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Raising awareness on the importance of consent

Raising awareness on the importance of consent

Consent video launch part of ongoing commitment to student safety.

(September 20, 2022) - As part of our ongoing commitment to student safety, Laurentian University is proud to partner with Cambrian College, Collège Boréal, the Greater Sudbury Police Service and Sudbury & Area Victim Services to raise awareness on the importance of consent. 

Any form of sexual activity without consent is sexual assault. Consent is legally required and necessary. We are proud to launch our collaboration video that discusses the importance of obtaining consent, the law around consent, and some support options available to individuals affected by sexual violence.

Members of the media are invited to attend the launch of the video that was made possible by the Government of Ontario through the Proceeds of Crime Front-line Policing Grant. The video launch will take place at 11:30 a.m. on September 22, 2022 in the Laurentian University Student Centre.  

Sexual assault is extremely underreported and we are working hard to change that by committing to innovative and collaborative efforts focused on awareness and education. 

Laurentian University community members who have been affected by sexual violence can seek confidential assistance from the Equity, Diversity and Humans Rights Office for options, supports and resources. 

If you have experienced a sexual assault, you also have various options for reporting the incident(s) to Police* if and when you are ready to do so. In the case of an emergency, if you are in danger or need medical assistance, if the incident just took place, or the person responsible is nearby, please call 9-1-1 immediately. If you are reporting a sexual assault after the fact and you do not believe that you require immediate assistance, you can call Police at 705-675-9171 or you can report it online through the online reporting option on the GSPS website (www.gsps.ca). Under the “Reporting” heading you will find a page dedicated to sexual assault reporting with additional information including a “Sexual Assault Survivors Guide”. 

We recognize that this is a very difficult time for Survivors and we want to provide you with the assistance, resources and support that you require.

*It is always an individual's choice whether or not to report the incident to the Police. 

Groundbreaking new Indigenous Course Offering at Laurentian

Groundbreaking new Indigenous Course Offering at Laurentian

Following the University’s Tricultural mandate, Laurentian University is proud to introduce a groundbreaking new Indigenous curriculum with the first course launching this fall. The new courses offer Anishnaabe earth-based courses that correspond with the four directions and center hub teaching model. The courses offered will focus on oral, participatory, and immersive language learning.

The first course offered will be the Anishnaabemowin Land-Based Immersion: Bngishmok: The Western Direction course taking place from September 17 – 24, 2022. The course will provide students with an opportunity to participate in an 8-day camp environment where they will learn to speak Anishnaabemowin through listening to, and participating in, Anishnaabe teachings and stories. It will be open to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners.

The development and launch of this innovative curriculum closely follows the recommendations developed by the Laurentian Truth and Reconciliation Task Force summary report. This was developed to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Report which issued the 94 Calls to Action for Canadians from all walks of life. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls on institutions of higher learning to provide programs and curriculum that integrate Indigenous knowledge for Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners. Laurentian is committed to collaborating with Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers, and local community partners to develop the Indigenous courses and content. 

This unique immersive 8-day course will offer a deep learning experience that has the potential to open students to new ways of knowing and being. Participants can expect to have a greater and deeper understanding of their relationship to the earth and to each other, as expressed within Anishnaabe four directional teachings and embedded within Anishnaabemowin language.

To learn more about this course and register, please contact Kevin Fitzmaurice at kfitzmaurice@laurentian.ca.

Grateful that Laurentian has a chance at renewal

Grateful that Laurentian has a chance at renewal

by Jeff Bangs, Chair of Board of Governors – Laurentian University

I cannot recall ever going through the full range of emotions the way I did waiting for the results of this vote, the judgment of creditors on Laurentian’s plan to recover, rebuild and chart a better future.

Usually, the outcome of a vote clearly indicates if you are on the winning or losing side. Not this time around.

So much was lost by so many in the lead up to this pivotal moment. We must never forget that.

Make no mistake though, we have given ourselves the chance to redefine LU and together write a new and brighter chapter featuring transparency, collegiality and accountability.

As we enter the fall recruitment season to attract students for the 2023 school year , it is important that our staff and faculty who play such a huge role in promoting Laurentian are able, for the first time in many years, to lean into the task without the burden of a pandemic and an insolvency process weighing them down. We can once again say with confidence that if a student enrolls at Laurentian, they will be able to complete their studies here.
Of course, the transformative changes the university needs will not all happen overnight. As stated in the Plan of Arrangement, we are looking at a multi-year effort toward a sustainable and financially viable future. The first step was taking back control with the support of creditors.

