Enhancing Our Student Experience
Strategic Direction 1
Laurentian will be a university of choice for students through a focus on academic foundations, a strong sense of belonging and well-being, and a unique bilingual and tricultural experience.
This strategic direction was inspired by the following insights from the consultation and research process:
- Laurentian’s diverse student body, ranging from on-campus and mature students to those accustomed to virtual learning, shares a common goal: wanting to excel academically while enjoying vibrant experiences and building a sense of community.
- Laurentian, known for academic excellence and a tight-knit community, is seeking to enrich its campus culture and access to resources to strengthen its ability to recruit a diverse range of students locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
- Laurentian’s community, valuing its scenic, nature-connected campus as both an educational institution and a home, sees the importance of initiatives that enhance the campus for learning and living, including sharing in tricultural and bilingual experiences that make life at Laurentian unique.
Strategic Goals and Initiatives
To advance Connection, Innovation, and Impact in the student experience, Laurentian will:
Build Strong Foundations for Student Success and Well-being
- Foundations for Success: Through the Academic Plan, develop a comprehensive onboarding approach that supports students’ success and well-being in their academic journey, including courses that provide all students with the fundamentals they will need to be successful in a degree program.
- Extra-Curricular Experiences: Enhance Laurentian’s extra-curricular clubs and varsity and intramural athletics offerings to support student well-being.
- Elevate Bilingual and Tricultural Experiences: Integrate the bilingual and tricultural mandates into the Laurentian non-academic student experience and physical character.
- Strengthen Career Readiness: Enhance existing offerings aimed at equipping students with industry-relevant skills, practical experiences, and professional networking opportunities to ensure their successful transition into the workforce.
The Northern University of Choice
- Local and Indigenous Student Recruitment: Re-establish and further build relationships at the elementary and secondary levels with students, their families, school boards, and guidance counsellors to make Laurentian a first choice for pursuing a university education.
- Provincial & National Recruitment: Market the value of Laurentian’s tight-knit learning community and marquee academic and research programs to prospective students across Ontario and Canada.
- Strategic International Recruitment: Attract, recruit, and retain a diverse international student body, particularly from jurisdictions that are complementary to the bilingual and tricultural mandate.
Animate Laurentian’s Campus Environment
- Campus Masterplan: Refresh Laurentian’s long-term Campus Masterplan for the maintenance, renewal, preservation, and sustainable development of Laurentian’s academic, research, athletics, common space, and natural assets.
Related Goals within Academic Plan
- Goal 1 Attract and Retain Undergraduate Students
- Goal 2 Attract and Retain Graduate Students
- Goal 3 Enhance Student Onboarding and Wrap Around Student Support
- Goal 4 Expand and Enhance Opportunities for Non-Traditional Students
- Goal 5 Produce Career-Ready Graduates
Related Goals within Strategic Research Plan
- Goal 1 Strengthen Research Leadership
- Goal 2 Foster Inclusive Research Practices
- Goal 3 Simplify Research Administration
- Goal 4 Support Access to Research Funding Opportunities and Promote Research Outputs
- Goal 5 Promote Open Science while Balancing Research Security
2025 Key Performance Indicators
Laurentian continues steady enrolment growth
Laurentian released preliminary enrolment figures for the Fall 2025 term, showing that the overall student headcount remained consistent year-over-year. This stability was driven largely by a resurgence of interest from domestic students, with domestic enrolment rising by 8%. Notably, the university reported a historic milestone in its bilingual mandate, with 27% of the student population studying in a French language degree program, the highest proportion in the university’s history.
While the domestic growth was a positive indication of a recovering reputation and strong community ties, it was counterbalanced by shifting global trends. Consistent with the broader sector, Laurentian saw a decline in international enrolment, which decreased by 28%.
Students excel at robotics competition in South Korea
At an impressive showing at the FIRA Roboworld Cup 2025 held in Daegu, South Korea, Laurentian University’s Snobots and Roboparks teams brought home multiple awards.
Eleven University Teams Compete in Goodman Gold Challenge
The 7th Annual Goodman Gold Challenge welcomed eleven teams from across the continent. In this realistic mining investment case competition, presented by Kinross Gold and organized by the Goodman School of Mines, teams of undergraduate students act as finance firms looking to invest in a mining company.
Laurentian University MBA Students Excel in International X
Students from Laurentian University’s Global Management MBA program, led by Professor Rana Haq, achieved remarkable success in the 2024 X-Culture project, a prestigious global business challenge that brought together more than 6,000 students from 171 universities across 47 countries.
2025 Strategic Goals Progress
Build Strong Foundations for Student Success and Well-being
| Strategic Initiatives | KPI | 2025 (baseline) |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations for Success: Through the Academic Plan, develop a comprehensive onboarding approach that supports students’ success and well-being in their academic journey, including courses that provide all students with the fundamentals they will need to be successful in a degree program. | Graduation rate as reported to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities | 73.08% |
| Extra-Curricular Experiences: Enhance Laurentian’s extracurricular clubs and varsity and intramural athletics offerings to support student well-being. | Student participation in extra-curricular activities | Phased in for later implementation |
| Elevate Bilingual and Tricultural Experiences: Integrate the bilingual and tricultural mandates into the Laurentian non-academic student experience and physical character. | Number of activities in French or bilingual activities | 49 |
| Number of activities related to Indigenous content | 33 | |
| Strengthen Career Readiness: Enhance existing offerings aimed at equipping students with industry-relevant skills, practical experiences, and professional networking opportunities to ensure their successful transition into the workforce. | Graduate employment rate as reported to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities | 96.33% |
| Students graduating with an experiential learning and/ or work-integrated learning experience | 69.97% |
The Northern University of Choice
| Strategic Initiatives | KPI | 2025 (baseline) |
|---|---|---|
| Local and Indigenous Student Recruitment: Re-establish and further build relationships at the elementary and secondary levels with students, their families, school boards, and guidance counsellors to make Laurentian a first choice for pursuing a university education. | Student registrations year over year from the Greater Sudbury Area | 2,528 |
| Provincial & National Recruitment: Market the value of Laurentian’s tight-knit learning community and marquee academic and research programs to prospective students across Ontario and Canada. | Student registrations year over year from Ontario (outside Greater Sudbury) and Canada (outside Ontario) | Ontario (excl. Sudbury): 3,448 Canada (excl. Ontario): 1,071 |
| Strategic International Recruitment: Attract, recruit, and retain a diverse international student body, particularly from jurisdictions that are complementary to the bilingual and tricultural mandate. | Student applications and registrations year over year for international students | 1,194 |
Animate Laurentian’s Campus Environment
| Strategic Initiatives | KPI | 2025 (baseline) |
|---|---|---|
| Campus Masterplan: Refresh Laurentian’s long-term Campus Masterplan for the maintenance, renewal, preservation, and sustainable development of Laurentian’s academic, research, athletics, common space, and natural assets. | Percentage completion in the renewal and implementation of the Campus Masterplan | Planning underway |