Evidence of meeting #17 for Official Languages in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was universities.
A recording is available from Parliament.
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Conservative
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Welcome to all our witnesses.
Mr. McRoberts, I was very interested in your presentation, and I am very interested by what you're doing at your universities. I believe 13 universities belong to your organization. Am I right?
9:50 a.m.
President, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
Yes.
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Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
What is the approximate total number of students registered at your universities?
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Jocelyne Lalonde Director General, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
I could send you that information, if you're interested.
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Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
Give me an approximate number. Are there 10,000, 20,000?
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Director General, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
I've only been in my position for two weeks. So I don't yet know the exact number, but I can send you that information.
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
All right, I would be interested in getting it.
Is there enough room for all the students who want to take courses at your universities?
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Director General, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
Yes, absolutely.
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Conservative
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Director General, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
I believe that the purpose of our universities is always to increase the enrolment in all our university programs, and we have the capacity to do that in the francophone community. Our students come from all our francophone communities. We also have international students, immigrants and immersion program students.
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Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
I believe you have those figures in the student book.
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Director General, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
We have approximately 23,000 francophone students at our 13 universities.
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Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
What is the percentage of students from francophone and anglophone sources?
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Director General, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
That depends on what you mean by "francophone source" and "anglophone source". A lot of families are exogamous, that is to say that one of the parents is francophone and the other anglophone. It's difficult to answer your question.
9:50 a.m.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
All right, I understand.
Mr. McRoberts, you mentioned the students registered in immersion courses. These are students who have taken immersion courses at the secondary level and who are continuing to do so at your universities. Is that correct?
9:50 a.m.
President, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
Yes.
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Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
What approximate percentage do those students represent?
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President, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
That varies considerably from one institution to the next.
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Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
All right, but what is the average per university? Is it 40%, 50%, 10%?
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Director General, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
In overall terms, I would say the figure is 15% to 20%.
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Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
These are students who come from immersion. This is a phenomenon that is occurring across the province, that is to say that anglophones are doing their studies in French, in immersion, most of the time. There are starting to be quite a large number of anglophone students learning French, and not the reverse, at the universities in Canada.
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Director General, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
What do you mean by "the reverse"?
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Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
I mean that these aren't necessarily francophones who are attending an anglophone university.
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Director General, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
I believe that's happening on both sides. It would be very difficult to get those figures. However, I believe a great deal of work has to be done with francophone universities to promote postsecondary studies in French. It's the federal government's responsibility to support us in that respect.
We have to continue raising the profile of our universities in order to attract all the francophones. We also have to increase access to francophone universities in the francophone minority communities. There are currently 13 universities, and they are not in all the regions. We have to work to improve access to postsecondary education in French.
It is false to say that francophones are not studying in English. In my opinion, that's something that is being done.
