Rain Welsh felt honoured to been given advance acceptance at
Algonquin College
in December after spending a semester in the “foundations” course in illustration and concept drawing and animation.
“To know that my hard work was going to pay off in a substantial way was nice,” said Welsh.
Concept artists build visual worlds in fields ranging from animated films to graphic novels, manga, brands and video games. They develop the look and feel of characters, landscapes, interiors and exteriors to create the aesthetic of the finished product.
“You breathe life into someone else’s vision,” says Jasmine Tourangeau, who was thrilled when she learned she was one of a handful of students being offered advance acceptance.
“It proves the work I had put in has moved me forward to success.”
But their elation has been short-lived. Illustration and concept art was among 30 programs being
considered for cuts
in January, the second major round of cuts in two years at Algonquin. Other programs on the list this year include
journalism
, the horticulture techniques apprenticeship to the Honours Bachelor of culinary arts and food science.
The foundations program in illustration and concept art and animations includes life drawing, layout, building environments for interiors and exteriors and learning how to develop a character and pose them. There are two separate pathways at Algonquin after completing the foundations program: illustration and concept art or animation. Illustration and concept art is being considered for cancellation. Animation is not.
Welsh had done well in the foundations course and applied for the illustration and concept art program on Dec. 3. On Dec.16, they learned they had been given advanced acceptance in the “articulated agreement” and would be automatically accepted into their choice of either program as long as they maintained their grades and completed the courses.
“I didn’t actually know about the articulation agreement until it was offered to me at the end of Semester 1,” said Welsh.” I had already applied for illustration and concept art for fall 2026. Because the application is open, many people from my program were applying.”
The point of the foundation course is to build a portfolio, said Welsh, who had worked as a production assistant and in scene assembly for animation productions based on work they had produced as a high school co-op student. But they were looking for a career shift.
“The (animation) industry, unfortunately, has hit quite a rocky place right now. Basically, it’s all contract-based. As much as much as it’s like a wonderful industry to work for, it’s not necessarily stable all the time. I was hoping to figure out what I could do with a bit more artistic training and make my own path and make my own business.”
Students say Algonquin’s decision to put the program on its list of potential cuts has left them in limbo, with only days to decide whether to apply to another program at Algonquin, apply at another institution or seek other ways to sharpen their skills.
“I’m in this program to go into illustration,” said Welsh. “Now I have to rethink two years of my life.”
Facing a deadline, Welsh ended up applying to animation at Algonquin, even though that is not what they want to do.
Tourangeau, who is interested in manga, wants to eventually study in Japan. If Algonquin cuts the concept art program, there are few other options in Canada, she said
“I was pretty devastated,” said Hazel Paquette, who was also offered advanced acceptance. “There are no other options in Ottawa.”
In the past, when programs are closed or cancelled, there is a ‘teach-out’ period for current students, said Tracy Henderson, president of OPSEU Local 415, which represents about 900 full-time and partial-load academic workers at Algonquin.
“It’s our understanding that the college is required to provide pathways for students to complete the programs they are currently enrolled in,” said Henderson. “We have not been informed of the college’s plans regarding the teach-out for these programs.”
However, “teaching out” can mean that classes will be pushed into online classes or asynchronous deliveries, where students can watch a pre-taped lesson, and are associated with poorer learning outcomes, said Henderson.
For the students, there has been a flicker of hope. Algonquin has announced it will be
delaying the program cuts decision
as the college assesses the impact of a funding announcement from the province included $6.4 billion more for the post-secondary sector over four years, as well as changes to the tuition framework and the OSAP system.
“While this investment is a positive endorsement of our sector, Algonquin College continues to face significant challenges and must remain focused on its long-term stability,” Algonquin president and CEO Claude Brulé said on Feb. 13.
The decision on cuts was originally set to go before the college’s board of governors on Feb. 23. Algonquin did not respond to a request for comment about a new date for the decision to be made.
In an interview last month, before the provincial announcement, Brulé said
Algonquin is facing a deficit of $27 million in 2025-26
and is anticipating a $24 million for next year, even if the 30 programs are cut as recommended, as well as other measures.
Sara Henderson will be graduating from the illustration and concept art program this spring. Student retention in the program is remarkable, and should be recognized as a huge success, she said.
“We began with 60 students at the beginning of the two years. In that time, I have only been aware of two people that have dropped out — and not due to failures of the program, but for unrelated personal reasons.”
The foundation year cohort should, at the very least, be the last graduates of the illustration and concept art program in two years, Welsh argues.
“We should be given the opportunity to finish what we started.”
Related
Our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed.
