News

Saint Paul University (SPU), La Cité and Algonquin College are delighted to announce the creation of innovative pathways for college graduates to achieve an Honours BA in Social Communication.

The pioneering Agreement between SPU, La Cité and Algonquin College marks the culmination of an 18-month project, headed by Saint Paul University and funded by the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT), the organization responsible for developing a mature transfer system within the province.

Under the Agreement, College graduates in seven technical communication-related disciplines will be able to undertake an accelerated program of courses in Social Communication to gain the 60 credits required to achieve their degree in one calendar year.
The intention of these creative and unique new pathways is to enable students to gain a solid technical foundation in one of the key technical disciplines associated with communication, and then rapidly enhance it by gaining a focused theoretical and practical platform on which to build their subsequent careers.

‘’This new initiative will provide students with a rigorous, holistic and well-rounded educational program that facilitates faster access to the job market while at the same time ensuring that students incur lower costs for their education,” said Chantal Beauvais, Rector of SPU.
At the signing of the Agreement, Beauvais, along with Lise Bourgeois, President of La Cité, and Cheryl Jensen, President of Algonquin College, will speak about strengthening the ties between the three institutions and, in particular, the value of creating unique and ground-breaking opportunities for their students.

With this innovative agreement, some 200 students from 7 programs offered at La Cité will be able to register for this accelerated program as early as June; it is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for them to enter the job market more quickly or to pursue graduate studies,” said Lise Bourgeois, President and CEO of La Cité. “I would like to thank the Saint Paul University team for their openness in recognizing not only the value of the college diploma, but at the same time, the value of our students.”

“ONCAT is pleased to have supported this unique agreement which creates many opportunities for bilingual students to complete both a diploma and a degree in a communications discipline,” stated Yvette Munro, Executive Director of ONCAT.

“We are very proud to collaborate with SPU to give our learners the kinds of options they need to accelerate their careers,” added Cheryl Jensen, President and CEO of Algonquin College. “Through our Learner Driven Plan, we are aiming to personalize the education journey of each and every one of our learners. This agreement is yet another example of how we are achieving that goal, and also an illustration of how post-secondary institutions in Ottawa are partnering to the advantage of students across our region.”