On March 9 & 10, 2015, Wilfrid Laurier announced a series of layoffs to faculty and staff. Since the announcement, the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association (WLUFA) has been working to clarify how many positions have been lost or affected. Based on the administration’s “loose forecast,” 30.5 fulltime faculty positions will be lost, alongside 27 affected staff positions.
The faculty layoffs include:
- 75 contract academic staff stipends, amounting to 12.5 full-time equivalent positions
- 12 limited term appointments
- Six retirement positions not renewed
The staff positions include:
- 18 Wilfird Laurier University Staff Association (WLUSU) positions (13 layoffs and five people with reduced hours
- Nine CUPE positions
It appears that eight managements positions will be cut, with five of those coming through attrition.
These are significant cuts that will have a harmful effect on the quality of education at Laurier. OCUFA will be working with WLUFA to get more information on these layoffs, and assisting the association as it rolls out its response. OCUFA is also assisting the Nipissing University Faculty Association, who also experienced layoffs earlier in the year.