Simply put, the face of the French world, the Francophonie, has changed. Do we really understand what life in French means now, on campus or in the community? What languages do we speak at home? How is French used in class, at work, in day to day life? What’s the impact of technology on Francophones’ reality? Does the University meet our community’s needs? Our data concerning all these questions is still incomplete. So we’re determined to lay down some markers to get a fuller, more complex picture.
Nearly 10 years after our last consultation, the University is launching a brand new one this year to get a detailed look at where things are at and guide its strategic vision when it comes to the Francophonie. This process is in the form of a true research project. It’s an exercise as ambitious as the role the University means to play. We’ll begin by consulting students starting in March.
A unifying vision
This consultation reflect the vision expressed by our president, Marie-Eve Sylvestre: that of a Francophonie that brings people together, fully embraced as an educational and scholarly tool. The University of Ottawa, the world’s largest bilingual university, holds a unique position in Canada’s postsecondary milieu, one that requires us to act. We play a decisive role in French-language teaching and research in a minority setting and, along with other institutions, support access to and development of education in French across the country.
For our university, this responsibility means being present, accessible and engaged with Francophone communities of different backgrounds, here and elsewhere. It means we must embody the vision of a university rooted in its community, attuned to the social, cultural and linguistic realities around it.
Stéphanie Gaudet, professor at the School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, and Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Citizenship and Minorities (CIRCEM), is responsible for the project. Louis Simard, associate professor in Faculty of Social Sciences, will contribute his expertise in public consultation.
Efforts in three fundamental areas
The consultation will be rigorous and focus on efforts in three fundamental areas that shape the French presence at the University of Ottawa. It’s aimed at Francophones, Anglophones, Francophiles, the “Franco-curious” and even those who don’t care about the issue. Understanding why they don’t care is also part of the process.
- Life in French on campus: This first area looks at life in French on campus: access to services, the learning experience, student activities, working in French and the place of French in formal and informal settings. The consultation aims to help us better understand to what extent French is part of our day to day life and how it shapes the university experience.
- Scholarship in French: The second area concerns scholarship in French. What’s the place of French-language research and publication? How can we support knowledge dissemination among Francophone communities and decision-makers? While French is a research topic in some fields, it holds influence at all times. Indeed, scholarly work shapes public policy and contributes to society’s debates, here and elsewhere in the Francophone space.
- Partnerships and promotion: Amplifying impact: Finally, the third area looks at partnerships and promotion. How can the University strengthen collaboration with other institutions and actors to support a strong, accessible and socially engaged Francophone space, locally, nationally and internationally?
This reflection will look at current partnerships and at those that should be established to boost access to education and services in French, increase the influence of scholarship in public discussion and support sustainable development of Francophone communities in the region and beyond. Ultimately, it will help us reinforce our current partnerships and forge new ones to meet emerging needs.
Consultation starts with students
The consultation starts in March with students. From March 1 to April 1, a team will meet students in the faculties, in common spaces and during student activities. Group discussions will be organized and spaces for self-expression set up on campus. There will also be an online platform to allow for remote participation.
The first phase aims to address a major blind spot. We actually have very little information on language histories, the real use of French, students’ relationship to French and trends that will be felt in the coming years. The process puts people before indicators and makes lived experience key to reflection.
Results of the first phase will guide subsequent work and form the basis of the strategic recommendations to follow.
The conversation starts now.
