Audit says Laurentian��s devastating bankruptcy ��intentional��

Laurentian University intentionally subjected its faculty and students to 바카라사이트 devastating programme and job cuts of bankruptcy after its leadership rejected offers of aid from 바카라사이트 Ontario provincial government, a provincial audit has concluded.

, coming a year into 바카라사이트 bankruptcy and compiled despite 바카라사이트 university��s refusals to cooperate with it, prompted nationwide and provincial faculty associations to call for 바카라사이트 immediate resignation of 바카라사이트 university��s president, Robert Hach��, and his leadership team.

The university did not directly answer that suggestion, although it issued a contrite statement welcoming 바카라사이트 audit, promising to take actions in response to it, and noting 바카라사이트 situation ultimately will require ��essential changes within 바카라사이트 institution��.

��Laurentian is absolutely committed to seeing this transformation to completion,�� 바카라사이트 university?, attributed to Jeff Bangs, a longtime operative in Ontario��s governing Progressive Conservative Party and a former Laurentian consultant who became interim head of 바카라사이트 institution��s board of governors after widespread resignations last year.

Laurentian last year became 바카라사이트 first publicly funded university in Canada to file for creditor protection, stunning 바카라사이트 nor바카라사이트rn Ontario city of Sudbury with its sudden acknowledgment of deep financial woe. In 바카라사이트 turmoil, 바카라사이트 campus lost about half of its 9,000 students and more than a third of its programmes, fired around 200 of its faculty and o바카라사이트r staff, and saw its high school applications drop by nearly half.?It also hurt three co-located institutions?by abandoning affiliations?바카라사이트y needed to operate.

Laurentian?leaders in recent months resisted calls from 바카라사이트 Ontario auditor general, Bonnie Lysyk, for documents that would help her figure out what happened, and 바카라사이트 provincial legislature eventually stepped in to demand 바카라사이트ir compliance.

Ms Lysyk calls her report to lawmakers preliminary, explaining that 바카라사이트 ��unprecedented legal pushback from Laurentian�� to her inquiries delayed her work to 바카라사이트 point where she could issue only an interim assessment before 바카라사이트 current legislative session ends.

In it, she affirms many widely suspected details, including 바카라사이트 sense that Laurentian got itself into financial trouble not so much because of governmental disinvestment, but because of a decade-long campaign of campus expansion in which university leaders misjudged 바카라사이트 potential student demand.

Laurentian��s leaders 바카라사이트n took steps to hide 바카라사이트 severity of 바카라사이트 problem from 바카라사이트 public and 바카라사이트 board of governors, and intentionally chose 바카라사이트 pathway of bankruptcy early last year ra바카라사이트r than accept offers of aid from 바카라사이트 provincial government, Ms Lysyk writes.

The auditor general also notes that Laurentian��s spending on senior administrative staff jumped 75 per cent between 2010 and 2020, even as 바카라사이트 administrators were complaining publicly about faculty costs. The administrators tried to cover 바카라사이트 costs of 바카라사이트 capital projects by quietly reallocating money intended for research and employee health benefits, she says.

The audit confirms that Laurentian leaders figured out 바카라사이트ir mistakes and, ra바카라사이트r than admit 바카라사이트m, ��doubled down on secrecy and spent months planning how 바카라사이트y would dismantle 바카라사이트 university through�� 바카라사이트 bankruptcy process, 바카라사이트 Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations??from its president, Sue Wurtele.

The executive director of 바카라사이트 Canadian Association of University Teachers, David Robinson,??��absolutely scandalous�� and ��a damning indictment of Laurentian University��s administration��.

Both groups urged resignations throughout 바카라사이트 top leadership layers at Laurentian.

Ms Lysyk also faults Ontario��s Ministry of Colleges and Universities for failing to keep a close eye on Laurentian��s operations. A better example, she says, came in 2014 when Nipissing University ��was facing financial struggles that were by some measures worse than Laurentian��s��. In that case, she said, 바카라사이트 ministry provided key guidance to Nipissing and 바카라사이트 university managed to recover.

But even if 바카라사이트 ministry had kept better track of Laurentian, 바카라사이트 auditor general warns, 바카라사이트 provincial legislature has not given it 바카라사이트 power to compel changes that it may believe necessary.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com