Nova Scotia universities sign landmark agreement to support military learners
Press Release + Noah Note
Nova Scotia’s universities have taken a significant step toward improving access to higher education for military members, veterans, reservists and their families through a landmark agreement signed Wednesday, June 24 in Halifax at the University of King’s College.
In late June, the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents (CONSUP) and the Canadian Military, Veteran and Family Connected Campus Consortium (CMVF3C) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) establishing a province-wide framework to better support military-connected learners across Nova Scotia’s 10 public universities. The agreement is the first of its kind in Canada and reflects a shared commitment to expanding post-secondary opportunities for Canada’s military community.
Dalhousie President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Kim Brooks joined fellow university presidents from across the province at the event and signed the agreement on behalf of Dalhousie.
Removing barriers for military-connected learners
Nova Scotia is home to more than 13,000 military personnel and 1,600 reservists, with those numbers expected to grow in the coming years as the province’s role as a national centre for defence, security and innovation continues to expand. Military service often involves frequent relocations, career transitions and periods of deployment that can make pursuing higher education challenging. The MOU establishes a coordinated approach across Nova Scotia’s universities to help remove barriers and create more seamless pathways for military-connected learners.
Rear Admiral Josée Kurtz, commander Maritime Forces Atlantic and Joint Task Force Atlantic, welcomed the agreement. “This memorandum, this consortium, is part of the potential that is yet to be explored, and I can’t wait to see where it goes,” he said. “To all of you leaders in your respective environments, a big ‘thank you’ on behalf of all our people in the Canadian Armed Forces.”
Under the agreement, CONSUP members will:
Recognize skills, training and qualifications acquired through military service to support academic pathways;
Assist military members and families who transfer between institutions because of postings or relocation; and
Strengthen campus-based supports and services that contribute to student success and well-being.
Dr. Andy Hakin, chair of CONSUP and president of St. Francis Xavier University, said the agreement builds on a long tradition of welcoming military learners while creating new opportunities for collaboration among institutions.
“We are delighted to enter into an MOU with CMVF3C,” said Dr. Hakin. “Nova Scotia universities have a long history of welcoming military personnel and their families. This MOU brings our 10 universities together to move quickly to support the expansion of military learners, and to share best practices, to learn from one another, and to offer a welcoming and high-quality university experience regardless of the chosen university.”
Building on a national movement
The agreement builds upon the growing Military and Veteran Friendly Campus movement across Canada. The CMVF3C network emerged from efforts led by the University of Alberta to create more welcoming and effective pathways for military-connected students. The consortium now works with post-secondary institutions, the Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans Affairs Canada and a range of community partners to improve coordination and support student success.
Dr. Suzette Brémault-Phillips, chair of the CMVF3C and a professor in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, described the agreement as an important example of provincial leadership.
“Nova Scotia is leading the way with a first-of-its-kind provincial commitment to military-connected learners. We hope today’s agreement inspires other provinces and territories to build similar partnerships and create a network of support for military members, veterans and their families across Canada.”
There is already interest from other Atlantic universities in pursuing similar agreements in their respective provinces.
What’s next
Over the coming months, Nova Scotia’s universities will hope to build on the MOU by exploring further opportunities for collaboration to support veterans. By working together, Nova Scotia’s universities hope to make it easier for military members, veterans and their families to pursue their educational goals, while contributing to the province’s broader strengths in defence, security, research and innovation.
The agreement also builds on existing Dalhousie supports for military-connected students, including a long-standing partnership between the Faculty of Open Learning and Career Development and the Naval Fleet School Atlantic at Stadacona Base in Halifax. This program provides specialized, in-person instruction to meet the training needs of Canadian Navy recruits and active personnel, with courses spanning areas such as engineering, electrical theory, control systems, technical communication, project management and learning strategies.
The Faculty also offers flexible professional development, pathway programming, recognition of prior learning and microcredentials that can help learners build on previous training and experience as they pursue further education or career advancement.
“This type of partnership reflects our civic mission in action,” says Jennifer Hann, Dean (Acting) of the Faculty of Open Learning and Career Development. “It’s highly specialized, mission-driven education that’s responsive to public and national interests. It’s one way we are helping extend Dalhousie’s reach beyond Nova Scotia and into national and international contexts.”
Noah Note: What a wonderful partnership. I comemnd everyone who has worked to get this across. I always love seeing initiatives like this taking place, especially when it.comws to education. We have such a wonderful educational ecosystem ripe for exploit when it comes to supporting our National Defence, and opening doors to further mobility and collaborative expansion is always welcome.
Great news! The shiny objects of new defence hardware and myriad defence procurement opportunities still fall way behind the Forces most valuable assets.