1. What is the French Language Services Act?
The French Language Services Act is an Ontario law enacted in 1986 that guarantees to members of the public a right to receive Ontario government services in French. This legislation applies not only to government agencies, but also to service-providing institutions that receive public funding and have been designated by the government, including certain hospitals and colleges.
2. Why has the University of Ottawa requested designation under this Act?
For a long time, the University of Ottawa has been committed to promoting Francophone culture in Ontario and to providing a wide range of academic programs in French. Moreover, our founding document, the 1965 University of Ottawa Act, states that one of our missions is “to further bilingualism and biculturalism and to preserve and develop Francophone culture in Ontario.” Franco-Ontarian and Franco-Canadian Culture are also one of the six core aspirations of our strategic plan, Transformation 2030. The University considers that its designation under the Act is a solemn affirmation of its commitment to the Francophone community.
In addition, the University’s designation will protect the institution’s ability to offer services in French and solidify its role as a Franco-Ontarian institution of higher learning in the long term.
3. What does designation bring, in practice, to students?
Designation guarantees that every student has a right to complete his or her entire program in French so long as he or she chooses electives in French. This means that the University cannot require a student to take a course in English in a program listed under the designation. The University of Ottawa has a long history of offering bachelor’s degrees entirely in French; in fact, the vast majority of our programs can be taken in French or English. This right is now protected by law.
In addition, every student has a right to receive services from the University of Ottawa in French. This guarantee covers such services as the libraries, Food Services, SASS, etc.
4. How will designation affect programs offered in French?
A student can meet all the requirements of his or her program in French so long as he or she chooses electives in French. In other words, designation requires that a program’s mandatory courses be offered in French and that there be a sufficient selection of elective courses offered in French for students to complete their entire program in this language.
The University believes that it already meets the requirements that apply to programs covered by designation. The University of Ottawa has a long history of offering bachelor’s degrees entirely in French; in fact, the vast majority of our programs can be taken in French or English.
Moreover, in the faculties of Law, Education, Medicine, Arts, Social Sciences, Health Sciences and the Telfer School of Management, any new undergraduate programs must be offered in French.
5. How will designation affect programs, courses and services offered in English?
Designation has no effect on programs, courses and services offered in English, the provision of which will remain unchanged after designation. Designation will not result in a reallocation of resources currently assigned to programs, courses or services offered in English, since the University already meets the requirements of designation.
6. Why is this designation considered partial? What programs or services are covered by this designation?
This designation is partial because it does not cover all the programs and services provided by the University of Ottawa. Before designating an institution, the Ontario government must ensure that the services that the institution offers are available in French. Therefore, the University also wanted to make sure that the services covered by the designation were already compliant with the Act. Hence, the designation covers most of the services offered to students by central administration, the academic secretariats of each faculty, and the undergraduate programs in the faculties of Law, Education, Medicine, Arts, Social Sciences, Health Sciences and the Telfer School of Management, as well as certain programs in the faculties of Science and Engineering. Programs which, at this time, cannot be completed without taking at least one course in English are not covered by the designation.
This said, the vast majority of undergraduate programs are covered under the designation. We estimate that roughly 90% of Francophone students at uOttawa are registered in programs covered by the designation.
7. Are there other rules that govern the use of French at the University of Ottawa?
The French Language Services Act only applies to the language of service provided to the public. Other legislation and regulations apply to other aspects of French language use at the University of Ottawa.
First, the University’s incorporating legislation states that one of its missions is “to further bilingualism and biculturalism and to preserve and develop Francophone culture in Ontario.” In addition, the Regulation on bilingualism at the University of Ottawa continues to apply and covers certain matters not covered by the French Language Services Act, including the bilingualism of staff members, the language of internal communications, and a student’s right to complete assignments and write exams in his or her language of choice. The University’s Council on French Services and Programs is responsible for ensuring the application of the Regulation and promoting the use of French.
8. If I fail to receive a service in French, who should I complain to?
There is already a procedure in place to file a complaint that relates to bilingualism. Anyone can lodge a complaint with the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Provost, who will contact the service concerned to resolve the issue and, as required, report back to the complainant. This process is overseen by the Council on French Services and Programs, which includes a summary of all complaints in its annual report.
Designation will take effect on January 1, 2016, at which point this procedure will be adjusted to respond to complaints under the French Language Services Act. In addition, any person who is dissatisfied with the way the University of Ottawa handles a complaint may bring the matter to the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario, who may launch an investigation and make recommendations as specified in the Act. As soon as designation takes effect next January, the University will publish the procedure to follow to lodge a complaint under the Act.