'Taking a hammer to the humanities:' Profs say SMU slashing arts courses, putting jobs at risk

Nicola Seguin · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 15, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Around 50 arts and humanities courses at Saint Mary's University successful Halifax volition beryllium dropped for the upcoming world year, leaving dozens of part-time professors scrambling for work, according to the national representing them. 

The people cuts volition statesman successful May and volition chiefly interaction the departments of English, religion, history, and languages and cultures, said Erica Fischer, vice-president of CUPE Local 3912. 

Fischer said successful an interrogation she has been teaching Spanish courses astatine Saint Mary's for astir 13 years, but her courses are no longer being offered.  

"I request to find different job," said Fischer, adding that her options are constricted because post-secondary institutions elsewhere successful Halifax are besides cutting courses.

"It's truly having a intelligence interaction due to the fact that I didn't person immoderate clip to prepare."

Fischer provided CBC News with a table of courses offered successful the 2024-25 world twelvemonth that are nary longer appearing connected the university's interior people docket level for the upcoming year. They see courses similar Canadian governmental past and spiritual diverseness successful Canada.

At a clip erstwhile immoderate universities are facing accrued fiscal pressures and concerns are being raised about government power connected post-secondary institutions, CUPE Local 3912 president Lauren McKenzie called this a "significant escalation" of cost-saving cuts.

"This simplification volition dramatically alteration the courses that are disposable connected campus," McKenzie said. "It volition interaction the livelihood of galore of the instructors present connected campus, and their unthinkable expertise and cognition successful their subject volition nary longer beryllium disposable to our community."

The national said the fig of arts courses taught by part-time professors volition driblet to astir 63, down from implicit 140 successful caller years. Around 40 part-time profs volition beryllium either retired of enactment oregon person drastically reduced work, it said.

University admin says this is 'normal practice'

Saint Mary's University medication declined an interrogation petition astir the people cuts, owed to existent corporate bargaining with CUPE Local 3912.

But a spokesperson said successful an email that an yearly people reappraisal is underway, wherein the assemblage looks astatine the ratio of courses taught by full-time module and part-time faculty, and places a priority on full-time professors.

"Courses indispensable besides conscionable a minimum fig of students enrolled. It is mean signifier to adhd and driblet courses starring up to the commencement of a caller world year," wrote Margaret Murphy, subordinate vice-president of outer affairs.

"We are precise aboriginal successful the process and determination volition beryllium galore adjustments betwixt present and the commencement of autumn word 2025."

McKenzie disputed this claim, saying much courses are being dropped than usual, and immoderate were popular and ever full. Other faculties, specified arsenic subject and business, are losing 10 oregon less courses, added Fischer.

Profs telephone for cuts to 'administrative bloat'

Syed Adnan Hussain, chair of the section for the survey of religion, said his section is 1 of the astir impacted, with the dean "under a batch of unit from the medication to marque cuts."

The Nova Scotia authorities precocious enactment authorities successful spot that, among different things, could spot provincial funding withheld from definite post-secondary institutions unless they make an acceptable "revitalization plan." Advanced Education Minister Brendan Maguire said successful February the legislative changes were needed to guarantee the institutions are sustainable and "meeting the occupation market."

Hussain mused that this could be down the decreased arts and humanities courses. 

"If there's a revitalization speech going connected successful the government, the revitalization truly should beryllium astir cutting administrative bloat, which astir each survey astir the world assemblage volition accidental that that is the existent occupation successful our universities," Hussain said. 

"It is not the courses that we are offering. It is not the acquisition that we are giving our students."

McKenzie said she hopes the assemblage volition reconsider immoderate of the changes earlier the autumn semester.

"We anticipation precise overmuch that the assemblage volition halt taking a hammer to the humanities," she said. 

Provincial authorities says it isn't involved

A spokesperson for the Department of Advanced Education declined an interrogation petition for Maguire, and alternatively sent a connection denying immoderate engagement successful the cuts.

"Post-secondary institutions are independent, board-governed institutions who marque their ain decisions connected programming," wrote spokesperson Chloee Sampson. "The section hasn't had immoderate engagement successful this decision, and we person not requested a revitalization program from Saint Mary's University."

Sampson did not reply a question from CBC News asking how the authorities responds to the concerns of the national representing part-time professors who are present retired of work.