August 12, 2026

The University of Toronto recently shared how its Build More Housing Initiative is changing student housing through a joint venture partnership model. Under this initiative, the university partners with builders, with whom it shares capital and risk, to create new residence spaces on and near its three campuses. The university also retains a share of ongoing revenue from the buildings. Most recently, U of T’s Governing Council approved two new construction projects under the initiative that will add more than 1,200 beds to the St George campus. “Right now, it costs the university approximately $300K per bed to build new student housing,” explained U of T Presidential Adviser on Real Estate Scott Mabury. “This new partnership approach will cut that cost dramatically.”

Assiniboine College has announced two initiatives that will bring new learning opportunities to the communities it serves. The college will be expanding its Adult Learning Centre into Minnedosa and Neepawa. The centre will provide an inclusive learning environment that will accommodate the learning needs and schedules of adult learners. Students will be able to access classes at a variety of times, as well as online learning options. Assiniboine has also launched the English for Occupational Skills & Employment Success program, which will help newcomers build their English language skills for free over a 12-week period. Both initiatives are funded by the Government of Manitoba.

As the Government of Canada increases investment in defence, new University Affairs Prof vs Prof pieces debate the role that Canadian universities should play. In the case for, Martin Maltais (Université du Québec à Rimouski) asserts that universities already contribute to defence efforts by providing education for highly skilled professionals in Canada’s military. As modern militaries are “knowledge-based” organizations, Maltais says that universities are well suited to meet the demands for these professionals. In the case against, Henry A Giroux (McMaster University) argues that deep ties with the military can warp cultural and political perspectives. As funding is increasingly tied to defence research, Giroux says that universities risk losing a culture of social justice and work for the public good in favour of placating defence needs.

NTU has released its world university rankings, which scored over 1,900 universities across the globe using eight indicators relating to scientific publishing. The indicators include the number of articles published and number of citations in a given timeframe, as well as the impact of published papers. The Canadian universities that appeared in the top 100 were the University of Toronto (#4), the University of British Columbia (tied for #32), McGill University (tied for #53), and the University of Alberta (#85). NTU also offered an alternative Reference Ranking which takes the number of full-time equivalent academic staff into consideration when calculating a rank. Under the Reference Ranking, Canadian universities in the top 100 included U of T (#16), UBC (#36), and McGill (tied for #56)

York University has launched the Certificate in Disability Case Management. This part-time program focuses on workplace accommodation needs and disability management. The program will offer students the foundational theory, practical knowledge, and applied experience they need to support employees who are going through workplace transitions related to their disabilities. The certificate takes three months to complete and is offered in a blended synchronous and asynchronous format. “By learning from industry professionals and engaging with real-world cases, students gain the knowledge and experience to help organizations create more inclusive workplaces and ensure people have the support they need to succeed,” said YorkU AVP of Continuing Studies Christine Brooks-Cappadocia.

The University of Alberta has been given legal approval to dissolve a research fund named after Ukrainian SS veteran Yaroslav Hunka. The funding was returned to the Hunka family, following Hunka’s controversial appearance in the House of Commons in 2023. The Hunka family opposed the dissolution of the fund in a court case this spring. The Edmonton Journal reports that Alberta Court of King’s Bench Justice Debra Yungwirth found that UAlberta was within its rights to terminate the fund, despite its duty to the Hunkas as trustee. In a statement, the university said it had identified eight other endowments named for individuals with similar military connections, but that it would not undergo the “time- and cost-intensive” application process to alter them.

Mya Poe (Northeastern University) and Dylan B Dryer (University of Maine) highlight the risks of using generative AI to create literature reviews. The authors explain that these tools cannot access many papers published between the 1990s and the early 2020s, which results in a “missing middle” to the resulting survey of scholarship. With this gap in information about how the field advanced during the “missing middle,” the literature review cannot demonstrate the foundational understanding necessary to meaningfully inform further research. They conclude by asserting that authors who outsource literature reviews to generative AI will miss the opportunity to advance knowledge in their field.

A former dean from Northwestern Polytechnic has had his discrimination complaint dismissed. The complainant was terminated in May 2023 after several months of family and medical leave. After filing a workers’ compensation claim alleging harassment, the dean was ultimately granted benefits related to three demeaning remarks from a co-worker and offered a $40K settlement from NWP. The dean rejected the settlement offer. Alberta Human Rights Commission Member Erika Ringseis found that since the $40K settlement from the polytechnic was a fair and reasonable offer, the dean’s refusal of the settlement justified dismissal under the Alberta Human Rights Act.

The University of British Columbia’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture is collaborating with Buildner and the City of Vancouver on the Vancouver Tall Challenge. The challenge seeks to explore the future of tall buildings in Vancouver by inviting architects, designers, urbanists, and multidisciplinary teams to rethink density, architecture, sustainability, public life, and urban growth. Participants will develop proposals for a hypothetical site in downtown Vancouver, which will address numerous realities of urban development, such as employment, the pedestrian experience, transit, and so forth. Their proposals will inform future conversations about Vancouver’s approach to supertall buildings.

The Université de l’Ontario français has approved a draft of its first collective agreement with the Syndicat des professeures et professeurs de l’Université de l’Ontario français (SPPUOF). The draft has been approved by both the union members and UOF’s governance council. The approval marks the conclusion of a negotiation process that has continued for three years. UOF Rector Normand Labrie explained that this agreement will allow the university to look to the future and confidently pursue its mission.