Members of the Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC), of which OCUFA is a member, are calling on Ross Romano and the Ontario government to provide Laurentian University with the necessary funding to secure the future of the university.
Students, staff, and faculty should not have to pay the price for the poor governance practices of an underfunded public institution. Ross Romano knew about Laurentian’s difficulties for six months, more than enough time to avoid this crisis. He knew what was coming and chose to do nothing, putting Laurentian’s future at risk.
Laurentian University is a cornerstone in Sudbury, as well as the rest of Northern Ontario. Sans l’université qui offre des programmes françcais, nos enfants vont perdre leur culture, leur langue. Miigwetch.
The CCAA process is inappropriate for a public university and should be stopped. The Ont. government should fund Laurentian appropriately, especially during a pandemic, as it serves underserved Indigenous and Francophone communities in Northern Ontario. The 4 government-appointed Board members should have exercised better oversight as well. Why did they miss what was going on financially at the university? The university would not be in this position if Ontario were not (still) LAST in Canada in terms of provincial funding for post-secondary education. How can Ontario compete in the global knowledge economy with this poor funding record? The Minister should now meet with ALL of the affected groups at Laurentian – Administrators, the Faculty Association, students and staff, and be actively involved in finding a solution.