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The Conversation: Indigenous students and faculty are on the rise — and universities have a moral obligation to support them
As written in The Conversation by Jennifer Brant, University of Toronto and Frank Deer, Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba.
As we close out September, universities across Canada are well into their new year of learning. An exciting change is underway. An increasing number of First Nations, Inuit and Métis students have enrolled in post-secondary studies.
Many universities are aware of this growing interest in post-secondary studies among Indigenous Peoples and have actively recruited from this rising demographic. In 2021, Statistics Canada reported an increase in First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples acquiring bachelors-level degrees compared to the previous five years. Statistics Canada data also points to a promising increase in employment status for Indigenous graduates.
But the exciting trend is raising questions about what commitments universities have made to the recruitment, retention and support of Indigenous students.
Read the full story here.
Research at the University of Manitoba is partially supported by funding from the Government of Canada Research Support Fund.