York University Faculty Association (YUFA) Statement on the Resignation of York University President Rhonda Lenton - June 26, 2025
President Rhonda Lenton's resignation caps years of tumult and mismanagement which interfered with the excellent daily work and commitment to the university demonstrated by York’s faculty, librarians and archivists, staff, and students.
The Ontario Auditor General's 2023 report on York University identified grave deficiencies in representativity and transparency, including financial concerns arising from a bloated and overpaid senior management team that has defunded teaching, research, student services, and building maintenance. The York University Administration terminated the contracts of seven YUFA colleagues. Many York staff members – employees and contract faculty - have lost their jobs.
President Lenton's administration suspended enrollments in 19 academic programs early this year with *no financial rationale and no consultation*, which led to dozens of statements of outrage and more than 8000 protest letters to York's Board of Governors. The Canadian Association of University Teachers initiated a judicial review into the decision, one that was undertaken without the approval of York’s Senate and created confusion and concern in the broader community. Along with earlier program suspensions, including at Glendon, York’s multilingual campus, these misguided decisions have likely impacted student numbers in recent years. Due to mounting concerns about poor leadership and mismanagement, in the past 16 months alone YUFA members have passed two separate motions calling for President Lenton’s resignation.
Under Lenton’s administration, York University has faced unnecessary labour strife, including two CUPE 3903 strikes in 6 years, one of which was the longest in the history of the Canadian post-secondary sector. In the summer of 2024, the administration threatened to lock out the York University Faculty Association. These actions caused stress for the entire university community. Her administration also presided over extraordinary and brutal suppression of Palestine solidarity at York campuses: In June of 2024 the York administration called in riot police to raid a peaceful student encampment in solidarity with Palestine on its second day.
The new medical school at York, which President Lenton has promoted with claims that undisclosed private funding will appear, has led the Board of Governors to increase York's borrowing limits by $80m when York is already paying roughly $26m a year in interest.
The York community is asking for a total change in management direction. We need skilled, consultative and collegial leadership to build on York’s historic reputation for innovative teaching, outstanding scholarship, and ground-breaking work in diversity and inclusion.