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Laurentian University Board Approves 2023-2024 Budget

University regaining financial health with planned surplus of $8.2M

(April 28, 2023) - Laurentian University’s Board of Governors has unanimously approved the 2023-2024 fiscal year budget at their meeting today. This budget represents the result of many months of planning after the University successfully emerged from the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) process.

“Today is an important milestone in the University’s renewal as we plan a sustainable financial future for Laurentian University. The budget will make key investments in critical areas, prioritizing the student experience,” said Jeff Bangs, Chair of the Laurentian University Board of Governors.

A unique budget planning process began in November 2022 and included multiple planning meetings with budget managers and labour partners. Groups across campus came together to share strategic initiatives to support the University’s renewal. Through this, seven priorities were identified and guided decision making within the approved budget:

Enhancing student experience and satisfaction
Faculty renewal in areas of strength and market demand
Maintaining program accreditation
Improving student enrollment, retention, and career preparedness
Rebuilding relationships with research funding agencies
Renewing campus facilities and IT infrastructure and systems upgrade
Transformation and Strategic Planning

“This budget enables the University to build from a financially sound foundation. Operating from a surplus position ensures we have contingencies in place and minimizes risk. We are looking forward to faculty and staff renewal in order to better the student experience and promote academic excellence,” said Dr. Sheila Embleton, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor of Laurentian University.

“This budget sends a message of strength to all of our students and prospective students. It also helps our employees turn the corner and move further away from the difficult times we have had over the last two years,” said Tom Fenske, President, Laurentian University Staff Union (LUSU).

The approved budget is planned to generate a surplus of just over $8 million, demonstrating renewed financial health of the institution.

Budget 2023-2024 Highlights

Total revenue: $196.081M
Total expenses: $179.671M
Total surplus: $8.210M
Scholarships and bursaries: $7.5M
Transformational costs: $7.2M
Deferred maintenance: $8.4M

Laurentian’s Improv Association earns top honours at Brock Improv Summit

Underdogs celebrate first prize at “Brock From The Dead”

(April 26, 2023) - The Laurentian Improv Association took home the win at the Brock Improv Summit: “Brock From The Dead” in St. Catharines, Ontario. The competition took place in late March and featured students from universities across the province.

The Laurentian Improv Association is a student-run club founded in 2022 by Grace Bellmore, a third-year Equity, Diversity, and International Human Rights student and President of the association. Bellmore is from Sudbury, Ontario and is an alum from Lasalle Secondary School.

Bellmore has a strong passion for improv that inspired her to found the association. “Improv is so fulfilling in the sense that you really get to connect with people in a safe space where your ideas are never wrong. That environment is so innately welcoming. In doing wacky and silly things, you push yourself out of your comfort zone. Improv is really freeing from the stressful environment of school where you are trying to be right all the time.”

The goal of the Laurentian Improv Association is to help establish and build an improv community in the North. Bellmore and a small executive team run weekly closed meetings with a core improv team of nine students as well as open drop-in improv classes on Friday evenings for all Laurentian students.

Less than a year since its inauguration, the Laurentian Improv Association did not expect to come out on top at the Brock Improv Summit. “We attended the event for fun and to have a good time. It felt genuinely insane and totally unexpected to win,” described Bellmore.

The association makes use of the variety of performance spaces on campus and within the Sudbury community. Bellmore and the core improv team have hosted two murder mystery nights at the Pub Downunder on campus, three improv shows at the Sudbury Indie Cinemas with Oddbox, and other shows on and off campus.

On April 29th, 2023, the association will be performing a comedy show entitled “Cheap Therapy” at the Coulson from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Tickets are 10$ and audience members must be 19+.

Those interested in learning more about the Laurentian Improv Association are encouraged to reach out through Instagram or email at laurentianimprov@gmail.com. The association will be holding auditions and accepting new members in September 2023.

“Improv is a really great way to find your voice and develop confidence. Those who are interested shouldn’t hesitate to attend tryouts or reach out,” said Bellmore.

Province Funds Creation of Innovation Cluster

Cluster to focus on critical minerals, cleantech, and battery electric technologies.

(April 21, 2023) - New funding from the Province of Ontario will grow intellectual property literacy within multiple institutions and ecosystems across Northern and rural areas of Ontario. This funding, distributed by Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON), will foster the creation of a Northern and rural innovation cluster focused on critical minerals, cleantech, and battery electric technologies. Led by Laurentian, the partnership includes Lakehead, Trent, and Nipissing Universities and will provide $294,000 for the one-year pilot project.

