Aboriginal students can now access a database that provides information about aboriginal services and organizations on Canadian campuses. The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) unveiled the database as an online companion to the Directory of Canadian Universities, which they publish every year.
According to 2006 Ontario government statistics, only 38 per cent of the aboriginal population have achieved post-secondary education compared to 51 per cent of the non-aboriginal population. Statistics have also shown that students from aboriginal backgrounds are three times less likely to finish their degree.
“The education gap is large and [it’s] growing. This needs to change,” AUCC president Paul Davidson said in a statement. In 2006, only nine per cent of the aboriginal population in Ontario had successfully obtained a university degree.
“A university education can greatly boost one’s chance for success in life; improving access to education for aboriginals in Canada is an ongoing priority for Canada’s universities and AUCC,” Aisha Dioury, project leader for the aboriginal database, said. “The database can help those programs reach the people they’re designed to help.”
Mallory Whiteduck, Aboriginal Cultural Liaison Officer with Carleton University’s Centre for Aboriginal Culture and Education explained how the database might help aboriginal students with degree completion.
“It’s so important that aboriginal students find the university or college that is the right fit for them. Often, key factors to a student’s success can include things like finding a strong aboriginal community within the institution, or being able to access certain services, such as an aboriginal counsellor,” she said.
“Having a database like the one AUCC has created helps students to understand their schools before they apply, and will only serve to help aboriginal students make better informed decisions about their futures,” Whiteduck said.
The database includes the percentage of staff and students who identify as aboriginal, aboriginal undergraduate and graduate programs, aboriginal language courses, and any services or activities hosted on or off campus.
It also lists transition programs aimed at aboriginal students, financial aid for aboriginal students, and even contact information for aboriginal liaisons that can provide further information.
Gabrielle Castilloux, president of the First Peoples Council at Carleton, has already found the database useful.
“I’ve already used it to apply for two bursaries and I think that for myself it has been an amazing tool,” she said.
“I’m really content with its inception and I would love to see more resources like this be developed.”
Dioury said the AUCC will update the database annually.
“Once a year we’ll actively ask institutions for information regarding their programs and services, and they’ll be welcome to provide any updates at any time,” she said. “This way, we can ensure that the information we have isn’t out of date and stale.”
“Today’s tech-savvy youth are much more likely to consult something online than in print,” Dioury said.
The aboriginal database can be found at: www.aucc.ca/Aboriginal-directory.
