Laurentian University has come a long way to repairing damage to its reputation in the nearly two years since it exited insolvency restructuring in late 2022, said the university’s new president.
Lynn Wells, who became Laurentian’s 12th president and vice-chancellor in April, sat down for a one-on-one interview with Sudbury.com this week.
She also spoke about the many daunting tasks she has ahead of her to a Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce audience on Sept. 17, as well as a meeting of Laurentian’s senate held the same day.
“I’m out at a lot of community events, and what I'm hearing is really positive from people,” Wells told Sudbury.com.
“They feel and believe that there's new leadership in place, that the institution is on the path to stability, that the students are coming back, regaining our reputation and the confidence of the community. So, you know, every day is a step forward.”
Laurentian University underwent insolvency restructuring under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (or CCAA) from early 2021 until late 2022, making widespread cuts to its programs and employees.
Laurentian was the only post-secondary institution to ever file under the CCAA, which is now specifically banned in federal legislation.
Under the temporary leadership of former interim president Sheila Embleton, and now Wells, Laurentian has been working to fulfill its post-insolvency obligations.
That includes developing and implementing a new strategic plan, an operational transformation plan, implementing the recommendations of Ontario’s auditor general, and implementing the conditions of the plan of arrangement stemming from the CCAA.
“We're following the direction that we need to follow to come out of the CCAA plan of arrangement,” said Wells.
“So we work closely, of course, with our board of governors and with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to make sure that we're abiding by all of the guardrails and requirements that we have, and they are numerous.”
Wells pointed out to the Chamber audience that she was previously the vice-president, academic at the First Nations University of Canada, which also went through a financial crisis.
She said her role there “included helping to support the rebuilding of that institution after it experienced a crisis, much like what Laurentian went through a few years ago,” she said.
Asked during an audience Q&A session following her Chamber speech what gives her hope and optimism for the university, Wells said first and foremost, that it’s the students.
“The last couple of weeks have been absolutely magical on campus, with our students returning with so much enthusiasm, so much excitement about being at Laurentian,” she said.
Wells said Laurentian has also built an “incredible team of leaders,” pointing out as of last week, the university, which had seen many people depart during its insolvency, now has “a full slate of permanent deans and other new leaders.”
This includes Laurentian’s new provost, Malcolm Campbell, who introduced Wells during her Chamber speech.
“We are getting the right people for the right jobs, and we're coming together as a team,” she said. “The spirit on campus, all of us — our faculty, our leadership, our staff — there's a sense, when you walk around Laurentian, that things are in a good way, that we're on the right path. We haven't solved all the problems. It's going to take a while, but we're going to patiently and creatively work our way through them.”
Wells said community support for Laurentian also gives her reason for hope.
Underlining the importance of Laurentian to Sudbury, Wells asked the Chamber audience if they are alumni of the university or if a family member is connected to LU. A good part of the crowd raised their hands.
“That sense of connection in this room says to me how important Laurentian University is to all of us,” she said. “We know that you understand Laurentian and that you are fully behind our future success.”
After the “disconnections” of the last few years, Laurentian is reaching out to re-engage with its alumni. Wells invites community members to reach out to her with their ideas.
Wells also shared a rundown of its 2024-2029 strategic plan, entitled “Laurentian’s Plan for Connection, Innovation and Impact,” which it approved this past winter.
The plan has four strategic directions — enhancing student experience, energizing the university’s academic and research mission, building up the communities it serves and valuing and supporting its people.
Wells said it was the product of seven months of consultations with more than 2,500 people.
“This strategic plan sets out a positive path forward for Laurentian through a clear articulation of who we are, where we are going, and the shared priorities that will focus our students and our actions to achieve all of our aspirations and ambitions,” she said.
Wells said Laurentian’s fall 2024 preliminary enrolment numbers are stable, with a slight year-over-year decline in the total student population (down one per cent) largely due to a reduction in the number of returning domestic students.
The university plans to address this issue by doing everything it can “by supporting students through every part of their academic journey,” she wrote in her report to LU’s senate.
Asked if Laurentian hopes to eventually bring its enrolment back to pre-CCAA numbers, Wells told Sudbury.com, “that’s certainly the plan.”
In 2020, prior to the CCAA, Laurentian’s full-time equivalent (or FTE) student enrolment stood at 7,090. (FTE is a calculation showing how many students would be attending if all were enrolled full time).
As of the fall of 2022, Laurentian’s FTE enrolment had dropped to 5,729. But these numbers have been rebounding. As of the first day of class this fall, there was an estimated FTE enrolment of 6,301 (plus or minus 150, as this is currently an estimate).
Wells said the university plans to build back in areas of high student demand.
An example are the efforts underway to build an undergraduate interdisciplinary Indigenous studies program at Laurentian.
The University of Sudbury, formerly federated with Laurentian, previously offered Indigenous studies, but it was another victim of the CCAA. The U of S, now focused on its French-language university project, has transferred this program to Kenjgewin Teg institute, located in M'Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island.
Of course, a primary post-CCAA obligation for Laurentian University is to pay off its creditors, and this will happen through the sale of its property to the province. The deadline for this to happen is Nov. 28, 2025.
Laurentian University continues to meet with Infrastructure Ontario officials on this file, and Wells said progress was made through the summer.
Wells shared with members of LU’s senate this week, “We are coming closer and closer to having final documents to execute an initial sale.”
Asked if an announcement is pending, she said, “as soon as we have one, we will make it. But believe me, it is our highest priority, because we know how important the sale of the properties is to resolve our outstanding debts to our creditors, and just putting Laurentian on the path to the next stage of its life.”
Heidi Ulrichsen is Sudbury.com’s assistant editor. She also covers education and the arts scene.
