Course cuts at Northwestern Polytechnic leave northern Alberta arts students mulling next steps

Northwestern Polytechnic arts students are considering their options for September after course cuts at the Grande Prairie campus.

The polytechnic is not offering music or advanced French courses in the coming academic year. Students were notified of the change in February.

Esther Ling, a first-year music student in the diploma program, said the program allowed her study while also juggling parenting two children in the city.

"I'm stuck. I don't know what to do because I can't move," Ling said in an interview with CBC News.

Ling, a music teacher, said the cuts leave her with credits she cannot complete. She was hoping to upgrade her credentials to advance her career.

Declining enrolment 

Justin Kohlman, president of Northwestern Polytechnic, said there has been declining enrolment in French and music over the last five years. He said that by comparison, demand for healthcare, trades and engineering programs has grown.

"We have a set amount of funding that we get from the government," Kohlman said in an interview with CBC News.

"And so if we provide it to programs that don't have student demand [then] we're taking away from other programs," he said.

Kohlman said there were zero applications for the music program when the decision was made.

Ali St. Germaine, a second-year music student taking a Bachelors program, is hoping to transfer to another institution. She said the decision will leave a gap in the local music scene.

"I think it's really too soon to say for sure if there was interest or not," St. Germaine said.

Future of the conservatory

St. Germaine hopes the music conservatory on campus will remain.

"It's been such a big part of my musical journey growing up because my first music event was at this college when I was six years old," St. Germaine said.

Kohlman said the institution is also looking at the demand for the music conservatory.

"The conservatory is something we're going to be discussing over the coming months. We haven't made that decision yet," he said.

Heather McIlroy attended the conservatory during her youth.

"We had really strong conservatory instructors there who were also teaching in the college program. That's really what prepared me to apply to U of A," McIlroy said.

In 1988, she started studying French and music at the former college which is now a polytechnic. McIlroy went on to complete a Bachelor of Music at University of Alberta before returning to Grande Prairie to work as a teacher.

"Employers were super excited to know that I had a background in French," McIlroy said.

Medea Chiba, McIlroy's daughter, is finishing her first year in the Bachelor of Arts university transfer program at the polytechnic. She enrolled in advanced French courses to help her career prospects, but the next level for those courses won't be available in the next academic year.

"I genuinely don't know what I can do for me at this point," Chiba said

"The best thing I could do is retain my skills until I potentially attend a different institution."