Four top Canadian universities sign joint MOU with Yukon, Aurora and Nunavut Arctic Colleges

Whitehorse, YT – Students attending college in Canada’s three northern territories will soon have greater opportunities to further their studies at other universities. That’s because of a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed today in Yellowknife, NWT between Yukon, Aurora and Nunavut Arctic Colleges and Dalhousie University, University of Laval, University of Alberta and University of Ottawa.

The five-year agreement also opens the door at four of Canada’s leading universities – founding members of the CALDO consortium - to increased opportunity to transfer to programs in the three territories. There are also plans to promote exchange programs and take part in joint research ventures in the North.

The MOU Signing took place at the Great Hall of the NWT Legislative Assembly, Yellowknife at 3:30pm (MST) Wednesday, April 25th, 2012. It was hosted by the NWT Minister of Education, Jackson Lafferty, and attended by representatives from the CALDO consortium and the three territorial colleges. University and college representatives met this morning to identify the groups’ priorities to implement this agreement.

“This MOU is a good fit for Yukon College and will provide real benefits to our students,” says Dr. Karen Barnes, Yukon College President.

“The CALDO consortium universities do a great deal to ease the transition for international students coming to Canada. This expertise can now also help students from our remote northern communities who also encounter challenges when moving south to continue their education.”

“The opportunity to work collaboratively and expand opportunities for students and researchers is exciting,” says Sarah Wright Cardinal, Aurora College President.

"We are pleased to embark on this partnership with the three northern colleges," said Carl Amrhein, Provost and Vice-President Academic of the University of Alberta and CALDO representative.

"It will offer many more opportunities for all of our students in expanded degree and exchange programs and in easing the transition for northern students studying at our large university campuses. On the research side, this agreement paves the way for greatly expanded partnerships between the Yukon Research Centre, Aurora Research Institute and Nunavut Arctic Institute and the more than 200 research centres and institutes within the CALDO consortium."

“This will be a great opportunity for students, professors and researchers at the CALDO universities to learn more about the North,” says Barnes. “To know what we are working on and learn about the unique aspects of each territory.”

The MOU will help to establish a framework for the seven post-secondary institutions to:

 
• work collaboratively on program development and delivery;
 
• increase the number and range of course offered in the three northern colleges that are transferable to CALDO consortium universities;
 
• expand opportunities for degree completion at the three northern colleges;
 
• develop opportunities for student exchanges between the three northern colleges and CALDO consortium universities;
 
• develop ways to diminish transition challenges faced by students from the three northern colleges travelling to study at CALDO consortium universities and for CALDO consortium universities students going north;
 
• facilitate faculty and staff exchanges related to program delivery and research; and
 
• develop ways of promoting and facilitating joint research ventures among the seven post-secondary institutions.

Contact:
Michael Vernon
Communications Coordinator
College Relations
Yukon College
Office: 867.668.8786
Cell:  867.332.7353
mvernon@yukoncollege.yk.ca
www.yukoncollege.yk.ca

CALDO is a consortium of the University of Alberta (Edmonton), University of Laval (Quebec), Dalhousie University (Halifax), and University of Ottawa (Ottawa). Canada’s four top research universities offer a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs to over 140,000 students.  It is a Canadian research powerhouse: its numerous leading research chairs and internationally renowned research centres and institutes ($1.25 billion of research activities per year) bring together the collective research capacity and expertise required to build international partnerships. 

Yukon College delivers programs to 1315 credit students, including 47 international students, in 13 campuses across the Yukon. It offers certificates, diplomas and degrees through seven academic and career schools, including: the School of Science; School of Health, Education and Human Services; School of Liberal Arts; School of Trades; School of Mining and Technology; and the School of Management, Tourism and Hospitality. The college also provides the first two years of university transfer and is a respected member of the BC Council on Admissions and Transfer, and most recently, a member of the Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer.  Yukon College is home to the Yukon Research Centre, conducting innovative research and development specific to Canada’s north.

Aurora College delivers programs to 1204 students at three campuses, 23 Community Learning Centres and other community sites in the Northwest Territories. It delivers community-centred post-secondary programs that reflect Northern culture and the needs of the Northern labour market. Aurora offers several certificate and diploma programs as well as the Bachelor of Education Degree Program and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program. The Aurora Research Institute offers licensing and research assistance in the Northwest Territories. It has research centres in Inuvik, Yellowknife and Fort Smith.

Nunavut Arctic College delivers programs to 1333 students at five campuses and 25 Community Learning Centres. The College’s two degree programs are delivered in partnership with the University of Regina—Teacher Education and Dalhousie University for the Nunavut Nursing degree. The Nunavut Research Institute identifies community needs for research and technology, seeks to promote and preserve the use of traditional Inuit knowledge and technology and acts as the science advisor to the Government of Nunavut. Licenses for field research are also issued by the Institute.