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Video: Laurentian opts against Barrie students' request

Students demanding all programs continue on Barrie campus until 2019

 

Despite a passionate plea from students, Laurentian University's board of governors opted against their request to keep all of its programs in Barrie operating until 2019.

The would have allowed all of Laurentian's Barrie students to complete their degrees in the city. 

A busload of about 30 students headed North on April 15 for the meeting in Sudbury to make their case. They were allowed to address the board after a sit-in at the Barrie campus.

The university's board of governors voted earlier this winter to phase out the Barrie campus, ending its arts and management programs next year, and its social work programs in 2019, when it will completely exit the city.

The decision came after the province rejected Laurentian's plan to build a stand-alone campus in Barrie last year. The university currently operates out of Georgian College.

Jeremy Ross, president of Laurentian Students' Union in Barrie, led a three-hour-long discussion with the board of governors, but was ultimately unsuccessful in winning them over.

He said he's frustrated by their decision, but isn't surprised that they opted not to change course.

“I'm not at all surprised,” Ross said. “The decision was made last time. I was hoping to try and change some opinions in the crowd, but it seems the decision was made before we event got here.” 

He argued that the university only saves $1.1 million through the campus' closure.

That factors in what it's costing to provide free residence and meal plans to Barrie students who opt to finish their Laurentian degrees at the Sudbury campus, one of the options offered to them.

The students' other options are to complete a three-year bachelor or arts degree, study online or transfer to another university — options Ross said were always available to them.

Individual meetings were set up with the Barrie students to examine their options to complete their degrees.

“How is it fair to say that an institution with a budget of $142.7 million cannot spare a couple million for students to allow them to finish?” said Ross. “That's all they're asking, is one per cent.”

He said there's currently almost 700 students at the Barrie campus. 

That includes about 200 full-time students who will not graduate by the time their programs are phased out in Barrie. A little more than half have accepted the offer to move to Sudbury.  

That doesn't include the campus' 169 part-time students. Many students are unable to leave Barrie for family reasons, Ross said. “It's where their families are, where their houses are, where their kids are,” he said.

When asked what he wants to say to students disappointed by the board's decision, Laurentian board of governors president Michael Atkins said he'd like to remind them the board takes “no pleasure in this.”

He said besides the money the university saves by closing the Barrie campus, it would also extra incur costs related to staffing and maintaining accreditation if it were to reverse its decision now.

“It was a good debate,” Atkins said. “We talked for quite a long time. I think it was an important discussion. I think the university has done everything in its power to try to support these students, given the unfortunate circumstances we find ourselves in in Barrie.”


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Heidi Ulrichsen

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