Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the transformation of Aurora College into a polytechnic university is often presented as one project, but it is in fact a collection of over 100 projects spread out over three phases. The work has been a collaboration between Aurora College and the Government of the Northwest Territories, with wide-ranging and ongoing engagement throughout the process.
Significant progress toward achieving this mandate commitment has been marked by the completion of key milestones, bringing us closer to the accreditation and launch of an arm's length polytechnic university that responds to the needs of Northerners.
With foundational planning completed in phase 1, we are now in the second phase of the transformation, which includes finalizing a facilities plan, re-establishing the board of governors, establishing an academic council, and completing changes to the college's organizational structure.
Mr. Speaker, phase 2 is on track, and a clearer vision of the future polytechnic university is beginning to take shape. Over the summer, Aurora College began efforts to recruit the Aurora College board of governors. With recent amendments to the Aurora College Act, Aurora College's new governance system will have three bodies that together govern the college, at arm's length from the government. The board will serve the people of the Northwest Territories by setting the vision and mission for Aurora College, and eventually for the polytechnic university. Recruitment efforts will continue until enough nominations have been received and the required competencies have been met, and I hope to see the new board in place early in the new year.
Last month, we released the Polytechnic University Facilities Master Plan. The facilities master plan is a comprehensive, strategic document that provides a picture of what the polytechnic university could look like. It proposes enhancements and expansions to existing Aurora College facilities and includes information on teaching and research facilities at all three campuses and across their network of community learning centers. The Facilities Master Plan will be a key planning tool for the Aurora College board of governors, who are now ultimately responsible for the financial and capital planning decisions.
The Facilities Master Plan was informed by extensive engagement. A summary of feedback collected during that engagement can be found in the What We Heard report that was released this summer. Youth, Aurora College students, faculty and staff, Indigenous governments, community governments, post-secondary education partners, industry, GNWT departments, and local community members were engaged and provided valuable information that helped shape the document. I believe that the Facilities Master Plan captures the key themes heard during the engagement process and will support the needs of NWT students and residents.
Mr. Speaker, the polytechnic university will be an institution for all NWT residents. It will provide enhanced education opportunities to residents and create economic benefits across the territory with job creation and capacity building.
During this final year of the 19th Legislative Assembly, we can expect to see substantial progress on the Aurora College transformation, and I look forward to keeping Members of this House and NWT residents informed of the progress. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.