FY27 Budget Impacts on KFA Members

Dear Colleagues,

Your Union has become aware that more layoff announcements are on the horizon, and while we are now engaging the Employer in the conversations mandated by Article 7 of our Collective Agreement (Layoff and Recall—Regular Faculty), we have also become aware that these layoffs were planned by the Employer as early as May 2025. This omission is compounded by irregularities in the handling of the 2026/27 budget as well as problems with the budget itself.

Here is an overview of our concerns:

Transparency

• The Employer plans to cut 43% of faculty salary for developmental education (Qualifying, Upgrading, and ELST), including elimination of developmental offerings in Math and Science. However, none of these cuts are necessary. The KFA received confirmation from the Ministry that KPU will receive funding to cover the offerings currently being delivered.  
• Normally, the University budget is before the Board in the March meeting for approval. This year, it was before the Board in January, despite objections from Board members. We believe that the timing of the budget was intended to circumvent consultation and debate of the budget. Furthermore, it was known that the Board Vice-Chair and the University President would be absent, and it was known that the vacant faculty representative to Board and vacant student representative seat would be filled in March.
• The KFA had only one one-hour meeting with University Finance five business days before the budget was taken to Board. This meeting was solely to receive information from Finance; none of our questions were answered, and we were unable to provide input on the budget. The KFA has filed a grievance on the failure of the administration to consult with the KFA as is required on both these matters. We believe this grievance will be successful.
• The format of the budget documents is now less transparent than it used to be. Budget documents used to show a detailed breakdown of the budgets for each administrative and academic unit. Now, totals for these units have been amalgamated into one line entries, making it impossible to see how funds are being allocated and how these allocations impact our members.  
• The budget conflates KFA faculty members’ salary with non-bargaining unit employees (contract researchers and CPS non-bargaining unit instructors). As a result, the “faculty” budget line does not indicate the changes to budget allocation for KFA members versus non-union employees. Once again, this makes it difficult for us to discern budgetary impacts on our members as well as changes to non-bargaining unit work. The Employer has not responded to KFA requests to provide a breakdown of these different categories except to say, “salary related to instruction is not presented this way.” 
• The University community typically receives a report on actuals shortly after the end of the fiscal year. However, the KFA has been told by the Employer that actuals will not be available until sometime after June 24th. This will impede our ability to effectively advocate for faculty.

Concerning Elements

• $3.8 million in direct faculty salary reductions were approved for FY26, but $6.4 million in faculty salary reductions have been enacted—nearly double the amount approved. The Union has repeatedly warned the Employer that the cuts exceeded the approved amount, but they have ignored these concerns.
• The FY27 budget is not based on actuals but on draft-to-draft-to-draft projections. This is significant because it leads to the compounding of errors. The FY26 budget was based on the FY25 draft budget, not actuals. The FY27 budget was based on the FY26 draft (which was itself based on a draft). The FY26 actuals are going to be well out of line with the FY26 draft, and so the draft budget for FY27 is based not on facts but on a series of dubious projections, and it certainly will not be accurate. 
• The consequences: The projected faculty layoffs are not based on facts or observed real necessity. FY25 actual figure for faculty salary was $92.392M. The real reduction for FY26 was $6.411M, not $3.8M, so actual salary for FY26 will be significantly lower than what is shown in the draft. So, for FY26 draft, we are starting at an already inflated figure, and the actual faculty salary figure is actually much less. The draft FY27 budget starts out with an expense for faculty salary that is artificially inflated above the true figure, so the “correction” in the form of cuts to faculty is far too high. We estimate that the true total faculty salary line (which we can all check when we eventually see actuals for FY26) for FY27 will be ~$74M or less, not ~$80M.
• A concerning line in the budget summary, called “budget rightsizing contracted staffing” totals about $13M. When we inquired about this line, the Employer explained it represents funds “reserved for non-regular faculty salary but not spent.” In other words, a significant sum was allocated to non-regular faculty salary while regular faculty were being laid off. None of this money was spent to prevent the layoff of regular faculty. We suspect that as a result of the budget rightsizing contracted staffing” amount, there likely will be a significant total surplus for FY26, well over the $5M originally projected by the CFO during the “Listening Tour.”
• The Human Resources Database (HRDB), maintained by the BC Government’s Post-Secondary Employers Association (PSEA), shows that “casual” faculty salary at KPU increased from $1.34M in 2024 to $3.02M in 2025. “Casual” is defined as those earning less than $3800 per annum. This is likely CPS non-bargaining unit contracts, suggesting that the Employer is reducing regular faculty work while increasing precarious work for KFA members by increasing non-union instruction.

