April 7, 2025

Two more Québec universities have issued statements on the potential risks of travelling to the US for research or study purposes. Following the Université de Montréal’s travel warning last week, Université Laval reminded its community to register travel plans and complete training on data protection before embarking on any trips. ULaval Rector Sophie D’Amours also encouraged researchers to continue collaborating with American colleagues, emphasizing the importance of science diplomacy. Meanwhile, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Rector Christian Blanchette issued a warning to students, staff, and researchers who are travelling to the US, asking them to exercise caution during this time of uncertainty.

Maclean’s has updated its universities & colleges site for 2025, which features the magazine’s student hub with articles about life at university, school profiles, and the 2025 University Rankings that were released late last year. The school profiles include details such as institutions by location, population, and tuition. The rankings assess Canada’s top primarily undergraduate universities, comprehensive universities, and medical doctoral universities. The top three universities in the primarily undergraduate category were Mount Allison University, the University of Northern British Columbia, and Saint Mary’s University. For comprehensive universities, Simon Fraser University received first place, followed by the University of Victoria and the University of Waterloo. In the medical doctoral university category, the top three institutions were McGill University, the University of Toronto, and the University of British Columbia.

The University of Victoria has released the results of an independent review conducted by lawyer Bob Rich into the death of student Sidney McIntyre-Starko in 2024. This report provides a timeline of the events leading up to the student’s death and the actions of responders, including university staff. “The response by the university to this medical crisis that night was not well co-ordinated or thought out,” reads the external review. “Sidney, her family, the other students who overdosed, and the students who tried to help, were not properly cared for that night.” UVic has accepted all 18 of the report’s recommendations. “The safety and wellbeing of our campus community are top priorities, and the recommendations in this report are important in ensuring Sidney’s death leads to meaningful and lasting change,” said UVic President Kevin Hall.

The University of Prince Edward Island has announced that 13 of its Co-operative Education bachelor programs have received national accreditation from Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL Canada). This six-year accreditation has been granted to programs in UPEI’s arts, business, and science faculties. “Co-operative Education has been a long-standing component of many programs at UPEI and has expanded considerably over the past few years,” said UPEI Interim Associate VP, Students Megan MacLean. “The new accreditation marks first time accreditation for our Actuarial Science, Biology, Environment Studies, and Economics programs and speaks to the quality of programming offered at the University.”

Last week, cégep and university students across Québec protested the provincial government’s decision to end the Perspective Québec scholarship program. The program, which the Government of Québec cancelled in February, provided financial aid to students in disciplines facing labour shortages, such as health and education. Students went on strike in Montréal, Québec, Terrebonne, L’Assomption, Rouyn-Noranda, Sept-Îles, La Pocatière, and Saint-Hubert, asserting that terminating the program will worsen students’ financial precarity. Some, including the student association for the Cégep de Sept-Îles, questioned QC’s motivations for cutting the program. Others, such as the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec, urged the province to reinvest the scholarship funds to ensure all internships in Québec are paid.

Instructors should choose the teaching strategy that works for them rather than accepting that “robots are the victors,” writes Brad East (Abilene Christian University). East describes an approach he calls “Luddite pedagogy” where faculty reclaim agency by “[refusing] to accept that technology has rendered our role moot.” The author explains that his courses—which eliminate screens within the classroom and require students to complete handwritten assignments in class—demonstrate how students benefit from instructors who choose how to teach based on their own experience, training, and judgement. “Teachers, in short, don’t have to do the latest technology’s bidding,” writes the author. “Teachers still have agency.”

Nova Scotia Community College and Suncrest College have each announced new programming for 2026. NSCC will launch a wind turbine technician program at its Port Hawkesbury’s Strait Area Campus. The one-year program will initially focus on onshore wind turbines, before expanding to include an offshore component by 2035. Suncrest will expand access to its Primary Care Paramedic program by offering the course in Tisdale, giving local students the opportunity to train without relocating. “With this program and profession both in high demand, offering it in a smaller community provides an alternative pathway for students who may prefer a different post-secondary experience,” said Suncrest VP, Academics & Learner Engagement, Teri Thompson.

Algonquin College and Centennial College have each announced additional program cuts. Algonquin will phase out the academic upgrading courses offered at the Ottawa campus, which are reportedly funded through a contract with the Government of Ontario. Current students in the courses will be able to complete their courses during a six-month transition period. The college said in a statement that it is collaborating with other providers to help students continue their education. CBC reports that Centennial is suspending additional programs, in addition to suspensions announced earlier this year. The Toronto Star reports that Centennial has also informed staff that it is reducing its workforce “to reduce costs and increase efficiencies in non-school areas.”

Concordia University’s Département d’études françaises is introducing a series of French-language courses. The six-credit immersive courses are open to all members of the Concordia community and focus on immersion, comprehension, oral expression, and practical applications. “Our goal is to provide students from outside Québec with a viable, achievable option to progress in French while they complete their studies at Concordia,” said Concordia Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Pascale Sicotte. “[The courses] will also help students looking to combine their studies with work opportunities in Québec, including internships, as well as make the most out of their time here.”

Several institutions recently unveiled new student spaces. Cambrian College launched the Hanson Venture Lab to promote entrepreneurship among students, alumni, and the broader community. The lab was named in honour of Hanson College, which contributed $1.3M to help build and equip the space, as well as to support an endowment fund for student entrepreneurs. MaKami College opened its first computer lab, which has space for up to 40 students. The facility will host regular workshops on digital literacy skills, resume and cover letter writing, and business development. The University of Saskatchewan celebrated the contributions of long-time donors Grit and Scott McCreath by naming a dedicated study area at the Murray Library the Grit and Scott McCreath Library Common.