It is now in our hands to continue the healing process and undertake the rebuilding phase. As Chair of the Board of Governors, I am committed to doing so by creating a bigger tent, one that is more inclusive and more transparent about the steps we intend to take – with greater input from union partners, staff, students, retirees and employers – to put this institution back on the path to success in a way its never seen before.

Over the past nine months the university has experienced a complete turnover in Board membership, signaled changes in the highest management ranks and started forming new relationships based on mutual trust and respect. Reports that have been done on operations and governance, and even the advice and observations of the Auditor General, will be important points of reflection to ensure that the mistakes of the past are never repeated. We owe it to the Greater Sudbury community; present and future students; the faculty of today and tomorrow; and our staff team who keep our campus running at all levels to press forward with the goal of making Laurentian University’s comeback story a case study in resilience, determination, and belief in the value of postsecondary education.

Gratitude is in order for those who endorsed our Plan of Arrangement as is respect for the views of those who did not. A new and different kind of hard work begins today to ensure the rare chance we’ve been given is not wasted, that trust is earned, and stronger relationships guide us to a brighter future.

Miigwetch. Merci. Thank you.

Laurentian University Creditors Vote to Approve Plan of Arrangement

Laurentian University Creditors Vote to Approve Plan of Arrangement

Major achievement puts university on track for successful emergence from CCAA proceedings

Sudbury ON, September 14, 2022  –  Laurentian University today announced that its creditors have voted to approve the Plan of Arrangement filed with the Superior Court of Justice in July, clearing the way for the university to proceed to seek court approval of the Plan and, following implementation of the Plan, emergence from the CCAA proceedings. The Plan represents the culmination of more than 18 months of collaboration by Laurentian and its creditors, union leaders and key stakeholders. The vote is a significant milestone for the university as it seeks to emerge from CCAA as a successful and sustainable institution for the long-term. 

“We are pleased by the confidence shown by Laurentian’s creditors and all our stakeholders as a result of this vote,” said Jeff Bangs, Chair of Laurentian University’s Board of Governors. “It’s exciting to see the community unite toward the common goal of ensuring that Laurentian University will operate for years to come as a critical part of the fabric and economy of Northern Ontario. This vote puts us one step closer to that reality.”

Now that the Plan has been approved by creditors, a court Order will be sought by Laurentian on October 5, 2022, which allows the Plan to be implemented following satisfaction of certain conditions. Once the Plan is implemented, Laurentian will have successfully emerged from its CCAA restructuring as a financially sustainable university with a solid path for future success. Implementation of the Plan is expected to occur later this fall.

“We are grateful for the ongoing support of the Government of Ontario, and for the active participation of all of our partners throughout this difficult process,” added Bangs. “While there is still work to be done, this milestone sends a strong message to current and future students, to our dedicated staff and faculty, to anyone within the Laurentian community, and to people throughout the North. We’re confident we will soon emerge from the restructuring stronger than before and with a sense of renewed optimism.”

Work Study program prepares students for career success

Work Study program prepares students for career success

Students develop workplace skills.

(September 6, 2022) - Laurentian University’s Work Study program, organized by the CareerHub within the Student Success Centre offers students a variety of part-time employment opportunities across campus. The program fosters a wide range of skills relevant to the workplace. 

Speaking about the impact of Work Study, Student Employment Advisor, Andrew Dale explains: “This program is here to service students and support the development of work experience in productive and meaningful ways.” While Work Study students contribute to the values and mission of the University, the program was developed keeping in mind first and foremost, the student experience.

Supervisors also play an important role in the success of Work Study because “great supervisors help students reflect on their experiences throughout the work term, and help them find fulfillment in these experiences,” said Dale. 

Program eligibility is based on financial need, course enrolment, domestic student status, and the submission of a Work Study application. 

Fourth-year Concurrent Education and English student, Mia Tucker, said that working as the Communications Intern this spring and summer, has been rewarding: “I have learned so many new skills and workplace values that will be beneficial in my career once I graduate. I am glad I am able to work for my university and, in turn, help this amazing community at Laurentian continue to grow. Being a part of something bigger is a really nice feeling to have in your workplace.”

