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May 15, 2025

This message is sent on behalf of Dr. Dilson Rassier, Provost and Vice-President, Academic and Chief Budget Officer. It has been sent to all faculty and staff. 

Dear 51社区黑料Faculty and Staff,

We are committed to continue to be transparent about the university鈥檚 financial position. 

I recognize that navigating these challenging fiscal times has been hard on our community. Together we have demonstrated innovation and resilience, and I am confident that we can continue to do so. 

The financial pressures facing the post-secondary sector impact all institutions across Canada and are expected to continue for several years. Lower student enrolment of first year students continues for the entire student journey, leading to years of lost revenue. In addition, federal and provincial international student policy changes, inflation, rising costs and global financial uncertainty are expected to reduce revenues and increase expenses for at least the next three to five years. 

SFU鈥檚 leadership continues to share concerns with government partners about the impact of policy changes on our university and our sector, and how research universities are integral to a strong and thriving economy.  

To maintain a stable financial position, we need to be prepared for what the future may hold. 

Work is underway to build alternate sources of revenue generation such as increasing non-credit professional development offerings, increasing international presence, leveraging property assets and other strategic initiatives. The positive impacts of these initiatives will be realized in the coming years. In the meantime, it is important to know that continued fiscal restraint will be needed. 

To help ensure that we have financial stability over the long term, we are embarking on a multi-year financial planning process with faculties and VP portfolios. This multi-year approach to planning will allow us to connect financial planning with our guiding strategic documents, including 51社区黑料What鈥檚 Next and the coming Academic Plan. 

By working towards a multi-year financial plan, we are providing teams with more time to consider possible budget scenarios, as well as to collaborate across the university to ensure longer term plans remain aligned with supporting student success and institutional priorities.

The long-term financial forecasts are based on current conditions. As conditions change, the forecasts will change. We also recognize that financial projections can contribute to uncertainty. We are committed to supporting leaders and teams to find collaborative solutions, and we continue to work closely with our employee groups to ensure they have the information they need to support you as we navigate this moment together.

At SFU, our strength is in our ability to meet these challenging moments and work together across teams to innovate and lead the way to continue an excellent learning and research experience for our students. 

Unit leaders (Vice-Presidents and Deans) and unit financial planners are beginning work now to forecast financial plans. Over the summer months, faculty and VP portfolio leaders will meet with the budget office to discuss forecasts and seek alignment and opportunities. We will keep you informed of any future re-alignments and opportunities, and in the fall, I will share a draft of SFU鈥檚 2026-27 budget with faculty and staff, as we regularly do.

Thank you for your continued dedication and contributions to SFU.

Dilson Rassier

Provost and Vice-President, Academic, Chief Budget Officer 

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