U of W discusses improving aboriginal students’ education
At U of M, Aboriginal Students’ Centre planned to address low enrolment, graduation rates
Morgan Modjeski, staff
Making post-secondary education more accessible and attractive to aboriginal and Inuit Canadians was the focus of a roundtable discussion hosted by the University of Winnipeg from Nov. 7 to 8.
The roundtable — attended by Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine, Manitoba Métis Federation president David Chartrand, and Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief, Ron Evans, and chaired by U of W president Lloyd Axworthy — addressed the low enrolment and graduation rates of aboriginal students from U of W.
According to the U of M’s office of institutional analysis, 6.4 per cent of U of M undergrad students are self-declared aboriginals. First Nations make up 15.4 per cent of the total population of Manitoba.
According to University of Winnipeg’s release on the roundtable, delegates suggested an evaluation standard for universities to set criteria for improving aboriginal education — for example, a certain number and type of outreach programs, aboriginal-specific recruitment campaigns, and set goals for increasing the enrolment of aboriginal students at Manitoba post-secondary institutes.
The roundtable proposed that this be accomplished through the Aboriginal Student Strategic Plan proposing that institutions target aboriginal students to ensure success.
This would consist of a manual to be given faculty and students, promoting knowledge and other facts about native culture to increase the understanding of all people attending on a whole.
Currently, the U of M does not have a program that focuses on ensuring the success of all aboriginal students like the U of W roundtable recommended, according to Kali Storm, director of the Aboriginal Student Centre at University of Manitoba, which is an organization put in place to help support and make sure that aboriginal students do not lose their roots while attending university.
There are programs like the Access Program, a program that will help students whose economic or geographical backgrounds inhibited them from having the ability to attend post-secondary education. This program does focus on students of aboriginal descent but is not entirely focused on First Nations students.
In addition, the plan would add a system to record aboriginal students’ educational progress while attending post-secondary education, to ensure their success, and to evaluate the programs. Increases to scholarships and bursaries for aboriginal students were also discussed.
The University of Manitoba is also taking steps to attract more aboriginal students by building a new Aboriginal Students’ Centre on the University of Manitoba Fort Garry campus.
The building process was started in 2005 and it is said that construction should be finished in February 2008, according to Bill Schellenberg, manager of architectural services at U of M.
The new Aboriginal Students’ Centre will be approximately 15,000 square feet over two stories. The building is still going to meet its construction deadline with a move-in date of March 3, 2008.
Building is still at the “iceberg stage,” as Schellenberg put it.
“For a unique project such as the Aboriginal Students’ Centre, a lot of time and effort is required for planning and design.”
Prairie Architects, a local Winnipeg firm, was contracted to design the Aboriginal Students’ Centre. The budget for the project was $6.7 million said Schellenberg. The funding came from private investors and a private fundraising campaign.
According to Schellenberg, the costs related with the project were as accurate as possible ,though the design was changed to adjust to the given budget.
“As the project was ongoing the cost was adjusted accordingly.”
Schellenberg also said, “Some adjustments in design had to be made to reduce cost, but care was taken to ensure that the quality of the design and the building were not unduly affected.”
The new space the centre will provide — from five offices to a whole building — has already been planned for. The second floor of the building will consist of office space and a gathering centre, while the first floor will be designated for a student lounge, a computer area, and a healing room.
