What the EFF is happening?

Facebook is many things, and I'd likely to publicly state that while not all of those things are bad, it can be a source of some pretty unsettling news at times. I recently read the FB post of an education friend whose son experienced a frustrating, infuriating, and demoralizing happenstance when he was informed, through a group Zoom no less, that his position as a tenured professor at an Ontario university was over after 17 years, thanks to the mismanagement of the university's finances over a sustained length of time. To add insult to injury, he was told that there would be no severance and there was no information about the status of his pension. 

I can't speak for you but reading that made my blood boil!

I can recall hearing on the local CTV Barrie news a couple of months back that Laurentian University was filing for creditor protection, "... amid “unprecedented” financial challenges" according to a National Post (CLICK) article on Feb 1st, 2021. In the article, Laurentian's President indicated that financial problems stemming from issues like declining population, recurring deficits, and the closure of the partnership campus on Barrie's Georgian College has left the university insolvent. NDP critics issued a joint statement criticizing the Ford government for failing to step in and provide more help for the school.

In a more recent article, cp24.com (CLICK ) reported that Laurentian will close 58 undergraduate programs (34 English and 24 French). Cutting programs that have had “historically low enrolment” will allow the University to restructure in hopes of a financially sustainable future. This restructuring means that more than 80 faculty could end up having their tenured professorial positions cease to exist. The article references 10% of undergrads and 44 graduate students will be impacted by program closures.

These cuts were the final blow for my friend's son. Over the 17 years he has been involved with Laurentian, he was the Chair of Political Science in both Sudbury and Barrie, also serving as Dean in Barrie. His Masters was from the London School of Economics, his doctorate from the University of Maryland, he has presented papers at numerous international conferences, has authored numerous papers and books, and even served as Scholar in Residence in Wales. To have a person so devoutly dedicated to education treated in this manner is horrifying, infuriating and despicable.

To quote my friend, "This is a huge red flag to anyone involved in any level of education or that care there are dedicated people devoted to the value of an educated society. Our provincial government does not share this sentiment." 

In an article on the NorthernOntario.CTVnews.ca site (CLICK), women and gender studies professor chair Jen Johnson remarked, "My reaction to the events of today is that the provincial government could have stepped in a lot earlier both to prevent and moderate what was happening at Laurentian University," Johnson's lament echos my own disgust at the lack of responsibility shown by multiple governments over the past few years as they let obvious mismanagement and incompetence run rampant in the head offices of the university. The provincial government has a Minister of Colleges and Universities, a position presently held by Ross Romano, MPP from Sault Ste. Marie, and the article insinuates that Romano has been conspicuously absent from the conversations following the fall out. "The government could have easily avoided this crisis, but even now, the government is not doing anything. Where is Ross Romano? I really want to know that. Ross Romano is in hiding. He's not talking to us," said OCUFA (Ontario Confederation of University Faculties Association) President Rahul Sapra, from Toronto.

In a related article from cbc.ca (CLICK), the OCUFA remarks, "Romano and the Ford government knew about the depths of Laurentian's financial difficulties for months, if not years. They had numerous opportunities to take action to avert this crisis. Instead, they chose to do nothing and betrayed the trust of Ontarians."

Here's how I see all of this ... I am never a fan of any level of government stretching an olive branch to save a company from itself because of poor management since it is yours and my tax dollars that are being used to shore up their incompetence. Further to that point, when the government includes a "watch dog" arm whose mandate is to oversee the management of all colleges and universities and doesn't become involved when there's blatant issues, it leaves me fuming that even more of my tax dollars are being wasted, padding the pockets of a few. Having said that, when something as valuable as a university like Laurentian requires intervention, and in the process saving innumerable programs vital to the northern regions of the province, it behooves all Ontarians to stand up for the fight to rescue it. Admittedly bias about education, this is not something we can simply shrug off as a 'fact of life" moment, and all efforts should be mobilized to rectify the issues, starting with an investigation into the parties responsible, the faulty management decisions, and the replacement of the governing personnel. 

It is a sad and frustrating day ... on top of everything else that is transpiring in our province.

My heart goes out to all of the people directly impacted by this, but most of all, to my friend's son. Someone that bright and accomplished will land on his feet, but it is a yet another slap in the face of education thanks to Ford and his Conservative cronies.

Shame on them!