Students report delayed responses and limited appointment availability
Although campus services remain operational despite funding pressures and declining international enrollment, many students say accessibility to student services, be it booking spaces or contacting staff, remains a persistent challenge.
Cost cutting
In September 2025, SaskToday reported that international student enrollment at the University of Regina has decreased significantly, resulting in a $10 million loss in revenue.
The U of R has already begun implementing cost cutting measures in the face of budget pressures as international student enrollment continues to decline. The university’s 2025–26 operating budget includes a roughly two per cent reduction across academic and administrative offices, along with five confirmed layoffs and plans to leave some vacant positions unfilled.
These changes are raising ongoing questions about impacts on campus services. While U of R officials state they remain committed to ensuring positive student experience through support from their centers, students report they have been facing delays in accessing said services.
The Carillon visited common campus hangout spots to talk to students about their experiences with student services lately.
Accessibility to study rooms
“It’s great to see the modern aesthetic renovation around campus. I am not fond of studying in the library, since it’s almost too quiet for me, and the ground floor spaces are most of the time already booked anyway. After my classes, I usually come to Riddell to complete my assignments with my friends,” says Jim Bouton, a second-year psychology student.
For students like Bouton, the first-come, first-served online registration system is tricky.
“One must book the room spaces in advance, and if a student needs a quick, short-notice booking, the most accessible spaces on John Archer’s Library main floor are, by that time, already booked.”
Limited advisor availability
Accessibility concerns extend beyond physical study spaces. Academic support services are also commonly sought by the students.
The student success centre is the go-to place for students who need help with tutoring in courses like math and statistics, transition programs and other workshops such as exam preparation and citation help. This is also where scheduled or drop-in academic advising sessions take place.
A similar sentiment of not having short term availability of advisors was shared about booking appointments with academic advising.
“The drop-in schedules to meet with academic advisors are actually helpful. However, I feel like it is still a lot to keep track of, especially during final exams or when assignments are due within a couple of days,” says Tina Schmidt, a third-year health science student.
“When the academic advising appointments are already booked for the next week or so and if I don’t get a convenient drop-in slot that fits between my lectures, I am left in a bit of limbo, and sometimes, I just let it be.”
Financial considerations
Beyond booking study spaces and academic advising sessions, lies the never easy and never-ending hassle of finances. For the 2025-26 academic year, U of R tuition fees have gone up by 4 per cent for the third year in a row.
“It’s not easy when tuition fees keep rising every academic year. The burden can be felt more so on international students who already pay twice or thrice the amount that domestic students pay,” said Saman Patel, a second-year arts and humanities student. For her, the fear of a financial hold is a significant one.
“It is important to keep track of the deadlines and other criteria, so the financial services do not put a hold on your account. Students have reported financial troubles since there has been a decrease in the U of R awarding scholarships to domestic and international students.”
Located on the second floor of the Administration Humanities (Ad-Hum) building, Financial Services’ office is the go-to place for all students with concerns regarding their tuition and housing payment concerns. The office also handles concerns regarding the tuition payment plans, reimbursements for students, student loans, scholarships, and processes paychecks for university employees.
The office is also likely to be short staffed with the projected cuts and layoffs.
It’s not easy when tuition fees keep rising every academic year. The burden can be felt more so on international students who already pay twice or thrice the amount that domestic students pay,” – Saman Patel, student, U of R
Delayed responses due to lack of staff
“I feel like the email system feels like a bottleneck, and the response time is usually long for Student Awards Management System (SAMS) to get back to us for queries. So, that’s something I think SAMS can improve,“says Kenny Chan, a fourth-year arts student.
The UR International team is meant to support the international students throughout the process – from enrolling at the U of R while one is still overseas to graduation.
Whether they need immigration advice, courses and career counselling, or workshops to navigate university life, the office is equipped with staff and peer advisors to help make the process as smooth as possible. However, the long waiting periods makes it difficult for students to actually get a hold of someone at the office.
“I remember being a new student at the U of R and trying to reach out to the UR International office by phone, but every time, it kept going to voicemail,” says Gul Kaur, a fourth-year business student.
“When I would email, the auto reply I got was to wait for three to five business days, and I have stuff to figure out with my study permit. I got a real answer only when I walked into the front desk over to College West and was able to secure an appointment with a UR international officer based on my urgent request.”
International students like Kaur who have to deal with the complications of study permit applications and tuition payments, a couple of days’ delay can cause significant distress since ultimately affecting their experience as international students at the U of R.
Across campus departments, students report that response timelines vary widely depending on the type of support needed. Email inquiries to the faculty of science can take up to five business days for a reply, while counselling and mental health services often require students to request appointments at least three days in advance.
Accessibility support presents an even longer timeline, with some students waiting several weeks before securing an initial meeting with an accessibility manager. Even within general academic support, booking an appointment with a student success centre advisor can take three to four days depending on availability.
This timeline reflects high demand and limited staffing, students say the effect can make navigating support systems feel slow, particularly during peak academic periods.
As campus services adapt to funding changes and the decrease in enrollment, students say the question is no longer whether services exist, but whether they can be accessed when they are needed the most.
