(Sudbury – September 16, 2020)

Yesterday, the Laurentian University Senate voted to re-open admissions to all 17 programs improperly suspended by Interim Vice-President Academic and Provost Serge Demers in a July 30 memo. Demers’ unilateral announcement, which violated provincial legislation, came as a shock to the many students enrolled in these programs and the faculty who teach them.

“We can’t stress enough the importance of these programs for the students, the faculty members, the community, and the mission of Laurentian University,” said LUFA President Fabrice Colin. “We look forward to students being admitted into the programs to which they applied and into which they were accepted.”

This vote to re-open admissions into the improperly suspended programs followed a motion reaffirming that, as per the Laurentian University Act – the legislation governing Laurentian University, Senate is the only body at the university with the power to suspend academic program admissions. 

“It is encouraging to see that Senate, which is composed of Faculty Members, Student Representatives and Senior Administrators, reaffirm the statutory powers and duties granted to it by the Laurentian University Act,” said Colin. “This is a tangible acknowledgment of the bicameral structure of the university and a recognition that authority over program admissions is a collective responsibility that cannot be delegated to a subgroup or single individual.”