“This cluster will enable researchers to benefit from a variety of connections, mentors, and expertise, which will increase the velocity and impact of their innovative work. Our communities hold exceptional potential within these sectors and this funding will help us unlock that potential. It will allow businesses to strengthen their capacity to grow, enhancing economic development through collaboration,” said Dr. Tammy Eger, Vice-President of Research, Laurentian
University.

The funding will support the hiring of an Industry Liaison Officer, shared across the four institutions, to leverage IPON’s educational and commercialization resources to augment intellectual property (IP) literacy, improve connectivity between stakeholders, and facilitate economic development through industry and academic collaboration in research and innovation.

“This cluster will provide an important link not only between industry and academia but also between industry and IPON in an area identified by the province as high priority for economic development but with limited access to intellectual property service providers,” said Gisele Roberts, Director, Research and Innovation, Laurentian University.

The initiative aligns with Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy, linking research and commercialization expertise at post-secondary institutions with industry and innovation ecosystem partners to accelerate the development and adoption of new technologies.

IPON was created by the Government of Ontario in April 2022 to provide intellectual property supports and services to help businesses and researchers innovate and grow.

Governments Funding Francophone Education

Over $5M to grow opportunities for French and bilingual education

(April 26, 2023) - The Ministry of Colleges and Universities of Ontario and the Government of Canada are combining efforts to support the growth of Francophone and bilingual education at Laurentian University with funding of over $5 million.

The funding will go towards supporting two significant initiatives, both at the core of Laurentian’s bilingual mandate, and aligned with the Action Plan for the Canada–Ontario Agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second Official-Language Instruction.

“The first initiative will see the maintenance and development of university programs that serve students for whom French is a second language, such as bilingual programs and linguistic support programs in a context of bilingual education. The second initiative aims to create a language laboratory and a conversation workshop that supports second language learning and the development of language skills,” said Roch Gallien, Special Advisor of Francophone Affairs at Laurentian University.

The language laboratory will be delivered in multiple formats:

Free self-learning: free access to learning activities (library of tutorials and various resources) to sharpen language skills;
Guided self-study: the learning activities are determined jointly by the student and an instructor trained in language teaching and to the use of digital resources;
Integrated self-learning: the activities are part of the tasks of the students in their university courses or the use of the laboratory is integrated in the lessons.

“We are thankful to our government colleagues for working with us through the funding process, our efforts are fully aligned and we are eager to advance Francophone and bilingual education at Laurentian University,” said Charlotte Primeau, Director of Partnerships & Collaborations, Francophone Affairs at Laurentian University.

The aim of the funding is to increase the number of French-speaking students, the number of bilingual or French programs, and the number of bilingual or French courses. Currently, there are 1,700 students at Laurentian University taking courses in a French program, representing 23% of the total student population. In 2022-2023, Laurentian offered 400 unique courses in French and saw 280 students graduate with a Certificate of Bilingualism, an increase from the previous year.

The content is the sole responsibility of its authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the province or the Government of Canada.

McEwen School of Architecture Launches Summer Camps

Bilingual and tricultural camps to be offered in July 2023

(April 19, 2023) - The McEwen School of Architecture (MSoA) in Sudbury is proud to announce its first ever Archi·North Architecture Summer Camps.

Archi·North is a uniquely bilingual, tricultural, in-person architecture summer camp run by Canada’s newest architecture school at Laurentian University – selected top “15 Inspiring Architecture School Buildings from Around the World” by ArchDaily. Archi·North is open to high school students who are entering into Grades 11 and 12 in September 2023. Camps will be offered in two in-person sessions: July 17, 2023 – July 21, 2023 (English) and July 24, 2023 – July 28, 2023 (French).

With instruction from faculty and recent graduates, Archi·North offers an introductory experience in drafting and drawing, architectural design, physical model making, and digital software. Each week-long session will consist of a broad introduction into the architectural process and design thinking in an academic and design-oriented environment, and will end with an exhibition of the week’s work for viewing by family and the community.

As part of the first bilingual architecture school in Canada, Archi·North is dedicated to offer a pre-university experience that makes architectural education more accessible and more affordable to communities across Northern Ontario. The camps will also promote sustainable materials and technologies, with the MSoA facility being a prime example of mass-timber construction. Archi·North hopes to offer an unconventional summer camp experience that challenges participants to exercise new ways of seeing – and re-imagining – the world around them.

For more information and registration, please visit Archi·North or email us at archicamp@laurentian.ca.

