Outcry after Vancouver Island University cuts music programs

Starting next year, Vancouver Island University will discontinue its music programs, a move that's both worrying and upsetting to staff and musicians in the Nanaimo, B.C., area.

The decision came at a board meeting last week, with the school citing fiscal responsibility in light of low enrolment as its reason for cutting the programs. 

The programs cancelled include the bachelor of music, the bachelor of music classical transfer, and the jazz diploma.

Sasha Koerbler, the program chair, may lose her job, but she says that's not what worries her.

"This is not about me; it's about what the present administration leaves behind to interested and talented young musicians in the city and in this region — they choose to leave nothing," she told Jason D'Souza, host of CBC's All Points West. 

"And that, to me, is unforgivable."

Koerbler says the reason cited by the school, low enrolment, doesn't stack up for her, noting that about 40 other programs have had a similar number of applicants or fewer, and haven't been cut.

She said the institution has been offering a jazz music program since at least the 1980s.

"I'm still in disbelief and I'm offended as well," she said.

The cancellation of the programs will perpetuate a concerning trend, according to Koerbler, who said there aren't enough music teachers to fill vacancies in local schools — a problem she thinks is sure to be exacerbated by the closure of the music program.

The Nanaimo International Jazz Festival Association released a statement condemning the closure of the school's jazz studies program, describing it as a "significant loss" to the cultural fabric of Vancouver Island.

"This program has been a cornerstone of our community's cultural and educational landscape, nurturing countless talented musicians and contributing significantly to the vibrant jazz and music scene in Nanaimo and beyond," it reads.

The association also called on the school to reconsider its decision.

Decision not taken lightly: VIU

In a statement, the university said that it does not take decisions to cancel programs lightly, and that there's a "rigorous process" they follow as part of the B.C. Universities Act to ensure they are accountable to taxpayers and students who pay tuition fees.

"VIU has had many letters of support for the music program from community members," read a statement from university provost Michael Quinn. "We recognize VIU's music program has supported many students in achieving their education and career goals over the years."

Quinn said that there had been no students admitted to the classical transfer program since 2013, and none to the jazz studies program since 2021.

"The jazz studies diploma was set to launch in the fall of 2024, and the enrolment interest was not sufficient to warrant the starting a new program during times of fiscal constraint," he said.

"We anticipate that there will be less than five students left in the music programs at the end of summer 2024, and we are committed to support those students to meet their academic goals."

Despite the cuts, Koerbler is hopeful that the music department's classes for next fall will still run in the form of electives, with Quinn saying that the courses will be offered to education students interested in becoming music teachers.

"The courses are posted, students are registering and hopefully we'll be teaching them," Koerbler said. "I guess the difference will be that they will not lead to a degree."