April 25, 2025

The presidents of the U7+ Alliance of World Universities recently signed and delivered a communiqué entitled “The Role of Universities in Advancing AI” to the Canadian government. This communiqué reaffirmed the presidents’ commitment to provide all students with updated training pathways that address AI, create AI training and technology opportunities for all universities within the U7 network, and offer tailored programs for training civil servants and increasing government process efficiency. The leaders of several Canadian institutions signed the communiqué, including McGill University, Université de Montréal, the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, the University of Ottawa, and the University of Toronto.

Capilano University has opened the Fulmer Family Centre for Childhood Studies, a new centre that will train early childhood educators and provide affordable child care spaces for the community. The centre includes a child care facility providing 74 additional spots for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, as well as an education facility for postsecondary students with purpose-built labs and classrooms. “By expanding opportunities for on-the-job training for future early child care educators and creating more child care spaces for families, this new centre will set up learners of all ages for success,” said Government of British Columbia Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Anne Kang.

Southeast College, Southeast Techhub, and the University of Regina have signed a five-year memorandum of understanding to launch the Innovation Centre for Energy Development. This collaborative initiative will support the region’s economic diversification, applied research, and job creation. The partners will focus on creating opportunities in areas such as energy generation and storage, small modular reactor and battery supply chains, and advanced manufacturing. The centre will also support businesses by attracting investments, supporting startups, and training the workforce. “The partnership will strengthen Southeast’s participation in Applied Research, giving rural students an opportunity to solve specific, practical problems as well as improve existing practices, products or services,” said Southeast President Jody Holzmiller.

Postsecondary institutions across Canada have issued statements mourning the recent passing of Pope Francis. Representatives from institutions such as Campion College at the University of Regina, King’s University College, and St Mary University remarked on his legacy—including his 2022 apology for the church’s role in Canada’s residential school system—and his approach to the papacy. Corpus Christi College at the University of British Columbia released a statement noting that “[t]he example set by Pope Francis will continue to inspire our mission to prepare students to be reflective leaders who service society with integrity and compassion.”

In a recent article for the Australian Educational Researcher, James Thompson (University of Melbourne) and Claudia A Rivera Munoz (UMelbourne) examine the reasons why university students come to campus. Drawing on interviews with 20 students, Thompson and Rivera Munoz explored the influence of academic, convenience, social, and health-related factors on students’ decisions to go to, spend time on, or leave campus. Among their findings, the authors indicated that the quality and atmosphere of the campus—including factors such as noise, light, and presence of crowds—influenced the amount of time students spent on campus. Students also valued the strong social connections that they formed on campus, often travelling to campus for social and extracurricular activities or citing social connections as a reason to attend classes in person.

Conestoga College has issued layoff and reassignment notices to approximately 180 support staff, reports CBC. OPSEU Local 238 President Vikki Poirier told Cambridge Today that staff were informed during a webinar on Tuesday and that affected staff fall into three categories: probationary employees whose positions have ended, employees reassigned to other roles, and employees laid off with 90-day recall eligibility. Cambridge Today reports that this is the most recent round of layoffs as the college responds to fiscal and enrolment challenges. Poirier described the day as “emotional” and emphasized the essential role support staff play in student services and operations.

The University of British Columbia will implement a multi-year tuition framework in the 2025-26 academic year. This framework, which the university says will provide consistency and clarity, will ensure that international students know how much they will pay for tuition in each year of study. Tuition increases for returning international students will be capped at 3% per year for a four-year period. “This new framework allows students to set effective budgets and know well in advance what to prepare for,” said UBC VP, Students Dr Ainsley Carry.

Media outlets and postsecondary leaders need to adapt how they assess postsecondary institutions to better consider the changing postsecondary student population, including “post-traditional” learners, argues Becky Takeda-Tinkerv (Colorado State University Global). The author writes that the metrics used for rankings typically do not capture metrics related to post-traditional students, who may attend part-time studies or begin their studies at different times of year. Takeda-Tinkerv notes that this puts some institutions at a disadvantage in “best of” rankings while also making it more difficult for future students to find the institution that fits them best. The author concludes by encouraging leaders and media outlets to ensure that all students are represented in rankings, “[b]ecause without comprehensive information and data from all types of students, are they actually the Best?”

Collège Boréal and the YMCA of the National Capital Region are partnering to deliver Boréal’s French-language Fitness and Health Promotion program in Ottawa. Through this partnership, students will have access to hands-on training in health promotion, physical activity assessment, and community wellness, while YMCA members will benefit from enhanced services and student-led support. Ottawa YMCA facilities will serve as “living classrooms” for students. Boréal states that this is the first time a Canadian YMCA has collaborated with a postsecondary institution on an academic program. “Our shared goal is to train a workforce that meets the needs of innovative businesses and organizations,” said Boréal President Daniel Giroux.

Concordia University’s Inter-Generational Fund has completed its transition to a “100/0/10” framework. The framework commits the fund to 100% sustainable investments, with the goal of moving beyond a net-zero economy to a restorative one, and pledges to allocate 10% to mission-driven projects. The fund has steadily shifted to a sustainability-centred strategy since 2019 when, the university foundation first announced its goal of 100% sustainable investments. “This is not about just getting to net zero,” said Concordia Treasurer and CIO Marc Gauthier. “It’s about how we transition the economy beyond net zero to become restorative—to give back more than we take.”