Without basic programs like math and philosophy, will Laurentian U have to rethink his plans for the future?

Laurentian has eliminated what are considered basic college programs, such as philosophy and physics, and will likely have to reintroduce some of them to attract students and offer a well-rounded education, leading post-secondary experts say.

The school, still reeling from losses after becoming the first Canadian public postsecondary institution in February to go to court for creditor protection, has eliminated a number of degree programs deemed essential, said OISE Professor Glen Jones. , the Ontario Institute for Education Studies at the University of Toronto.

In total, the University of Sudbury eliminated 58 undergraduate programs, about a third, many of them in the humanities, as well as 11 graduate programs. It now offers 107 undergraduate and 33 graduate programs. Some 130 teachers and 30 support staff were also laid off.

“What clearly happened is that the balance has shifted,” said Jones, a higher education expert and former dean of OISE. “It has changed in interesting ways; the humanities, the fact that there is no longer a philosophy program, the fact that many language programs have disappeared, but also the absence of mathematics and physics. The notions of philosophy, mathematics and physics are often considered fundamental disciplines. “

Given the “reduced opportunities” for students who can no longer earn degrees in these areas, “it’s clearly going to evolve over time,” Jones added. Laurentian “moved so fast and with such a heavy hand, it amazes me that this is one of those situations where a year from now, or two years from now, they can decide that there are gaps in the program that they have to fill along the way. . “

Earlier this year, Laurentian leaders went to court under the Corporate Creditors Agreements Act to give him time to restructure while he dealt with his $ 321 million debt, with loans of $ 107 million. million dollars in addition to 214 million of other funds owed. to creditors and employees. In fact, at the time, he didn’t even have enough money to pay his teachers and staff beyond the month.

What followed was the elimination of programs such as archeology, concurrent elementary education degrees, music, physics, environmental science, political science, geography, labor studies, and the very popular midwifery program, along with a number of programs in French that include history. , theater and zoology.

Laurentian President Robert Haché said by email that the school “has focused its programs on the health sciences, education, arts, business, science, engineering and architecture, while firmly committed to a strong interdisciplinary experience for our students. “

But with the shortage of humanities offerings, experts are wondering how that is possible.

“The story is really about what a high-quality liberal education means, and Laurentian is able to organize herself to be able to deliver that, based on what’s left,” asked OISE Professor Charles Pascal, who is also a former President of Sir Sandford Fleming College, Peterborough.

“Has Laurentian lost the soul of what a great modern university is? The answer is yes, ”he added. “The relationship between the arts and mathematics, the relationship between music and mathematics, those problems that relate to the modern problems of the day … will not be solved with just one discipline at a time. You need a lot of disciplines that contribute what they can to something that is greater than the sum of the parts. “

He wondered how the school made decisions “that gutted the very building blocks” of a university. “What vision could they have (for the future) due to the fact that there was no vision to drive the decisions they already made?”

The school, for example, could have tried to collaborate with another university or college to provide what it no longer covered given the level of cuts needed to restore financial viability, he said.

Eliminating so many humanities programs was shortsighted, added Carol Merriam, dean of the brock University faculty of humanities.

“I know a large part of the focus is probably on employability and training students for employment, but the humanities disciplines are key to that employability for many students,” Merriam said, adding that companies have made it clear who value the empathy, communication skills, and versatility that students learn in humanities.

And for those who are in programs such as health sciences, engineering or accounting “they need to be able to identify with the human consequences of their activities, of their work, because what they do is about humans,” added Merriam.

She compared it to the movie “Jurassic Park,” where scientists recreated what turned out to be deadly dinosaurs using DNA, “but no one thought, ‘Is that a good idea?’ They didn’t take the steps to track that – the impact on people. That’s the missing piece if you don’t have the humanities available. “

English teacher Laurentian Ernst Gerhardt said his own son, now in grade 12, had planned to attend Laurentian, but is interested in studying math or physics, so he is now considering Ryerson, McGill or Queen’s.

“I started to question what kind of university we are,” he said.

Professor Laurentian Albrecht Schulte-Hostedde said that university administrators "You may say that there may not be any philosophy program, but they are teaching philosophy, but there are no philosophers here anymore.  So who is teaching them?"

Laurentian professor Albrecht Schulte-Hostedde, an ecologist, said that university administrators “may say that there may be no philosophy program, but they are teaching philosophy, but there are no philosophers here anymore. So who is teaching them? “

Haché acknowledged the current “uncertainty and anguish” – the university was recently granted an extension of the court creditors process until the end of January – but said the school is in “a time of transformation and determination to make our university strong and Sustainable for the United States. ” future.”

DEGREE PROGRAMS CUT BY LAURENTIAN

List of discontinued English language programs:

Actuarial science

Anthropology

Archeology

BA 4 years Concurrent Education (Primary-Junior)

BSc 4 years Concurrent Education (Primary-Junior)

BFA – Music

BFA – Musical performance

Biomedical Physics

Civil engineering (first 2 years)

Concurrent education – professional year (primary-secondary)

Ecology

Entrepreneurship

Environmental geoscience

Environmental science

Environmental studies

Geography

International Administration

Italian

Labor Studies

Major restoration ecology

Math

Midwifery

Modern languages

Music

Music Studies

Operations

Philosophy

Physical

Political Sciences

Radiotherapy – Michener

Restoration biology

Spanish

Web data management

Labor and Labor Studies

List of discontinued French programs:

Law and politics

Education – intermediate / higher

Environmental studies

French Studies

Chemical engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Mining Engineering

Geography

History

Francophone literature and culture

Marketing (FR)

Math

Nursing – Boreal

Leadership in Outdoor Adventures (FR)

Philosophy

Financial planning

Health promotion

human Resources

Midwife

Language science

Economic science

Political Sciences

Theater

Zoology

List of discontinued graduate programs:

Master – History – Essay

Master – History – Thesis

Master – Sociology – Essay

Master – Sociology – Thesis

Master’s Degree – Experimental Psychology

Master – History – Essay

Master – History – Thesis

Master – Humanities

Mastery – Physics

Master – Sociology – Essay

Master – Sociology – Thesis

List of discontinued programs offered by Federated Universities:

Ancient Studies

Classics

Communication studies

Journalistic studies

Folklore and Ethnology

Indigenous Studies

Religious studies

Religious sciences

Gender and women’s studies

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