TORONTO, April 16, 2021 — Only days after watching Laurentian University collapse without raising a finger, Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano is now steamrolling ahead with additional detrimental changes to Ontario’s university system. With no warning or consultation, Romano announced that the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) would no longer be able […]
TORONTO, April 14, 2021 — Today, OCUFA President Rahul Sapra and LUFA President Fabrice Colin called for the resignations of Laurentian University President Robert Haché, Vice-President Academic and Provost Marie-Josée Berger, Vice-President Administration Lorella Hayes, Board Chair Claude Lacroix, Registrar Serge Demers, and Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano for their roles in […]
TORONTO, April 12, 2021 — Following news that approximately 60 programs have been cut at Laurentian University and that over 80 faculty members have lost their jobs, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations is calling for the resignation of Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano. These devastating cuts are the direct result of […]
Political action The Save Our Sudbury community group of faculty, students, labour unions, and community members held a hugely successful car rally. Over 100 participants came together in spite of rain and snow to demand the province provide funding. You can watch pre-recorded speeches from students, faculty, politicians, and union leaders speaking about why Laurentian […]
TORONTO, April 6, 2021—Today, the Laurentian University Senate was asked to vote on a restructuring package that included program terminations and also faculty and departmental reorganizations. The Senators received the notice for the meeting on Thursday, April 1, right before the Easter long weekend, and did not receive the package of materials until the meeting was convened today. The meeting […]
In late February, faculty from across Ontario held virtual meetings with elected Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) to urge the Ontario government to step-up and provide Laurentian University with the strong, stable, and long-term funding it needs. Faculty across Ontario are deeply concerned about the precedent and far-reaching implications Laurentian’s funding crisis could have for […]
Political action OCUFA has been busy coordinating political action in support of the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) and increased funding for the university sector as a whole. OCUFA members from across Northern Ontario have been attending Save Our Sudbury (SOS) meetings to plan upcoming actions to amplify the SOS Car Rally this Sunday . Our allies have also been […]
This Saturday, March 27 the OFL will be hosting the first ever Education Assembly to unite workers, students, and parents from child care through postsecondary education. COVID-19 has made navigating education systems more difficult than ever. This Saturday’s discussion will focus on developing education systems that keep everyone healthy and safe. OFL Education Assembly Saturday, […]
TORONTO, March, 24, 2021—Ontario’s university faculty and academic librarians are disappointed that the 2021 Ontario Budget fails to adequately invest in Ontario’s universities to put them on secure financial footing. University faculty and academic librarians have played an essential role developing the science and research that continues to inform Ontario’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
TORONTO, Mar 19, 2021 — Ontario’s faculty and academic librarians are appalled and dismayed that none of the $106.4 million in new postsecondary funding announced by the Ontario government has been allocated to Laurentian University. This funding is purportedly designed to go to institutions most severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but it excludes the […]
As the Laurentian University administration continues its attempts to drastically restructure the university through the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, OCUFA has increased our efforts to pressure Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano and the Ford government to step in and provide Laurentian with the funding it needs to secure its future. Since Laurentian is […]
TORONTO, Mar 17, 2021 — OCUFA believes that Humber College’s new stand-alone nursing degree program is unnecessary and short-sighted. Current university programs and joint university-college programs already provide a quality, well-rounded nursing education that is based on science and encompasses hands-on training and research. Like many of the Ford government’s postsecondary education initiatives, this is […]
Laurentian University President Robert Haché’s recent claim that the Companies Creditors’ Arrangement Act (CCAA) process provides a constructive format to engage with stakeholders is not reflected in reality. Instead, the costly CCAA process reduces students, faculty, and staff to the status of creditors, from which the university seeks to protect itself. The CCAA is designed […]
Today, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario (CUPE Ontario), and Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) filed an appeal to unseal correspondence between Laurentian University and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities that relates to the insolvency being claimed by Laurentian University. The Laurentian University insolvency engages a […]
In response to the events unfolding at Laurentian University, OCUFA’s Grievance Committee passed the following motion of solidarity while calling on the Ontario government to provide immediate funding to the university. BE IT RESOLVED THAT the OCUFA Grievance Committee declares its solidarity with the Laurentian University Faculty Association – l’Association des professeures et professeurs de […]
