The new College of Northern Canada (CNC) has already received endorsements from several prominent Northerners, but prospective students may have some questions about what kind of programs the college offers, how enrollment works and what kind of degrees and certificates await graduates.
The collegeSA国际影视传媒檚 website features praise from former GNWT cabinet minister Tom Beaulieu, whoSA国际影视传媒檚 identified as a faculty member, and lists former Dene national chief Norman Yakeleya, Deline GotSA国际影视传媒檌ne Chief Danny Gaudet, and former Lutsel KSA国际影视传媒檈 Dene First Nation chief Steven Nitah as members of its academic council. However, anyone who dials the number listed on the home page will reach YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 EPR accounting firm.
ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 because the collegeSA国际影视传媒檚 Yellowknife campus has yet to open, according to president Dr. Chehrazade Aboukinane, a Moroccan-born engineer and environmentalist who says she now splits her time between Vancouver and Yellowknife.
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e preparing for the grand opening of our campus,SA国际影视传媒� she said on a Zoom call with Ontario-born college vice-president Louis Blais, who also moves between Vancouver and Yellowknife. SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e just waiting for some key people and we launched our first programs online.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e been busy working behind the scenes on getting our amazing programs launched, and then itSA国际影视传媒檚 just a matter of SA国际影视传媒� I would say, hopefully SA国际影视传媒� a few weeks,SA国际影视传媒� she added, without specifying where in the city the campus will be located.
CNC shares ownership with EPR, according to its website. The college has been in development for about three years, said Aboukinane, who became the institutionSA国际影视传媒檚 president within the last year. The early years were spent SA国际影视传媒渨orking closelySA国际影视传媒� with council members SA国际影视传媒渢o establish programs that they felt were the most needed in the territorySA国际影视传媒� and gathering SA国际影视传媒渟everal expertsSA国际影视传媒� who could help SA国际影视传媒渃ome up with solutions.SA国际影视传媒�
After years of planning, the college launched with online classes SA国际影视传媒渁round the beginning of May,SA国际影视传媒� Aboukinane added, and now has approximately 20 learners, according to Blais.
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e always expanding,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
SA国际影视传媒楩lexible rulesSA国际影视传媒�
The collegeSA国际影视传媒檚 website boasts that it has SA国际影视传媒渘o mandatory qualification requirementsSA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒渇lexible rules and regulations related to the studentsSA国际影视传媒� educational backgrounds.SA国际影视传媒�
ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 part of what makes it a SA国际影视传媒渘on-traditional academic institution and hub for continuing education,SA国际影视传媒� according to Aboukinane, who also noted that the college is SA国际影视传媒渘ot offering or targeting any diplomas or degrees at the moment.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淎s an educational provider, [CNC] serves more as a catalyst in knowledge transfer and dissemination, targeting primarily Northern learners or those who desire to provide services to our Northern communities from various educational levels and backgrounds,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
The college currently SA国际影视传媒渄oesnSA国际影视传媒檛 have any learners from the North,SA国际影视传媒� the president acknowledged, and while she admitted itSA国际影视传媒檚 SA国际影视传媒渉ard to tell at the beginningSA国际影视传媒� where most of the collegeSA国际影视传媒檚 students will come from, she expressed openness to students from all over the world.
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e not only North focused, weSA国际影视传媒檙e not only Canada focused, we are world focused,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e are creating young skilled workers, as well as strengthening the skills of older workers, to be able to take their skills anywhere they need to. Whether itSA国际影视传媒檚 for the local communities up here in the North or down south as we like to say, or anywhere in the world, theySA国际影视传媒檙e going to be prepared to impart Indigenous values, environmentalist values, et cetera.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淚ndigenous valuesSA国际影视传媒� are and will continue to be of crucial importance to the college, according to Blais. Not only will the school aim to attract Indigenous students, but it also plans to launch an Indigenous leadership program in SA国际影视传媒渢he next few weeks.SA国际影视传媒�
The college is also SA国际影视传媒渙ne of the firstSA国际影视传媒� institutions to use a SA国际影视传媒渃o-teaching model,SA国际影视传媒� Aboukinane added.
She described co-teaching as SA国际影视传媒渁 unique coaching model that requires an Indigenous educator to be in the room with our students on a regular basis.SA国际影视传媒�
Centres of study
CNC can be broken down into several centres of academic study: The Centre of Indigenous Affairs and Self-Governance, the Centre of Indigenous Research and Scholarly Advancement, the Centre of Environment and Sustainability, the Centre of Executive Education and Leadership Development, the Centre of Pathways to Professional Designations, the Centre of Microcredentials, the Centre of Career Training, and the newly added Centre of Logistics Learning. Because the centres do not offer diplomas or certificates, accreditation from the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 Department of Education, Culture and Employment is not required. However, the Centre of Logistics Learning is recognized by the Canadian Institute of Traffic and Transportation as an organization that grants CITT-Certified Logistics Professional designations.
SA国际影视传媒淎 good way to look at it is, itSA国际影视传媒檚 under the framework of education, research and conferences,SA国际影视传媒� Blais said of the centres, none of which yet have physical locations where lessons will be taught. SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 various methods of knowledge dissemination and collaboration that we use, that we involve world renowned researchers [in], all with the goal of supporting communities and existing institutional organizations all across Northern Canada, the rest of the country, and really the rest of the world.SA国际影视传媒�
Blais did not specify which internationally-renowned researchers the college has been collaborating with, but the collegeSA国际影视传媒檚 website lists five PhD holders among its 16-member faculty. Of those faculty members, few or none but Beaulieu seem to live in the North currently.
One of the collegeSA国际影视传媒檚 big SA国际影视传媒渉ighlightsSA国际影视传媒� so far, according to Blais, was being SA国际影视传媒渁 major organizer of AfricaSA国际影视传媒檚 first ever SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) conference,SA国际影视传媒� an event held in Ifrane, Morocco from March 4-8 this year.
SA国际影视传媒淪WAT is the worldSA国际影视传媒檚 most comprehensive and widely used water modeling software, so the conference was a global exchange of knowledge on watershed management and water conservation,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚t really was a gathering of the worldSA国际影视传媒檚 top water researchers.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淭he full intention going into and contributing to that big, global conference is to, at some point, bring those scholars to the North to solve our water quality issues,SA国际影视传媒� added Aboukinane. SA国际影视传媒淭hinking of the North, we have the highest number of water bodies. I personally, as an environmental engineer and a big environmentalist, was amazed how much research can bring to the North, and itSA国际影视传媒檚 not just Yellowknife, but also Nunavut and the Yukon. Essentially, our goal is to really connect these great minds from everywhere, including outside or sometimes inside [the North]SA国际影视传媒� some hidden talents that we donSA国际影视传媒檛 know SA国际影视传媒� to bridge the gap between theory and practice.SA国际影视传媒�
While CNC has yet to open its physical campus in Yellowknife, both Aboukinane and Blais are optimistic about the institutionSA国际影视传媒檚 future in the city and the North.
SA国际影视传媒淚 would like [our] centres to be expanded to reach out to researchers and educators from all over the world to help us come up with some solutions to our real problems,SA国际影视传媒� Aboukinane said, adding that, in Morocco, SA国际影视传媒渕any people were impressed with our initiative,SA国际影视传媒� and wanted to SA国际影视传媒渞each out and help support, and know what weSA国际影视传媒檙e all about.SA国际影视传媒�
Beaulieu, Yakeleya, Gaudet and Nitah could not be reached for comment about their involvement with the CNC.
