On Monday, the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) announced a total of $4,607,677 in additional funding for Laurentian University.
Rick Bartolucci, Sudbury MPP and Minister of Northern Development and Mines, made the announcement on behalf of the Ontario's Liberal government.
“Our students are the most valuable asset we have for ensuring our future prosperity, and now students at Laurentian University will benefit from even higher quality education,” said Bartolucci, in a news release.
“Ontario's new economic strength depends upon access to quality post-secondary education and training - which is why we're helping university students in Greater Sudbury gain skills that will last a lifetime.”
Most of the funding – $4.23 million – will be used for a number of student-related quality initiatives, such as hiring additional faculty, keeping a focus on limiting class sizes, ensuring continued accessibility, and facilitating the transition to university life and studies.
“Laurentian has enjoyed strong growth over the past few years, and this investment by the province will assist in our initiatives to sustain growth, and ensure that we can continue to enhance quality,” said Judith Woodsworth, university president.
“We’ve implemented a number of initiatives to help students succeed, and these quality initiatives sometimes cost more, but they are essential. We are grateful to the McGuinty government for this important investment.”
A portion of the investment – $378,061 – will be targeted to graduate programs, particularly for graduate scholarships in order to increase the amount of awards that are provided to Laurentian Master’s and PhD students.
The university now offers 14 Master’s and six PhD programs, with others in various stages of development. These added scholarships will help make Laurentian more competitive in recruiting graduate students.