No Proportionate Cuts to Administration

We have long been concerned about the growing disproportionate ratio of administrators to faculty and students.  

This graph shows the increase in FTE for Admin, Students and Faculty, in terms of a percentage of 2013 numbers. By the year 2024, there was 86.17% more excluded FTE than there was in 2013. By contrast, there was only 13.01% more Faculty FTE than there was in 2013.

This graph is based on the following table drawn from HRDB data:

Based on the admin projections, we estimate faculty FTE will be at maximum ~658 or fewer FTE. At this faculty population, a reduction of at least an additional 50 FTE in admin is necessary to achieve proportionality with faculty reductions. We estimate this would be approximately $8M in salary savings based on average admin salary per FTE.

In Summary

The employment implications of the budget are significant for faculty. There appears to be an intention to reduce regular faculty work while increasing precarious work for KFA members, and to increase precarious work outside of the bargaining unit, and at the same time, to maintain or increase administrative density

We will be exploring these issues further in our meeting tomorrow to discuss faculty confidence in senior administration.

In solidarity,

Diane.

Update on KFA Layoff Consultation and March 3 Special General Meeting

**Note: since the publication of this article the Employer has adjusted the effective date of layoff to August 31st

Dear KFA Colleagues,

I am writing to update you on the layoff consultation process and related developments as well as to encourage you to attend the KFA Special General Meeting on March 3rd.

Layoff Consultation Process **

On February 11, 2026, the Employer contacted the KFA to schedule a consultation meeting regarding anticipated layoffs, and this meeting occurred on February 24th, 2026.

Yet, KPU published budget documents in May 2025 that identified “reducing budgets and the number of employees at the university” as a primary challenge. Between May 2025 and February 2026, KPU administration communicated expected layoffs through presentations to Senate subcommittees, Senate, and the Board of Governors, as well as through Communicator messages to the University community. In other words, KPU administrators produced budget documents and communicated expected layoffs to governance bodies for over nine months before initiating consultation with the KFA in regard to faculty reductions.

The KFA’s position is that the Employer was required to consult with the Union “as soon as known” under Article 7.01 of our Collective Agreement which would have been far in advance of February 2026, and, legally, such consultation must occur prior to any decision having been made on either the budget or the layoffs. The KFA has filed a grievance regarding the Employer’s compliance with the KPU-KFA Collective Agreement.

This is not the first time these senior administrators have failed to meet consultation obligations under the Collective Agreement.

In a recent arbitration decision, Arbitrator Randy Noonan found that the Employer violated its duty to consult when it “contractually bound itself to a process” before initiating consultation with the KFA. The arbitrator noted that consultation must occur before the Employer commits to a course of action and ordered the Employer to pay the Union $5,000 for violating its duty to consult—a rare financial sanction demonstrating the seriousness of the breach.

Dr. Diane Purvey, then Provost and VP Academic, and Jenn Harrington, then Senior Manager Labour Relations, heard this grievance at Step 3 and were responsible for the Employer’s Step 3 grievance response. Further, in this specific case, it was Jenn Harrington who was named in the arbitration in connection to the consultation process with Mark Diotte of the KFA.

Despite this prior ruling against KPU, the current layoff consultation follows the same pattern: KPU documented its intent to reduce employees in May 2025, presented layoff plans to governance bodies, announced layoffs publicly, and only then contacted the KFA in February 2026.

Both Dr. Purvey and Ms. Harrington have since been promoted to their current positions as Acting President and Interim Vice President Human Resources, respectively, and the budget and layoff consultation process has occurred under their direction.

Effective Date of Layoffs

The Employer’s February 18 Communicator message conveyed that any layoffs would be effective August 28, 2026, as it stated that retirement incentive applications must be connected to layoff mitigation through retirements on or before August 28, 2026.

