KPU board of governors discontinues two mechatronics credentials

Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s board of governors (BOG) discontinued two mechatronics credentials during a meeting on Nov. 27.

The board approved a motion to cut both the diploma and certificate in mechatronics and advanced manufacturing technology, which will go into effect on Sept. 1.

Provost and Vice-President Academic Diane Purvey said mechatronics has been offered at KPU for a few years, but the university was unsuccessful from the beginning in attracting the number of students it hoped to, making the program unsustainable.

“We’ve tried various attempts to try to garner more potential student interest,” Purvey said. “Even over the last year, we had two faculty members work with industry to try to change the program, but we have been unable to be successful. Program intakes have been cancelled for the last two years.”

Chief Financial Officer Chervahun Emilien presented a budget-process update to the board for the 2026 fiscal year. At the time of preparing the presentation, she said the university projected a 21-per-cent year-over-year decline in international students for fiscal year 2025.

“This will have a knock-on impact in fiscal 2026, since a smaller number of new international students in fiscal 2025 will continue into [the next year],” Emilien said.

“By fiscal 2026, we’re anticipating that the total international student body could be down by an additional 36 per cent over where we are in fiscal 2025, or 50 per cent compared to fiscal 2024. That’s approximately 4,000 heads, which is lower than any year that we’ve had in the last nine years.”

In fiscal year 2024, KPU achieved $119.8 million in international tuition, and based on likely scenarios, it is anticipating that tuition revenues would drop to $63.8 million in fiscal year 2026, she said.

The university will be taking a “consultative and iterative approach to strategically align the budget structure and framework,” as well as several strategies in the short term to alleviate budget pressures, Emilien said, adding her team hopes to have the final draft budget presented to the BOG on March 26.

The board also approved the draft management discussion and analysis for the fiscal year, which ended on March 31. This document, combined with the university’s financial statements, will make up the annual year report, Emilien said.

During the 2023-24 fiscal year, a sale of a portion of land generated cash proceeds of $117.6 million and a gain on sale of $116.4 million, according to the draft document attached to the meeting’s agenda.

The surplus from the land sale was an anomaly that skewed many calculations, Emilien said.

“Adjusting for this abnormal event, you will see that KPU still remains in great financial health, as is seen under the financial indicators section,” Emilien added. “We are also bringing in more own-source revenue than targeted for 2024.”

Over the past five years, KPU’s revenue has grown by 64 per cent — from $210.3 million in 2019-20 to $345.6 million in 2023-24 — and expenses have increased by 36 per cent. The university has also maintained operating surpluses each year, the draft document noted.

The board also carried a motion to approve the policy and procedure for AC3 Program Review, which will go into effect on Sept. 1.

Lori McElroy, associate vice-president of planning and accountability, said the policy change was to harmonize the program reviews so they are all done every five years. Before, degrees were reviewed every five years while non-degree programs were looked at every seven years. The change also put in a time limit of two years to complete program reviews.

In his report, President Alan Davis said looking ahead KPU will see how it can develop new programs, offerings, and partnerships to “bring more stability and predictability to the international scene.”

“We knew that there was some risk in having a high international presence,” Davis said. “We never thought it’d be the federal government that would throw us [and every other higher-education institution] under the bus, but they have …. There’s no other way of saying it.”

He added that on the provincial front, the next months will be busy in government relations for KPU as there are many new MLAs to get to know following the B.C. elections.

The next BOG meeting is scheduled for Jan. 29 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm in Cedar 2110 at the Surrey campus. To learn more, visit www.kpu.ca/governors.