When it comes to 2022-2023 fall and winter semesters, Work Study applications are well underway. There are over 100 student positions available, all designed with the idea that students have a range of talents and interests. Positions are offered in a variety of departments such as Liaison Services, Accessibility Services, Counseling and Wellness, Student Success, Campus Recreation and more. Research positions are also available across Laurentian faculties. 

To Ana Tremblay, fourth-year History student, Peer Advisor, and part-time employee who supports the Work Study program: “My employment through Work Study has given me the opportunity to explore my professional interests while also prioritizing my studies. I've also been able to better understand and advocate for student needs because of the work I support in my position.” Tremblay also serves as the Student General Associations’ Vice President of Education and President of Pride Laurentian. 

Other services offered by the CareerHub include job postings, internship opportunities, careers fairs, employment counselling, job search support, resume, cover letter and interview advising, and employment and career workshops.  

To learn more about the Work Study program, email: workstudy@laurentian.ca.
 

Laurentian University researchers to participate in $8.6M national SSHRC Partnership Grant

Laurentian University researchers to participate in $8.6M national SSHRC Partnership Grant

Project to address quality in public environments, urban spaces, buildings and landscapes.

(September 2, 2022) - To impact the everyday lives of Canadians across the country, we require a diversity of ideas and researchers. This unique Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) project of unprecedented scale in the design disciplines in Canada will see 14 universities, 70 researchers and over 68 public and private organizations at the municipal, provincial and national levels come together in partnership. They will address the diversity of public environments that impact Canadians in urban spaces, buildings and landscapes. This collaborative five-year Partnership Grant (PG) “Quality in Canada’s Build Environment: Roadmaps to Equity, Social Value and Sustainability,” includes three Laurentian University principal researchers, and is funded in the amount of $8.6M ($2.5M from SSHRC and $6.1M from partners, including $4.2M through in-kind contributions). 

Each research cluster is composed of a university, a city, citizen groups, and a professional association who are engaged in awards programs. This is repeated across the country at 14 universities. In Sudbury, the SSHRC research cluster is supported by multiple local community partners including the City of Greater Sudbury, the Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury and Uptown Sudbury Community Action Network (CAN). The full list of official co-applicants, collaborators and partners across the nation can be found on SSHRC’s results platform. 

The overall PG will stimulate a vital dialog demonstrating how those who create the built public environments across Canada can contribute to a redefinition of quality, beginning with awarded buildings since 2000. The goal is to move Canada’s built environment toward heightened equity, more social value and greater sustainability at a critical moment for our societies and for our planet. 

The PG program has three aims:

  • 1. Analyzing the current limitations of environmental norms and sustainability models to bring us closer to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
  • 2. Co-creating new paths to equity, diversity and inclusion in the built environment;
  • 3. Defining new frameworks for the definition of quality so as to enhance the social value of the built environment through roadmaps to quality.

While many Laurentian members, including undergraduate and graduate students, will contribute to this partnership, Dr. Terrance Galvin (site leader), Prof. Shannon Bassett, and Dr. Thomas Strickland are principally involved. All are eager to collaborate and anticipate that this partnership will introduce many opportunities of involvement for students, especially those enroled at the McEwen School of Architecture. In fact, this interdisciplinary and collaborative effort will stimulate training, internships and connections between hundreds of students and communities of practice across Canada.

Dr. Galvin, Full Professor and Founding Director of the McEwen School of Architecture, is past President of the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB), and has served on numerous boards governing architectural education and practice in Canada. Galvin’s extensive applied research regarding local technologies and cultural sustainability has led to collaborations with communities in Peru, India, Thailand, Mexico and Canada. “Laurentian University and professors at the McEwen School of Architecture are proud to be part of this SSHRC Partnership Grant, with its pan-Canadian consortium. We’re actively working together on our five-year research cluster in Greater Sudbury, and hope to provide insight and make change regarding Material Culture and Social Prosperity for Northern Ontario with both local and national partners in this endeavor.”

Assistant Professor, Bassett, trained as an Architect and Urban Designer with a focus on ecological urbanism, is also the Advisory Chair and Co-Founder of BEA(N) - Building Equality in Architecture North. She brings expertise to this partnership with her design research on ecological urbanism, which is an approach that places nature at the center of the design process to create solutions to social, economic, and environmental challenges facing the 21st Century city. “We are interested in the idea that what we as humans build, is not just a building. It is part of a larger landscape, either cultural or ecological.” 

