Strengthening Postsecondary Education in Northern Ontario
Proposed changes will make Northern Ontario School of Medicine and Université de Hearst independent, supporting access to quality education for students and communities in the region
Postsecondary institutions in Northern Ontario play a critical role in stimulating local economies and preparing students for the workforce in the North. Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) and l’Université de Hearst have provided crucial education to Northern Ontario for years and have provided critical services to Francophone and Indigenous communities.
That’s why our PC government is introducing legislation that will establish both NOSM and Hearst as two new, independent, degree-granting universities in Northern Ontario.
“NOSM and Hearst provide specialized and important educational opportunities in Northeastern Ontario. They are ready to take the next step in their development and maturity as institutions,” said Ross Romano, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie and Minister of Colleges and Universities. “This new independence will ensure that each institution has the autonomy to grow in ways that more effectively support the access to quality education for students and communities in the region. Hearst will become Ontario’s second stand-alone French language university, joining the Université de l’Ontario français. NOSM will become more agile and nimble to the changing needs of students as they help tackle the need for doctors and other health human resources in Northern Ontario.”
As a standalone institution, Hearst will become a French-language university governed by and for Francophones in Northern Ontario. In addition, independence will allow NOSM to grow and adapt to the needs of students as they help tackle the need for doctors and other health services in the North.