Dear members of the McGill community,
I am writing to update you on two subjects that have featured prominently in the news recently.
First, in the week since I sent my message to the McGill community about the Government of Quebec’s proposed tuition measures impacting university financing, we have heard from many worried students, prospective students, faculty, administrative and support staff, alumni and partners.
On Monday, I met with Pascale Déry, the Minister of Higher Education, to reiterate our grave concerns about the potential impacts these changes would have on McGill and our sister universities, if they were implemented. The Minister listened intently. I reiterated our commitment to collaborate to find more productive ways to help the Government achieve its goals.
Second, you may be aware of reports last week saying that McGill has postponed the launch of a major investment in the promotion of the French language. Part of the information in some media was confusing, so let me share the facts with you.
The University had planned to announce the creation of the Rayonnement du français initiative, funded at $50 million total over five years, on October 11, 2023. On October 6, the Government of Quebec alerted McGill that changes that could affect our financial situation were coming. We were not provided with details to evaluate the potential financial impact they might have on McGill.
Because we did not know the extent of the impact, we felt it was more prudent to postpone the Rayonnement announcement. As you know, on October 13, the Government of Quebec announced its proposed tuition measures impacting university financing.
The Rayonnement initiative is not cancelled: we are still committed to creating additional programs and services to enable more people at McGill to learn or to improve their French. Of course, the McGill community includes a significant number of people who have French as a mother tongue or who are already fluent. The larger goal of the Rayonnement initiative was to help students, faculty and staff, particularly those from across Canada and around the world, deepen their contributions to Quebec society.
Learning a new language, or perfecting language skills, is a way to create links between cultures and open doors to new possibilities. The initiative was designed as well to strengthen our partnerships with fellow universities in Quebec, promote more robust cultural and intellectual exchanges, and contribute to the continued flourishing of Montreal, Quebec, and its regions.
McGill is a globally pre-eminent university that is locally anchored. We are of and in Quebec, and our national and international reputation, reach and network of alumni is an asset for Quebec. We are determined to keep our doors open to students from across Canada and around the world.
Sincerely,
Deep Saini
Principal and Vice-Chancellor
McGill University