Independence for the Champlain-St. Lawrence College

QUEBEC CITY, Feb. 19, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - St. Lawrence campus is one of three campuses that constitute Champlain Regional College, the only multiregional college that still subsists in Quebec.

« This multiregional structure is a true anachronism—an anomaly under the Law of Colleges», declares Chris Brosseau, President of the Professionals' Union. ʺSt. Lawrence is the only post-secondary, public institution in English between Montreal and the Gaspésie. Our college accomplishes great things with limited means. It is high time that St. Lawrence became an independent CEGEP like all the others with the same tools to fulfill our fundamental mission.ʺ

ʺBecoming a full-fledged CEGEP will grant full representation on the Board of Governors to actors from our region and the college will benefit from the same leavers of development as the other independent CEGEPs,ʺ added Lisa Birch,  President of the Teachers' Union. ʺBy being firmly anchored in our communities with all the tools and powers of a truly autonomous college, we will be able to respond better to  the needs of students in our region as well as those of the social and economic communities, especially regarding the development and retention of talented, bilingual youth in our region.  A closer proximity between St. Lawrence and community partners will facilitate internships and access to employment for our students.ʺ  

ʺThe college would be able to ensure optimal funding for student success projects ʺ, affirmed Andrée-Anne Giguère, French teacher and member of the Teachers' Union Executive. ʺWe are convinced that the unique nature of our student population, the special cultural of our institution and its unique mission in the Quebec City region would be better respected and valued if our campus became an autonomous college.ʺ

By ending travel between three administrative regions and meetings in Drummondville, there will be immediate savings: less bureaucracy and less overlapping tasks. Local management, direct services and communications between college services would be greatly improved.  Le gains in economic efficiency would enable the college to allocate more resources to direct services to our students and communities. 

This new status would create a local governance structure that reflects well our college community as well as all the communities in the Quebec City region who benefit from the presence of a post-secondary institution that offers high quality education in English.  

ʺThis project will bring structural  gains as well as economic, social and political benefits  for St. Lawrence and especially for  the greater Quebec region,--our national capitalʺ, concluded Richard Garneau, President of the Support Staff Unions.

A support-building campaign is underway among the communities that benefit from the services of the only institution of higher learning in English in this region and a petition is on line on the website of Quebec's National Assembly
(https://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/exprimez-votre-opinion/petition/Petition-5135/index.html).

St. Lawrence must become a real CEGEP!

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SOURCE CSN

Meagan Daley, Official Spokesperson for the Interunion Committee « Bring us home », [email protected]; France Désaulniers, Communications Advisor, FNEEQ-CSN, [email protected], 514 219-2947 (portable)