The Manitoba government has introduced amendments to the Mennonite College Federation Act that would support the evolution of the Canadian Mennonite University (CMU).
“CMU has been inspiring and leading students in Manitoba for over two decades,” said Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration Minister Jon Reyes. “We are responsive to the post-secondary institutions in our province and this bill is reflective of that.”
Previously, CMU consisted of three independent member colleges – Concord College, the Canadian Mennonite Bible College and Menno Simons College – which amalgamated into a single centralized university known as CMU in 2003. Proposed updates to the Mennonite College Federation Act would remove outdated references to former member colleges to reflect CMU’s transition from a shared governance model to the current operating structure that enables more effective governance and oversight by the board of governors and CMU council.
The Mennonite College Federation Act would also replace the Menno Simons College Incorporation Act, which has been repealed. This change would not have any effect on any programs or institutional relationships.
“The Mennonite College Federation Act is a fine piece of legislation, established for purposes of CMU furthering the intellectual, spiritual, moral, physical and social development of its learning community for the betterment of society,” said Cheryl Pauls, president, CMU. “We are grateful to the province of Manitoba for pursuing amendments that strengthen CMU’s capacity to fulfil this mandate.”
Reyes noted the proposed legislation introduced today is an important step that would streamline administrative processes and reflect CMU’s current reality.
