Politique relative a l_emploi et a la qualite de la langue francaise _ Polytechnique

As a French-language university institution, Polytechnique Montréal follows the Charter of the French Language. It is important to Polytechnique to promote the use of high-quality French by all members of its community.

The reputation of Polytechnique Montréal extends to outside communities both in Canada and abroad. With this in mind, it places great importance on language fluency. Foremost, Polytechnique Montréal focuses on the quality of the French used by its future graduates. In a context in which the English language is becoming the language of technology, Polytechnique recognizes the importance of encouraging its students to acquire adequate knowledge of this second language as well.

In order to ensure quality teaching, Polytechnique Montréal recruits specialists both from Québec and elsewhere. It must ensure that the people it hires who do not have sufficient knowledge of French to carry out their functions are able to acquire that knowledge within a reasonable time period.

Polytechnique Montréal has concluded co-operation and exchange agreements with numerous university institutions across the world in order, among other things, to encourage language learning among its students and to introduce students from elsewhere to Polytechnique’s francophone environment.

1.2 Legal framework

The Charter of the French Language, L.R.Q., c. C-11 provides the legal framework for this Policy.

1.3 Application

This Policy applies to all members of the Polytechnique community.

1.4 Definitions

Official documents: includes regulations, directives, policies, procedures, notices, reports, meeting agendas, meeting minutes, documentation relative to study programs, diplomas, certificates and attestations of study.

Teaching materials: charts, class notebooks, audiovisual or digital documents, looseleaf, graphs, user guides, exam questionnaires, article anthologies, correction lists and all other materials of a similar nature designed for teaching and learning.

Polytechnique: The Corporation de l'École Polytechnique de Montréal.

2 Guiding principles

2.1 Use of quality French

Polytechnique promotes the quality of the French language in its establishment. With this in mind, it makes sure that the terms and expressions standardized by the Office de la langue française are used.

Polytechnique promotes clarity and precision in the French used in its paper and electronic versions of its texts and documents. Documents translated into French must be produced with particular attention to language quality.

2.2 By students

Polytechnique encourages its students to know and use high-quality French. To this end, it has adopted and applies regulatory measures relative to admissions, to the continuation of studies, and to the evaluation criteria for papers and exams, and places appropriate tools and services at students’ disposal.

2.3 By other members of the community

All members of the teaching staff and of the non-teaching staff are responsible for maintaining the quality of the French language when they are assigned to write a text or document or to speak on behalf of Polytechnique.

Members of the teaching staff, people who assist with teaching and non-teaching staff use high-quality French when they interact with their colleagues, students and the public.

To help them perform their functions using correct and appropriate oral and written French, Polytechnique takes the necessary measures to provide them with access to suitable resources.

2.4 Language of teaching

2.4.1 Teaching is provided in the French language.

2.4.2 It is important that teaching be provided in high-quality French and that teaching documents be written with particular care regarding the quality of the French language and the accuracy of the terminology employed.

2.4.3 Polytechnique may offer some engineering courses or programs in English.

2.4.4 Polytechnique will advise students, before they register for a course, of the language in which the course is offered and will indicate the conditions for registering for English-language teaching activities in the academic regulations.

2.5 Teaching materials in French

The use of French-language teaching materials, manuals and all other teaching and learning resources is preferred, while taking into account that documentation should be of the highest quality regardless of the language used.

In cases in which no French-language version of a manual or teaching or learning resource exists, and in which no comparable product exists in French, such resources may be made available in English.

2.6 Teaching materials in English

When a teaching activity is conducted in English, the manuals and teaching and learning resources may be in English.

2.7 Exams, papers, dissertations and theses

In consideration of specific applicable conditions, including those set out in the academic regulations, exams are taken in French and papers, dissertations and theses are written in French.
In cases where a course or program is given in English, the papers and exams may be written in either French or English.

2.8 Welcoming foreign students

To foster success among non-francophone foreign students, Polytechnique provides appropriate services to help them fully participate in the teaching activities offered at the school, including support measures for learning and improving their French.

2.9 Publication of research

Professors at Polytechnique may deliver their written scientific articles in the language of publication that is most widespread in their discipline or field of research.

2.10 Lectures and speeches

Lectures and speeches given by professors and non-teaching staff at Polytechnique as part of their work are generally given in French. They may be given in another language if circumstances justify doing so.

2.11 Language of administration

2.11.1 French is the language of the texts, memos, postings and all official Polytechnique documents, including electronic documents.

