Glendon College and La Cité Collégiale have been partners since entering into an agreement in 2009, and have now announced their intention to strengthen their collaboration by jointly signing a document to this effect on May 28, 2013.
Lise Bourgeois, President of La Cité Collégiale, and Kenneth McRoberts, Principal of Glendon College, have both signed a contract that will facilitate an alignment between these two institutions with respect to college programs in Advertising, Journalism, Education and Children’s Services, Social Work Techniques and Gerontological Social Work Techniques, and with respect to Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology, Sociology and Pluridisciplinary Studies – Communications Option.
The intent of these programs is to enable students to navigate between the two institutions, under the terms of the agreement, so that they can earn a college diploma or university degree more quickly. In other words, this agreement, signed by Glendon and La Cité Collégiale in May 2013, is for the benefit of their students.
Both establishments were already co-operating under the terms of a Diploma in Public Relations program offered by La Cité Collégiale on the Glendon campus. The new agreement therefore continues a process begun two years ago, and the combined forces of both postsecondary institutions should attract new students. Moreover, Francophones in the Toronto area will now have a greater number of postsecondary training and educational opportunities.
The Glendon Campus: A Valuable Asset
Principal McRoberts feels that Glendon College is a valuable asset that is contributing to the increase in postsecondary French-language programs in Southwest Ontario: “Glendon has 3,000 students and a new building. We are ready to broaden our programming, especially at the undergraduate level. Now is the time to act,” he stated; and, in conclusion, he added, “We’re hoping for a positive impact on Francophones.”
Glendon and La Cité Collégiale are hoping to be able to offer a four-year degree in the near future by allowing students to take courses at both institutions, thereby affording them an opportunity to earn a college diploma from La Cité Collégiale and a Bachelor degree from York University. “Such a formula is highly relevant at the present time because students largely make their decisions in terms of their careers,” said McRoberts.
While discussions are progressing well vis-à-vis the choice of a winning formula for higher education programs aimed at Francophone students in South Central Ontario, Glendon and La Cité Collégiale are counting on Glendon’s appeal and on its campus and excellent reputation. Principal McRoberts welcomes a stronger role for Glendon within the French-speaking community. “Since we have a certain degree of autonomy as a faculty, we are in a position to serve Francophones in Southern Ontario but we do need additional programs,” he stated.
Lise Bourgeois, President of La Cité Collégiale, said, “We believe that this agreement is one more step in the right direction towards increasing and diversifying our postsecondary programs for Francophones in Central Ontario.” In her view, Glendon College, La Cité Collégiale and the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario, François Boileau, have done an excellent job of identifying the problems related to postsecondary education in the region, and this agreement represents a concrete response to the problem of program creation.
La Cité Collégiale also used the press conference on May 28 as an opportunity to inaugurate its new videoconference room, which is located on the Glendon campus.
By Michel Héroux