Historically, effective dates of layoffs at KPU are September 1 for the Fall term. The KFA believes that the August 28 date may have been chosen to create a loss of FTE for affected faculty, that the selection of the August 28th date may reduce severance entitlements by one month (for those for whom August would complete their appointment year), and may further reduce the ability of some members to progress to a new salary scale step.

The KFA has asked the Employer to reconsider this effective date and are awaiting a response.

Provincial Funding Cuts

One aspect of the anticipated layoffs is purported Provincial funding cuts. KPU informed the KFA that the BC Provincial Government will reduce funding to Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English Language Learning (ELL) programs by 43% effective for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.

In response to these cuts, KPU plans to reduce English upgrading and ELL course offerings and discontinue courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics effective September 2026.

The KFA has contacted the Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Ministry and local MLAs for confirmation of the funding reduction but is aware of no response to date.

What the KFA is Doing

• Advocating for reconsideration of the August 28 effective layoff date
• Engaging with the Ministry of Post Secondary Education and Future Skills and MLAs regarding provincial funding cuts
• Preparing to support affected members through the consultation and mitigation process
• Filed a grievance regarding consultation process violations
• Holding a SGM to discuss confidence in KPU senior administration
   

Special General Meeting – March 3, 2026

The KFA will hold a Special General Meeting on Tuesday, March 3 to address concerns raised by faculty members about confidence in KPU senior administration’s ability to govern the University.

While KPU’s new president commenced his term in September 2025, his current status remains unclear. The senior administrators who were the subject of faculty concerns under the previous president are now acting in higher positions.

Your participation and voice at this meeting are critical. We look forward to hearing from membership.

In Solidarity,

Mark Diotte
President, Kwantlen Faculty Association, president@yourkfa.ca

KFA Special General Meeting – Discussion of Confidence in Senior Administration – March 3rd

NOTE: the original version of this message incorrectly stated that 2/3 of faculty voted non-confidence in KPU President Alan Davis. This version has been corrected that all survey figures should be expressed as “survey respondents” and that the survey was whether or not to hold a non-confidence vote in then President Alan Davis.”

Dear KFA Colleagues,

Following the May 2025 survey regarding whether or not to hold a vote of non-confidence, in which 81.7% of faculty respondents expressed lack of confidence in presidential leadership and 67.9% of respondents supported holding a vote of non-confidence, the KFA Executive is calling a Special General Meeting (March 3rd, 3:00-5:00) to address the concern raised by faculty members about a lack of confidence in the ability of senior administration to govern KPU. Our intent is to seek direction from faculty.

While KPU appointed a new president, his current status remains unclear. The senior administrators who were the subject of faculty concerns under the previous president remain in their positions and continue to lead the university in the absence of effective presidential leadership.

The concerns identified in the May 2025 survey have not been resolved. Faculty raised serious issues including:

• Lack of transparency and communication on major institutional decisions
• Autocratic and disrespectful leadership style
• Strategic mismanagement and absence of institutional vision
• Breakdown of shared governance and faculty disempowerment
• Unjustified layoffs amid administrative bloat and misaligned priorities
• Damage to institutional reputation and morale

This meeting is not a non-confidence vote. This is an opportunity for faculty to:

• Discuss these ongoing governance concerns
• Provide direction to the KFA Executive on next steps
• Determine collectively how we wish to respond to the current situation

Special General Meeting Details:

• Date: Tuesday March 3rd, 2026
• Time: 3:00-5:00
• Location: Zoom—invite to follow

The attached document contains the summary of the May 2025 survey. Please review it before the meeting.

This meeting has been called in response to your concerns. Your participation and voice matter.

In solidarity,

Mark Diotte, president@yourkfa.ca
President, Kwantlen Faculty Association

KFA Update: Inquiry Regarding KPU President

Dear KFA Colleagues,

Despite multiple attempts via email and MS Teams, the KFA has been unable to contact President Bruce Choy in recent weeks. Scheduled meetings with the President have been cancelled, and his installation has been postponed. We sincerely hope that President Choy is well and that he returns to his duties shortly.

