Campus Saint-Jean hits record enrolment

The University of Alberta’s francophone campus, Campus Saint-Jean (CSJ), has hit record enrolment with nearly 1,240 students. CSJ enrolment has nearly doubled from its 2022 enrolment number of approximately 650 students.

This record number means that CSJ has already exceeded its strategic goal of reaching 1,200 students by 2027. The Gateway spoke with CSJ Dean Jason Carey about what this record number of students means for the campus.

CSJ’s strategic efforts to change its reputation have contributed to this record number, according to Carey. As he sees it, changing the way CSJ is talked about has encouraged people to “[recognize] the value of bilingual education.”

“A part of that is realizing that in our society, being able to speak and master both languages is vital, and that everybody who walks out of CSJ is able to speak and operate in both French and English.”

For Carey, it’s important for the U of A to be “recognized as truly one of the leaders in bilingual education.”

“[CSJ] really serves this French aspect of our national duality and, clearly, the U of A should be selling that, not just on a national level, but on an international level.”

“We’re not finished growing,” Carey says

Carey said his goal is to reach 2,000 students, with 1,500 in Edmonton and 500 or more in Calgary, or online through CSJ’s Calgary satellite campus.

“We’re not finished growing,” Carey said. “There’s really no limit to the impact that CSJ can have as a leader in education.”

CSJ is strengthened by new immigrants, Carey said. In his opinion, “the Francophonie in Alberta … is going to survive because of new immigration.”

“Canada seems to have messages about closing doors to international students, but from our perspective, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been very good at saying ‘no, there is still opportunity for French international students outside of Quebec to actually bolster up [our] community.'”

A significant part of changing CSJ’s reputation has been revitalizing its spaces through infrastructure renovations. This has involved redeveloping classrooms and improving student spaces.

Moving forward, CSJ is focused on growth and investment.

“CSJ is not yet on 100 per cent stable financial footing, but we’re really getting to that point, and we can really reinvest in everything that we’re doing in a way that will help everybody: students, staff, reputation, and the community.”

L’Association des Universitaires de la Faculte Saint-Jean (AUFSJ) President Erica Norton provided a statement to The Gateway about CSJ’s record enrolment.

“We are overjoyed to see an increase in student enrolment this year,” Norton said. “It is amazing to have so much interest in French-language post-secondary education in Edmonton and across Alberta. With the increase in enrolment, we are already seeing more students consistently in our newly renovated salon des étudiants, or student’s lounge.”