CBU cancels online bachelor of education program at last minute, catching students off guard

Cape Breton University has cancelled a new online bachelor of education program at the last minute, leaving students who were signed up to start classes in January with no clear plan on what happens next.

Allison Lord, who lives in Windsor, N.S., said she was attracted to CBU's condensed eight-month program, which would have allowed her to learn from home and become a certified teacher quickly.

But Lord was disappointed when it was cancelled this week with less than a month to go.

"When I saw this program was available in my home province, I was really excited by the prospect and it seemed like a perfect fit," she said. "I felt kind of taken advantage of, to be honest."

Lord, who already has a bachelor of arts from the University of King's College in Halifax and has done some education work internationally, said she took out a $25,000 line of credit and made arrangements to live with her parents so she could get her B.Ed.

CBU is saying it might offer a 12-month version in May, but Lord said she already rearranged her life and now has her doubts.

"I'm unsure if I'd want to do the B.Ed. with Cape Breton University again, just feeling a little bit not prioritized in the whole process," she said.

Lord added she's not sure why the program was cancelled so close to the start of classes, but she wonders if money is at the root of it.

"I know Cape Breton University is also taking less international students this year, and I have some hesitations as well about just paying that much money and knowing that universities at the core are just institutions."

Delayed program approval

Ellyn Lyle, CBU's dean of education, said that is "absolutely" and "unequivocally" not the case.

She said the university is disappointed on behalf of the students.

"You know, I really appreciate the heartbreak and I'm heartbroken for them," Lyle said.

She said the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission approved the new program, but the approval was delayed despite CBU submitting all of its information on time.

Conditions attached to the approval made it impossible to be ready in January, and Lyle said it became clear students would not have been able to complete practical training within eight months.

She also said the university would not have been able to meet the deadlines for accreditation, which was important for a new accelerated program that is not offered anywhere else in the country.

The degree is only open to students who already have an undergraduate degree and some educational experience.

12-month program could start in May

Lyle said a 12-month degree starting later in the year would be better for CBU and for students, and they would still get a degree earlier than if they started a normal two-year program in January.

"Rather than feeling as though the option has been taken from them, I would encourage them to try and hope with us that this will start in May," she said.

It is hoped the 12-month course will be available both online and on campus.

"I don't have any of the details of that yet because the conversations will not begin until the new year about what that looks like, but it is our dearest hope to do that," Lyle said.

"We don't want to see our students disappointed in not having a pathway forward if they were reliant on an online modality."

CBU offered the eight-month degree as a pilot program last January and successfully graduated 41 of 43 students with 85 per cent of those receiving offers of employment, Lyle said.

The Nova Scotia government supported the accelerated degree as a way to get more teachers into the system, and the four other universities in the province that offer education degrees were also interested in offering the condensed version.

In an emailed statement to CBC News, the provincial Department of Advanced Education said it was "disappointed" the eight-month program would not be going ahead next month, adding the pilot "was successful and received positive feedback from both students and instructors."

"We're currently exploring several alternatives so that we can continue to offer this program in Nova Scotia," it said.

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