Universities re-think language support amid global shifts

When the University of British Columbia in Canada announced the launch of Vantage College in 2013, a language support programme for first-year students who otherwise failed to meet the university’s English requirements, the school said it envisioned the programme for fee-paying international students would have an enrolment of 1,000 by August 2016, writes Chuck Chiang for The Canadian Press.

However, Vantage's enrolment is currently 172 students, having declined every year since reaching 498 in 2018-19. The struggles of Vantage College reflect the unpredictable nature of the lucrative international education sector, as Canadian universities find themselves beholden to geopolitical and economic shifts. There have been massive changes in the sector, with study permits for Chinese students in Canada plunging 40% since 2018. Permits for students from India – where English is far more widely spoken – have meanwhile doubled.

University of British Columbia spokesman Matthew Ramsey said in a written statement that “work is underway” to assess the Vantage model. He said the enrolment shortfalls “come as [international] students are increasingly entering faculties directly and using faculty-specific programming to enhance their English-language skills”.
Full report on the Toronto Star site