An in-depth review of McGill’s French translation needs has led to positive changes for the University’s staff and faculty.
McGill’s Linguistic Services, a sub-unit of Communications and Institutional Relations, now offers translation and revision free of charge to all McGill units, and has increased productivity by adding digital tools into the workflow. Concurrently, IT Services has approved two AI tools that McGill employees can use to undertake some of their own translation projects. Supporting both units, Procurement Services enabled the implementation of software, including LogiTerm, Consoltec‑FlowFit, MemoQ, DeepL Pro and related licenses and services.
The impetus behind the changes is the University’s requirement for high-quality, timely translations into French. The improvement process also aligns with Horizon McGill, which aims to reduce expenses, make better use of existing resources, simplify tasks and improve the University experience for faculty and staff.
“Linguistic Services wanted to adapt to new realities, and AI tools are a great addition to our communications toolbox,” said Karine Majeau, Director of Linguistic Services. “Clients say the new way of working has made their life easier, and that was definitely one of our goals.”
Linguistic Services ‘extremely happy with the results’
The new tools have increased the speed and efficiency of Linguistic Services’s French translation – data suggests the team’s monthly output has increased by 70 per cent in the last six months.
They now use the FlowFit application to track translation requests, LogiTerm software to reference their past work and Copilot to help with niche vocabulary – a helpful tool when your subject matter ranges from tax law to cancer research. They’ve also published a list of projected turnaround times and official McGill terminology on their website.
“Launching new tools and learning to work differently can be challenging, but it was absolutely worth it,” said Majeau. “We are extremely happy with the results.”
She notes the feedback so far has been extremely positive, something echoed by some of those with frequent need for support.
“We recently used Linguistic Services for a time-sensitive communication and our experience was very positive,” confirmed Sima Dantzigian, Associate Director, Administration, Human Resources. “The process was effective and efficient from start to finish.”
Another new addition to the Linguistic Services website is a decision aid designed to help McGillians determine whether they can translate content on their own with the help of AI tools. Notably, if a text is intended for a smaller audience, employees can now use one of two AI platforms approved by IT Services: Microsoft Copilot (when signed into your McGill account) or DeepL Pro (the paid version). Before sharing, the resulting text must be reviewed by someone fluent in French.
Quality and quantity
The overall goal is to maintain the quality of the University’s French translations and increase the quantity of text translated while maximizing resources and lowering costs; McGill expects to save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on external translators.
“This is exactly the sort of initiative Horizon is working to encourage across McGill,” said David Stephens, Academic Lead of Horizon McGill. “Horizon is about transforming the way McGill operates to save time, funds and frustration, while improving services and community satisfaction. This checks every box.”
Horizon’s working groups are busy identifying other initiatives across areas as varied as admissions, advancement, reporting and research administration.
“Projects like this will make McGill more resilient, more future-ready and better able to invest in our academic mission,” said Stephens.
Interested is using AI tools for translation? Please refer to Linguistic Services’s AI Translation Guide.
For more on IT Services’s role in Horizon McGill, read a previously published interview with Paul Chamberland, McGill’s Chief Information Officer and Associate Vice-President (IT Services).