Laurentian University appoints new VP of Francophone affairs

Laurentian University is extending an olive branch to the French-speaking community.

Earlier this week, the institute announced the appointment of Natalie Poulin-Lehoux to be its new associate vice-president of Francophone affairs.

The job has been left vacant since March 2021, shortly after Laurentian filed for creditor protection and had to do some restructuring. During this time, the university eliminated more than 70 programs 28 of which were French-speaking programs.

Poulin-Lehoux says there is a lot to be done to rebuild trust with the Francophone community.

"It's going to take some hard work, it's going to take some conversations, it's going to take some rebuilding, some resetting of some new priorities and and I think those conversations are going to be key, to try and really learn what people's concerns are"

Poulin-Lehoux acknowledges she will have a fair bit on her plate when she begins the role on October 18, 2023.

Her appointment also comes shortly after the Ontario's Ministry of College and Universities rejected a funding proposal from the University of Sudbury, effectively ending the school's bid to establish a French university in the city. The ministry saidfunding a Francophone university in Sudbury did not 'reflect current demand'.

"I find that situation difficult for two reasons," Poulin-Lehouxtold the CBC's Aya Dufour.

"The Francophone community in Sudbury is fairly small. We know each other. I know some of the folks over at University of Sudbury. I know how hard they work and all the things they've done for the Francophone community and they really work hard for Francophone rights and I very much respect them"

But Poulin-Lehoux says she also understands the presence that Laurentian University has had in the Francophone community over time and believes Laurentian has a key role to play in French post-secondary education in northern Ontario.

"We have lost some programs which have been quite devastating to the community. I mean at this point it's going to be a matter of really looking at what the needs are, and hopefully rebuilding some of those important programs that we've lost."

There are currently 35 French-language programs at Laurentian University making it one of the few options left for northern Ontario students looking to pursue their higher education in French.

Poulin-Lehoux's association to Laurentian is threefold.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Education from Laurentian University in the early 2000s. She also taught at multiple levels at the university and later, worked as an education consultant for the office of Francophone Affairs.

"I was also working directly for the VP at that time to analyze various data from our Francophone programs and I organized a few symposiums as well for the Francophone affairs. So my role was pretty multidimensional at that time, but I learned a lot and I got to know the teachers at the university, I got to know the program. So it was a very, very interesting few years actually."

With over 25 years of experience, Poulin-Lehoux brings a deep understanding and appreciation for the role of Francophone postsecondary education in Northern Ontario, according to a press release.

Poulin-Lehoux most recently held an administrative role at Collge Boral.

Under her new title, Poulin-Lehoux says she will represent the Francophone programs and activities at Laurentian University, but believes the role still needs to be defined given all the changes that have occurred over the past couple of years at the university.

In addition to managing Francophone affairs for the university, Poulin-Lehox says she will also be responsible for funding associated with health programs and partnerships with school boards across the province.

Poulin-Lehouxsaysher approach to any given role iscentred around the needs of the students.

"I think that I measure my success on how the student is doing and how the student is succeeding, and that's kind of been the name of the game for me for a long time."