At an extraordinary meeting of the University Senate on September 17, members discussed the final report of the Task Force on Programs and Services in French, released on August 29. The Senate began their review of the 31 recommendations aimed at strengthening and promoting French on campus by 2012.
After much deliberation and debate, the Senate approved the first five recommendations including the unanimous support of the recommendation to establish a Standing Committee on Francophone Affairs and Official Languages.
The recommendation to seek independent legal advice concerning the University’s potential designation under the French Language Services Act raised concerns about the University’s autonomy.
The other three recommendations commit the University to:
• Take the necessary measures to ensure an understanding of its Regulation on Bilingualism;
• Amend the statutes and regulations of the Board of Governors and Senate to increase to two-thirds of the votes the minimum required for any decision regarding the abolition of programs and services in French; and
• Increase efforts to obtain the necessary funding so that the University can cover the real costs of bilingualism for current activities and improve access to quality programs and services in French.
The Senate will meet again on October 15, with a further meeting in November to discuss the remaining recommendations.
For full details on the task force and the recommendations, see www.gazette.uOttawa.ca.
