Langara geography students want clarity on program’s future
Students say college is leaving them in the dark about cancelled classes and departing instructors
By OKSANA SHTOHRYN
Students in Langara’s geography and geology department want the college to be more transparent about layoffs and course cuts that could potentially disrupt their education.
Geography student Joaquin Mercado said the situation contradicts what students are taught in the program, which emphasizes the understanding of power structures.
“By not considering students as stakeholders or giving us the information to decide whether to mobilize or raise our voices, there’s a huge gap in the college’s decision-making,” he said.
Cuts leave students with questions
Langara is one of several post-secondary institutions in B.C. facing budget cuts due to declining domestic enrolment and lower international student intake. The college projected a $2 million deficit for the fiscal year that ended last month with a further $13 million deficit estimated for the new fiscal year. The college has responded by cutting operational, travel and entertainment budgets, laying off faculty, eliminating 31 administrative positions and cancelling courses.
According to department chair Katrina Erdos, the geography and geology department will offer 16 sections in fall 2025, down from 22 the year before. The change is equivalent to a loss of 1.5 full-time teaching positions.
Mercado said students are frustrated by the lack of information about which courses are being cancelled and which instructors might be leaving.
“It becomes harder to see how I, as a student, can learn what I need to know here and use that elsewhere if it’s simply not being offered or capacity for those classes is reduced,” he said.
Students respond with action
Students have begun organizing because they “can’t just stand by and do nothing,” Mercado said.
A group of about 60 have canvassed across campus, distributing QR codes that link to a resource page with updates and plans for further mobilization.
“There’s a whole room back there of students thinking about taking a course just because they know that they really like this professor,” Mercado said. “And the idea of that professor not being there is impactful.”
He said the college needs to provide more information to students about what is happening.
The Voice reached out to Adam Brayford, head of communications and marketing at Langara College, but did not receive a response by publication.