computer labs, the 'Great West Life Amphitheatre' (a 250+ seat lecture hall), a new student centre, cafeteria, faculty offices, a bookstore and campus shop, and a new pub. During this time, academic programming also expanded tenfold, with many of Algoma University College's programs earning their four-year, becoming Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science honours programs. On 19 May 2006, Algoma University College entered into a new relationship, which further entrenched its pre-existing relationship with First Nations people. Algoma University College and Shingwauk Education Trust (SET) / Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig (SKG) signed the Covenant, which demonstrated the two parties' agreement to work together alongside each other in the pursuit of their goals to provide quality education to Anishinaabe students and students of all cultural backgrounds. Algoma's independence from Laurentian University was first proposed in 1994. The original proposal would have seen the school renamed 'Shingwauk University, but it was not ultimately pursued by the MTCU. On May 31, 2007, the government of Ontario announced that it would introduce legislation to charter Algoma University College as a fully independent university. After the government passed the Algoma University Act, it was given royal assent by David Onley, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, on June 18, 2008. On 13 July 2009, Algoma University conferred its first degrees as an independent university, with 60 students earning Algoma University degrees. Programs Algoma University offers more than 40 programs - three and four year bachelor's degrees in disciplines such as biology, business, computer science, community development, English, geography, history, psychology, social work, sociology, political science, music and fine arts. It also offers about 9 undergraduate-certificate and graduate-certificate programs, one and two years certificates in disciplines such as Project Management, Information Technology, Human Management, Computing, Business, Health Science, and Software Development. The university also offers extension programming in Timmins and Brampton. Partnerships The Algoma Conservatory of Music, which offers music lessons to about 1,000 students in the community, has a working relationship with Algoma. Concurrently with Algoma's charter as an independent university, Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig, an Anishinaabe cultural and linguistic federated school opened in the fall of 2008. The university has diploma-to-degree agreements with Cambrian College, Confederation College, George Brown College, Humber College, Mohawk College, Northern College, Sheridan College, Sault College and Seneca College, as well as a student exchange agreement with the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. Libraries and archives The Arthur A.