File photo (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

NEW SEMESTER

TRU welcomes back students, adapts to the changing landscape of post-secondary education

Aug 28, 2025 | 4:31 PM

KAMLOOPS — The new semester at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is set to get underway next week, under a whole new dynamic of student enrollment. Federal mandates have lowered the amount of international students allowed to enter the country, leading to a decline at TRU and a subsequent push for more domestic students to enroll. While they won’t be alone in the new age of Canadian post-secondary, it will be on the individual insinuations to learn, grow and adapt to the new reality.

Back in February, TRU reported an overall 19 per cent decline in international student numbers on campus in Kamloops. It comes as a result of increased restrictions imposed by the federal government.

“This is going to be something of a shared journey for us and adapting to our new context for international enrollments, a new wider environment of technology and our desire to be a university that says something that’s good, does something that is good for our planet, as well,” TRU President Airini told CFJC Today Thursday (Aug. 28).

While the challenges will not be unique for TRU, the university is choosing to attack them head-on, acknowledging the need to adapt to the new reality of post-secondary.

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“We are seeing this as an opportunity for strategic transformation,” said Airini. “We are committed to being a unique university that unifies, vocational and higher education, that is committed to not only excellence in our education and research offering but also to access.”

The TRU Student Union (TRUSU) has already seen the changing demographics coming through its doors as the semester nears.

“I think the institutions that survive in the post-international boom and do really well are going to be the ones that are really responsive to their students and employees,” said TRUSU Executive Director Nathan Lane. “And I think the student unions role is to be that conduit, so that people can have opportunities to share what they are experiencing and then see the institution be responsive to that.”

Lane believes the voices of students will be critical in helping shape the future of the university.

“When you have a constant flow of students, there isn’t a lot of pressure to be responsive to courses, to service needs,” said Lane. “I think every enrollment matters more than it ever mattered, so now is going to be a really good time for students to work closely with the university — so express the kinds of things they want to see at their university.”

TRU has seen a 28 per cent increase to domestic applications. Meanwhile, 300-to-400 new international students were welcomed in on Thursday at TRU, hailing from 50 different countries. It’s the voices of both that will help shape the universities future.

“Students, no matter where they come from, are really our raison d’être (reason for being) as a university. They are like our heartbeat as such,” said Airini. “Having that connection to student voice, and to do that in a meaningful way is how we are at TRU.”