NC President Sean Kennedy joined CHCH reporter and NC alumnus Louie Butko (Broadcasting – Radio Television and Film program, 2014) on the latest episode of Newsmakers.
In a wide-ranging conversation, they discussed Kennedy’s five-year tenure, including navigating the pandemic and, more recently, the federal government’s cap on international students.
Reflecting on his presidency, Kennedy shared that despite some remarkable, unpredictable challenges like the pandemic, the strength of the Niagara College team has remained resilient: “[While] navigating through these challenges [we] always [kept] students at the front of our decision-making–staying true to our values of being student-focused and ensuring that we’re always finding ways to be welcoming and trailblazing–and drawing strength from the passionate characteristics and shared pride we have across the Niagara College community.”
Kennedy also highlighted the significance of NC being ranked Canada’s No. 1 research college for the second consecutive year and the third time in five years.
“It’s a source of immense pride for all of us and also I think something that the community takes great pride in… it shows the consistent quality of our applied research and innovation, and very importantly the connection we have to local employers and to larger industries and fulfilling our mission to work locally through strong partnerships across the province and country to strengthen our economy in different ways…”
The discussion also touched on the federal government’s cap on international students. Kennedy emphasized that these restrictions will negatively impact local employers by not only limiting the number of international students but also restricting which programs qualify for post-graduation work permits.
He noted that industries such as hospitality and tourism, along with others that depend on NC graduates–both domestic and international–to meet workforce needs, will be affected: “We continue to call on the federal government to make some adjustments. In the meantime, we’ve pivoted; we’re always agile as an organization,” he said. “For the last number of years, we have been placing extra emphasis on our brand development, marketing and recruitment to grow our domestic student base while we stabilize our international enrolment.”
Watch the full January 16 episode here.
