Yanisa Kapetch, a student from Thailand studying digital media at a private college in British Columbia, unexpectedly found herself participating in campaign activities for a federal Conservative candidate. Kapetch traveled to Canada to attend Pacific Link College in Metro Vancouver. In December 2024, the college paused its in-class instruction to have students work at the campaign office of Conservative candidate Tamara Jansen during a federal byelection.
E-mails reviewed by CBC News indicated that the volunteer work for the campaign was presented as part of the students’ digital media course, with the promise that it could aid in securing permanent residency. Kapetch and another student from Pacific Link College shared their concerns regarding the campaign involvement, stating that it seemed unrelated to their studies, and they were unfamiliar with the candidate, Tamara Jansen.
Despite winning the byelection and serving as a member of parliament for the Cloverdale—Langley City riding, Jansen’s office claimed unawareness of the college’s involvement in the campaign. The college denied the allegations, asserting that student participation in volunteer opportunities, including political activities, was optional and emphasized its neutrality.
The students reported being instructed to engage in campaign activities, including door knocking and distributing flyers. They expressed reservations about the relevance of the tasks to their coursework and questioned the mandatory nature of the volunteer work. The college defended the program, stating it aimed to provide hands-on experience related to learning objectives.
One student filed a formal complaint seeking a tuition refund, citing poor education quality and the campaign involvement. The college refuted the allegations, stating that student participation was voluntary. An advocate for international student rights highlighted the challenges faced by students in confronting institutions and called for enhanced oversight of private colleges to safeguard students’ interests.
Efforts towards better oversight of designated learning institutions (DLIs) by federal and provincial authorities were recommended to ensure international students receive quality education in Canada.