Like other local councils, Belleville City Council is also ready to support Loyalist College as it faces trying times.
Loyalist President and CEO Mark Kirkpatrick made a deputation to council on Monday as he also recently did at Quinte West and Prince Edward County councils.
Kirkpatrick reiterated the issues that have caused Loyalist to cut approximately 30 per cent of its programs and 20 per cent of its staff – mainly longtime underfunding for post-secondary institutions and the federal cap on international students.
He noted that the wider community will feel an economic impact from the cuts, predicting the region will lose one per cent of total GDP.
Kirkpatrick says colleges in larger cities are better equipped to weather the changes but rural colleges like Loyalist are in crisis.
Audio Player“Rural eastern Ontario applicants to college will be looking at a 400 per cent increase to educational costs as they’ll have to leave town to do so. We also know that when the youth leave home, it is really hard to get them to move back.”
Council passed a resolution to send the matter back to staff who will create a resolution supporting Loyalist College that will be up for approval at their next meeting.
Quinte West and Prince Edward County councils have already approved sending letters to upper levels of government asking for more support for Loyalist and the province’s colleges.
