Chaos erupted at Greater Sudbury's Laurentian University board of governors meeting just as members were about to vote on a tuition fee increase Friday afternoon.
Led by francophone student association president Gabrielle Lemieux, about 30 protesting students shouted slogans about reducing tuition fees. Lemieux is a member of the board of governors. The meeting was open to the public.
One protester ran back and forth across the meeting table.
Board chair Jim Smith yelled over the din that the meeting was adjourned and several board members retreated into Laurentian president Judith Woodsworth's office.
Smith emerged a few minutes later and told the crowd the tuition fee increase, which amounts to four percent for undergraduate students and eight percent for graduate students, had been passed.
Northern Life has since learned the board passed a modified version of the motion proposed at the meeting by Students' General Association president Luke Norton that says students, faculty and the board will work together to lobby the government for more funding.
Earlier in the meeting, finance committee member Nick Farkouh told the board that the university will face a deficit next year if tuition fees are not increased.
