U of A wants 10-fold increase in Native Students

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A 10-fold increase in Native students by the year 2000 is the goal of the University of Alberta's new aboriginal student policy.

It's part of a recently adopted policy developed by the university's Aboriginal Student Council (ASC).

And it's a president Dexter Young, the ASC's immediate past president, hopes other universities across the country will also adopt. The policy commits the Uof A to increasing the number of aboriginal students to match the Native percentage of Alberta's population

Natives currently make up about five per cent of the province's total population, but aboriginal students currently only account for about half per cent - only 126 Native students - of the U of A's full-time student population of under 26,000.

However, even the current small number of Native university students represents a huge increase from just a decade ago when there were hardly any aboriginal students attending the U of A, says Young.

Although the university is opening doors to meet the minimum target, Young says university entry requirements won't be relaxed for Natives.

That would be "detrimental" he says. Requirements will be the same for all students.

Among new initiatives, the university is launching a transitional year program that offers smaller classes and tutors to help mature students upgrade to meet entrance requirements.

Another is to ensure Native students enroll in all faculties, from arts and science, to medicine, engineering and business administration, says Young.

Other objectives of the new 12-point policy call on the U of A to launch a massive recruitment drive to inform students across the province and the north of 60 of the university's aboriginal policies which deal with things like pre-admission counseling, housing and orientation as well as special co-operative education and summer employment programs fitting the field study of individual aboriginal students.

Young, 33, a fourth-year student, says the newly adopted policy is a major breakthrough, which will help Natives in their battle for self-sufficiency.