Reputation at stake for Conestoga College following provincial audit
Posted May 27, 2026 03:40:16 AM.
Last Updated May 27, 2026 06:14:48 AM.
The reputation of Conestoga College is on the line in the coming months as the school and its new leaders look to transition away from the recent era.
Earlier in May, the Government of Ontario made a first-of-its-kind move to intervene in the situation at Conestoga College after unveiling several significant financial issues through an audit.
The audit detailed a roughly $3 million payout to former college president John Tibbits, trips to Italy on the college’s dime and a $1,300 dining expense for internal staff, where 50 per cent of the pre-tax total was alcohol.
In the aftermath of that audit, Linda Franklin, a 30-year veteran of governance in Ontario with a resume that includes 16 years as president and CEO of Colleges Ontario, has been appointed as an administrator to oversee operations at Conestoga College.
However, those who avoided recent cuts to staff are left to pick up the pieces as a new board of governors and permanent president have yet to be named.
“The work is still there, it hasn’t gone away, the only difference is, they’re now looking for the cheapest solution to the teaching work, which is part-time, sic hours or less per week,” said Leopold Koff, president of OPSEU Local 237, representing full-time faculty at Conestoga College.
Koff added that, as the drama at Conestoga College continues to unfold, the reputation of the school is in question.
“We have employers who are resistant to hiring graduates of Conestoga College. We have former graduates who are concerned that their diplomas, which they worked hard to achieve, may not have as much value on their résumés as they used to,” added Koff.
For now, cuts to further full-time faculty are on hold as Franklin settles into her new role.
“The experience that I had at Conestoga College, because I am a graduate, may not be the same as somebody who’s looking to be a prospective student,” said Vikki Poirier, president of OPSEU Local 238, representing support staff at the college.
Both Koff and Poirier are hopeful that, in the coming weeks or months, a new board of governors and a president can be appointed to oversee the next period of transition.
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