(Ottawa – May 20, 2021) The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) representing academic staff across Canada—including staff at bilingual and Francophone institutions in minority settings—supports the national dialogue on post-secondary education in the francophone minority context. CAUT will seek to bring the perspectives of academic staff to help strengthen minority language post-secondary education in Canada. 

“Bilingual and French-language universities and colleges are the driving force behind the cultural, social and economic vitality of Francophone communities across Canada,” notes Yalla Sangaré  CAUT Treasurer and a professor at Université Sainte-Anne in Nova Scotia. “However, as seen in the recent crises at Laurentian University and Campus St. Jean, French language education is under threat.  This dialogue is timely and necessary.”

The dialogue process, organized by Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne (ACUFC) and the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA), will run until the spring of 2022 and will result in an action plan to ensure sustainability for the sector.

“Francophone academic staff have unique challenges and can bring important perspectives to ensuring the sustainability of quality affordable and accessible minority-language education in Canada,” says Sangaré.