Université Sainte-Anne’s full-time student population for the 2019-2020 academic year is 540 students, exceeding the previous record of 481 students set in 2008. It represents a year-to-year increase of 146 students, or 37 per cent.
One of the targets of the institution’s previous strategic plan, which ended in 2018, was to have 500 full-time students before September 2018. While the university was a year behind schedule in reaching its goal, the news is very welcome, the university’s president says.
“This achievement demonstrates that our recruitment and retention efforts, our culture of excellence in education and research, our willingness to remain engaged in our communities and our positioning as a leading institution in French-speaking Canada have all paid off,” said Allister Surette, the university’s president and vice-chancellor. “The work that we have done for several years, work that is guided by our strategic plan, has yielded strong results.”
The increase is across the board and cannot be attributed to any particular sector. It is spread over all programs and demonstrates the diverse geographic origins of the new students, the university says.
“High-quality French-language education and research, a warm and welcoming environment, safe and secure campuses and Université Sainte-Anne’s focus on student success and engagement are important factors in recruitment and retention,” the university said in a media release.
As Nova Scotia’s only French-speaking university, with a French immersion program recognized as one of Canada’s best, Université Sainte-Anne is well-positioned to attract students seeking to perfect their French-language skills. Most graduates are bilingual and benefit from great advantages in the job market, the university says.
“Sainte-Anne feels like a second home,” said Kassidy Boutilier, a 2017 graduate of the Government Office Worker program and a student of the 2014 and 2016 immersion sessions. “From the first time I came for the immersion program, I felt safe and supported. I not only learned a lot of French during my time at Sainte-Anne, but also learned to love the language and to never stop learning and loving it.”
The university says all signs indicate the trend will continue for the start of the winter term in January 2020 and that Sainte-Anne’s campuses will host a larger number of students than last year.
