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An education in French will be a student’s right, not just a benefit now that the University of Ottawa has been officially designated under Ontario’s French Language Services Act.

The school, one of five post-secondary institutions in Ontario designated under the Act, will now be legally required to provide enough courses for students to complete their entire undergraduate degree in French in the designated programs. The announcement came Friday on Franco-Ontarian Day. It takes effect on Jan. 1.

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“Education in French is central to our institution and we are determined to serve the community and provide young francophones with a chance to study and grow in a francophone environment,” Allan Rock, president and vice-chancellor, said in a statement. “We firmly believe that this designation has rewarded our efforts and is the next step in our ongoing commitment to this cause.”

Some 13,000 francophone students study at the University of Ottawa, making up 31 per cent of the total student population. The goal is to increase that to 33 per cent, said Sebastien Grammond, a professor of Civil Law who co-ordinated the designation effort. Since 1965, the university has made it part of its mission to promote and develop French-language culture, he said, but the new designation will not mean more government funding.