NEWS RELEASE ONTARIO GOVERNMENT
Following the discovery of evidence of serious financial and governance mismanagement at Conestoga College, the government is relieving the Board of Governors of their duties and appointing Linda Franklin as Administrator for Conestoga College, effective immediately.
“Our government’s record-setting funding for colleges must be used to drive student success; anything less is completely unacceptable,” said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. “Under the administrator’s oversight, I expect that responsible fiscal decision-making will return to Conestoga College, setting the college on the right path to producing the graduates Ontario needs.”
Ms. Franklin will work closely with Conestoga’s interim president, leadership and staff to refocus the college on student success and to restore financial prudence and appropriate governance to the college. This action is necessary following an extensive audit, during which the government discovered numerous egregious financial decisions which lacked appropriate oversight by members of the college’s Board.
These decisions include members of the board’s approval of a 55 per cent salary increase to over $636,000 in 2024 for a former president, in addition to a termination payment for the same individual that totalled 83 times the president’s monthly salary, while the Broader Public Sector Executive Compensation Act only permits up to 24 months. The audit also uncovered a $23,000 trip to Italy taken by three senior leaders, and other similar trips, where the school paid for business class airfare, luxury accommodations and premium transportation. In addition, repeated, ineligible hospitality expenses were approved without proper oversight, including a $1,300 dining expense for internal staff, where 50 per cent of the pre-tax total was alcohol.
This pattern of irresponsible decision making has led to upheaval for students, staff and the local community, including the layoff of more than 500 employees, one of the largest layoffs in Ontario’s college sector to date.
Under Ms. Franklin’s oversight, regular operations at Conestoga College will continue. Students, staff and faculty will see no disruption in service and will be able to access all regular programs and services. Franklin will act in place of Conestoga’s Board of Governors and provide accountable, transparent and effective direction, while also developing and implementing a plan to restore sound fiscal management and strong governance.
Franklin is an experienced leader in the postsecondary sector and previously served as president and CEO of Colleges Ontario, the association for Ontario’s 24 public colleges, for more than 15 years.
