Nous: Academic Management Consultant Grifters?
Whether it is disastrous restructuring at the University of Alberta, massive layoffs and program closures at Laurentian, or suspension of academic admissions to programs like Indigenous Studies and gender and women's studies at York, there seems to be a common thread: academic institutions are collectively spending millions of dollars on an Australian management consultancy called Nous.
The University of Alberta, for example, spent $6.5 million.
At York, administration spent $8.3 million.
At Laurentian, there wasn't even a competitive procurement process.
Last year, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations put together a briefing note on Nous detailing the troubling relationship that this for-profit consulting firm has rapidly developed with university administrations.
Here at Academic Aunties, we are just becoming fully acquainted with all these dynamics, and are so grateful to those who have been–for quite some time– documenting and researching Nous and their unhealthy relationship with university administrations.
The galling thing is that despite these contracts being valued at millions of dollars, it seems (at least from the public documents that are out there) that Nous is simply selling the same university-as-a-business BS at each institution they go to.
There's a great teach-in hosted by Michael Savage (OCUFA and former Nous employee), David McDonald (Dept. of Global Development Studies at Queen’s), and Norma Möllers (Dept. of Sociology at Queen’s) that summarizes all of this.
You may not even realize your institution is involved with them. But search your institution's website and check to see if they participate in UniForum. This is the tell.
#academicsky, if you're worried about your unis hiring consultancy firms like Nous, which have amassed up to a 70% profit margin, start by seeing if you all are subscribing to "Uniforum." It all starts with a survey. York, u of c, dal, Queen's, u of guelph, McMaster, u of , SFU and ubc is on it. /1
— Ethel Tungohan (@tungohan.bsky.social) February 27, 2025 at 11:18 AM
It seems that the following Canadian institutions are part of UniForum, although there may be others:
- Dalhousie University
- McGill University
- McMaster University
- Simon Fraser University
- University of Alberta
- University of Calgary
- University of British Columbia
- University of Ottawa
- University of Saskatchewan
- University of Toronto
- York University
Is this a responsible use of public funds by university administrators?
In a cost-of-living crisis, do students appreciate their tuition dollars going towards paying for the same tired, recycled, generic, neoliberal management consultant recommendations?
Do university administrators honestly think it's a good long-term idea to eliminate the distinctive programs that make their institutions special (and competitive), and instead become the same cookie-cutter, gutted, shell of an academic institution like so many others in Nous' wake?
Are we definitely going to work on a podcast episode about this? 👀
Tips
Is Nous or similar management consultant grifter wreaking havoc in your institution? Are you in administration and appalled at what Nous has done to your workplace? E-mail us at [email protected]. We'll keep anything sent to us anonymous.
Campaigns and Calls for Action
- Immediately rescind program admission suspensions at York
- Stop the Program Suspensions in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Calgary
- CAUT Unlock Education
(If you would like to share a campaign or call for action, let us know!)
