It’s not everyday you see college presidents cussing each other out, at least not out in the open.
That’s exactly what happened when two institutional heads went, well head to head.
Conestoga College President John Tibbits and president at Sault College, David Orazietti, have been going back and forth with each other regarding international student enrollment numbers.
This comes after the federal government decided to limit how many international students can study in Canada, for at least the next two years.
“International students are vital to Canada and enrich our communities. As such, we have an obligation to ensure that they have access to the resources they need for an enriching academic experience. In Canada, today, this isn’t always the case,” Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced last month.
As a result, things got even missier earlier this week when Tibbits called Orazietti “a whore” who needs to learn to “shut his mouth.”
“I can’t stand the guy, by the way,” Tibbits said during a public event at Conestoga this week, responding to comments made by Orazietti last week where he called him a “bad actor in the sector.”
Tibbits was responding to comments Orazietti made last week on the Inside the Village podcast.
“If you take a school like Conestoga College, that has grown to over […] 32,000 easy in the last year. How do you take 20,000 students into your community and have housing for them, services and everything that they need, without creating chaos?,” Orazietti said.
Conestoga College reportedly has 30,000 students across all eight campuses scattered in several cities.
After catching wind of Tibbits’ insult, Orazietti said he refuses to stoop lower.
“I am shocked that a public college president, with whom I have never had a conversation, would resort to lashing out with personal attacks and blatant misinformation. I will not engage in this type of behaviour,” he wrote in a statement he sent to SooToday.com.
On Thursday, Conestoga’s board of governors also put out a statement addressing what happened.
“We are concerned about the remarks made earlier this week with members of the local media […] the language used is unacceptable and does not align with the values and principles of our institution. Dr. Tibbits has communicated his regret for making those comments and apologizes for the offensive remarks. The board is reviewing this matter internally,” the school wrote on its website.
Although colleges and universities are feeling the heat, international students bear the brunt.
Many critics believe international students are being used as scapegoats and punished for a broken system here in Canada, and that all they are guilty of is wanting an education and better opportunities.
Students have further been penalized after the federal government increased the amount of money they need in their bank accounts, from $10,000 to $20,635, to be eligible for a student permit, as of Jan. 1.
