April 16, 2021 – North Bay, Ontario
Today, the Nipissing University Faculty Association (NUFA) echoed the calls of the York University Faculty Association (YUFA) and other bodies, for the immediate resignations of Ross Romano, Minister of Training Colleges and Universities and Robert Haché, President of Laurentian University along with his senior leadership team. These motions were taken due to “the loss of confidence in the Minister’s commitment to the university sector, as well as LU President Robert Haché and his senior leadership team in failing to lead the university through this crisis, and the catastrophic mishandling of the situation at LU.”
Please see the two motions approved by the NUFA Executive below.
MOTION 1: That the NUFA Executive calls for the immediate resignation of Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, Ross Romano
RATIONALE: Minister Romano was made aware of the financial situation at Laurentian more than six months prior to the announcement of the CCAA process. Not only did he fail to act to protect the students and institutions under his charge, which have now suffered serious harm; he also has consistently refused to meet with the affected parties and to be transparent about the intentions and actions of his government. The cuts to Laurentian, now revealed, have produced outrage across the country. His inaction has also resulted in considerable harm specifically to the residents of Northern Ontario, whose interests he is charged, as MPP, to represent. He has failed in the most basic of ways to satisfy the obligations of his office, and must resign immediately.
MOTION 2: That the NUFA Executive calls for the immediate resignation of President of Laurentian University, President Robert Haché and his senior leadership team.
RATIONALE:
Beginning with the stalled negotiations with the Laurentian Faculty Association (LUFA), President Haché has acted in an irresponsible, untransparent, and uncollegial manner. Indeed, LUFA was forced to pursue a bad faith bargaining complaint in an effort to force the administration to disclose the very financial information they were apparently already sharing with the government but refused to discuss with affected faculty and students. President Haché’s decision to enter the University into the CCAA process, rather than make use of the financial exigency clauses of the negotiated Collective Agreement, was unprecedented and completely inappropriate, an effort simply to shirk his responsibilities in collective bargaining and collegial governance. Finally, his public threats to shut down the university entirely should faculty senators or LUFA members fail to agree to the results of the secretive CCAA process demonstrates a callous disregard for the interests of the students of Laurentian and its affiliated campuses, as well as for the broader Sudbury and Northern communities that haven been and will be impacted. He has forfeited the trust required in order to occupy the position of President, or any leadership role, and must resign immediately along with his senior leadership team.