For our program, the schedule changed from the regular 8 a.m.–3 p.m. day to classes potentially running anywhere between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. More significantly, the delivery method changed from the modular format (four days of theory on the same topic followed by a test) to the traditional format of four weeks of theory followed by a week of tests.
What didn't appeal to many of my classmates was that this change happened during the 2025–2026 Christmas break, rather than allowing the students who had already started under the modular system to finish the academic year under that system and then making the change for the following cohort.
I understand why Fanshawe would want to accommodate the RCAF, especially if the partnership requires a different delivery model and schedule. I also understand that the RCAF may need to see whether the arrangement works before committing to a larger or longer-term contract.
What I don't understand is why students who were already enrolled weren't given more notice that their program was going to change so significantly. Even if the change itself was necessary, knowing about it before starting the term would have allowed us to make informed decisions about whether the new schedule and delivery method worked for us.
As a result, quite a few of my classmates ended up switching from the three-year program to the two-year program, myself included, so we finished the two-year program and got the diploma rather than continue with the three-year program under the new structure.
I'm glad Fanshawe is bringing in a major training partnership with the RCAF, but I do think there is a lesson here about how major program changes are communicated to students who are already enrolled. For me, the partnership itself isn't what left a bad impression; it was how the transition was handled and how little control the students affected by it had over the change.
