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Laurentian University enrolment down but better than expected

Creditor-protected Sudbury university attracts nearly 8,000 virtual, on-campus students for fall semester
Laurentian University campus (winter)
(Laurentian University photo)

Going into creditor protection certainly has had an impact on Sudbury's Laurentian University in the 14 per cent drop year-over-year drop in students enrolled in the current fall semester.

The total student enrolment in Laurentian's 106 academic programs stands at 7,988.

In a news release, Laurentian said this level of enrolment is approximately 400 students above planned enrolment. The breakdown of undergrad, graduate and international students is as follows:

- Undergraduate domestic students: 6655

- Undergraduate international students: 366

- Graduate domestic students: 773

- Graduate international students: 194

The university said it is unable to report on the number of full-time and part-time students.

The university said 2,100 students are taking online instruction with 5,900 attending class on campus. More than 20 per cent of the student population is currently enrolled in French-language degree programs, a positive trend for French-language programs year-over-year.

Laurentian filed for for creditor protection under the Companies Creditors’ Arrangement Act (CCAA) in February 2020. By April, 58 undergraduate and 11 graduate programs were cut as part of the restructuring process.

“As we march on the path toward a more sustainable future," said Robert Haché, university president and vice-chancellor, "it’s incredibly encouraging to see that the demand for Laurentian University is still strong and signals that we continue to be an important part of Ontario’s post-secondary system and a critical institution supporting the growth of Northern Ontario."