Graduation on pause for some Langara business students
With fewer course selections in the business department students are feeling 'frustrated'
By LIAM ROBERT SCOTT
Langara College faculty and students say reduced course availability is making it harder for students in certain programs to secure required classes, delaying their graduation and ability to transfer to other universities.
Students inability to access required courses this summer comes in the wake of significant reductions to faculty and course offerings at the college, following the federal government’s 2024 decision to limit study permits for international students, causing reduced enrolment.
In the business management department, 22 course sections are scheduled for summer 2026, a sharp decrease from the 72 course sections that were offered in summer 2024, according to Nina Winham, vice-president of member engagement for the Langara Faculty Association.
“Massive, massive change,” she said.
Timelines disrupted
For business students nearing graduation, the decrease in course section availability comes with consequences. Timothy Matiachuk, a business management student, said the cancellation of the summer offering of BUSM 4300, a required fourth-year business management course, has forced him to wait until September to take the class, delaying his graduation.
“My original plan was to finish this summer,” he said. “It pushed me back four months.”
Matiachuk said now more students will also have to compete for limited seats in September.
“I’m not very confident at all that I’m going to get in,” he said.
On March 18, Matiachuk, along with 22 other business students, sent a letter to the college’s faculty of management requesting the course be offered this summer.
Bernie Maroney, the only business instructor qualified to teach BUSM 4300, said he offered to teach it this summer. However, the college is still not running it.
David Wright, interim dean of the faculties of arts and management, responded to the students on March 31, saying the college is not offering the course in the summer due to low enrolment. Wright said the college worked closely with students to find solutions, including granting overrides for students and allowing some students to take certain classes at the same time.
Matiachuk said the college’s decision to not run the course is “beyond frustrating” and “maddening.”
Beyond business
A recently released survey conducted by Langara for 2025–2026 found that 22 per cent of students were unable to get the courses they wanted.
Niall Christie , a history instructor at Langara, said his students have felt the impact of cuts to classes over the past year.
“The number of sections we can offer in history has been reduced from 48 to 28,” he said, creating a “crush” where students are forced to compete for a dwindling number of seats.
Christie said he has seen the strain this puts on students first-hand.
“If I was a student . . . I’d be constantly stressed about whether or not I’m going to get the courses I want ,” he said.
Matthew Chai, a first-year general studies student taking business courses, said some waitlists for required transfer courses, including a business-focused calculus course, have reached up to 60 students. He said his inability to get into these classes will delay his planned transfer to UBC.
“The chance of me getting that course is probably going to be near zero,” Chai said. “I probably would not have gone to Langara if I’d known this was going to be an issue.”
In a written statement to the Voice, Wright said the college regularly reviews programs and course offerings to reflect enrolment and available resources, and aims to support students in completing their programs.
“This includes making adjustments in response to changing enrolment patterns and fiscal realities,” Wright said in the statement.
‘In Limbo’
Maroney said some business students have already dropped out after losing confidence they will be able to finish their programs.
“They don’t know when they’re going to graduate or if they’re going to be able to graduate,” he said. “They’re in limbo.”
Maroney said the uncertainty of being able to graduate within the expected timeframe is a serious problem.
“It’s going to destroy the school’s reputation,” he said.
This is the exact reason I’m switching schools. Would have loved to finish my degree here but it seems business management students are getting later registration times. And later course registration times means business management students end up on more waitlists or not getting their required classes at all – further delaying their graduation.