The President’s Francophonie Awards highlight University community members’ exceptional commitment to promoting and expanding the reach of the Francophonie and bilingualism at uOttawa. In 2024, these awards were given out to individuals and teams whose creativity, leadership and dedication enriched life on campus by promoting the values of the Francophonie and bilingualism.
These award winners embody the Francophonie
Individual Award – Administrative Personnel: Joseph Khoury
Joseph Khoury, who is coordinator at the Mathematics and Statistics Help Centre, ardently defends the importance of providing equal access to scientific knowledge in both official languages. In an environment where English often predominates, Joseph has designed math courses and innovative online tools in French that are adapted to the needs of Francophones. He has also designed teaching resources that make this body of knowledge more accessible for those more comfortable in the language of Molière. And these initiatives are not simply local: Joseph has also helped position uOttawa as a leader in bilingual STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education through his involvement internationally. As “Canadian ambassador” to the International Mathematical Union since 2011, he has played a key role in promoting UNESCO’s International Mathematics Day by encouraging bilingual participation. Joseph brilliantly demonstrates that scientific knowledge can and must be expressed in every language, including French.
Individual Award – Manager: Philippe Douamba
As chief administrative officer of the Telfer School of Management, Philippe Douamba has shown outstanding leadership in promoting the Francophonie and bilingualism. He initiated conversations with various administrative teams on best practices for bilingualism in the workplace and in student services, which led to the creation of a Faculty action plan. The measures which this plan has put in place include: initiatives that aim to ensure that both official languages are used equitably in meetings; language training for staff members in cooperation with the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLIB); and an agreement with Language Services for communications support. In short, Philippe embodies an inclusive vision in which the Francophonie and diversity become key strengths in teaching, research and administration, and the School’s organizational culture has been transformed because of it.
Services that transmit the values of bilingualism
Team Award – Food Services
The Food Services team has proven itself exceptional in its commitment to the active offer of services in French and its compliance with the language requirements of the Regulation on Bilingualism. One of these stand-out initiatives was the “Bonjour/Hello” campaign, through which the team encouraged suppliers and food vendor staff to adopt best practices in bilingualism when interacting with customers, thus ensuring that all members of the University community receive a warm, friendly and inclusive welcome.
The team also held regular training sessions for vendor managers and staff to raise awareness of the importance of bilingualism. They also implemented a policy that requires bidders to meet clear language pre-requisites to ensure that contracted services meet the University’s Francophonie and bilingualism requirements. These initiatives testify to Food Services’ proactive approach to fostering an inclusive, bilingual culture in every interaction, even during a meal or coffee break.
Team Award – Procurement
The Procurement team has integrated bilingualism throughout the University of Ottawa’s administrative services: it has modernized its contractual and tendering guidelines by adding clear language clauses.
In cooperation with Legal Services, the team undertook the rigorous challenge of codifying actual equality between French and English in its purchasing and third-party agreements that include a language component. This change guarantees that suppliers will comply with the University’s bilingualism standards and that the entire University community can benefit from equitable access to services. The team also implemented robust monitoring, along with training strategies, to ensure that these standards are met at each stage and to support those responsible for contracts and purchasing in central services and faculties. These initiatives strengthen inclusion on campus and show that it is possible to integrate bilingualism into daily practices. Through its leadership, this team has tangibly contributed to the University’s commitment to the Francophonie and bilingualism.