On September 17, McGill President and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini announced ‘McGill Global,’ a $185 million CAD plan to establish ‘satellite campuses’ abroad—branch campuses operated by McGill outside of Montreal. The announcement comes at a time of financial crisis at McGill, triggered by Quebec’s tuition hikes for out-of-province and international students. By investing in McGill Global in a time of financial insecurity, the university signals that it prioritizes global prestige over supporting its staff and students, the backbone of the Montreal campuses.

The Quebec provincial government, run by Premier François Legault, has recently doubled out-of-province tuition for English universities from approximately $9,000 CAD to $17,000 CAD in an attempt to protect the French language. Consequently, many prospective out-of-province students will likely be deterred from McGill, as the university’s tuition is no longer able to compete with that of other Canadian universities. For example, the tuition fee for the Faculty of Arts and Science for non-Ontario residents at the University of Toronto is $7,250 CAD, less than half of the current McGill equivalent. Enrollment of out-of-province and international students—whose minimum tuition is now set at $20,000 CAD—is expected to decrease dramatically as McGill becomes increasingly unaffordable. This will result in a net financial deficit for the university. McGill has announced its plan to cut $45 million from the 2025-2026 budget by laying off staff to reduce the workforce by 350-500 people, imposing a hiring freeze, and discontinuing student services, such as the Faculty of Medicine’s DEI office. 

In the midst of mass layoffs and termination of critical services for students studying at the Montreal campus, Saini maintains that satellite campuses will “expand opportunities for [McGill] students and faculty, grow [the] talent pool and amplify [McGill’s] impact.” By funding this project, the McGill brand can further its reputation and attract talent from regions where its outreach has previously been limited. However, this comes at the cost of essential services, resources, and jobs. While satellite campuses may add to a projected appearance of prestige, they inevitably neglect local McGillians, as their expensive tuition fees are used for McGill Global, a program that does not serve their needs. 

The tension between Saini’s push to broaden McGill’s international reach and the need to rebalance budgets following declines in international and out-of-province enrollment is a direct manifestation of a deeply entrenched conflict between the provincial government and anglophone universities: Language. McGill’s student body is exceptionally diverse, with approximately 25 per cent of incoming undergraduate students coming from other Canadian provinces and around 30 per cent coming from outside Canada. Still, students from Quebec consistently comprise 40-50 per cent of the annual incoming class, and about one in five McGill students have declared French to be their primary language. 

While policy solutions like tuition hikes for out-of-province students are a means through which to preserve Quebec’s French heritage, the provincial government’s hostility towards English speakers in Montreal reveals a cultural rigidity and a refusal to adapt. In pursuing the satellite campus project—likely in regions where French is not as culturally relevant—McGill is moving away from Quebec’s linguistic demands. Ironically, despite Legault’s insistence that he wants McGill to stay anchored in Quebec, the very policies meant to protect the French language may be driving McGill away from Quebec, rather than securing its future within it.

In trying to regain prestige and escape Quebec’s restrictive language laws through international expansion, McGill’s administration has prioritized its image over the well-being of students and staff. These price hikes burden students the most: On the one hand, tuition increases price out aspiring students, and on the other hand, university-sanctioned cuts to critical programs lead to a lower quality of education. If McGill is to be deserving of calling itself “a locally anchored, globally pre-eminent university,” it needs to uphold its responsibility to the students, staff, and city that built its reputation.