at the Faculty of Information, University of Toronto
BACKGROUND
For a number of years, the OLA has developed and administered the Grace Buller Scholarship Fund, meant to support graduate students who were interested in working in library services for groups with special needs. Four groups were identified as targets of this scholarship: people with disabilities, mature students, multicultural groups and First Nations people. The awards committee was finding it difficult to attract candidates, and there was pressure to refocus the fund in some way that would not lose the original intent but which would get the Fund used.
The Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto indicated that it was seeking a sponsor to establish a scholarship fund for Aboriginal peoples. Discussions between the university and the Ontario Library Association looked at several questions surrounding this request:
- The need for co-sponsors as OLA had only $125,000 in its fund.
- The need for undergraduate programs and undergraduate scholarships to encourage Aboriginal peoples to get to this level of study.
- The need for the university to provide some bridging program for First Nations people whose school system stopped at Grade 10.
1. Co-sponsors...
The Faculty of Information decided to approach the university to request consideration of this scholarship for a matching grant on the grounds that this fund was uniquely supported by the library community through the Ontario Library Association. The application was successful and the University, which was discontinuing the program in December, 2001, agreed to match the funds if they were given by OLA. This accounted for $260,000 of the $300,000 needed. In accepting the offer, OLA agreed to attempt to raise the remaining funds at the 2002 Super Conference and the university agreed to match whatever funds were raised. This brought OLA's further fundraising commitment down to a possible low of $20,000 and a worst case scenario of $40,000.
2. Undergraduate encouragement...
An undergraduate program in Communication, Culture, and information technology (CCIT) was identified as an excellent attraction for First Nations students who are showing enormous interest in electronic and Internet communications. It certainly qualified as a natural bridge to information studies at the graduate level. While other undergraduate programs will neet to be developed to have similar appeal, this BA was considered to be a reasonable step in the right direction. The Faculty of Information expressed its intention to work closely with this and similar programs to help keep them relevant to Aboriginal students.
The University, like many universities, felt an urgent need to develop programs and services for the fast growing First Nations population across Canada.
While the development of appropriate programs is encouraging, OLA in reassigning the Fund to this university application still questioned the ability of Aboriginal students to support themselves through the process. The University acknowledged the need for such support and indicated that scholarships and bursaries are being developed for such undergraduate students.
3. The gap between Grade 10 and Undergraduate Studies...
In discussing our intentions with experts across the country, The gap between Grade 10 and Undergraduate Studies was identified as the single biggest obstacle in the entire chain. We were told that our broader interest in the development of libraries was very important to how value got placed on education and on going to university. Although our immediate efforts for public libraries were applauded, it was perceived that real change would come through the development of libraries in First Nations schools.
OLA is committed to doing its part to try and improve the situation. The collective voices of groups sharing this growing concern for the education and employment of Aboriginal peoples in Canada must be counted on once more to help raise government action, however small or large. Everyone accepts that the growth in the numbers of students entering university education will be a slow process but OLA was satisfied that the University is seriously trying to address the needs that have been identified and will do its part in its own arenas.
We are pleased to report that there is an increase in enrollment at the Faculty of Information for Aboriginal students taking the Master of Information degree. As a result, there is now competition amongst the increased candidates applying for this scholarship.
THE LAUNCH
The OLA's Grace Buller Scholarship for Indigenous Peoples was announced in a public event on January 31 at Super Conference 2002. Taking part in the announcement were OLA President Michael Ridley, Faculty of Information Studies Dean Lynne Howarth, and Super Conference speaker Buffy Sainte-Marie.
RECIPIENTS
In the fall of 2002, the Faculty of Information, working with the University Native Centre, awarded the first scholarship to Christine Smillie-Adjarkwa, a native from Ottawa. To commemorate the occasion, the Faculty held a reception on Oct. 12, 2002 to thank OLA and the Buller family formally for their support and to introduce Christine to the library community.
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