April 29, 2025

Concordia University, the University of Calgary, and York University each recently provided guidance to their campus communities on cyberthreats. Concordia Chief Information Security Officer Mike Popoff reminded the university community to be aware of cyberstalking and described how they can protect themselves, including by increasing their digital security. UCalgary IT Cybersecurity Director Mark Sly warned the university community about the threat of deepfakes. Sly advised vigilance on video calls and noted that people should be careful about what they post online. YorkU is requiring faculty, staff, and instructors to complete cybersecurity awareness training to reduce the risk of data breaches.

The Government of Ontario has announced a $75M investment in 162 research and innovation projects. The funds will be distributed through Early Researcher Awards and the Ontario Research Fund. The University of Ottawa-led Canadian Biomanufacturing Cooperative will receive $45M in funding, $18M of which will go to McMaster University’s expansion of the Fitzhenry Vector Laboratory. OCUFA commended the investment and highlighted the need for further strategic investments. “To firmly establish our province as a leading international research hub and to fully leverage the immense talent of our faculty, academic librarians and institutions, sustained and expanded investments across all research disciplines are paramount,” said OCUFA Executive Director Jenny Ahn.

The University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU) is suing the University of Regina for allegedly withholding student fees and terminating its fee collection agreement without adequate notice, reports Regina Leader-Post. URSU has stated that student fees have been “wrongfully withheld” since the beginning of January and that the university terminated its fee collection agreement without 90-days notice. URSU is reportedly seeking a court order that would require URegina to pay the funds and continue providing student fees according to the standing agreement. A statement from URegina explained that the university implemented a payment protocol earlier in the year so that URSU could receive student fees to fund core services, but that “URSU has chosen not to engage the protocol and access these funds.”

The Fédération nationale des enseignantes et enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ-CSN) has spoken out about the Government of Québec’s recent decision to postpone the release of guidelines for integration of AI at cégeps and universities, reports the Journal de Montréal. The Journal explains that QC’s consultation body on AI in higher education had initially planned to present its findings in April. QC has reportedly pushed the deadline to the end of the summer, with an accompanying reference framework expected at the start of the Fall semester. However, FNEEQ-CSN President Benoît Lacoursière said that institutions have been waiting for these guidelines before they take action, and that presenting the framework in April would give institutions adequate time to prepare for the Fall.

University of Manitoba Libraries recently unveiled an AI Research Assistant, which uses generative AI to help staff and students with their online library searches. Its main purpose is to help users gain initial insights into their research topics. The tool can provide users with a variety of supports, including summarized responses to research questions, recommendations of relevant publications from the Libraries’ collections, and suggestions of additional question prompts to expand a research topic. The AI Research Assistant is currently in beta and is being tested for full release.

According to the Montréal Gazette, McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine is closing its Social Accountability and Community Engagement office, which was established in 2015 to address equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) issues. The newspaper also reports that three individuals who ran the office—all of whom are racialized minorities—are being replaced by a single person who does not come from such a minority background. In a statement, McGill said that “changes have been made to reorganize the oversight of its EDI work to a higher level of accountability under the direct purview of the Office of the Dean of Medicine.”

In an article for The evoLLLution, Nancy Byron (Georgia State University) argues that micro-credentials must be rooted in strong, scalable structures to reach their full potential. Byron points out that micro-credentials are often implemented in a decentralized, ad-hoc fashion, allowing institutions to respond quickly to emerging trends. However, the author notes that this approach makes it challenging for learners to understand how the program fits into larger educational and professional pathways. To address this challenge, Byron recommends that institutions collaborate with industry partners to develop micro-credential programming with coherent, clearly defined structures that recognize the value of continuous learning, diverse learning pathways, and quality. “[When micro-credentials] are built with purpose and structure, they don’t just teach skills—they create momentum,” concludes Byron.

Last week, postsecondary instructors, staff, and students gathered outside the Vancouver Art Gallery to protest the Government of Canada’s cap on international student enrolment. The rally, organized by Vancouver Community College instructors, drew participants from institutions across the Vancouver area. Protesters expressed their opposition to job losses and program cuts linked to the cap. VCC Faculty Association VP Taryn Thompson said institutions were encouraged years ago to recruit international students as a revenue source, adding that the cap has since undermined this practice and caused the “biggest funding crisis to hit our sector.” Protesters called on the provincial and federal governments to provide emergency funding to institutions in British Columbia in order to give them time to develop sustainable plans.

The Seven Generations Education Institute (SGEI) has partnered with the Kenora District Services Board (KDSB) to open a new child-care centre on campus. The new centre will include 49 spaces for infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children. “Students and families will benefit from this facility and SGEI programming will be enhanced because of this partnership,” said SGEI CEO Brent Tookenay. KDSB Chief Administrative Officer Henry Wall said that the centre will help make postsecondary education more accessible to students with children, enabling these learners to pursue careers that meet the region’s labour needs.

Cégep de Granby is partnering with Habitations Granby to offer 79 new student housing units starting in July. Through the partnership, Cégep de Granby students will have exclusive access to the Pavillon étudiant, a former senior’s residence that is being redeveloped to create single-occupancy studios and three- and four-bedroom apartments. It will also feature a relaxation room, community kitchen, fitness facilities, outdoor BBQ, study spaces, and bicycle storage. Habitations Granby will provide turnkey and maintenance services for the building, while Cégep de Granby will offset any vacancy rates for the units.