The University of Windsor has slashed an operating budget deficit of $42 million down to $4.6 million for the coming school year.
The university approved the 2025-2026 budget Tuesday as it, like other institutions across Canada, grapples with several factors impacting spending, including a freeze on domestic tuition, pay increases in collective agreements, government mandates, and new reduced requirements for international student visas from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The changes to international enrolment announced in 2024 had the biggest impact on the budget, with a projected tuition revenue decline of more than $32 million.
The deficit has been offset through union and non-union staff reductions and the use of one-time funding from the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence, and Securities.
Vice President of Finance and Operations at the University of Windsor, Gillian Heisz, says they saved around $11.2 million in staff reductions.
Heisz says they've eliminated vacant positions and made some difficult decisions regarding staff in the search for savings.
"We've obviously had a hiring freeze for a number of months now and had to do some layoffs, unfortunately. We've cut some of our part-time teachers, those sessional teachers, where we could," she says. "Then we've really worked hard on the other expenses, tightening up contracts, renegotiating with vendors, and doing those kinds of things."
Heisz says it's hard to know what the total layoff number will be, as they've been helping staff close to retirement make a transition to retirement.
"Since the fall, we think we've helped around 50 to 55 who are close to retirement with a little extra money to move on, which has been great," she says. "It's good for the university's financial position, but it's also great for the staff member. But we do have a number of staff issued layoff notices who will be working through the system."
As part of the effort to address the budget shortfall, the university is also implementing a plan to centralize some services, including IT/AV technical support, communications, and advancement.
Faculties and non-faculty units will also be streamlining administrative services or adjusting administrative staffing levels to reflect the service centralization, enrolment changes, and enhanced use of technology.
Heisz says the last $4.6 million is money they will have to find in year.
"Hopefully we'll have a lift on enrolment versus what we budget; that's obviously the ideal situation. If not, we'll be looking for in-year savings," she says.
UWindsor's total full-time enrolment is budgeted at 14,868 in Fall 2025, a decrease of 554 students from actual full-time enrolment results achieved in Fall 2024.
Undergraduate students are budgeted to increase by 173 (+1.6 per cent) from last year's actual to 10,921 in Fall 2025, while graduate student enrolment is budgeted down by 727 (-15.6 per cent) against last year to 3,947.
It is anticipated that 20 per cent of Fall 2025 full-time UWindsor enrolment will be international students, down from 25 per cent in Fall 2024.