Short-sighted decision reduces post-secondary access, saves province little money

For a government that says it wants to expand opportunity, improve affordability and build a stronger workforce, the decision to shut down Campus Manitoba makes remarkably little sense.

Sometimes the smallest line items in a provincial budget carry the biggest consequences. In this case, Premier Wab Kinew’s government found roughly $1 million in annual savings by eliminating a little-known but highly effective post-secondary co-ordinating body that has spent 35 years quietly making education more accessible and affordable for Manitobans.

That’s not prudent fiscal management. It’s a short-sighted cut that risks doing real harm.

Campus Manitoba isn’t some redundant layer of bureaucracy. It serves a clear, practical purpose: connecting institutions, expanding access to online learning and helping students navigate an often confusing patchwork of programs, credits and course options across the province. It also developed and curated open educational resources, saving students millions of dollars in textbook costs.

In a province where geography alone can be a barrier to higher education, that kind of co-ordination matters.

Not everyone can pack up and move to Winnipeg or Brandon to attend school full time. Many students are working, raising families or living in rural and northern communities. For them, online learning isn’t a convenience — it’s the only viable option. Campus Manitoba helped make that possible by acting as a central hub for distance education and credit transfer.

The government’s rationale for shutting it down doesn’t hold up to much scrutiny.

Advanced Education Minister Renée Cable argues the system has “outgrown” Campus Manitoba and that much of its work is now being duplicated by individual institutions, particularly after the rapid expansion of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the surface, that might sound reasonable. In practice, it misses the point.

Yes, universities and colleges have developed their own online offerings. But that doesn’t eliminate the need for a co-ordinating body — it strengthens it.

The more complex and decentralized the system becomes, the more valuable it is to have a single, accessible entry point that helps students find what they need and move between institutions without unnecessary barriers.

Without that infrastructure, students are left to fend for themselves, navigating multiple websites, policies and credit transfer rules that don’t always align. That’s not a more efficient system. It’s a more fragmented one.

And then there’s the issue of cost.

Campus Manitoba’s open education initiative has saved students more than $6 million since 2014 by promoting free, openly licensed textbooks and learning materials. That’s real money in the pockets of students who are already struggling with rising tuition, housing costs and day-to-day living expenses.

Eliminating a program that demonstrably reduces the cost of education — in the name of saving $1 million — is penny-wise and pound-foolish.

The government insists some of this work, particularly the OpenEd resource database, may continue in another form. But “may” is doing a lot of heavy lifting there.

As of now, there’s no clear plan, no designated steward and no guarantee the resources will be maintained, updated or promoted in a meaningful way.

Archiving three decades of work is not the same as sustaining it.

There’s also a broader issue at play here — one that goes beyond a single program or budget line.

Post-secondary education is not just a personal benefit, it’s an economic imperative. Provinces that invest in education tend to see stronger economies, more resilient workforces and higher levels of innovation.

In a labour market increasingly defined by skill shortages and rapid technological change, access to education and training is critical.

Shutting down an organization specifically designed to lower barriers and improve mobility in the system moves things in the wrong direction.

It’s also worth noting who stands to be most affected.

Large institutions with significant resources may be able to absorb some of the functions Campus Manitoba provided. Smaller schools, however — along with their students — are more likely to feel the loss. So are those who rely on flexible, online options to fit education into already busy lives.

The reaction from across the sector has been telling. Student leaders, faculty associations and administrators have all raised concerns, not just about the loss of specific services but about what it signals more broadly.

When a government cuts a program like this without a clear replacement, it suggests accessibility and affordability aren’t as high on the priority list as the rhetoric would have you believe.

Campus Manitoba’s executive director described the organization as “a supportive, arm’s-length entity that did great work for student access and mobility.” That’s not just self-serving language, it’s a fair assessment backed up by decades of results.

The Kinew government may believe the system can function just as well without it. That’s a gamble — and not a particularly wise one.

At a time when Manitoba should be doubling down on efforts to make post-secondary education more accessible, affordable and connected, this decision does the opposite.

And for a province trying to build a stronger, more inclusive economy, that’s a step backward.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca