April 15, 2025

Elections Canada has set up 109 advanced polling stations at university and college campuses across the country. These stations—part of the Election Canada’s “Vote on Campus” initiative—opened on Sunday and will operate until April 16. Elections Canada spokesperson Serge Fleyfel said the on-campus stations are part of the agency’s efforts to make it easier for students to vote. “Typically, this age group does not vote as much as the rest of the population,” he added. The campus stations can be used by all Canadian voters, provided they bring their ID and proof of address.

More than 16,000 part-time and sessional faculty from Ontario’s 24 public colleges have officially joined the Ontario Public Sectors Employees’ Union (OPSEU). On Friday, OPSEU published the results of a 2017 workers’ vote, which—due to a series of legal challenges—had not been tallied until recently. After the legal challenges were resolved, the Ontario Labour Relations Board informed OPSEU in August 2024 that the contested ballot boxes could be unsealed and counted. OPSEU has since tallied the votes and announced that 88% of voters were in favour of unionizing. “This is historic—after today, Ontario’s college system becomes wall-to-wall union,” said OPSEU President JP Hornick.

Trinity Western University will assume ownership of the Illinois-based Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) through a memorandum of understanding that was unanimously approved by the boards at both institutions. TWU will acquire TEDS through a staged, one-year process, with TEDS seminary students anticipated to begin their studies in Langley in Fall 2026. TWU will not take on any debt from TEDS. “We are driven by the same heartbeat for the gospel, and together we can do even more to serve the Church and societies worldwide,” said TWU President Todd F Martin.

Holland College is implementing program suspensions and layoffs to mitigate the impacts of this year’s drop in international students. In a statement, Holland College said that it is facing an 83% decrease in international student enrolment, which CBC says will result in an estimated annual loss of $7M in tuition and fees. The college is therefore suspending eight programs and downsizing three others; this change will affect 35 staff members. Looking forward, Holland College stated it will discuss its funding model with the provincial government and consider other ways that it can save money, including by considering utilities expenses, vendor contracts, and administrative processes.

Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia have reopened applications for American graduate program applicants. According to CBC, some American students are expressing interest in Canadian postsecondary education amid the rising tensions between the US government and US postsecondary institutions. The Vancouver Sun reports that UBC is reopening admissions for the duration of this week and will fast-track admissions for US citizens hoping to begin their studies in September; SFU is reopening applications from April 16-25. “We in Canada have to live with the tariffs, but the silver lining for us is that there has been much more cross-border interest,” said UBC Provost and VP of Academics Gage Averill.

Le Devoir has published a series of articles about the findings of a 2018 investigation into allegations that Université TÉLUQ helped students to obtain loans and bursaries they were not entitled to receive. The university reportedly counted students who were enrolled in language courses as undergraduate students, making them eligible for financial assistance. This included students recruited by Institut MATCI, which reportedly received $9.5M in royalties through its partnership with TÉLUQ between 2014 and 2018. The Government of Québec Ministry of Higher Education stated that it has not recovered any of the funds that were paid out to students. MP Michelle Setlakwe called for further transparency and answers, but the QC Ministry of Higher Education told Le Devoir that the situation has been resolved.

Memorial University—in collaboration with Hibernia and Hebron Projects—has received $3M from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to lead a project aimed at maximizing carbon storage potential in the province. This two-year project will build Memorial’s capacity in geological carbon storage by enhancing laboratory facilities, advancing laboratory methods, and engaging in outreach activities and collaboration with industry experts. The project also seeks to assist in the development of highly qualified personnel in the emerging technologies associated with carbon capture and storage. “When government, industry and academia work collaboratively to find innovative solutions to global issues, everyone wins,” said Memorial VP (Research) Dr Tana Allen.

The University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape will be moving into an underutilized office tower across from UCalgary’s downtown campus in 2026. The building will include design studios, research spaces, and a robotic fabrication workshop. It will also include facilities to host public lectures and city building events. “In the same way that a medical school is located in a hospital, a design school needs to be downtown, [and] not just located downtown but integrated into the workings of downtown,” said UCalgary Dean of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape John Brown. This relocation project is funded with $9M from the City of Calgary’s Downtown Post-Secondary Institution Incentive Program.

Cégep de Sainte-Foy is introducing a mandatory AI and plagiarism training course for incoming students this fall. Speaking to Le Journal de Montréal, Cégep de Sainte-Foy directrice des études Sophie-Emmanuelle Genest explained that proven cases of AI-related plagiarism increased between 2023 and 2024. In some instances, however, it was unclear whether students knew they were plagiarizing. To address this issue, the cégep has developed a 30-minute training session that will be integrated into every program to ensure all new students become familiar with concepts related to plagiarism and AI. According to the Fédération des cégeps, this is the first time that a cégep has taken this type of approach to counter AI-related plagiarism.

Georgian College, Loyalist College, and OCAD University have each announced new partnerships to bolster education or research. Georgian and the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) have partnered to appoint adjunct scientists to enhance health research and education. The collaboration aims to foster innovation at Georgian and help RVH become an academic health sciences centre. Loyalist and HJ McFarland Memorial Home have created a hands-on learning experience for students in Loyalist’s Personal Support Worker program. Students train in one of the facility’s living classrooms, where they develop skills for work in a long-term care setting. OCADU and Michigan State University have signed an agreement that will allow them to cooperate on joint research, student and faculty exchanges, and technical assistance.