StFX’s Rankin School of Nursing expands seats prioritized for Mi'kmaq and African Nova Scotian students 

Christy Mazuir

St. Francis Xavier University’s Rankin School of Nursing is expanding its prioritized seats for Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian students to 15 per cent of admissions offered in any year. Starting in 2025, 12 seats in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing four-year program, seven seats in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Accelerated Option program, and six seats in the LPN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing pathway are prioritized for qualified self-identified Mi’kmaw or Indigenous and African Nova Scotian applicants.

StFX resides in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded home of the Mi’kmaq and is located next to one of Nova Scotia’s 13 Mi’kmaq communities. Nova Scotia is also the home of African Nova Scotians who have histories and legacies and have lived in Mi’kma’ki for over 400 years. Nova Scotia is home to 52 historic African Nova Scotian communities that contribute to the fabric of the province.

The expansion of reserved seats builds on the Success Program for Mi'kmaq and African Nova Scotian Students in Nursing introduced this past academic year at StFX in which the Jeannine Deveau Education Equity Fund (JDEEF) - Nursing Program Support provided funds for a success program for Mi'kmaq and African Nova Scotian Students in Nursing.