Less than two months after exiting insolvency restructuring under the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), Laurentian University has approved funding for 10 new tenure track faculty members.
A press release from the university said this sends “a clear signal it intends to invest in the long-term sustainability of academic programs and strengthening our bilingual and tricultural mandate.”
“We are eager to bolster so many of our successful programs with additional professors,” said interim Laurentian president Sheila Embleton, in a press release. “This is a key priority for our leadership team.”
In April 2021, on what has been dubbed “Black Monday,” Laurentian cut 58 undergraduate and 11 graduate programs and 194 full-time positions (116 full-time faculty, 41 unionized staff and 37 non-union jobs) as part of its restructuring.
Beyond the cuts related to LU’s insolvency, several professors have left Laurentian since that time (that number stood at 20 in June 2022) and were not replaced while the CCAA was ongoing.
Laurentian also announced in August that three tenure-track professors were being hired in 2023, along with 12 limited-term faculty members.
Regarding this week’s announcement, Laurentian said the search process will begin for faculty members in multiple disciplines:
- Faculty of Arts - Psychology (1), Droit et Justice (1)
- Faculty of Education and Health - Indigenous Social Work (2), Science infirmières (1)
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Architecture - Mining Engineering (1), Computer Science (1), and Architecture (specializing in Indigenous Architecture (1))
- Faculty of Management - Accounting (1)
- Library and Archives (1)
“These tenure track roles will bring exceptional talent to Laurentian which will enrich our academic offerings and strengthen our research capacity,” said Brenda Brouwer, interim provost and vice-president academic, in the press release.
“We’re pleased the university is now in a position to make this significant investment and it’s one of the many steps we’re taking to chart a new course for Laurentian.”
It is anticipated that approvals for further faculty positions will be granted following the completion of the 2023-24 budget planning process, which is currently underway.
