Editing University of Ottawa (section)

===Bilingualism and biculturalism===
[[File:OLBI at 70 Laurier Avenue East.jpg|thumb|The [[Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute]], a language institute affiliated with the university, is housed at Hamelin Hall.]]

As of 2016, the university was the world's largest English-French bilingual university.<ref name=Quick /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.obj.ca/Local/2012-05-24/article-2985971/U-of-O-contributes-billions-to-economy-each-year:-study/1|title=U of O contributes billions to economy each year: study|work=Ottawa Business Journal|publisher=Great River Media|date=24 May 2012|access-date=28 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317110334/http://www.obj.ca/Local/2012-05-24/article-2985971/U-of-O-contributes-billions-to-economy-each-year:-study/1|archive-date=17 March 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The university is one of the three bilingual universities in Ontario that is not [[Affiliated school|federated]] with a larger university.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/postsecondary/schoolsprograms/frenchlanguage.html#universities|title=French Language and Bilingual Colleges and Universities|publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario|date=13 April 2011|access-date=29 May 2012|archive-date=July 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710214659/http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/postsecondary/schoolsprograms/frenchlanguage.html#universities|url-status=live}}</ref> Since its inception the university has seen itself as fostering English-French bilingualism.<ref>{{cite book|title=No Lesser Place: The Taaldebat at Stellenbosch|last=Brink|first=Chris|publisher=African Sun Media|year=2006|page=54|isbn=1-9199-8095-4}}</ref> However, bilingualism was only made an official university policy in 1965 when the Government of Ontario passed ''An Act respecting Université d'Ottawa'' through the [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uottawa.ca/administration-and-governance/1965-university-of-ottawa-act|title=Administration and Governance - University of Ottawa|website=www.uottawa.ca|access-date=April 15, 2017|archive-date=April 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416125618/https://www.uottawa.ca/administration-and-governance/1965-university-of-ottawa-act|url-status=live}}</ref> Section 4 of that Act specifically states that an object and purpose of the university is "to further bilingualism and biculturalism and to preserve and develop French culture in Ontario", and "to further ... Christian principles". Despite that law, these parts of the university's mandate are now arguably superseded by the 1982 ''[[Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms]]'', which constitutionalizes multiculturalism (not biculturalism) and freedom of religion.

The university operates the [[Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute]] (OLBI). The OLBI was officially opened on 1 July 2007, replacing its predecessor, the Second Language Institute. Both institutes promoted English-French bilingualism, although the OLBI holds an expanded mandate, to strengthen research, innovation and outreach efforts in official languages and bilingualism.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olbi.uottawa.ca/institute.php|title=The Institute|publisher=University of Ottawa|access-date=29 May 2012|archive-date=July 17, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717065720/http://www.olbi.uottawa.ca/institute.php|url-status=live}}</ref> The university is a member of the [[Association of Universities of the Canadian Francophonie]], an association which promotes post-secondary education and research in French.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aufc.ca/accueil.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20110706164817/http://www.aufc.ca/accueil.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 July 2011|title=Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne|publisher=association des universités de la francophonie canadienne|year=2012|access-date=29 May 2012|language=fr}}</ref>

While the university maintains bilingualism as an official policy, students need not be bilingual. Instead, most courses and programs are offered in both languages.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.financialresources.uottawa.ca/public/documents/UOttawaCredit.pdf|title=University of Ottawa|work=Moody's Investors Service Credit Analysis|publisher=Moody's Investors Service, Inc.|page=2|date=January 2010|access-date=29 May 2012|archive-date=July 14, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714072938/http://www.financialresources.uottawa.ca/public/documents/UOttawaCredit.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> As of April 2023, the percentage of students who used French as their primary language of education was at 30 percent (14,218 students), while the number of students which use English as their primary language for education was 70 percent (33,680 students).<ref name=":0" /> As of March 2009, 68.6 percent of professors in bilingual positions were considered to be actively bilingual, while bilingual staff comprised 91.5 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://strategicplanning.uottawa.ca/vision2010/pdf/Vision2010_report_2009.pdf|title=Goal 1 - To play a leadership role in promoting Canada's official languages|page=8|work=Vision 2010 Assessment - Strategic Plan|publisher=University of Ottawa|date=March 2009|access-date=29 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415164323/http://strategicplanning.uottawa.ca/vision2010/pdf/Vision2010_report_2009.pdf|archive-date=15 April 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>