The new College of 黑料吃瓜网 Canada (CNC) has already received endorsements from several prominent 黑料吃瓜网ers, 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 college鈥檚 website features praise from former GNWT cabinet minister Tom Beaulieu, who鈥檚 identified as a faculty member, and lists former Dene national chief Norman Yakeleya, Deline Got鈥檌ne Chief Danny Gaudet, and former Lutsel K鈥檈 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 Yellowknife鈥檚 EPR accounting firm.
That鈥檚 because the college鈥檚 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.
鈥淲e鈥檙e preparing for the grand opening of our campus,鈥� she said on a Zoom call with Ontario-born college vice-president Louis Blais, who also moves between Vancouver and Yellowknife. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just waiting for some key people and we launched our first programs online.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檝e been busy working behind the scenes on getting our amazing programs launched, and then it鈥檚 just a matter of 鈥� I would say, hopefully 鈥� a few weeks,鈥� 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 institution鈥檚 president within the last year. The early years were spent 鈥渨orking closely鈥� with council members 鈥渢o establish programs that they felt were the most needed in the territory鈥� and gathering 鈥渟everal experts鈥� who could help 鈥渃ome up with solutions.鈥�
After years of planning, the college launched with online classes 鈥渁round the beginning of May,鈥� Aboukinane added, and now has approximately 20 learners, according to Blais.
鈥淲e鈥檙e always expanding,鈥� he said.
鈥楩lexible rules鈥�
The college鈥檚 website boasts that it has 鈥渘o mandatory qualification requirements鈥� and 鈥渇lexible rules and regulations related to the students鈥� educational backgrounds.鈥�
That鈥檚 part of what makes it a 鈥渘on-traditional academic institution and hub for continuing education,鈥� according to Aboukinane, who also noted that the college is 鈥渘ot offering or targeting any diplomas or degrees at the moment.鈥�
鈥淎s an educational provider, [CNC] serves more as a catalyst in knowledge transfer and dissemination, targeting primarily 黑料吃瓜网 learners or those who desire to provide services to our 黑料吃瓜网 communities from various educational levels and backgrounds,鈥� she said.
The college currently 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 have any learners from the North,鈥� the president acknowledged, and while she admitted it鈥檚 鈥渉ard to tell at the beginning鈥� where most of the college鈥檚 students will come from, she expressed openness to students from all over the world.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not only North focused, we鈥檙e not only Canada focused, we are world focused,鈥� she said. 鈥淲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 it鈥檚 for the local communities up here in the North or down south as we like to say, or anywhere in the world, they鈥檙e going to be prepared to impart Indigenous values, environmentalist values, et cetera.鈥�
鈥淚ndigenous values鈥� 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 鈥渢he next few weeks.鈥�
The college is also 鈥渙ne of the first鈥� institutions to use a 鈥渃o-teaching model,鈥� Aboukinane added.
She described co-teaching as 鈥渁 unique coaching model that requires an Indigenous educator to be in the room with our students on a regular basis.鈥�
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 GNWT鈥檚 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.
鈥淎 good way to look at it is, it鈥檚 under the framework of education, research and conferences,鈥� Blais said of the centres, none of which yet have physical locations where lessons will be taught. 鈥淭here鈥檚 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 黑料吃瓜网 Canada, the rest of the country, and really the rest of the world.鈥�
Blais did not specify which internationally-renowned researchers the college has been collaborating with, but the college鈥檚 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 college鈥檚 big 鈥渉ighlights鈥� so far, according to Blais, was being 鈥渁 major organizer of Africa鈥檚 first ever SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) conference,鈥� an event held in Ifrane, Morocco from March 4-8 this year.
鈥淪WAT is the world鈥檚 most comprehensive and widely used water modeling software, so the conference was a global exchange of knowledge on watershed management and water conservation,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t really was a gathering of the world鈥檚 top water researchers.鈥�
鈥淭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,鈥� added Aboukinane. 鈥淭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 it鈥檚 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]鈥� some hidden talents that we don鈥檛 know 鈥� to bridge the gap between theory and practice.鈥�
While CNC has yet to open its physical campus in Yellowknife, both Aboukinane and Blais are optimistic about the institution鈥檚 future in the city and the North.
鈥淚 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,鈥� Aboukinane said, adding that, in Morocco, 鈥渕any people were impressed with our initiative,鈥� and wanted to 鈥渞each out and help support, and know what we鈥檙e all about.鈥�
Beaulieu, Yakeleya, Gaudet and Nitah could not be reached for comment about their involvement with the CNC.
