It's back to school once again for students at St. Clair College.
Michael Silvaggi is entering his second year as college president. Silvaggi took over the role last year following the retirement of Dr. Patti France.
Silvaggi said he was looking forward to welcoming students back to campuses in both Windsor and Chatham.
He said the college was on track to meet its local enrolment targets for 2025-26, however they expected a decline in international students.
"It's been a little bit difficult over the past year. There's a lot of implications and aspects that are contributing to that decline, so we're prepared and we know that we do need to make some changes and really adjust and pivot to our new reality," Silvaggi said.
Last year, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) made a number of changes to the number of accepted study permit applications, which has reduced the number of international students coming to Canada by about 40 per cent.
John Fairley, VP of Communications and Community Relations, told AM800 that St. Clair would not know the full impacts of international student numbers until around 10 days after the fall semester begins.
St. Clair took action this spring that included the suspension of 18 programs this fall.
Impacted programs include journalism, dental assisting, power engineering, hospitality, fashion design, event management, and some programs offered at the Chatham campus such as office administration.
Silvaggi said the nursing program remains number one in terms of student demand.
He said the college is also seeing an increase in demand for skilled trades.
"We're adapting to the demands of having what students want and it's encouraging to see. We know that skilled trades and nursing are two pillars of how St. Clair College was founded. It's what we're known for in the province as I travel. Those connections are always made, so it's very encouraging to see," Silvaggi said.
Last month, the union that represents thousands of full-time support staff at Ontario's colleges took the step toward a possible strike.
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) requested a "no board" report, putting workers in a legal strike position as early as Sept. 11.
Silvaggi said the college remains hopeful that an agreement can be reached.
"Collective bargaining is done centrally, so it's not done necessarily locally, and we remain hopeful. As things progress, there will be communications put in place so that our staff that are here on campus, but as well as our students, parents and families accordingly are made aware as things progress, and how we are going to progress," he said.
OPSEU Local 137 represents the support staff of St. Clair College in Windsor and Chatham-Kent.
Members fill a wide-range of positions, including classroom technicians, administrative assistants, I.T. programmers, clerical staff, lab technologists, library technicians, admissions advisors, athletic coordinators, and many more.
In a news release Monday, OPSEU/SEFPO said 10,000 full-time workers will be on strike as of 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 11 if a deal is not reached.