April 8th, 2021
April 8th, 2021
SUDBURY – Ross Romano should listen to Laurentian’s faculty and the community, and take action to provide the urgent support Laurentian needs now, said NDP critic for Colleges and Universities, Laura Mae Lindo, and Sudbury MPP Jamie West. In the following open letter, both MPPs support the Laurentian University Faculty Association, whose calls for help have gone unanswered.
Hon. Ross Romano
Minister of Colleges and Universities
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
5th Floor, 438 University Ave
Toronto, ON M7A 2A5
April 8, 2021
Dear Minister Romano,
On March 31st, the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) sent you a letter urgently requesting you to engage with all parties involved in the ongoing Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) proceedings at Laurentian University.
This CCAA process is causing a great amount of stress on faculty, students, staff and the entire City of Sudbury. As Laurentian University's senate holds in-camera meetings about the fate of the school and as we get closer to April 30th, your silence is deafening.
We would like to echo the calls that are coming from LUFA as well as many members of our community, for your government to show action and support for the staff and students of Laurentian.
It is your role as government to properly fund our public post-secondary institutions in Ontario. It is your role as Minister to be the voice of these university communities. So far, you continue to claim that you will be there for Laurentian – yet you are nowhere to be found.
Laurentian University’s community needs you to step up, right now, and support Laurentian so they can get through this process intact and with the integrity our community deserves. Please respond to LUFA’s request immediately.
Sincerely,
(Original Signed)
MPP Jamie West, Sudbury
MPP Laura Mae Lindo, Kitchener Centre