Funding Supports Improved Access to French Post-Secondary Education
EDUCATION--Funding Supports Improved Access to French Post- Secondary Education
About $15 million in federal and provincial funding will support the merger of Université Sainte-Anne and Collège de l'Acadie, to improve student access to French post-secondary education in Nova Scotia.
A funding agreement was signed today, Dec. 6, by Canadian Heritage Minister Sheila Copps and Acadian Affairs Minister Neil LeBlanc, on behalf of Education Minister Jane Purves.
"The long-term sustainability of French post-secondary education in Nova Scotia will be secured through the successful integration of these two institutions," said Mr. LeBlanc. "Together, they will be stronger than they were apart. That's good for students and for all Nova Scotians who will benefit from the economic impact of more highly-skilled, bilingual graduates."
The new institution will be able to offer college and university programs and courses in French to more students across the province. It will also build on Collège de l'Acadie's existing expertise in distance education to reach more students in the province and abroad.
"The government of Canada is proud to work with Nova Scotia, Collège de l'Acadie and Université Sainte-Anne on this initiative," said Ms. Copps. "The merger of a university recognized for the quality of its programs and faculty with a college that has made a name for itself in new technologies and distance training will be of great benefit to Nova Scotia."
"Thanks to the strategic investment from the federal and provincial governments, we will be able to build from the well- established strengths of both the university and the college," said André Roberge, president of Université Sainte-Anne. "Our new institution, modern and decentralized, will be able to offer more programs and services to all Acadians and francophones in Nova Scotia while continuing to maintain the student-centred approach for which we are known."
Provincial legislation was passed in November to integrate the institutions. Once the legislation is proclaimed, the former boards of governors will be dissolved and a transitional board will come into effect. Mr. Roberge will be the new president and Allister Surette, president of Collège de l'Acadie, will be vice-president of development and partnerships.
Under the funding agreement, the government of Canada will provide $7 million over five years, beginning in 2002-03. Nova Scotia will contribute $7.9 million over the same period.
This initiative is part of the Official Languages in Education Program. The federal budget of February 1999 provided funding for this program and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework.
The provincial government will continue to provide operating grants for the new institution, totalling $32.5 million over the five-year period.