The university community has received no formal communication regarding his multi-week absence or of any appointment of an Acting President.

President Choy was absent when the KPU Board of Governors passed the University’s 2026 budget in January, rather than its customary March timeframe. At that meeting, we understand that Vice President Diane Purvey was referred to as Interim University President.

The KFA has significant concerns regarding the seeming concentration of Presidential authority in what appears to be the absence of a formally Board-designated Acting President, particularly where that authority appears to be exercised by an administrator whose budgetary and administrative decisions are the subjects of active dispute.

For these reasons, the KFA has sent a formal written inquiry to the KPU Board of Governors requesting confirmation of the current status of President Choy and any formal designation of an Acting President. Given the public nature of the issue and the statutory oversight role of the Province, we have also copied the Ministry of Post-Secondary and Future Skills on that correspondence.

We will keep you updated as we learn more information.

In Solidarity,

Mark Diotte

President, Kwantlen Faculty Association

president@yourkfa.ca

Letter in Solidarity with the People of Iran

Dear KFA Colleagues,

On behalf of the KFA Executive, we would like to circulate the attached letter in solidarity with the people of Iran as recommended by KFA Human Rights and International Solidarity Representative Sara Naderi and approved by the KFA Executive Committee. For convenience, I have also copied the letter below:

Since late December 2025, streets across Iran have witnessed a renewed wave of protests, as people voice deep discontent with ongoing economic hardship (imposed by both government malfunction and international sanctions), political repression, and the denial of basic freedoms. Since January 8, widespread internet shutdowns across the country have severely restricted communication and access to information, enabling state violence to unfold beyond the scrutiny of the international community.

Independent reports and human rights organizations indicate that thousands of protesters have been killed or injured in a brutal campaign of repression. While the exact death toll remains unknown due to information blackouts, the limited images reveal an unprecedented level of brutality against protesters. These events have left Iranian communities around the world grappling with profound shock, grief, anger, and horror.

At the same time, the appropriation and instrumentalization of the Iranian protest movement within mainstream media narratives, in the service of imperial and colonial interests, has further marginalized many Iranian voices. This has left members of the Iranian diaspora feeling silenced and pressured, unable to express their legitimate concerns about the mass murdering of people inside Iran without their experiences being distorted or co-opted by dominant discursive forces. (be it the Iranian government or imperialist propaganda).

In line with its values of social justice, freedom of expression, and academic freedom, the Kwantlen Faculty Association (KFA) expresses its solidarity with the Iranian people, both inside and outside Iran, and unequivocally condemns the violent repression and killing of protesters. We affirm the non-negotiable right of the Iranian people to self-determination, free from both domestic oppression and imperialist military interventions. We express our heartfelt support for Iranian students, scholars, and community members who have been directly or indirectly affected by these events.

Within the KPU community, we strongly encourage faculty, staff, and administrators to remain mindful of the complex political and humanitarian conditions Iranian community members are experiencing. We support the freedom of speech of all faculty, staff, and students to express their perspectives, including viewpoints that have been suppressed—whether by the Iranian state or by dominant Western media narratives. We further call on faculty and administrators to take the circumstances of Iranian students into consideration by extending understanding, flexibility, and appropriate academic support during this ongoing crisis.

This message is sent on behalf of the KFA Executive.

In Solidarity,

Mark Diotte

President, Kwantlen Faculty Association,

president@yourkfa.ca

KPU Budget Risks Reducing Course Access and Workforce Training for Local Students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KPU Budget Risks Reducing Course Access and Workforce Training for Local Students

Surrey, BC — The Kwantlen Faculty Association is calling on Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Board of Governors to table approval of the FY26–27 budget, warning that proposed cuts risk reducing course access for students and weakening KPU’s ability to prepare people in the South of the Fraser for in-demand jobs.

The budget, scheduled for approval this week, includes permanent reductions to teaching capacity and is being advanced in January rather than KPU’s usual March timeline. Faculty say the budget does not clearly show where cuts will land or how they will affect course availability, class sizes, waitlists, or students’ ability to complete programs.

“When teaching capacity is reduced, the impact shows up quickly and directly,” said Mark Diotte, President of the Kwantlen Faculty Association. “Students face fewer course sections, longer waits, and delays in completing credentials they need to get into the workforce.”

