The news was a punch in the stomach. Tuesday’s much-feared announcement suddenly became a reality: 110 teachers and 41 support staff, 36 administrators lost their jobs while 58 undergraduate courses and 11 graduate courses were eliminated.
34 courses in English and 24 in French such as obstetrics, political science, physics, Spanish, some teacher training courses, anthropology, archaeology, geography, philosophy, physics, musical studies and the list can continue. To pay the price of the restructuring of Laurentian University, which since February is in a state of insolvency after a budget hole of about 300 million dollars, it was also the Department of Italian Studies. There have been no cuts here, the Italian Studies program has been completely dismantled. The requests for help, the support of the Italian community and not of Sudbury and the petition on Change.org launched by Franca Rocca that collected over a thousand signatures, to prevent the axe from falling on a functioning and prestigious program like this, were not useful. “The Italian study program is an important part of the Italian community in Sudbury – Rocca told sudbury.com – it helps us to feel closer to our roots and to maintain that bond. We cannot afford to lose this option.”
The epilogue of this battle was a frosty shower for teachers, students and those who love Italian culture. “The department has been cut completely. The Italian program is gone – said Christine Sansalone, associate professor of the University’s Italian Department of Modern Languages and Literatures – at this time I only feel a deep sadness about what is happening to our students and the community of Sudbury and northern Ontario. It’s a very difficult time for everyone. There are many families and young people who are suffering and who have been catapulted into a period of great uncertainty for their future. We feel completely abandoned by the provincial and federal government.”
It is true, Ottawa and the Ontario government have been watching in recent months. “The federal government will give its support but education is under provincial jurisdiction, and so we need to understand what Ontario’s plan is – said Prime Minister Trudeau yesterday – The Minister of Official Languages Mélanie Joly contacted her Ontario counterparts to see what their plan is to support and protect this institution.”
Sudbury MP Jamie West has sharply criticised the province for not intervening with funding to prevent cuts: “The Conservatives are responsible for each of these job losses, and the Conservatives could have prevented this from happening.”
On Tuesday, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) also called for the resignation of College and University Minister Ross Romano. “Romano and the Ford government had known for months, if not years, the seriousness of Laurentian’s financial difficulties – it says – if Ross Romano had done his job none of these cuts would have occurred”.
There’s no excuse, you know. It is certain, however, it is culture that loses in addition to teachers and students. And without a shadow of a doubt the Italian community too.
