Former Laurentian University board chair and vice-chair among 11 resignations

Laurentian University's past board chair and vice-chair are among those who resigned earlier this week.

In an email, the Sudbury university provided a full list of the 11 board members who resigned at the same time it was announced it would receive a bailout from the province.

Those 11 former board of governors members are: chair Claude Lacroix , vice-chair Sonia Del Missier, Fabiola Garcia, Peter Faggioni, Kathy Dokis, Stuart Harshaw, Natalie Turvey, Karen Restoule, Nelson Toulouse, Martin Gran, and Jennifer Jocko.

"The university appreciates their leadership and continued commitment to the values and mission of Laurentian, and wishes them all the best in their future endeavours," Laurentian said in its email.

On Thursday the university announced the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities will provide $35 million to refinance Laurentian's existing debtor-in-possession (DIP) loan, which first was made available when it went into creditor protection earlier this year.

The province will also provide the university up to $6 million in COVID-19 funding, and "performance protection" of up to $22 million over a number of years.

The news followed a year of challenges for Laurentian, which announced it was insolvent in February 2021.

In April, Laurentian cut 30 programs, and around 200 staff and faculty members lost their jobs.

Laurentian's staff and faculty unions welcomed Thursday's news of a provincial bailout, and the resignations of 11 board members.

But Reuben Roth, a former Laurentian labour studies professor who was terminated when the university cut its programs, said the entire board of governors should have resigned.

"We've been calling for the resignation of (Laurentian) President Haché and the entire board of governors for some time," he said.  "And when I say 'we' I mean many people in the community, including the organization that I'm a part of, Save our Sudbury."