2021 Laurentian University financial crisis
University insolvency in Ontario, Canada / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2021-22 Laurentian University Crisis is a controversial and unprecedented financial crisis at Laurentian University in northern Ontario, Canada. After experiencing financial difficulties over a period of years, the university filed for creditor protection on February 1, 2021.[1][2] The university subsequently closed 69 undergraduate and graduate programs and terminated 195 faculty and staff with little notice or severance. The federated universities of Laurentian eliminated 143 positions. Approximately 932 students were affected.[3][4][5] It also marked the first time in Canadian history that a public university sought to restructure under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA).
Also known as | French: Crise à l'Université Laurentienne de 2021-22 |
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The crisis has provoked sharp criticism of both the university administration and the Premiership of Doug Ford as well as sparking discussion of the state of postsecondary education in Canada, including Indigenous and Franco-Ontarian education.[6][7][8][9] Concerns have also been raised about the impact of the cuts on the cultural and economic life of northern Ontario, with estimates predicting an economic cost of over $100 million to the city of Greater Sudbury.[10]
The auditor general's final report from November 2022 acknowledged external factors in the crisis, but identified the primary cause of the crisis as the poorly planned capital expansions that were exacerbated by administrative bloat and weak board and provincial oversight. The report confirmed that the instigation of CCAA restructuring was strategically planned by the administration on the advice of external counsel, thus bypassing the collective agreement provisions with the faculty union regarding financial exigency.