August 18, 2026

Lutheran Theological Seminary and St Andrew’s College in Saskatoon have announced the next steps in their journey to become a single institution. By becoming one institution, LTS and SAC will bring their leadership and resources together while sustaining theological education for the Lutheran and United Church. The institution will continue to offer Lutheran and United Church programs, faculty, and courses while creating new opportunities for those in their respective denominations to learn together. A transitional president will be appointed to provide day-to-day leadership as the institutions develop and implement the governance, academic, administrative, and financial arrangements required to become one institution.

The University of Toronto Henry NR Jackman Faculty of Law has reportedly adopted a framework that would enable faculty members to ban laptops from their classrooms this Fall. “Our primary concern here is not that students are distracted by technology, but rather that the very act of type-writing comprehensive notes during class does not allow students to think deeply about the class material or to engage in discussion and argument,” explained U of T Law Associate Dean Richard Stacey. The framework requires faculty to provide a record of in-class discussion to students. Students’ Law Society President Ishaan McLachlan told the Toronto Star that law students were concerned about faculty members deciding what method of notation they would use.

According to Radio Canada, no university in Québec has reached its maximum number of international student applications permitted by the province. Universities in QC are therefore increasingly worried about the effects that recent provincial and federal immigration policies will have on their institutions. Université Laval Professor François Gélineau explained that the decline in students makes it harder to attract research faculty, which in turn results in a further decline in future students. QC Ministre de l’Enseignement supérieur Martine Biron explained that the provincial government considers capacity and regional needs to regulate the intake of international students.

The Government of Canada has officially announced the launch of the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Alliance. The alliance brings together education and training institutions, unions, manufacturers, and other partner groups to address the workforce challenges faced by the advanced manufacturing sector. Together, this group will build the workforce needed to improve the sector’s productivity, support the adoption of new technologies, and ensure global competitiveness. “The Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Alliance will help empower Canadian workers with the skills they need to adapt and grow, playing a crucial role in building a strong, independent, and resilient economy,” stated Canada Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu.

The demonstration held by international students in Calgary who were protesting eligibility changes for postgraduate work permits was shut down after Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) was called to verify the immigration statuses of several protestors. The Calgary Police Service was called to remove demonstrators who were blocking the sidewalk, and the officers reportedly called CBSA after checking the demonstrators’ identification. CBC reports that CBSA checked the status of 20 people and found 12 were possibly inadmissible under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. A CBSA spokesperson said that the individuals were directed to attend a follow-up interview at the CBSA office.

In a recent CTV News article, several members of the Canadian postsecondary sector respond to the University of Michigan’s decision to transform some first-year classes into pass-fail courses as part of a pilot program. University of Toronto OISE PhD Candidate Susan He said that while the move might initially help students ease into university, students still need other mechanisms to help them study, make friends, and build a support network. Dr Tyler Black, a psychiatrist affiliated with the University of British Columbia, said that students may shift their stress to their regular courses. High school teacher Michael Zwaagstra commented that a better approach would be to ensure that high schools adequately prepare students for university.

Athabasca University has established a transfer credit pathway through an agreement with CPA Western School of Business and CPA Atlantic School of Business. This agreement will reduce barriers for business students at AU who would like to pursue a CPA designation by ensuring they can complete any entry prerequisites to a CPA pathway. Learners will also qualify for an exemption from the knowledge assessment in the new CPA Canada Professional Program that is launching in 2027.

Cégep de Lanaudière has added a new simulation space that will be used by its Techniques d’intervention en milieu carcéral program. This simulation space will be used by students to engage in realistic scenarios that would be found in detention facilities. Through these scenarios, students will develop the skills they need to ensure that facilities are secure, conduct interviews with people who are incarcerated, and promote social reintegration, ensuring they can confidently begin their careers as corrections officers.

The University of Victoria is launching two courses this fall based on Heated Rivalry, a Canadian romance television series adapted from the Game Changers books by Nova Scotia-based author Rachel Reid. One class is an English course that will focus on the books and the adaptation, using them as a case study. The other is a law course that will examine how law intersects with topics such as queer joy, gender identity, and sports. Both courses are reportedly waitlisted. CTV News reports that the courses reflect the idea that popular culture can be more than entertainment.

Mireille Lalancette (University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières) and Éric Bélanger (McGill University)—co-leads of the Chaire de recherche sur la démocratie, le vivre-ensemble et les valeurs communes au Québec—are launching a new initiative in collaboration with Les Libraires: a publicly accessible reading club called Lire la démocratie. The purpose of Lire la démocratie is to strengthen dialogue in public spaces, while gaining a better understanding of contemporary democratic issues and bringing university research closer to Québécois. This initiative will invite participants to read selected books before they exchange ideas in a hybrid format.