Marc Arnal

Marc Arnal wears many hats in Alberta’s and Canada’s francophone community. First and foremost a teacher, Arnal earned a PhD in educational policy studies from the University of Alberta, and was appointed dean of the Faculté Saint-Jean, on 1 July 2003. That status alone accords Arnal a place of prominence among Alberta francophones; as the Faculté, part of the University of Alberta, offers the only French-language university-degree programs west of Manitoba. Arnal’s vision for the Faculté is ambitious: he wants it to become the nerve centre for French development in the west in a minority milieu, and he wants a Faculté diploma to be synonymous with excellence.

Arnal’s experience before becoming the Faculte’s dean includes a range of federal government experience, notably as director of official languages programs, as well as a position with the Alberta Teachers Association as a professional conduct and workplace relations consultant. He has also developed an appreciation and knowledge of the challenges faced by minority language groups. Arnal believes that on the periphery of francophonie, questions of identity are more easily examined than in areas of highly concentrated francophone populations.

Source: Alberta Online Encyclopedia

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