ITK seeks home for proposed university’s main campus
Communities invited to apply to host campus facility and housing for 180 students, staff
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Natan Obed says the national Inuit organization is looking for a community to host the main campus of the Inuit Nunangat University, which will serve as an “important centre of activity for the institution.” Obed is shown speaking at a December 2023 news conference in Iqaluit. (File photo)
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami is seeking a host community for Inuit Nunangat University, an Inuit-led, Inuit-governed school it hopes to open in 2030.
An Inuit Nunangat-wide selection process has been launched to identify a location for the university’s main campus, which is expected to accommodate 100 students and 80 staff, the national organization representing Inuit said in a news release Friday.
“The university’s main campus will serve as an important centre of activity for the institution, while promoting a sense of community and collaboration across Inuit Nunangat,” ITK president Natan Obed said in the news release.
In a November interview, Obed said Inuit Nunangat University will help reduce barriers to post-secondary education for Inuit by being closer to students’ home communities and centered on an Inuit world view.
“We are hoping that we can create a university that is an extension of Inuit society and that will be inclusive of Inuit from all regions or whoever else would like to attend the university,” he said.
The proposed facility requires space for a 26,900-square-foot main building, as well as 21,500 square feet of living accommodations, the release said.
Communities in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Nunavut, Nunavik in northern Quebec, and Nunatsiavut in Newfoundland and Labrador are eligible to apply to host the main campus.
Interested communities must submit an expression of interest via a survey by April 7, ideally in partnership with their municipal council, the ITK website said.
The survey, titled Envisioning the Future: Your Community’s Role with Inuit Nunangat University, is available on the ITK website and can be completed online or by phone.
Applications will be evaluated based on several factors, including the community’s land ownership status, access to roads, availability of water and wastewater services, and power supply.
Transportation options such as airport runway conditions and flight frequency in and out of the community will also be considered.
Communities must also describe their existing post-secondary institutions, health care facilities, retail services, and recreation centres in the survey.
Applicants are asked to outline any future development plans and confirm whether their municipal council would pass a resolution supporting the university.
A third-party reviewer will assess survey responses, the news release said, before ITK selects four to six communities to submit detailed proposals.
Those not chosen might still be considered as sites to host knowledge centres, or satellite campuses. Final selection will be based on feasibility and alignment with the university’s mission.
The university was first proposed in 2011 as part of ITK’s National Strategy on Inuit Education.
Last November, Obed announced a $50-million contribution was received from the Mastercard Foundation to support the university’s academic planning, course development and community engagement.
City of Iqaluit spokesperson Geoffrey Byrne declined to comment on the city’s intentions. Several other municipalities in Inuit Nunangat contacted by Nunatsiaq News for comment did not respond.
Nunavut’s Department of Economic Development and Transportation, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and Makivvik Corp. did not respond to requests asking whether they will assist communities in preparing proposals to host the university.
Obviously it has to be in the north, a large enough community where Inuktut is very strong and used daily.
Not too difficult to travel to, making it not too expensive to travel there.
This is very exciting for us northerners!
“Applications will be evaluated based on several factors, including the community’s land ownership status, access to roads, availability of water and wastewater services, and power supply.”
Guess there are no eligible communities.
No brainer. It should be an add-on for the existing Cambridge Bay research station. Universities need critical mass of expertise over a wide range of disciplines.
Just sign over the whole ChARS complex. There is nothing else going on there. The place is practically deserted.
Lets see, $100,000,000 for construction of 50,000 square feet.
Add a few more millions for furnishings and equipment.
Then figure annual operating costs of about $50,000,000.
Devolution royalties should cover that.
No problem, as soon as the glaciers all melt to reveal Nunavut’s vast mineral resources, I’m sure Trump will gladly pay that for access.
Get real. 21,500 square feet of living space is 120 square feet for each of 180 people. That’s a 10 foot by 12 foot bedroom. What about families? What about kitchens, living rooms, bathrooms? Try multiplying by at least 4.
Who is going to do the construction, at the same time as the GN is building 1,000 plus houses in Nunavut and the rest of Canada is trying to build a couple million more houses? Then figure on Canada’s need to build additional houses for millions of refugees from the USA. And add in a depression, plus a world war. Sounds like a plan!
Do you think Trump would pay for it if we named it Trunp University?
How about just refurbish Old Residence?
What programs can you possibly offer with only 100 students? How many professors do you think you can hire? Just a handful with that small of a population, and few will want to come to Nunavut and have a long-term tenured position here.
You can offer the usual grievance study programs, which I guess is probably all the ITK is looking to do, with being able to attach a degree to it. You can’t offer anything useful though as an independent institution, and Arctic College already offers the useful degree and diploma programs in conjunction with southern institutions.
A big part of the university experience is getting out of one’s own bubble and meeting people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. It sounds like this university is being developed to shelter people from having that experience.
Word for word, the honest truth written by this post. For Nunavut, look at enrolment vs graduation of students. Its abysmal to say the least. If you want to throw money, look at upgrading what NAC has or support those high school kids. This 100 students /80 staff university is a joke. It will be just another big waste space of a building.
Tough choice. Hmmm…
Where to attend university?
At a severely isolated small town (?) with no sun, very violent and no accreditation. Or…(drum roll) an actual, practical accredited university to obtain a real education.
Rather than waste money like this, why not upgrade the “none of it” curriculum. I don’t want to go to a job interview to brag I can drum dance, cut a snow block and throw harpoons.
