UNIVERSITY OF SUDBURY
The University of Sudbury shares its two charters with Francophone and Indigenous communities

Having long served Francophone and Indigenous communities, the University of Sudbury is concerned about the future of programming to students from these communities in light of the financial situation at Laurentian University.

On March 11, 2021, the University of Sudbury Board of Regents took the unprecedented step of making its two charters available to these communities.  Since 1913, the University of Sudbury and its predecessor, the Collège du Sacré Coeur, have educated generations of leaders, including from Indigenous communities after the creation in 1975 of its Indigenous Studies department, one of the first in Canada.  By sharing its charters, the University seeks to develop postsecondary education "by, for and with" these communities.

In collaboration with the Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario (AFO), the University of Sudbury announced on March 12 that it was committed to a university that is "by, for and with" Francophones.  "Francophone and Indigenous education is best promoted when it is in the control of Francophones and Indigenous communities themselves," shares John Meehan, S.J., Ph.D, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sudbury.  "We started with the Francophone community who made their request to us and we are prepared to meet with Indigenous communities to share our other charter to have a university that is by, for and with the Indigenous community."

With the support of such partners, the University of Sudbury is responding to present challenges by remaining true to its longstanding mission of educating students of service to the community.