UBCO/Vernon Matters Staff

By Vernon Matters Staff

Cuts coming

UBC Okanagan scales back programs and staff as part of campus-wide budget overhaul

Jun 18, 2025 | 8:08 AM

UBC’s Okanagan campus is moving ahead with significant internal changes, including staffing shifts and academic adjustments, in response to financial pressures and a shifting student demographic.

The university has launched a broad realignment of its Enrolment Services division, introducing a new model that replaces the previous support structure. The changes come as the institution works to improve service delivery and reduce costs in step with declining international enrolment and rising operational expenses.

Several positions in the department are being phased out, while others are being reconfigured or newly created. Affected staff are being notified as part of a wider human resources transition that touches multiple units on campus.

University leadership is also implementing expense reductions across faculties and administrative offices. The measures are part of a multi-year budget strategy aimed at achieving fiscal balance by the 2025–26 academic year. UBC Okanagan’s financial plan includes a four per cent spending cut across central operations and the winding down of temporary initiatives introduced in recent years.

Academic departments are contributing to the effort through various adjustments. These include consolidating or cancelling low-enrolment courses, limiting new hires, and increasing teaching loads for faculty. In some cases, full-time roles are being reduced to part-time, while others are left vacant through retirements.

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The scope of reductions varies by department. Faculties with heavier reliance on international tuition were required to make deeper cuts, while those with more stable domestic enrolment saw fewer changes. The Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, for instance, met a 12 per cent expense reduction by restructuring staff and reducing course offerings. In contrast, the Faculty of Health and Social Development limited its reductions to five per cent.

Across the board, departments have drawn on internal reserves to help stabilize operations as long-term changes take hold. Although UBC says academic quality remains a top priority, students may notice fewer available sections and reduced staffing support in the coming year.