Nunavut Arctic College looks to expand management program

Program would have option to continue into bachelor degrees in commerce, business administration, minister says

Minister of Education Pamela Gross said in the legislature that Nunavut Arctic College, in partnership with Memorial University, is exploring how to give management students the option to continue past the diploma and receive a bachelor degree. (Photo by David Venn)

By David Lochead

Nunavut Arctic College is exploring ways to expand its management diploma program to give students the option to receive a four-year bachelor of commerce or bachelor of business administration degree.

“We are very excited to explore this opportunity,” Education Minister Pamela Gross said in the legislative assembly Friday, during a review of the education department’s budget.

The goal is to have the new undergraduate options, which would be done in partnership with Memorial University in St. John’s, N.L., ready by 2024-2025, she said.

Currently, NAC offers a two-year management diploma and a one-year management certificate in Rankin Inlet. Those programs provide training in management and business administration.

A bachelor of commerce or business administration degree program would give students who have finished the diploma program advanced standing toward the undergraduate degree, NAC president Rebecca Mearns said.

The initial thought in designing this program is that a bachelor’s degree in either commerce or business administration would be a good next step for students who have taken the management diploma program, Mearns said.

But, she added, NAC and Memorial University still need to sort out details to finalize what type of program best suits Nunavummiut students in management.

Creating an undergraduate degree to go beyond a management diploma is a part of the 10-year memorandum of understanding NAC and Memorial University signed in 2019.

Through that partnership, Memorial University provides resources that help the college provide university-level degrees, including the Nunavut Teacher Education Program and bachelor of social work program.

The announcement by Gross followed a question from Iqaluit-Manirajak MLA Adam Arreak Lightstone, who asked if NAC was planning to work with Memorial University to expand the management program.

He pointed out there are a large number of positions in the Government of Nunavut that require a commerce background in fields such as finance or accounting.

“It opens up so many opportunities for people,” Mearns said of NAC expanding more of its programs toward university degrees.

The new undergraduate programs will be taught in Nunavut and instructors will be a mix of staff from NAC and Memorial University, ashe said.

Challenges included in finalizing a university degree include arranging outside funding, housing for students, and classroom space, she said.

“There’s a lot more behind the scenes that has to happen,” Mearns said.

 

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(6) Comments:

  1. Posted by YCO on

    A great idea, but first, get your students payments in order first! Fix the problem before bringing this idea to life, otherwise you’ll have stranded and starving Nunavummiut who are far away from home, and, you lack replying to any emails or phone calls.

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  2. Posted by Rural EDACATION need SKUNK Work’s (Academic Tool’s) on

    The most IMPORTANT IDEALOGY is provide ACADEMIC curriculum in Classes that are relevant to EDUCATION, and COLLEGE or UNIVERSITY programs, and certainly NOT EDUCATION that is NOT relevant to learning i.e. Socio-Path.
    Academic lesson:
    – MATHEMATIC’s
    – ENGLISH/ GRAMMAR
    – SOCIAL STUDY’s
    – GENERAL SCIENCE
    – INUKTITUT
    – PYSICAL EDUCATION

    In conclusion hire certified ACADEMIC Teachers that are qualified to teach, and certainly NOT bring poverty of long-term lessons that is NOT relevant to students introductory of learning/ education.

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    • Posted by S on

      Well said, Rens Wat

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  3. Posted by Inquiring Minds on

    Dear Minister,

    Department of Education is graduating about 250 studets from grade 12 each year, out of a kindergarten entry class of close to 1000. That’s about a 25% graduation rate.
    .
    Question 1: What is the Nunavut graduation rate for Inuit students?
    .
    Question 2: What is the graduation rate for students who start in the Inuktitut stream?
    .
    Question 3: What is the rate of Academic Graduation? Those are the students who are able to go into a university program.
    .
    Question 4: What is the Nunavut Academic graduation rate for Inuit students?
    .
    Question 5: What is the Academic graduation rate for students who start in the Inuktitut stream?
    .
    Before spending more millions to help a few, for whom supports are already in place, how about finding a way to make school meaningful for the vast majority of students in Nunavut? And please start being open with the true success rates of our education sysytem. Department of Education annual report is full of pretty pictures and fine words, but most of this information is not included.
    .
    ps. The real measure of success of Nunavut’s K-12 program would be,
    “Question 6: What percentage of those Inuit kindergarten students pass first year university and go on to second year university?” Please tell us, Madame Minister.

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    • Posted by Quana for the Question on

      I’m just someone’s friend who used to run a cultural centre… what do I know about NU education?

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  4. Posted by Name Withheld on

    I agree with Rural Education post!!

    2nd have your HR Manager to hire qualified teachers that are willing to teach.

    You have soo many staff members that don’t do what they were hired to do as they prefer to mingle and walk around looking busy.. Overpaid staff busy on their phone and walking around is what NAC, QEC has!!

    They spend so much on hiring contract workers that don’t have a clue what they are doing… Only in Nunavut does the GN allow that.

    Let’s face it, both Corporations exist due to funding from the GN and it buggles me that they allow them to continue to do as they please…

    They don’t even follow Article 23. ? But don’t say that to their President as those two don’t care at all as long as they look good in the eyes of their Board members.

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