BTY. Bring back the Edmonton Eskimos
NAC is barely staffed. How would NU staff a university? I just don’t understand where all these qualified individuals would come from.
Inuvik maybe, but even then they would need huge infrastructure overhaul. This is just a plain bad idea destined to fail.
As has been decided with APTN HQ in Winnipeg, near the geographical center would be a fine choice. Rankin Inlet or Baker Lake?
Why not, there is a community learning center in Rankin with only one student studying ABE. Just give the building to the UofN and it will undoubtedly be packed.
I would say Rankin Inlet would have lot of land space. Iqaluit or CamBay are in the boondocks for air travel.
CamBay, would it sustained water and sewage capabilities, water delivery is out for this facility. Iqaluit or Rankin Inlet it is….
Do the nay-sayers commenting on this article realize that Greenland has a well-functioning, fully accredited, internationally-respected university? It started out tiny, and grew over time. Faculty come from Greenland, Denmark, Europe, Canada and the U.S. Last weekend Ilisimatusarfik (https://www.uni.gl/) celebrated the graduation of 28 bachelors, 7 masters and 3 ph.d. students.
You do realize that Greenland is at least 50 years ahead of Nunavut in terms of EVERYTHING right? Does Inuit Nunangat need a university now? No. but will they need a university in 50 years, maybe.
Even been to Greenland? It’s not Nunavut, I’ll say that …
University of Greenland’s sole accreditation is by the Department for Culture, Education, Research and Church of Greenland
University of Alberta, on the other hand, has accreditations from:
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
The College of Family Physicians Canada
American Library Association
Commission on Accrediting of The Association of Theological Schools
American Bar Association
Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board
Canadian Society for Chemistry
Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation
Statistical Society of Canada
Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs
… and probably more. These accreditations are not easy to come by, and are important for students choosing a legitimate post-secondary school.
Canada has 17 universities ranked in the Top 300 in the World, University of Greenland is ranked 4,779 (Canada has 38 universities ranked higher). So what’s this about being internationally respected?
You clearly don’t understand what “accreditation” is or who grants it in Canada —Under the LAW In Canada post-secondary education (university and college) accreditations are granted solely by the provinces and territories. Provincial and territorial governments in Canada grant the authority to grant degrees to universities. This is done through legislation, charters, licenses, or ministerial consent. Each province and territory has its own system for quality assurance in higher education, there is no national body, these systems may be managed by a government agency, an organization that represents universities, or a combination of these. Universities are autonomous in academic matters, but must adhere to provincial/territorial laws. Some professional programs undergo professional accreditation, that’s regulated by a profession’s body, such as lawyers and doctors.
In Nunavut the law that governs accreditation is The Universities and Degree Granting Institutions Acts —check it up.
I definitely understand accreditation more than some. Yes, the ability to grant degrees is managed by the government. But there are many other accreditations that degree programs can and do receive. That’s why there’s no international respect for University of Greenland, the only body that accredits them is their own government. So, are they technically able to grant degrees? Yes. Are those degrees accredited by a third-party? No. None of them.
Meanwhile, the University of Alberta is accredited to grant degrees from the government, but their various programs also have accreditations from all of those institutions that I listed above.
You’re welcome to look up Canadian universities that are AASCB accredited. They include University of Alberta, University of Calgary, Guelph, Carleton, University of Ottawa, Dalhousie, Queen’s, UBC, UofT, McMaster. Memorial, and quite a few more.
Similarly, there are 17 Canadian university programs accredited by CACMS. Many Canadian programs are accredited by Engineers Canada. Do you see where I’m going with this? When prospective students are seeking out potential programs, many of them seek out programs that are accredited by a third-party because it means their programs have been vetted by external sources. They are respected. These are the real facts.
You do realize the Greenland is in Europe and is the product of a radically different educational bureaucracy and that its ability to staff is light years ahead of Nunavut?No
The placement is moot. For there to be an actual university for Inuit by Inuit you will need to staff it with Inuit. Real staff, not just reception, custodial, kitchen, but professors, assistants. People with PHDs, and Masters degrees. As noble as this cause is, do you think that the few Inuit who have succeeded and achieved these titles are going to leave their profession and help guide an adventure that will be rife with political pressure and interference?
Nuuk Greenland, they know how to make things work over there unlike this side.
Before even considering building anything. Define what will the curriculum is going to be taught.. That has a impact on building design.
Another part of the plan is to educate enough students. From the existing education system. That qualify to attend an accredit university. Nunavut needs to train there own professionals. In health care, engineers, science. business, environmentalist. There degrees will need to recognized every were in Canada.
Not only in Nunavut.
I really see the necessity of having a Nunangat-based higher education facility between the local high schools and universities offering a full-range of departments and faculties. This help to ensure that students would be prepared both academically and culturally to attend colleges in the south. In Quebec, students go to CEGEP before going to university, which helps with the completion rate of those who go on to university-level studies.
What kind of degree would this proposed institution offer – a degree in Northern Studies or Inuit Knowledge? While this is certainly of value, it will do little to help with our shortfall of Inuit nurses, engineers, accountants, trades people, administrators, lawyers, etc.
I strongly urge the designers of the curriculum to have an upgrading component so that those following a more advanced career path will have an easier time in their southern studies.
The kind of institution that prepares students for university, is not the university itself but a preparatory college.
Tuktoyaktok has AWAR already and it’s not that far from Utkeagvik which has a strongest Inuit whaling culture in the world.