Vancouver Island University is eliminating most of the general interest programming it offers.
Spokeswoman Toni O'Keeffe said the open enrolment, personal interest courses offered at VIU, such as head massage, introductory photography courses or Reiki, will no longer be available by December.
The Centre for Continuing Studies also had its own marketing and registration departments, which will be eliminated, resulting in the loss of eight administrative positions.
Cost is the main motivation for the changes, which the institution has considered for the past two years, said O'Keeffe.
Eliminating the separate marketing and registration departments will trim duplicated overhead expenses, enrolment in general interest courses has waned in recent years, and similar courses are already offered by the city, the regional district and other community practitioners, she added.
"There's so many people taking that stuff online now," said O'Keeffe. "We've had to cancel a lot of courses."
The reorganization is expected to save VIU between $500,000 and $1 million annually, which the institution will use to focus on serving the regional community and meeting emerging employment needs.
O'Keeffe said the skill development and credential programs currently managed by the continuing studies department will be overseen by whichever academic or trades department the course fits under – for example, a business management course will be a part of the business faculty and the hospital unit coordinator credential program will be part of the health and human services faculty.
The university's adult basic education services will be handled by the executive director of student services while the ElderCollege program, which is unique to the area and thriving, will continue.
The university hopes to find jobs for the eight displaced workers through natural attrition, said O'Keeffe.
Suzanne Samborski, senior manager of recreation and culture with the City of Nanaimo, said it's too early to tell if there will be a spike in demand from the public for the city's personal interest courses as the university stops offering them.
She said the city offers many of the same types of personal interest courses as VIU.