs kept going up due to inflation which meant the grant value per student had decreased by 35 per cent.
Additionally, Lemieux stated that the province of Ontario hasn’t increased its overall funding for universities since 2017 despite growth and demand, according to Lemieux.
Lemieux also discussed the Blue-Ribbon Panel on Postsecondary Education Financial Sustainability report. In 2021-22, Ontario’s funding per university student was $11,471, representing 57 percent of the national average of $20,772. Similarly, Ontario’s funding per college student was $6,891, which is 44 percent of the national average of $15,615.
However, what Lemieux described as “the straw that broke the camel’s back” is the recent cap on international student enrolment imposed on Jan. 22 by the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Marc Miller.
“The post-secondary education sector in Canada, but particularly in Ontario, has reached a breaking point […] the provinces have chronically underfunded universities. The important message that I want to convey to you tonight is that, although Queen’s was in the news last year […] we’re not alone,” Lemieux said.
The University began the 2024-25 school year with a $35.7 million operating deficit, as confirmed in the Final Operating Budget Report to the Board of Trustees on May 10. The deficit is driven by inflation, a decline in international enrolments, and stagnant revenue from tuition and grants, according to the Final Operating Budget Report.
Lemieux stated that ongoing cost-cutting measures, including a hiring freeze and reductions in faculty and administrative staff, are expected to reduce the FAS deficit to $16.1 million by the end of the 2024-25 academic year.
Lemieux highlighted that over 90 per cent of the FAS’s revenue comes from tuition and grants. The remainder comes from endowments, teaching across faculties, and research overhead. However, these sources haven’t been enough to cover the increasing costs. Salaries account for more than 90 per cent of the faculty’s expenses, with inflation driving up salary costs by an average of four per cent annually.
Coming out on the other end
FAS, in efforts to mitigate the financial deficits, launched several initiatives in response to its financial challenges, including administrative restructuring and changes to its academic offerings.
According to Lemieux, the Faculty has grouped the 32 FAS departments into seven administrative hubs. Each hub shares administrative staff across several units, aiming to reduce duplication and maximize efficiency. The hubs, constructed based on disciplinary complementarity and physical proximity, are designed to integrate staff and create a more cohesive working environment. However, challenges remain, particularly in larger departments where the integration has been less effective.
“We’re monitoring how the hubs are functioning throughout the year. We started this last summer, and we’re intending to adjust wherever we can,” Lemieux said.
Looking ahead, FAS is exploring opportunities for growth despite financial constraints. One key area of focus is increasing international enrolment through initiatives like developing a direct-entry path for international students and creating more work-integrated learning opportunities, including paid internships for students.
The Faculty has introduced a new Modular Degree Framework for FAS students. According to Lemieux, this framework will allow greater flexibility in course selection and enable students to pursue double majors, minors, or more interdisciplinary studies, without overloading faculty resources. This shift is part of a broader effort to adapt to a smaller faculty while maintaining high educational standards.
READ MORE: Associate Dean Jenn Stephenson addresses Modular Degree Framework
While these restructuring efforts are in response to financial challenges, they also reflect the Faculty’s long-term vision for a more integrated, flexible, and innovative academic environment. The changes are expected to take time, and ongoing feedback from faculty and students will be essential to refining the new systems and approaches, Lemieux said.
Tags
Asus, budget deficit, budgetary concerns, Faculty of Arts and Science, Modular Degree Framework
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