Dr. Strickland, Assistant Professor, explores the capacity for the built environment to be sustenance for human rights with an emphasis on quality of life and health. His research in health and the built environment received support from CIHR Strategic Research Initiative and the Canadian Center for Architecture. Strickland’s trans-disciplinary approach draws from Material Culture studies, or, as he describes it, “how we make, consume, interact, behave and create rituals with the things around us.” Recent research collaborations include exhibitions with Jiwar Creació i Societat, the ACATHI Foundation, Better Beginnings Better Futures, Point de Vu, and the Ontario Association of Architects. “The wide-reach of this partnership is immediately impactful, I’m looking forward to next steps.”

Outcomes of the Partnership Grant include “roadmaps to quality” (guidebooks, analyses of exemplary case studies, resources for design thinking and proposals for public policies, etc.). These will constitute a bilingual “Living Atlas on Quality in the Built Environment” set on a digital platform created with the support of the Canada Foundation for Innovation. The Living Atlas will offer open access to repertories of award-winning projects, case studies, comparative analyses, scientific resources and articles, interpretative didactic podcasts, analogical maps and visualizations.

The SSHRC PG just had its first 3-day conference with all 14 research sites at Université de Montréal from August 24-26. William Morin, a local Anishinaabe artist, educator, activist and community leader was invited to represent the Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury. An experienced professor Morin has worked as an Indigenous cultural advisor at the McEwen School of Architecture, where he will continue this fall as a sessional professor. At the conference, Morin echoed an “inclusive” message presented by other Indigenous participants, citing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the 94 calls to action from that report. He stressed the need for all Canadians to be better informed of our shared history, and to teach that new knowledge at all levels of our daily lives. “There is a direct relationship between housing and our health index.” Offering the suggestion to architects and educators present, Morin proposed; “if a house or building goes up [in the city], one is also built on a reserve…. how is that for ‘Reconciliation'?” We need to work together for all Canadians to have a liveable community to thrive in.

Research on case studies and student seminars will continue at each University this fall and winter. The overall Partnership Grant’s PI is Dr. Jean-Pierre Chupin, a Canada Research Chair at Université de Montréal.
 

Laurentian University launches fall Orientation

Laurentian University launches fall Orientation

University community ready to welcome new and returning students to campus.

(September 1, 2022) - The summer flew by, and here we are, preparing for another fall semester. As September begins, Laurentian University launches its fall Orientation program, a welcome week for new and returning students designed to help students stay positive, healthy, and connected. 

This year’s number of incoming students represents an increase from 2021 and they are very much looking forward to a more traditional in-person welcome week, even as face coverings will be required in all instructional spaces where distance cannot be maintained.

For students who have chosen to live on campus, residence move-in begins September 1st through to September 3rd. While activities are planned to welcome students to their new homes, Residence Life also provides support to students needing a helping hand getting settled.

Following residence move-in days, September 4th brings back the ever-popular “Beach Day,” an event that students can anticipate will offer opportunities for team building and making new friends. Orientation events offered through September 12th include campus tours, Varsity soccer home openers, cultural teachings (like fire keeper and wiigwam teachings), a carnival day, a game night and a scavenger hunt. The Sacred Fire will be lit in the fire pit area outside the Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre’s Round Room from September 5th-9th and all are welcome to join.

To ensure Orientation is accessible to all, some events are offered in hybrid or online formats.

Corie Ann Flesch, Student Transitions Coordinator and Academic Advisor, and alumna of Psychologie (BA) and Interdisciplinary Health (MA) programs, is confident that fall Orientation will have a positive impact on students: “We want students to come to campus knowing that this [Laurentian] is a community. It really is a welcoming and caring environment and we hope that students come back with a renewed sense of support and belonging.”

Keeping this in mind, an academic orientation day will be held on campus on September 6th. Participating students are encouraged to attend information sessions at which they will learn about academic resources and other support systems that contribute to good physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being. 

“Our focus this year in planning Orientation was not just about educating students about resources available on campus, but also about ensuring they have the best tools at their disposal to access these systems of support, successfully,” said Emma Groulx, third year Biomedical Biology student and Career, Events and Outreach Coordinator. Groulx explains that welcome booths will be located in the centre of campus in the R.D.-Parker building not only during Orientation week, but ongoingly as the first few weeks of the semester are underway. 

The energy across campus is already palpable, and students returning to or beginning their first year at Laurentian are all a part of this excitement. 

