The Working Group on International Recruitment’s recommendation that Carleton shouldn’t enter into an agreement with Navitas is a recommendation well made.
Navitas, a private, for-profit Australian company, specializes in helping international students with low academic standing. Upon completion of a year-long Navitas program, students are accepted into the partner university itself.
Although there are several Navitas programs in existence throughout Australia, the U.K. and Canada, Carleton shouldn’t join the list.
During a panel discussion held during the early stages of Carleton-Navitas talks last year, Peggy Hartwick, a member of the Carleton University Academic Staff Association (CUASA) said, “One way to look at Navitas is as an acronym: Not A Viable Initiative to Aid Students.”
While the program has garnered positive attention at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, faculty members at the University of Manitoba haven’t looked at it so favourably.
They’ve said the program takes away their resources and takes classroom space away from registered university students, which isn’t what it’s supposed to do.
By accepting international students — whose marks originally didn’t cut it — after just one year in the program, Carleton would be taking away the hard work put in by international students who get accepted on their own merit.
Not to mention, if Navitas were to have any issues, by association, Carleton would, too.
Carleton has been able to attract international students on its own and has built up good international relations the last few years, particularly with the launch of the Canada-India Centre for Excellence in Science, Technology, Trade and Policy. It wouldn’t really benefit from the added international exposure.
It’s clear that Navitas and Carleton aren’t a good fit. Now, the decision just needs to be finalized by the Senate so students and staff are able to rest easy.