In 1971, Collège Sainte-Anne became a private corporation managed by a Board of Governors composed of twenty members and a university council regrouping eight members. The establishment became a bilingual institution where French was required for all students. The institution aimed to meet the specific needs of the Acadian and francophone communities outside Québec.

Université Sainte-Anne welcomed approximately 600 students annually, which included those enrolled in French Immersion classes and in various part-time courses. The majority of the students came from Nova Scotia (75%), half of which were Acadians from the nearby area. Sixty percent of the University’s student population comprised of female students. It was in the 1961-1962 academic term that four young girls enrolled for the first time at the College.

An important aspect at Université Sainte-Anne is the variety of its research centers. The Centre de recherche sur l’enseignement du français, created in 1976, studies the linguistic levels of Acadian students in order to improve the Acadians’ written and oral languages. The Centre de recherche en biologie marine, whose objective is marine biology research in Saint Mary's Bay, was created approximately at the same time.

The Centre acadien, dating back to 1973, holds the largest collection of Acadian documents in the province. The Centre's main objective is to research into Acadian history, culture, and folklore.

Centre acadien

In February 1979, Mr. Jean-Louis Robichaud was hired to manage the new Centre provincial de ressources pédagogiques. To this day the CPRP continues its activities in three fields : library service and loans, production of educational and didactic material as well as workshops with francophone teachers and students.

In June 1980, the Institut de développement communautaire was created with support from the Société nationale des Acadiens, the Fédération francophone hors Québec and the Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse. It now operates independantally from the Universiy.

Entrepreneurship camp

Being the only French university in Nova Scotia, Université Sainte-Anne has become a centre for the promotion of the French language and the Acadian culture in the province. The Université’s aim is to graduate bilingual students capable of entering the workforce anywhere in Canada and the world.