For more information about fall Orientation and to view the schedule of events, please visit laurentian.ca/orientation.
 

Revolutionizing the rehabilitation of stroke patients with the help of Laurentian graduates

Revolutionizing the rehabilitation of stroke patients with the help of Laurentian graduates

Local company, IRegained, making a positive impact on the health of the community.

(August 23, 2022) - When Vineet Benjamin K. Johnson founded IRegained in 2016, a company dedicated to revolutionizing the rehabilitation of stroke patients, Johnson knew he needed to hire a team of professionals trained in a variety of disciplines including engineering, computational sciences and kinesiology. Global statistics inform that 70% of stroke patients require hand rehabilitation. That’s where IRegained and the invention of the MyHand™ system comes in. It’s also where Laurentian graduates come in, as approximately 60% of staff at IRegained are Laurentian University alumni.

The MyHand™ system is a scientifically proven, smart, digital rehabilitation system that rewires the brain through the power of neuroplasticity. According to Johnson, this system has contributed to incredible results in the recovery of stroke patients and the use of their hands, enhancing their quality of life.

Rakshit Sorathiya, Master’s of Computational Science graduate and Computer Programmer at IRegained helped develop the technology behind the MyHand™ system: “Through proper guidance from IRegained mentors and professors at Laurentian University, it was a great experience to come up with the new technology. Working on IOP devices, like the microcontrollers, was a totally new experience for me.”

Britney Lamarche, Master’s of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering graduate and Mechanical Engineering Research and Development Lead at IRegained added: “I feel like the role I have at IRegained isn’t like very many other engineering jobs you might get. Because we are such a small company, we actually dip our toes into a bit of everything. So although I am in an engineering position, I am not only doing design work on the computer, I'm also assembling the device [MyHand™ system], seeing patients using it, troubleshooting it, redesigning it.”

Eric Dumais, Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology graduate and Clinical Research Lead at IRegained also spoke positively about his work: “My position is rewarding in a couple of different ways….We have a chance to make a difference in people’s lives. Many of the [stroke] patients we have served had almost no hope when we met them….When you can consistently deliver high quality care with the help of world-leading technology, it just feels awesome.”

Looking into the future, IRegained founder, CEO and President, Johnson, observes: “There is lots that can be done.” IRegained hopes to launch The MyHand™ system as telemedicine within the next few years so that patients can connect remotely with a therapist while using the device from home. Due to the wide impact strokes can have on the body, IRegained is also keen on expanding from the hand to other body parts that may benefit from rehabilitation post stroke.

For Johnson, “it is very important to hire local.” That’s why employing graduates from Laurentian University makes sense. He speaks fondly about his team, and describes being proud of the impact they are making on the lives of so many. And this is just the beginning for IRegained. With the help of Laurentian graduates, IRegained is sure to continue to make positive contributions in stroke rehabilitation for years to come.

To learn more about IRegained, visit their website or follow them on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

You can also listen to a recent interview that IRegained founder, CEO and President, Johnson Vineet Benjamin K. Johnson, supported, via this link. 

Cautious Optimism As Confirmation Data Beats Expectations

Cautious Optimism As Confirmation Data Beats Expectations

Laurentian University sees increase in overall confirmed students for 2022.

(August 22, 2022) - Laurentian University is reporting a 25% year-over-year increase in overall confirmed students, a positive sign for the Fall Academic Semester in 2022.

This increase reflects all incoming domestic and international students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including transfer, mature, and online students. Both the increase in, and diversity of confirmed students provides optimism for the University’s future and upcoming academic year.

“With a successful emergence from CCAA on the horizon, and after undertaking a comprehensive academic restructuring to align LU’s program and course offerings with what students want to learn, LU is well positioned to view future enrolment with optimism”, said Jeff Bangs, Chair of Laurentian’s Board of Governors. “With our dedicated staff, faculty and community support we are confident that Laurentian will attract more and more students as we emerge from a period of unprecedented uncertainty.”

As part of this incoming year, the University is seeing an increase in confirmations from international students - something the University has been seeking to achieve in order to diversify the student body.  