Laurentian University joining Nature Positive Universities Alliance

LU to support the prioritization of nature restoration

(April 20, 2023) - Laurentian University is celebrating this year’s Earth Day (April 22, 2023) by announcing a commitment to join the Nature Positive University Alliance (NPUA), to support the prioritization of nature restoration within the higher education sector. The NPUA was formed by the University of Oxford and the United Nations Environmental Programme and launched in December 2022 during the COP15 Biodiversity Conference. The alliance counts 128 universities worldwide, including four in Ontario.

“The Nature Positive University Alliance is an initiative that will form a major contribution to the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. It will also allow us to uphold Laurentian’s existing environmental legacy and make even greater contributions to ecosystem restoration,” said Anastacia Chartrand, Chair of the Laurentian University Environmental Sustainability Committee (ESC).

A first step of joining the alliance is to perform a baseline study of the biodiversity on campus. To be “Nature Positive”, Laurentian University will need a measured biodiversity baseline, clear actions, and transparent reporting.

“We are pleased to make this pledge, this is a significant step towards environmental stewardship of the university’s biodiversity,” said Dr. Sheila Embleton, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor of Laurentian University.

“As we prepare for Laurentian University’s strategic planning process, we will work closely with our stakeholders and position ourselves to contribute to the larger goal of the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. In addition, we wish to meet our responsibility for sustaining clean drainage water for Ramsey Lake, and are seeking to participate in the Mayor’s challenge to protect 30% of lands and waters within the municipal boundary by 2030,” added Dr. Embleton.

The ESC was formed in 2019, is focused on promoting environmental awareness, and is made up of current students and alumni.

Province Re-invests in Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health

CROSH continues its mandate to prevent occupational injury and illness through partnerships with workplaces in Northern Ontario.

(April 18, 2023) - The Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (CROSH) at Laurentian University is pleased to announce that the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) has invested $2.5 million, over the next 5 years, to support the core activities of the Centre.

“Our mission is simple – to keep workers out of danger,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “Our government is proud to be funding programs like this in Northern Ontario that keep workers safe on the job and give them and their families greater peace of mind. Working together, we are well on our way to making Ontario the best place in North America to live, work and raise a family.”

The province understands that Northern Ontario has unique occupational health and safety problems to solve and recognizes the role of CROSH as a partner research Centre in achieving its strategic objectives. For example, Northern communities have higher concentrations of resource-based industries, unique environmental challenges, as well as differing demographics.

“CROSH is an excellent example of a research centre working directly with industry partners and the public sector to solve problems in our local communities. We are thankful for the Ministry’s investment in this important research, ” said Dr. Sheila Embleton, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor of Laurentian University.

In the past 5 years, CROSH has solved workplace problems with 37 business partners, placed 71 students in paid internships, and awarded $124,000 in student scholarships. In that time, the research centre has also raised over $5.5 million in grants, research contracts, and donations.

“CROSH does world-class research with state-of-the-art facilities that other universities in Ontario have. We are fortunate to have this research happening right here in Northern Ontario, in the communities that will directly benefit from these advancements,” said Dr. Tammy Eger, Vice-President Research at Laurentian University. CROSH is home to the $1 million Workplace Simulator, infrastructure that allows for the recreation of work tasks predominant in Northern Ontario, to allow for the testing of solutions in a lab setting, and a mobile research lab to allow the solutions to be taken directly to the work sites and communities to be implemented.

CROSH Director, Dr. Sandra Dorman added, “This investment allows us to expand our research services and student training while maintaining our system partner collaborations. It also underscores the province’s commitment to the long-term sustainability of the first Occupational Health and Safety Research Centre addressing the specific research needs of Northern Ontario.”

About the Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (CROSH):
CROSH’s Mission: We envision a Northern Ontario where workplaces partner to ensure every worker gets home safe and healthy every day. We will be an agent for innovation and discovery to solve relevant and critical problems facing northern industries so they can eliminate occupational injury and disease from their workplaces.

CROSH was established in 2008 by Laurentian University to provide a formalized structure for industry, safe workplace associations, labour groups, government organizations and researchers to share workplace injury and disease problems and solutions.

Graduate Research Symposium Winners Announced at Laurentian University

Diverse topics featured at week-long event

(April 12, 2023) - Laurentian’s Graduate Student Association, with the support of the Graduate Studies office, hosted a week-long ‘Discovery and Dissemination Graduate Research Symposium’ from March 27th to 31st, 2023. The event drew attention to diverse research projects of students enrolled in Masters and PhD programs. Presentations demonstrated the depth and breadth of research taking place at the University.

