July 17, 2025

The University of New Brunswick and the McKenna Institute will be receiving $1M from Jane and Mike Wilson to support digital and environmental sustainability, excellence in engineering, and digital literacy education for K-12 students. The donation will support the renovation of the Allison D McCain Commons, the creation of the Wilson-McKenna Fellow in Digital Sustainability, and the expansion of an after-school mentoring program called UNB’s Promise Partnership. UNB President Dr Paul J Mazerolle said that it is “fitting” that the gift was made on the 50th anniversary of Mike’s graduation from UNB. “[T]hey have made investments that will strengthen engineering and foster sustainability and innovation for decades to come,” said Mazerolle.

Royal Roads University recently signed the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment, joining institutions around the globe that are dedicated to improving the evaluation of researchers and research outputs. Royal Roads will focus on advancing approaches to research assessment that provide a broader representation of its research and researchers, as well as creating research that is relevant to diverse audiences. “Joining the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment supports the recognition of research outputs that go beyond traditional academia,” said Royal Roads VP and Provost Veronica Thompson. “We are excited to advance our approach to research assessment in ways that will showcase the positive changes our researchers bring to our communities.”

Forbes has released the 2025 Canada’s Best Employers for Company Culture rankings and several Canadian postsecondary institutions have appeared among the leaders. The list includes the top 200 organizations in Canada, which were scored according to employee survey responses on factors like fairness, inclusivity, and opportunity. Université Laval (#1) ranked highest overall. Other postsecondary institutions to appear in the top 25 included Humber Polytechnic (#4), Université de Sherbrooke (#5), Brock University (#7), Concordia University (#10), George Brown College (#13), British Columbia Institute of Technology (#16), and Dalhousie University (#25).

Calcul Québec—which involves several postsecondary institutions from across Québec—has officially launched a new supercomputer called Rorqual. The new supercomputer is designed with specifications that will meet the scientific community’s computing needs and is equipped with graphics accelerators that are specially adapted for AI, modeling, and big data processing. Rorqual will be available for use in projects in a variety of fields, including AI, health, the environment, and humanities. This collaborative effort involved teams from Concordia University, École de technologie supérieure, HEC Montréal, McGill University, Polytechnique Montréal, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke, Université Laval, and Université du Québec à Montréal.

Ontario Tech University has partnered with Palette Skills to launch the Nuclear Career Accelerator, a 12-week rapid upskilling hybrid program. The accelerator is designed to fast-track mid-career engineers and technical professionals into Canada’s growing nuclear sector. Supported by Upskill Canada and the Government of Canada, the program aims to address workforce gaps by offering technical training, career coaching, and job-placement support at a subsidized cost. “Our partnership with Palette Skills will power the industry-driven training that ensures our university remains at the forefront of helping futureproof Canada’s nuclear workforce,” said Ontario Tech Director of Continuous Learning Christopher Hall.

Faculty and students at Nova Scotia Community College stepped in to help the annual TD Halifax Jazz Festival after its brand new, 60-foot banner was stolen. Organizers told The Coast that they were shocked and heartbroken to discover that their festival banner—which had been designed with the intent of using it for several seasons—had been stolen one week before the festival’s opening night. When the news of the theft was made public, NSCC’s graphic and print production faculty and students volunteered their time and skills to reprint the banner at no cost to the festival. Festival Executive Director Tenille Goodspeed said that the college’s immediate response was a message that people care about local culture, music, and sustainable event practices.

A recent opinion piece in University Affairs argues that difficulties forming identity and finding purpose may contribute to psychological challenges among young adults. Rémi Paré-Beauchemin (Université de Sherbrooke), Christiane Bergeron-Leclerc (Université du Québec à Chicoutimi), Julie Lane (USherbrooke), and François Lauzier-Jobin (USherbrooke) discuss how helping students cultivate identity and purpose can promote well-being, in part through discovering their “true selves.” They identify three pillars for self-development: reflection and introspection, courage to act authentically, and fostering supportive environments. “Supporting students in their self-discovery can promote mental health and academic perseverance during a period of life characterized by identity exploration,” write the authors.

A research team at the University of Saskatchewan is developing virtual reality resources that will support education in the Whitecap Dakota First Nation. USask School of Rehabilitation Science Professor Dr Soo Kim and Assistant Professor Dr Stacey Lovo have partnered with the first nation to co-create health science education VR resources with input from Indigenous youth and Elders. The project aims to create culturally responsive resources that engage children in learning about topics such as anatomy. “They are making it community-driven, community-based,” said Whitecap Dakota First Nation member Dray Bear. “Everything the students want to learn about, and tying in that traditional aspect, really pulls it all together.

Memorial University’s St John’s campus is planting nearly 400 new trees and shrubs this summer as part of a gift from Tree Canada and the 2025 Canada Games host society. The legacy project planting initiative, which is coordinated by Memorial’s Facilities Management and Memorial’s Botanical Garden, aims to offset environmental impacts from the games and support long-term campus beautification efforts. Signs will be installed to share information about forestry and sustainable land stewardship with the campus community. “Our goal is to ensure the positive impacts of the Games extend well beyond the competitions,” said 2025 Canada Games Host Society CEO Karen Sherriffs.

Two recent opinion pieces consider how generative AI is reshaping student learning and engagement. In a piece in Chronicle of Higher Ed, Derek O’Connell (Illinois State University), draws on emerging research to show how widespread AI use can foster “the illusion of competence,” where students feel they are learning while bypassing critical cognitive work. Similarly, John Warner in an Inside Higher Ed piece reflects on his own undergraduate experiences and contrasts them with insights today’s student, arguing that today’s learners are adopting an efficiency-focused approach to learning via an “optimization mindset”—much like his own as a student, but amplified by modern technology. Together, these pieces highlight the need for institutions to guide students toward using AI in ways that support, rather than replace, deep learning.