KPU serves one of the fastest-growing regions in British Columbia. As a teaching-focused university, its mandate is to provide accessible public post-secondary education aligned with regional educational and labour-market needs, including occupations identified in provincial labour market outlooks as being in sustained demand. Faculty are concerned that the proposed budget reduces instructional capacity without showing how the university will continue to meet those needs.

“When local programs are cut back, students are forced to look outside the region, take on additional costs, or delay their education altogether,” said Diotte. “That undermines access and runs counter to KPU’s role in serving this region.”

Faculty also question the longer-term implications of the budget. They argue that short-term cost reductions that shrink teaching capacity risk undermining KPU’s ability to deliver relevant programs, respond to changing labour-market demand, serve domestic students effectively, and support for underrepresented groups in higher education.

Beyond the substance of the cuts, faculty raise concerns about process. Consultation with the Faculty Association began only days before the scheduled Board vote, after the budget had already been reviewed by the Board’s Finance Committee, leaving no meaningful opportunity to influence decisions. Faculty note that KPU has previously been found in breach of its duty to consult when consultation occurred too late to matter.

The Association is further concerned that the budget is being advanced while a faculty-elected Board seat remains vacant, a student-elected Board seat remains vacant, and that the meeting scheduled to approve the budget is expected to proceed without the University President and the Board Vice-Chair present.

The Faculty Association is not opposing fiscal restraint, but is calling for a pause.

“Tabling the budget until March would allow the Board and the public to clearly understand how these decisions affect students, course access, and KPU’s ability to serve students’ educational needs and regional workforce needs,” said Diotte. “Approving permanent reductions without that clarity risks long-term harm that will be difficult to reverse.”

The Kwantlen Faculty Association represents more than 900 faculty members across KPU’s campuses.

Contact:Mark Diotte
President, Kwantlen Faculty Association

president@yourkfa.ca    

Key Union and Faculty Concerns: FY26/27 KPU Budget

Dear KFA Colleagues,

This week, the University is seeking Board approval of the FY26–27 budget. That budget includes permanent reductions to teaching capacity and is being advanced in January rather than the established March timeline which impairs proper process, transparency, and consultation.

Consultation with the KFA is required under the Collective Agreement, but began only five business days before the scheduled Board vote, and we were explicitly told that the budget was already largely set and not open to substantive change.

That is not consultation.

Because these decisions are permanent and shape workloads, class sizes, program delivery, and student access for years to come, we have formally requested that the Board table the FY26–27 budget until March. The formal letter outlining this request, sent to the President and the Board Chair, is attached.

In support of this request, we have compiled a summary of key concerns raised by faculty across multiple areas. This summary reflects what we have heard to date.

Summary of key faculty concerns to date:

• The budget lacks transparency and accountability, including clear links between financial decisions and institutional strategy.
• It embeds inaccuracies and year-over-year risks, including unexplained variances and assumptions.
• It does not clearly distinguish between faculty, administrative, CPS, and other categories of expenditure, making meaningful analysis impossible.
• It includes unexplained issues, such as the discrepancy between faculty salary actuals and claims of “underutilization,” and an increased contingency coinciding with reductions to faculty salaries.
• It disconnects financial decisions from KPU’s statutory mandate as a teaching-focused public institution.
• It does not account for or situate itself within the ongoing provincial post-secondary system review.
• It does not visibly reflect new initiatives, including curriculum development, program development, or marketing and promotional efforts to address enrolment and reputational challenges.

More specifically, the budget does not track FY25–26 budget versus FY25–26 actuals or annualized projections, despite major revenue and expense drivers now being known. Presenting only year-over-year budget changes obscures financial performance, embeds risk, and makes it impossible to assess whether the budget reflects a coherent strategy.

If you have additional concerns or points you believe should be added to this summary, please send them by email to president@yourkfa.ca. We will continue to consolidate faculty input and ensure it is reflected accurately and responsibly in our communications.

We are acting deliberately and on the record at this stage of the process. We will keep members informed as this develops.

Best,

Mark Diotte

President, Kwantlen Faculty Association