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Cambrian, Algonquin join forces for Indigenous education

Five-year research project undertaken at the schools will help enhance Indigenous student recruitment, retention and success.
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Algonquin College president Cheryl Jensen and Cambrian College president Bill Best signed a memorandum of understanding on Nov. 21 at the Higher Education Summit in Toronto.

Cambrian College will collaborate with Algonquin College on a five-year program designed to enhance Indigenous education.

Through the Indigenous Student Performance Success Program, the two colleges will study factors that help or hinder Indigenous students while studying at each institution.

The program aims to “enhance Indigenous student recruitment, retention, and success,” according to a joint new release from the colleges.

“This agreement will provide critical context to better understand the changing needs of our community and is a promising step forward that will allow our institutions to better understand and work with Indigenous students,” Algonquin president Cheryl Jensen said in the release.

“Our joint focus will be especially useful in terms of understanding student success, which is critical in terms of making plans for the future for all of our campuses.

“We are looking forward to a productive relationship with Cambrian that really makes the needs of Indigenous learners at both colleges the priority that we believe they should be.”

Speaking about the impact of the agreement, Cambrian College president Bill Best said the research will help the schools understand how to make it easier for more Indigenous students to be successful in their studies.

“Our teams have been collaborating and sharing best practices in attracting and supporting Indigenous students from diverse regions and communities for some time now,” he said.

“We are pleased to sign an agreement that will formalize our collaboration in support of our shared goals.”

Cambrian College is located in Sudbury. Algonquin College is located in Ottawa.