Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you for inviting the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) to speak to the Committee as it examines the federal government’s support for postsecondary institutions and their efforts in promoting bilingualism in Canada.
My name is André Dulude. I am Vice-President, National Affairs of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. I am accompanied by my colleague Luc Rainville, Executive Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor, Francophonie Affairs.
AUCC was created in 1911 and incorporated by an act of Parliament in 1965. For nearly 100 years it has served and promoted the interests of its member institutions in the official language of their choice. AUCC represents 94 public and private not-for-profit universities and degree-level colleges across Canada. Some of our members teach primarily in English and some primarily in French, and some are completely or partially bilingual.
An important role of Canadian universities is to ensure that the new generation it is educating is aware of and can respond to not only the realities of Canadian society but, increasingly, international realities as well. In the Canadian context, AUCC's position is that relations and improved communication between our official language communities are important aspects of the Canadian identity, which universities and AUCC should help foster.
AUCC believes that:
- bilingual competence is most effectively developed at the elementary and secondary levels and that universities should encourage prospective students to have acquired a working knowledge of their other official language;
- universities have an important role to play in promoting and further developing bilingual competence in Canadian society;
- universities should work toward improving bilingualism in Canada by providing opportunities within their own institutions for the development of bilingual competence;
- universities should encourage students to become competent in their other official language;
- universities should develop their ability to foster bilingualism;
- universities should encourage bilingualism by providing opportunities for student and faculty exchanges with universities operating in the other official language;
- universities should promote among students, faculty and the communities in which they are located, knowledge of and interest in the cultural heritage of Canada’s two official language groups; and
- governments should provide to Canadian universities sufficient financial resources to facilitate the promotion of bilingualism as outlined above.
For these reasons, the President of AUCC gladly accepted the invitation of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Graham Fraser, to join him in a study of second language learning opportunities in Canadian universities.
Members of this Committee may remember that Mr. Fraser announced the study when he appeared before you in November 2007.
The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages is now at the point of concluding the study that began in early 2008. The advisory committee overseeing it will hold its final meeting in April. The study's findings, including the suggestions and recommendations made, will be reviewed and will form the basis of proposals and plans for the future. We are as eager as you are to know what the findings of the study will be.
Once again, Mr. Chairman, we thank you and the committee for your time, and we would welcome any questions committee members may have. Merci.