CAML Statement on Laurentian

April 26, 2021

The Canadian Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres (CAML-ACBM) condemns the actions of Laurentian University in cancelling 69 programs and laying off over 100 academic staff. As the only Canadian university offering a higher education with a significant focus on Indigenous and Francophone programming in addition to English, dismantling an education system designed to serve three distinct communities in a geographic region with limited resources, is catastrophic and irresponsible. Cancelling such programs as Teacher Training and many arts and humanities programs, and the separation of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, undermines the University’s important role in the cultural experience of northern Ontario communities. These drastic measures will irreparably damage the academic life of the North, and with it, post-secondary research, teaching and learning in Canada.