Laurentian University Academic Senate Votes to Approve Certain Program Closures

12 Apr, 2021 | Media Statement

(Updated June 1st, 2021)

Sudbury, April 12, 2021 — Last week, the Laurentian University Academic Senate voted in favour of a series of program closures that have had historically low enrolment.  This will allow the University to restructure its operations, enabling a financially sustainable future.

As a result, Laurentian’s academic offerings will now be better tailored to the programs that most of our students gravitate towards. The University can also further align its financial resources to ensure that all of its remaining programs are fully supported.

Six senators had been elected to the Senate Mediation Committee on February 9 for the purpose of actively participating in the court-supervised mediation to review and make recommendations as to Laurentian’s proposed changes to academic program offerings.  At a special in-camera session of the Academic Senate last week, the Senate Mediation Committee provided their peers with the result of their review on programs to be closed.  The recommendations of Laurentian and the Committee were approved by Senate. 

At a high level, the changes to the academic offerings package includes the following :

  • 58 undergraduate programs to be closed and 107 to remain open 
    • 34 English-language programs closed
    • 24 French-language programs closed
  • 11 graduate programs to be closed and 33 to remain open

We anticipate that approximately 10% of undergraduate students (excluding those studying at the federated universities) will be affected in some way by these program adjustments. We further anticipate that 44 graduate students will be impacted by program closures. 

For most students, particularly if they are close to completion, this will mean they will be able to complete their degree making use of all or parts of the modules in terminated programs, either through course substitutions at Laurentian or through letters of permission.  No new students will be admitted to these programs. For a small number of students, Laurentian will assist them in transitioning to a related program or another institution.

Applicants in affected programs can reach out to Liaison Services to plan their next steps at info@laurentian.ca. Options exist for all of Laurentian students, and support is available to assist students navigate those academic options.

Students in affected programs are encouraged to reach out to their deans and other leaders to discuss the next steps in their academic path forward:

Laurentian will continue to update its community on next steps in its restructuring on a forward moving basis. 

For all the the latest information about the CCAA proceedings, visit https://www.laurentianu.info.

-30-

List of discontinued English language programmes

Actuarial Science

Anthropology

Archaeology

BA 4 years Concurrent education (Primary-Junior)

BSc 4 years Concurrent education (Primary-Junior)

BFA – Music

BFA – Music Performance

Biomedical Physics

Civil Engineering (first 2 years)

Concurrent Education – Pro year (Primary-Junior)

Ecology

Entrepreneurship 

Environmental Geoscience

Environmental Science

Environmental Studies

Geography

International Management

Italian

Labour Studies

Major Restoration Ecology

Mathematics

Midwifery

Modern Languages

Music

Music Studies

Operations

Philosophy

Physics

Political Science

Radiation Therapy – Michener

Restoration Biology

Spanish

Web Data Management

Workplace and Labour Studies

List of discontinued French language programmes

Droit et politique

Éducation – intermédiaire/supérieur

Études de l’environnement

Études françaises

Génie chimique

Génie mécanique

Génie minier

Géographie

Histoire

Littérature et culture francophone

Marketing (FR)

Mathématiques

Nursing – Boreal

Outdoor Adventure Leadership (FR)

Philosophie

Planification financière

Promotion de la santé

Resources humaines

Sage femme

Science du language

Science économique

Science politique

Théâtre

Zoologie

List of discontinued graduate programmes

Maîtrise – Histoire – essai

Maîtrise – Histoire – thèse

Maîtrise – Sociologie – essai

Maîtrise – Sociologie – thèse

Masters – Experimental Psychology

Masters – History – essay

Masters – History – Thesis

Masters – Humanities

Masters – Physics

Masters – Sociology – essay

Masters – Sociology – thesis

(Updated June 1st, 2021)

List of discontinued programmes offered by Federated Universities

Given the dissolution of the federated agreement, the following programs will no longer be offered:

Ancient Studies

Classics

Communication Studies

Études journalistiques

Folklore et ethnologie

Indigenous Studies

Religious Studies

Sciences religieuses

Women and Gender Studies