October 25, 2013 – Former College Boréal President and long-time leader in the Greater Sudbury community Gisèle Chrétien will be awarded an Honourary Doctorate at Laurentian University’s Fall Convocation October 26. A Laurentian graduate in Nursing with a Master ‘s degree in education, Mrs. Chrétien has been active in education and training in Ontario, and was a key contributor in the establishment of Collège Boréal.
“Gisèle’s years of work in the nursing sciences and in the broader field of post-secondary education have yielded tangible results and great successes,” said Laurentian University President and Vice-Chancellor Dominic Giroux. “Her dedication and her achievements have built bridges to learning for young people across this province, and she has made our community a better one through her efforts.”
Chrétien served as President of Collège Boréal from 1998 to 2006. She is also a past chair of the Board of Directors at Sudbury Regional Hospital and a member of the board of the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO). She was named to the board of governors of the Ontario Educational Communications Authority (TVOntario) in 2002, and in 2007 became chair of the board of the province’s French-language educational and cultural television service (TFO).
“We owe a debt of gratitude to Gisèle for the community-building she has accomplished among Franco-Ontarians,” said Dr. Patrice Sawyer, Vice-President, Francophone Affairs and Research at Laurentian University. “She has been a champion of French-language services in health, and a tireless advocate for education in the Francophone community.”
This Fall Convocation at Laurentian will also be one of the first official functions for the University’s new Chancellor, Steve Paikin. The anchor and senior editor of TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin will be installed as Chancellor during the morning convocation ceremony on Saturday, October 26. “I am honoured to be presiding over Convocation for the 500 students who are graduating this Fall,” said Paikin. “It is a significant milestone for each graduate and for all of their family and friends, and I feel privileged to be playing a part in their celebrations.”
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About Laurentian University Laurentian University is one of the fastest growing universities in Canada in the past decade, now serving close to 10,000 students. With its main campus in Sudbury, it now offers a growing number of programs in Barrie to students located on that campus. Laurentian has the highest post-graduation employment rates in Ontario after 6 months at 92% and 95% after two years. The University receives high recognition for its enviable class sizes, having one of the lowest average class sizes in Canada.
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