Royal Military College of Saint-Jean recognized as university again

The Royal Military College Saint-Jean reached the milestone of being recognized again as an educational institution at a university level this month.

On June 3, the Minister of National Defence Harjit S. Sajjan marked the passage of Bill 93. Resulting from initiative 3 of Canada’s Defence Policy, Bill 93 recognizes the Royal Military College Saint-Jean as an educational institution at the university level.

Return to University Status

The return to university status comes after the closure of RMC Saint-Jean in 1995 and its reopening for college education in 2008, as stated in a press release.

After the National Assembly of Québec passed Bill 93, Sajjan made the following statement, “Through this initiative, Canada committed to restore the university affiliation of RMC Saint-Jean to help prepare the next generation of Canadian Armed Forces leaders for success. In addition to our investment of nearly $10 million between 2018 and 2021 and upcoming additional investments to support RMC Saint-Jean, the college has returned to the list of educational institutions at the university level, enabling graduates to earn degrees from a recognized university, while also providing Officer Cadets and Naval Cadets the opportunity to complete their education in Quebec.

“I would like to thank everyone working to train, educate and prepare future officers for the emerging and constantly evolving needs of the Canadian Armed Forces in domestic and international contexts. Thanks to the faculty, support staff and team at RMC Saint-Jean, the first cohort of bachelor’s students in International Studies graduated on May 14.”

Over 300 Officer Cadets & Naval Cadets

According to Minister Sajjan, during the 2020-2021 academic year, over 300 Officer Cadets and Naval Cadets from across Canada studied at RMC Saint-Jean, of which 25 per cent were women, and 65 per cent were Francophones. The Canadian Government is committed to keeping the French language alive in the Canadian Armed Forces, and that’s what restoring RMC Saint-Jean’s university status demonstrates.

Sajjan said this important step will “ensure increased opportunities for Canadian Armed Forces members to pursue their career in French, and will strengthen the French language across the country.”

In combination, this approach and a complete post-secondary program, including physical conditioning and military leadership programs, will allow future officers to succeed in complex environments once their training is complete, Sajjan noted.

He ended his statement by saying, “With a diversity of Officer Cadets and Naval Cadets from across Canada, we will continue to implement a profound culture change, creating a healthy, inclusive place to live and work.”