Symposium awards, judged by volunteer faculty, recognized best presentation in various categories:

Education and Health: Taylor Watkins (M.A. Interdisciplinary Health), Supporting Healthy Pregnancies: Understanding Pregnant Women and New Mothers’ Perspectives Regarding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Prevention Campaigns to Inform Effective and Non-Stigmatizing Approaches in Northeastern Ontario
Science, Engineering and Architecture: Meghan McCue (Ph.D. Biomolecular Sciences), Exploring the effect of cancer and chemotherapy on skeletal muscle
Arts: Jennifer Dufoe (M.A. Psychology), The Efficacy of Mobile Mental Health Applications (mHealth apps) in Reducing Symptoms of Anxious and Depressive Distress in a University Population, tied with Luc Huneault (M.A. Psychology), The Effects of Different Message Frames on COVID-19 Vaccine Beliefs
Indigenous content presentation: Katherine Snazel (M. Indigenous Relations), Indigenous Authorship: towards understanding the intersections in inter-indigenous science fiction and fantasy

This year’s 3 minute thesis (3MT) winner, Victoria Camp, was determined by volunteer faculty judges will compete at Provincial Finals at Queen’s University on May 17th, 2023, with her presentation, Victoria Camp (M. Science Communication), Exploring public opinion of tailings practitioners through Facebook comments on digital news media.

“Participating in the 3MT competition has been great. It forced me to distill my research down to its essential parts and helped me develop my 'elevator pitch' for why this work is important. I'm really excited to share my presentation at the provincial competition in May and showcase the work I've been doing here at Laurentian,” said Camp when asked to speak about the competition.

Sacred Fire to Honour Students, Staff, Faculty

Student leaders speak to their confidence in Laurentian University

(April 6, 2023) - As the end of the semester approaches, students at Laurentian University will begin their final exams very soon. Since the start of this academic year, the Laurentian community has faced much adversity through the CCAA process. However, we continue to move forward by supporting each other.

To honour the students, faculty and staff for their hard work in the 2022-2023 academic year, and for “Ishkode”, reigniting the fire in your heart, a four-day Sacred Fire will be held. This event will take place from April 11th, the first day of the winter examination period, to April 14th, 2023 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. at the fire area outside of the Round Room in the Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre. All are welcome to attend.

Laurentian students have continued to inspire us with their confidence about the bright future of Laurentian. Here are a handful of student leaders and their positive beliefs about the upcoming years:

Avery Morin is a third-year Behavioural Neuroscience and Concurrent Education student from Sudbury, Ontario. She is the President of the Students' General Association. “I believe in the bright future of Laurentian because of the incredible opportunities our school can provide. As a student leader, I’ve been able to grow into a strong and passionate advocate for students around the world and I’m beyond thankful for all of the experiences that the Laurentian community has given me,” said Morin.

Emily Appadoo is a first-year Sciences infirmières student from Chambly, Quebec. She is a Peer Wellness Specialist with the LU Peer Wellness Program. “I wholeheartedly believe in the bright future of Laurentian University! Despite facing recent challenges, thanks to resilience and determination, our community is still standing strong. I am confident that with the dedication of the faculty and staff, along with the drive of our students, LU will propel towards great achievements in the near future,” said Appadoo.

Meghan McCue is a PhD candidate in Biomolecular Sciences from Sudbury, Ontario. She is the President of the Graduate Student Association. “Throughout the last few years, those passionate about Laurentian have persevered and continued to make things brighter day-by-day. As a student, it is great to see happy faces back on campus, at student events, and representing Laurentian at sporting events and conferences. As a student leader, I am always impressed by what our students accomplish during their time here and beyond; Laurentian alumni are some of the most successful people I know,” said McCue.

Darshan Shah is a fourth-year Mechanical Engineering student from Ahmedabad, India. He is a Liaison Student Ambassador with Liaison Services and a Canadian Mining Games competitor. “Laurentian University has a strong history of providing high-quality education and research in various fields, with a diverse student population and unique advantages, such as its location and Indigenous education focus. The university has taken steps to restructure its operations and emerge with a new financial plan focused on strengthening academic programs, increasing enrollment, and enhancing research activities. These factors suggest that Laurentian University has the potential for a bright future,” said Shah.

Inclement Weather

April 5, 2023

Dear community members,

As Sudbury is experiencing severe weather, Laurentian University encourages faculty members to deliver classes remotely where possible (at the discretion of the individual faculty member) and recommends that employees who are able, complete their work remotely.

The university remains open.

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