After years of expansion to accommodate surging student numbers, St. Clair College is now contracting its downtown Windsor footprint in response to a sharp decline in international enrollment. The college has announced it will pause multiple programs and leave some downtown facilities unused for the upcoming academic year.
Downtown Campus Contraction
"Obviously, our footprint in the downtown core is a bit larger, and with some of the program changes, with the reduced enrolment and so forth, we're seeing a contraction in the downtown core," stated St. Clair College president Michael Silvaggi. This strategic shift comes as the institution grapples with changing enrollment patterns that have forced a reevaluation of its physical presence in Windsor's urban center.
MediaPlex Facility to Sit Empty
The most significant change involves the college's downtown MediaPlex building, which will not host any courses during the 2026-27 academic year. This 16,000-square-foot multimedia learning hub, established in 2010 within a refurbished Salvation Army building, previously housed programs including journalism, public relations, and media convergence - all of which remain temporarily suspended.
Additional Downtown Space Changes
The MediaPlex is just one component of St. Clair's downtown realignment. The college had been leasing space at 333 Riverside Drive West, which has remained unoccupied since September of last year. Meanwhile, classes continue at One Riverside Drive West, home to the Zekelman School of Business and Information Technology, though Silvaggi confirmed this leased space is not part of the college's long-term plans, with a vacating timeline yet to be finalized.
Enrollment Decline Driving Changes
The shrinking downtown presence directly correlates with a substantial downturn in overall student enrollment. In 2025, total enrollment across St. Clair's Windsor and Chatham campuses plummeted 23 percent, dropping from 12,235 students to just 9,383. This included 7,645 domestic students and 1,732 international students, with foreign student enrollment alone decreasing by nearly 3,000 students.
Consolidation Strategy
"As our enrolment has declined in downtown ... we are able to consolidate our operations and take a smarter approach and try to find some efficiencies," explained Silvaggi. The college's priority moving forward involves relocating programs to the main campus in South Windsor or consolidating them at the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts, which will remain the primary downtown educational hub.
Future Campus Configuration
"The St. Clair College Centre for the Arts is planned to be our primary building downtown," Silvaggi emphasized. "It's still our primary building, but certainly that will be consolidated with all our programs that are continuing to run down there for the next year." This consolidation represents a significant operational shift for an institution that had previously expanded its downtown presence to accommodate record enrollment growth.
The college's strategic realignment reflects broader challenges facing educational institutions dependent on international student enrollment, with St. Clair College now implementing measures to adapt to changing demographic and enrollment realities while maintaining educational quality for remaining students.
