French community rallies for program

Alberta’s French community is recruiting students and offering scholarships to a French business administration program the University of Alberta suspended recently because of low enrolment.

Fourteen French organizations launched the unauthorized campaign Thursday designed to revive the course at the university’s French College at 8627 91st St.

The campaign aims to collect enough applications from eligible students in the next two weeks to prove to the university there is enough interest to run the course, said Marc Tremblay, president of the Conseil de développement économique de l’Alberta.

“We’re hoping we can go to the university with these applications and force them to reinstate the program by September 2013.”

Organizers are also collecting donations to fund 15 scholarships worth a total of $42,000 to attract applicants before the June 7 deadline, Tremblay said at a news conference at the French College in the Cité francophone. The “crowdfunding” campaign has already raised more than $22,000.

More than 1,165 people have also signed a petition asking the university to reinstate the program.

There are about 238,000 francophones in Alberta, Tremblay said.

“It’s up to us to continue to mobilize all the francophones and francophiles in the province to sign the petition. It’s important.”