UWOFA Reaffirms Opposition to Navitas Partnership Proposal

(London, Ont) – As announced by the Provost at Senate on Friday February 14th, Western University has revived discussions on a potential partnership with Navitas, a for-profit education provider specializing in international “pathway” programs. Despite adjustments from the initial 2020 proposal, our fundamental concerns about privatization, academic integrity, and precarious labour conditions remain unchanged.

Outsourcing first year programming for international students to a private corporation threatens Western’s control over critical aspects of its academic mission. The model shifts decision making on curriculum, admissions, and student support away from the university and into the hands of a profit-driven company. The reliance on contract-based instructors remains a serious issue, raising concerns about job security, fair compensation, workload protections and the lack of commitment to faculty research. While Western suggests that Navitas instructors would be unionized under UWOFA, the mechanisms for this are not clear. It also does not guarantee job security or equitable working conditions because of the senior administration’s refusal to invest in its people. Many current faculty on ‘limited term’ and ‘limited duties’ contracts already experience second-class citizenship and are not well-supported in their research endeavours. We are currently seeing faculty cuts and non-replacements across campus; outsourcing could further exacerbate job insecurity and polarization across the University.

Beyond academic governance, the corporate approach to international student recruitment poses significant risks. Research from Canada and the UK has demonstrated that for-profit education providers often employ aggressive recruitment strategies and maintain lax academic standards, placing undue pressure on instructors to pass students regardless of performance[1]. This risks undermining the integrity of Western’s admissions process and raises serious equity concerns for international students, who deserve well-supported academic pathways built on rigorous standards and ethical recruitment. Unlike Navitas, Western’s existing English Language Centre – designed and operated in-house – already provides a structured and transparent transition for international students.

In response to the renewed exploration of a Navitas partnership, Johanna Weststar, UWOFA President, stated:

“In 2020 we did our research, listened to our faculty experts and learned from the experiences of other universities that had partnered with Nativas. In response to the overwhelmingly negative evidence, Western faculty stood together, asserted our rights to collegial governance and systematically opposed private pathway colleges. We will do so again.”

The renewed push for a Navitas partnership comes at a time when Canadian universities are facing increased financial pressures and shifting government policies on international education. Privatizing core academic functions is not the solution. Rather than diverting resources to for-profit education providers, Western should be reinvesting in its own faculty, academic programming, and student services to ensure long term sustainability and uphold the university’s commitment to public education and academic excellence.

Contact:

Bethany Taylor, UWOFA Communications and Engagement Officer
outreach@uwofa.ca
519-661-2111 x. 87965

[1] Tamtik, M. (2024). Selling out the Public University? Administrative Sensemaking Strategies for Internationalization via Private Pathway Colleges in Canadian Higher Education. Journal of Studies in International Education, 28(2), 296-313. https://doi.org/10.1177/10283153221137687