Carleton University is cutting the number of contract instructors (CIs) for the upcoming academic year, resulting in fewer class offerings — and students and CIs are feeling the pinch.
The cuts come as the school grapples with a $32-million deficit, a number Carleton has previously partially attributed to the Ontario domestic tuition freeze and the cap on international students.
“We’re noticing that there are about 50 per cent less CI position openings compared to this time last year,” said Ryan Conrad, a CI and president of CUPE 4600, the union representing Carleton’s CIs and teaching assistants.
“It’s uneven across faculties, some have more, some have less, but it evens out to roughly 50 per cent,” Conrad said.
Despite CIs teaching many of the university’s courses, Conrad said they are often the victim of cuts. CIs work on four-month contracts, unlike permanent employees at the university.
“The only people on campus (who) the university can quickly get rid of (are) us,” he said. “It’s really easy for the school to just not renew a contract.”
Conrad said he has been frustrated with “poor communication” from the university about CI openings for next year.
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences dean Anne Bowker sent out an email to members of the Carleton community about cuts to CI positions on Dec. 13.
“I am pleased to report progress on a key priority: reducing our reliance on contract instructors by 50 per cent,” the email read.
Conrad said the email speaks to how CIs have been treated by the university.
“They don’t value us,” he said. “Some people who have worked as CIs for over 20 years don’t want to come back because they have felt mistreated and devalued.”
With less CIs set to teach at Carleton in the fall, less course offerings are available to students — some of whom have faced timetable building issues for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Stefanja Ottier is set to enter her second year of journalism and political science in September. When she was planning her upcoming timetable, she said the timing for four of her required courses conflicted with one another.
“Journalism is a very small program that’s not really offered at a lot of different schools … The biggest fear of mine is that journalism will cease to be offered [at Carleton],” Ottier said. “I think it’s a lot of poor decision making and a lot of mismanagement of funds to choose to spend a lot of money on fancy signs as opposed to quality instructors.”
Carleton’s Senate cut Canadian studies undergraduate programs in February.
Carleton University did not respond to multiple requests about whether more program cuts are in the university’s future, nor did they respond to questions about how much money they spent on signage.
Ottier isn’t the only student facing issues when it comes to planning next year’s timetable.
Rachel Adamson is entering her fifth year studying law with a concentration in policy and government. Only three of seven courses for her concentration available in previous years are currently available in Carleton’s timetable builder, she said.
“Comparing what is required and what they’re offering, there’s only one way to make my timetable,” Adamson said. “In my fall term I’ll have a day with three classes back-to-back, and they run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. because there’s no other option.
“I’m not able to take courses that I’m interested in that would be useful to learn.”
With larger class sizes and cuts to contract instructors, Adamson said she feels students’ quality of education will decrease “quite significantly.”
“I worry that I’m not getting the most comprehensive … promised education that I could be getting from this school,” she said.
Conrad said he is also worried about how CI cuts will affect students and Carleton’s reputation.
“If Carleton becomes a place of limited class choices, large classes and offers a lower volume of education, how will the school attract new students?” Conrad said.
Carleton did not respond to questions about what actions they will take to ensure students’ quality of education will not decrease with CI cuts.
Conrad said CUPE 4600 is preparing for bargaining with the university as their collective agreement expires at the end of August.
“The university could say, ‘We’re still committed to giving you the best quality education,’” Adamson said, “But then it’s like, how are you going to do that when there’s less people to teach?”
Featured image by L. Manuel Baechlin/the Charlatan
