Laurentian Barrie students in midst of sit-in

Laurentian University students in Barrie are conducting a sit-in at the school's administration offices in that city.

They're doing so to protest what they say are the school's insufficient program completion options offered to students in light of Laurentian's decision to close the Barrie campus by May 2019.

On Feb. 12 the Laurentian board of governors decided to no longer resource Arts and Management programs in Barrie as of May 2017, and to no longer resource Social Work programs in Barrie as of May 2019.

The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities has set constraints on the powers of the board of governors and on the senate of Laurentian in Barrie since 2010, including a program moratorium. In May 2015, the Ministry did not approve the University’s submission for major capacity expansion in Barrie.

Laurentian said it wanted students who pay university tuition to be able to complete four-year degrees fully taught by university faculty in Barrie. But that vision vision was not shared by Georgian College or by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, the university said.

“Two of our core values as a university are putting students first, and excellence. Accepting restrictions proposed by the ministry would not be in the best interest of our current and future students,” said Michael Atkins, chair of the board of governors of Laurentian University.

Of Laurentian’s 696 students in Barrie, the 186 students currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Social Work program will be able to complete their degree in Barrie by April 2019.

The 291 students currently enrolled in third and fourth years of the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Business Administration and the Bachelor of Commerce programs will be able to complete their four-year degree in Barrie by April 2017.

The remaining 219 students will be presented with a range of personalized options, including completing their degree in Sudbury with financial support or on-line, completing a three-year Bachelor of Arts degree in Barrie, having a Letter of Permission to take courses in another university to meet degree requirements, or transferring to another university.

“Though some students will be able to complete their programs and graduate on the Barrie campus, there will still be 220 students left essentially in academic limbo as they see their programs come to an end in Barrie and are forced to move their studies elsewhere," said Melanie Van Ameron, vice-president of campaigns and advocacy at the Laurentian Students' Union, in a press release. “We are here to stress that there is still time for the Board of Governors to right this wrong and ensure fairness for all Laurentian University students at Barrie.”

The Laurentian Students' Union has requested that the Board of Governors change their decision and allow all programs to continue running until 2019 so that all students can finish their degree at the same campus at which they enrolled.

The students' union launched a petition online which has gotten more than 1,000 signatures and said it will continue to gather support until the next board meeting in Sudbury, on April 15.

There, the students plant to demonstrate their discontent, and demand to remain in Barrie until 2019.