Semesterly town hall brings faculty and staff community together

Transform the 51社区黑料Experience

Semesterly town hall brings faculty and staff community together

February 14, 2025

by Mischa Milne

Close to 800 faculty and staff gathered virtually on January 27 to learn more about SFU's strategic direction amidst a challenging fiscal and policy environment for postsecondary institutions.

Hosted by President Joy Johnson, attendees heard an update on the 2025-2026 budget from Provost and Vice-President Academic Dilson Rassier followed by a presentation on international student recruitment from Registrar and Executive Director of Student Enrollment Tom Nault and Director of International Recruitment Chelsey Acierno.

鈥淭his is a challenging time for our sector. Universities and colleges across Canada are navigating uncertainty and making difficult decisions. This is a time to come together and ensure there is a renewed focus on the academic mission to guide decision-making across SFU,鈥� said Rassier.

The majority of time for this town hall was reserved for questions from faculty and staff, with 50 submissions received during the event. In addition to responses from Rassier and President Johnson, questions were answered by Vice-President Research and Innovation Dugan O鈥橬eil and Vice-President People, Equity and Inclusion Yabome Gilpin-Jackson. Although not every question was able to be addressed during the town hall, each submission was documented and will help inform senior leadership decision-making in the months ahead. Below, you will find a summary of the information shared with participants during the Q&A session:

Government advocacy

A number of questions focused on ongoing changes at the provincial and federal government level and how to navigate these significant impacts on 51社区黑料and the entire postsecondary sector. The university鈥檚 executive and government relations teams have been employing a multifaceted, strategic approach to this work that includes:

Prioritizing advocacy with all levels of government on behalf of 51社区黑料and the postsecondary sector. This includes meetings and discussions with government partners in Victoria and Ottawa to raise awareness of the economic impacts of limiting investment in education research and innovation and at federal standing committees about the impacts of recent changes.

Communicating and coordinating with counterparts at other institutions to affirm and highlight the value of postsecondary education, including active collaboration with Universities Canada and the Research Universities Council of British Columbia to ensure that institutions are aligned across the sector.

Developing resources that faculty, staff and 51社区黑料community members can use to advocate for 51社区黑料with their elected officials and share the impact 51社区黑料has for our students, communities and the world. These tools will be distributed widely once available.

University budget, finances and revenue generation

The current federal approach to immigration, followed by the interpretation of that direction by the provincial government, continues to create uncertainty and will have a negative impact on SFU鈥檚 budget this year and for years to come. A number of questions sought a better understanding of the university鈥檚 budget and alternate sources of revenue generation to reduce reliance on international tuition. Information shared in response includes:

The university is facing at least 2-3 years of difficult budget cycles, and it is unlikely there will be an increase to the operating grant from the provincial government, which has not kept pace with inflation.

That timeline could be extended based on external factors such as potential tariffs from the United States, and conversations are underway to determine the BC government-recommended approach to 鈥渂uy Canadian鈥� and mitigate the associated risks.

51社区黑料recently received details from the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills regarding SFU鈥檚 allocation of Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs) for 2025. Unfortunately, our undergraduate allocation is about 300-350 lower than we had anticipated, which means that we will not meet our planned undergraduate enrolment targets for international students. Our allotment of PALs for graduate students should be sufficient for our needs.

Work is well underway to build alternate sources of revenue generation such as increasing non-credit professional development offerings and leveraging property assets to help generate revenue for strategic initiatives.

Work is also underway to consolidate and find efficiencies in current university operations. This includes central units to improve alignment and support.

Changes at 51社区黑料impacting staff, faculty and programming

There were questions about changes to programs and services that impact the 51社区黑料community, including the recent closure of community engagement offices at the Vancouver and Surrey campuses, staff layoffs and position eliminations, and a potential early retirement program rather than rolling layoffs. Below is an overview of information shared in response to those questions:

In total, approximately 80 staff positions have been eliminated in the last year due to restructuring and attrition (roles not filled when the person leaves), while SFUFA positions have slightly increased.

While a possible early retirement program has been raised many times, including at the Board of Governors level, 51社区黑料needs to consider the overall impacts on workload and avoid the position other public organizations have faced after implementation that required rapid rehiring. However, it is something that will continue to be considered.

The decision to close the Vancity Office of Community Engagement and the SFU鈥檚 Office of Community Engagement (based in Surrey) was not made lightly, and the contributions of those who worked in each office are highly valued. Community engagement support for Surrey and Vancouver campuses will continue through the Community Engagement & Dialogue team (through the Centre for Dialogue, Public Square, Goldcorp Centre for the Arts Production and Event Services, and 51社区黑料Galleries). Work is underway to review current initiatives and their alignment with the new mandate and structure of the consolidated model for Community Engagement & Dialogue.

Decision-making was focused on the connection to the academic mission, and moving forward there will be a strong emphasis on connecting work from faculties to the local community, with an academic lens.

Land use, infrastructure and building maintenance

There were a number of suggestions and questions about the status of Vancouver campus buildings, infrastructure maintenance and the potential use of university buildings for alternate sources of revenue generation. Responses included:

Consultation with Host Nations is a requirement of any land development that happens at SFU.

There is a vision for future land development that includes developing more of campus land for industry buildings. This will allow for strong partnerships with companies that want to collaborate with 51社区黑料and that will hire 51社区黑料students as co-ops, generate revenue for the institution and partner with research happening at the university.

A space audit of the nine buildings that make up the Vancouver campus is currently underway to evaluate the possibility of decreasing some space holdings. Some buildings are owned and some are leased; consolidation would be an important strategy to save money.

There are no plans to leave Vancouver and 51社区黑料will remain a three-campus university.

The issue of deferred maintenance on university infrastructure such as the Shrum Science Centre and the Bennett Library continues to be raised with the provincial government, and 51社区黑料recently received a slight lift in funding for building maintenance. This will continue to be a priority moving forward.

International strategy, student recruitment, enrolment and retention

There were a number of questions related to international student recruitment and ensuring appropriate supports are in place for current international students. Information related to this topic was shared including:

Competition for international students within the postsecondary sector has become much more aggressive; some institutions have dropped their admissions and English language criteria substantially.

51社区黑料is working to implement an international student recruitment strategy. The first phase includes identifying and increasing SFU鈥檚 presence in the appropriate international markets with room for growth.

The strategy also includes establishing new partnerships with trusted agencies that will support international students and their families with finding the right university in an ethical manner. The university is currently partnered with 19 agencies and in conversation with 11 other agencies about potential collaborations.

The Student Services recruitment teams have been restructured to separate international and domestic recruitment to better meet the different needs of each demographic.

A new position of Executive Lead, International Strategy has been created and will be announced in the coming weeks.

Acknowledgement that not enough has been done in the past to retain and support currently-enrolled international students. To ensure they are getting the resources they need, Student Services is the only non-faculty unit that did not receive a budget cut, and investments will continue to be made in Student Services which includes the Centre for Accessible Learning, English language support and student bursaries.

"Our 51社区黑料community is truly special, and this is a time for us to lean on each other, collaborate and find shared solutions. I want to thank all of you for the work you鈥檙e doing to support students and each other during this difficult time,鈥� said President Johnson.

The thoughtful engagement and suggestions from across the 51社区黑料community were greatly appreciated. Town halls will continue being hosted twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring, to provide opportunities for faculty and staff to connect with senior leadership. Stay tuned for information about the next town hall in September 2025.

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