Collège Nordique receives accreditation as a post-secondary institution

Yellowknife, September 23, 2024 — Collège Nordique is proud to announce that it has received official accreditation to become a post-secondary institution from the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT), marking a significant milestone in the institution's history. This recognition establishes Collège Nordique as a key player in providing post-secondary education and a uniquely Northern student experience to French-speaking and other learners from across the territory and beyond.

"Today, Collège Nordique celebrates this transformative milestone for our community of learners and the vision set forth by our founders over a decade ago," said Angélique Ruzindana Umunyana, Chair of the Board of Directors of Collège Nordique.  "We are deeply grateful for the support from Premier R.J. Simpson and Caitlin Cleveland, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and for their confidence in our potential. With this recognition by the GNWT, our college is now positioned among the family of official minority language institutions from coast to coast to coast. I would like to sincerely thank everyone who contributed to this project, especially our community members whose hard work and determination brought this institution to life. Collège Nordique is truly an institution built by, for, and with our community."

Caitlin Cleveland, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, commented: "I am very pleased to be a part of this celebration for Collège Nordique and the territory’s Francophone community for providing a comprehensive and structured learning model with dedicated services tailored to the needs of learners in the North. This is our Post-Secondary Strategic Framework in action as we make progress toward ensuring every resident of the Northwest Territories has an opportunity to reach their full potential. College Nordique, now accredited as a Private Training Institution, has the ability to provide a post-secondary education in a student-centred, accessible, high quality, relevant, and accountable institution. Congratulations to everyone that worked hard to make this happen."  

This milestone provides more options for learners to access post-secondary education close to home. As an accredited institution, Collège Nordique can now develop and deliver its own quality-assured programs through the GNWT's new quality assurance process.

"Our students will benefit from access to territorial student financial assistance, and we will work to ensure the transferability of our diplomas”, added Patrick Arsenault, Executive Director of Collège Nordique. While we are now empowered to develop and deliver our own programs, collaboration and partnerships remain at the core of our mission. We will continue to seek partnerships with other institutions and organisations in the spirit of reciprocity and to expand opportunities for all learners."