By the numbers, 2022 vs 2021:

  • Overall confirmant % change + 25%
  • OUAC* is reporting domestic, high school confirmants (101) at -23.9%
  • OUAC is reporting domestic transfer, mature and online students (105) at +34.4%
  • OUAC is reporting total domestic undergraduate confirmants (101+105) at -1.7%
  • Laurentian’s internal data is reporting undergraduate international confirmants at +37.0%
  • Laurentian’s internal data is reporting total domestic graduate confirmants at +32%

*It is important to note the above OUAC numbers reflect only a portion of students that may contribute to Laurentian’s overall incoming cohort; OUAC numbers are not a complete representation of Laurentian’s total enrolment. Not included in the OUAC data above: new incoming domestic graduate, international undergraduate and international graduate confirmations, as well as all returning students.
 
The University is set to begin classes for the Fall Academic Semester on September 7, 2022.

A YES VOTE MEANS TAKING BACK CONTROL

A YES VOTE MEANS TAKING BACK CONTROL

Our chance to rebuild a stronger Laurentian is now

Jeff Bangs - Op-ed

(August 17, 2022) - It all comes down to this.

More than a year and half has passed since Laurentian University entered CCAA proceedings, which started a long, difficult, and often divisive process that forced our institution – and the community at large – to look inward at our past shortcomings and better understand how we must protect the future of the university.

I wondered at times if we had reached a point of no-return. We have not.

When I joined the Board of Governors, first on an interim basis before officially accepting the chairperson’s role earlier this year, I was adamant about not letting this university fade into obscurity. It’s simply too important to Sudbury and to Ontario. It’s too important to Indigenous and francophone communities who count on a strong Laurentian to provide educational opportunities close to home in a culturally relevant manner. It’s too important to faculty who have dedicated their careers to building programs sought after by students from nearby and around the world for the jobs of today and tomorrow. And it’s too important to students who have continued to choose Laurentian as their post-secondary destination of choice, for a high-quality education in a Northern setting.

We know the future of Laurentian must be based on restoring relationships which are grounded in trust, transparency, and mutual respect.  We are poised – following an endorsement of the Plan of Arrangement in the upcoming vote by creditors – to turn the page on the darkest chapter in Laurentian’s history and move swiftly into the rebuilding phase.

To be successful, we must institute transparent governance practices and an inclusive role for all our partners. There is as much room to consult and work with our labour representatives as there is to work with our retirees and community leaders whose wisdom, lived experience and dedication to Laurentian should be embraced. A yes vote on the Plan of Arrangement is the surest way to bring an end to the CCAA process and enable the university to emerge with a commitment to open communication with all stakeholders.

While we’ve recently invested in the hiring of 12 limited-term faculty members, we want to do much more to grow our faculty complement. After a yes vote, we will find ways to work together to increase student enrolment which will allow us to hire additional faculty and staff.  We will also expedite the process to recruit a new President and Provost, and involve all stakeholders in the development of a new, realistic and achievable Strategic Plan.

Together, we will work through the operational and governance reform that is necessary to allow Laurentian to rebuild and ensure that working groups, committees, Senate and the Board of Governors operate collegially and are given the opportunity to provide meaningful input into these processes which will help shape the future of Laurentian.

It is a stressful time for those who must cast a ballot and tensions are, understandably, running high. However, the current prevalence of misinformation in the community is preying on peoples’ hopes and fears. The “Vote no to get better deal” message provides a false sense of hope that voting against the Plan of Arrangement is a risk-free bet. It is not. If the vote is not successful, the most likely outcome will be a shift from a considerable amount of effort to save Laurentian, to a liquidation of the institution. This means a wind-up, and in that scenario, nobody wins. Jobs will be eliminated, pension plans terminated and students dispersed to other post-secondary institutions.

For those who believe they can hold out for a better deal, there is none that Laurentian can offer. Life will move on, and history will forget this great institution. Let that sink in for a moment. Are we prepared to let Laurentian disappear before our eyes when we are so close to saving it? 

The renewed Board of Governors was recruited to be objective in its analysis of what it will take to save this university. We have worked tirelessly as volunteers with various perspectives and life experiences to put forward the best plan possible. We’ve done that because this is not a game, it is a fight for the survival of Laurentian.

For those with a vote, I recognize that you did not ask to be put in this position. However small you may think your stake in this important decision is though, let me assure you, your vote does matter. Be wary of those who would have you believe otherwise. We urge you to think long and hard about the implications of a no vote because it could set off a chain of events that Laurentian will not recover from.

Voting yes, even reluctantly, allows all of us to take back control. The chance to make Laurentian’s future stronger, more inclusive, and financially stable is upon us.

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Jeff Bangs, Chair of Laurentian University's Board of Governors.

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