LaSalle College Alters Student Status to Meet Quebec Language Rules

Dozens of students at LaSalle College in Montreal have been unexpectedly reclassified from full-time to part-time status as the institution seeks to comply with Quebec’s language reform regulations. With classes set to begin in less than a month, this decision has left many students, including Alex Abraham, feeling uncertain about their futures.

Abraham, a 33-year-old student entering his final year in network management, expressed his shock at receiving an email informing him of the change. “We all came here with lots of expectations and dreams,” he stated. Under the new part-time status, he will not be eligible for Canada’s post-graduation work permit and may have to leave his factory job, which he relied on for financial support.

College’s Compliance with Government Quotas

The college reported that this shift affects approximately 90 students and is limited to the upcoming fall semester. Caroline Gervais, a spokesperson for LaSalle College, stated that the adjustments are necessary to ensure compliance with the Charte de la langue française and government-imposed quotas on English-language Attestation d’études collégiales (AEC) programs, which are vocational diplomas.

In the previous academic year, LaSalle College exceeded its quota for students enrolled in English-language programs by 1,066, resulting in a substantial $21,113,864 fine from the Quebec government. This was in addition to an earlier fine of $8.7 million, bringing the institution’s total debt to nearly $30 million. The college is currently contesting these fines in a civil suit filed in Quebec’s Superior Court.

According to the lawsuit, around 70 percent of students enrolled in English-language AEC programs are international students, like Abraham, who moved to Canada from India. He stated, “The standard of living is good here in Canada compared to India,” expressing hope for a stable career in Quebec.

Student Concerns and Institutional Responses

Abraham was aware of the college’s financial difficulties but believed that they would find a solution without altering his enrollment status. The college informed him via email that while it had the capacity to keep him as a full-time student, government limitations forced the change. Gervais emphasized that a combination of factors, such as student failures and changes in academic pathways, contributed to the decision.

“This does not mean that LaSalle College exceeded its overall AEC quota. Instead, it reflects the constraints of the respective capacity of AEC and DEC programs within those quotas, combined with scheduling realities,”

Gervais explained.

Officials from the office of Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry have refrained from commenting, citing the ongoing legal proceedings. While LaSalle College indicated that many affected students had either failed classes or deviated from their academic paths, Abraham’s situation does not fit this narrative, leaving him feeling singled out.

In hopes of finding answers, the college organized a meeting for affected students with representatives from Immigration Canada. Abraham expressed his desire to understand the rationale behind the sudden status change, stressing that he should not be held responsible for the college’s compliance issues. “I am not the reason for the fine. They did the wrong thing; they violated the rule,” he asserted.

The uncertainty surrounding the enrollment changes has cast a shadow over the academic aspirations of many students at LaSalle College, as they navigate the complexities of compliance with provincial regulations while striving to build their futures in Quebec.