2.11.2 In general, Polytechnique staff address students and the general public in French both in person and on the telephone.

2.11.3 To broaden its reach or to address students and professors who are registered for or teaching courses in English, Polytechnique staff may use English.

2.11.4 Memos intended for students registered for certain teaching activities, particularly courses or programs provided in English, may be written in English.

2.12 Websites

When Polytechnique posts a text or document online, it may provide a translation into other languages. The French version must be accessible separately.

2.13 Exhibitions

When it takes part in an exhibition, fair, trade show or other event organized partially or entirely with its collaboration, Polytechnique ensures that information about the event is provided in French. The information may be provided in another language when circumstances justify doing so.

2.14 Contracting

2.14.1 Polytechnique obeys the language clauses of the Government of Québec’s Politique sur les marchés publics.

To this end, it ensures that every step of product acquisition takes place in French. As far as possible, acquisition documents and documents that accompany goods and services, as well as the labelling on the products acquired, on their containers and on their packaging, must be in French.

In addition, when the use of a product or piece of equipment requires the use of a language, this language must be French.

2.14.2 In general, Polytechnique requires that legal entities and companies write documents in French for submission, including contracts, plans and estimates. In its contracts, Polytechnique ensures as much as possible that the reports it receives are written in French.

2.15 Working language

2.15.1 Polytechnique is a francophone university establishment whose working language is normally French.

2.15.2 Polytechnique may not require, for access to employment or to a position, the knowledge of or a specific level of knowledge of a language other than French, unless the performance of the job requires such knowledge.

In this context, Polytechnique staff express themselves in French in performing their work, unless the performance of an assigned task requires the knowledge of English or of another language.

2.15.3 All individuals hired by Polytechnique and required to perform teaching activities must speak French. If at the time of hiring, an individual does not speak French at all or does not speak it well enough to perform their duties, a reasonable time frame is agreed upon to allow the person to meet the general rule.

Polytechnique provides these individuals with support services to help them reach the required level of competency, and equips itself with the necessary means to evaluate their command of French.

2.15.4 Exceptionally, when teaching activities for which a person is hired take place exclusively in English, a person may be exempt from the obligation set out in the first paragraph of Article 2.15.3.

2.15.5 As stipulated in the Charter of the French Language, Polytechnique may not fire, lay off, demote or transfer a member of its staff solely because the person speaks only French or because he or she does not have sufficient command of another given language other than French, or because he or she requires that a right be respected as set out in Chapter VI of the Charter of the French Language.

2.15.6 As far as possible, the software programs made available to staff members by Polytechnique are in French, and instructions for IT materials are in French.

2.15.7 Security warnings and instructions for laboratory equipment are in French. If this creates danger for certain people, they may be provided in French and English.

3 Functional structure

3.1 Comité permanent de la politique linguistique

3.1.1 The Comité permanent de la politique linguistique ensures the application of this policy. The committee is responsible among others for the development of the related plan of action. The committee examines complaints forwarded to it by the General Secretary and makes recommendations to the General Directorate of Polytechnique.

3.1.2 The committee reports to the General Secretary of Polytechnique and is made up of:

A professors’ representative appointed by the Dean of Academic and International Affairs;
A professors’ representative appointed by the Dean of Research and Innovation;
A non-teaching staff representative appointed by the Executive Director of Institutional Affairs;
A student appointed by the Association des étudiants de Polytechnique (Polytechnique students association) and the Association des étudiants aux cycles supérieurs de l'École Polytechnique (Polytechnique graduate students association);
The Communications and Recruitment Director;
The Director of the Bureau d'appui pédagogique (academic support office);
The Director of the Office of Professorial Affairs.

The committee members determine who will act as Chair.

As needed, the committee may bring in any person it judges useful to consult as part of its work.

3.1.3 The committee provides a report every two years. This report is submitted to the Board of Directors for discussion.

3.2 Responsibility and implementation of the Policy

3.2.1 The General Secretary is responsible for the application of this Policy.

Among other things, it receives complaints from members of the university community regarding the policy’s application and deals with them within a reasonable time frame. It may take advice from the Comité permanent de la politique linguistique.

3.2.2 Any minor changes to the Policy that do not affect the rights and obligations of Polytechnique community members are made by the General Secretary and are subject to the approval of the Assemblée de direction.

Should a change affect the rights and obligations set out in the Policy, the changes are approved by the Board of Directors, on the recommendation of the Assemblée de direction.

4 Effective date

This Policy is effective as of its adoption by the Board of Directors.

mis à jour le 2005-12-12