It’s about ‘taking a good hard look at the part of the organization that really isn’t contributing to the front-line education experience,’ says academic
The top five highest paid college presidents in Ontario in 2024 received massive wage increases – even after colleges took a massive hit with some changes the federal government implemented in 2024.
Specifically, John Tibbits, president of the Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, made $636,106 last year, according to the provincial government’s Sunshine List.
Tibbits saw his compensation grow by 29 per cent, from $494,716 in 2023, according to a Global News report.
Conestoga executives were given salary raises “due to increased complexities and responsibilities,” says one source.
In January 2024, the federal government announced it is limiting the number of international students it will allow to come to the country this year in hopes of addressing the holes in the way things are today. Ottawa put a cap on roughly 360,000 approved applications for 2024, a decrease of 35 per cent from 2023.
The Conestoga College spokesperson says the decision to increase executive pay was made prior to the international student cap, according to Global News.
All of the five highest paid college presidents in 2024 received pay increases, according to Global News.
- Ann Marie Vaughan, of Humber College: $497,880 in 2024, up 12 per cent year-over-year
- David Agnew, of Seneca Polytechnic: $459,778 in 2024, up three per cent year-over-year
- Janet Morrison, of Sheridan College: $453,560 in 2024, up 12 per cent year-over-year
- Gervan Fearson, of George Brown: $412,579 in 29024, up more than eight per cent year-over-year
The highest-earning human resources executive in Ontario in 2024 brought in more than $486,000, according to the provincial government's Sunshine List.
‘A good hard look' at compensation
One stakeholder previously criticized the federal government’s cap on international students in colleges.
“What was surprising this time is that they were going to link postgraduate work permits … to a set number of occupations to be determined at the national level," said New Brunswick Community College (CCNB) CEO Mary Butler in a CBC report.
Colleges introduced staff cuts almost across the board following the cap. Some colleges offered early retirement, others decided not to fill vacancies and more laid off staff, according to the Global News report.
Following the pay increases for college executives, Jeff Brown, a professor at George Brown College, is now calling for an examination of college leadership.
“I think you’ve got to take a look at some of these layers of senior management that aren’t directly connected to the learning experience,” he says in the report.
“Look at how you’ve let things get that top-heavy to begin with — but now, especially in a time of austerity, really taking a good hard look at the part of the organization that really isn’t contributing to the front-line education experience.”
MPP looks at compensation packages
MPP Peggy Sattler, New Democratic Party of Canada’s (NDP) post-secondary education critic, echoes Brown’s sentiment.
“Certainly, we need to look at the compensation packages that are offered to some of those very senior positions in Ontario colleges.”
She claims, however, that the investigation is “not going to prevent programs from closing down” and is “not going to prevent the layoff of staff in academic advisor offices.”
“The big issue, however, is the lack of provincial support for the sector as a whole,” Sattler says.
“We need to build in sustainable, long-term increases in operating grants for colleges to actually be successful and continue to deliver the programs that students need and our local economies need.”
Previously, a couple of groups representing universities, colleges and institutes in Canada called on the federal government to pivot from its cap on the intake of international students. The cap will cut the number of international students enrolling in Canadian institutions by about half, said both Universities Canada and Colleges and Institutes Canada.
