August 19, 2026

Manitoba students, instructors, and industry members recently spoke to City News about the use of AI in the university classroom. University of Manitoba Professor David Gerhard and Manitoba Association of AI professionals Board Chair Roy McLaughlin discussed what students should be taught about AI in the classroom. Gerhard emphasized the importance of ensuring upper years know that AI is a tool rather than a crutch. University of Manitoba Students Union President Heaven Kaur shared that students want more clarity and unity from their instructors around what is permissible with AI tools.

TMU has published an external review of its campus climate conducted by former Ontario Court of Appeal judge Mary Lou Benotto and lawyer Margot Finley. The report was prompted by two incidents in 2025 relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in which university student groups clashed. Benotto and Finley reported on the “fractured campus environment” and the effects that social media had on stoking tensions. The authors recommended that TMU revise its “Statement on Freedom of Speech” to strengthen protections, outline clear expectations for protests, and consistently enforce its Student Code of Non-Academic Conduct. In response to the report, TMU has launched a task force that will be led by former Government of Ontario Premier Bob Rae.

The Université du Québec à Montréal’s Centre d’évaluation de compétences linguistique (CECL) has received accreditation from The Japan Foundation and Japan Education Exchanges and Services to offer the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). The test—which is available at five different fluency levels—evaluates takers’ written and oral comprehension of Japanese. The pursuit of accreditation first began in 2018, and the process was led by UQAM Professor Sachiyo Kanzaki and UQAM CECL head Vincente Amati. The JLPT is held twice yearly, with UQAM joining for the second session this year in December.

Anderson College and Columbia Southern University have launched an articulation and pathway agreement and established a collaborative framework. Under the articulation and pathway agreement, eligible Anderson graduates will have access to a streamlined pathway into the university’s online degree programs. The collaborative framework will provide eligible Anderson graduates, employees, and immediate family members with partner benefits—including a tuition discount—from the university. “This pathway helps them take the next step with confidence, while still protecting the quality and expectations of the credential they are working toward,” said Anderson Director of Academics and Quality Assurance Cheryl Russell-Julien.

The Canadian Undergraduate Survey Consortium has released the 2026 results of its survey on the middle-years university student experience. This survey of 8,000 middle-year undergraduates from 20 universities covered topics such as their activities on and off campus, their commitment to completing their programs, and their experiences with faculty and staff. The study found that 62% of students felt that their university had met their expectations thus far and 87% were satisfied or very satisfied with their choice of institution. Students demonstrated a strong expectation that their university would help them prepare for a career, and almost all middle-year students said that they had taken at least one step to prepare for employment after graduation.

HEC Montréal will be offering a short graduate program in taxation starting in the Winter 2027 term. Students in the program will learn about tax concepts; tax law research; and how taxation, law, and accounting are linked. This program is designed for working professionals in accounting, law, economics, or finance who are interested in gaining a greater understanding of taxation. It is offered in an in-person and hybrid format on a part-time basis, so that professionals can complete their studies while they continue to work.

While oral exams are becoming more popular because of the impacts of AI, they have their own challenges, writes Nicole Brownlie (University of Southern Queensland). Brownlie explains that while oral exams have benefits, they can also create barriers by increasing social anxiety, unfairly disadvantaging non-native language speakers, and being inconsistent in length and number of questions. The author explains that the method also does not entirely evade AI, as some students may use AI to rehearse answers instead of developing an understanding of the concepts. Brownlie outlines the criteria that fair assessments must meet, and argues for the use of oral exams alongside written or practical exams.

Centennial College and the Toronto Foundation have partnered to help journalism students develop their skills through hyperlocal reporting. Throughout the summer, students in the Contemporary Journalism graduate certificate program—offered jointly by Centennial and the University of Toronto Scarborough—have reported on stories from neighbourhoods across Toronto. In the Fall, they will write stories based on insights from a forthcoming Toronto Foundation report. Student work is published in Centennial’s Toronto Observer. “This is experiential learning at its best, preparing our graduates with both the knowledge and real-world experience needed to find career success in today’s evolving media landscape,” said Centennial School of Media and Creative Arts Associate Dean Laura Kittner.

Instructors from John Abbott College are protesting the college’s work environment as the academic year begins, calling it “toxic.” John Abbott College Faculty Association President Maria Mastorakos asserted that academic freedom and collegiality are being undermined at the institution. She further noted that there has been no full-time person dedicated to the human resources department since last January. Le Lezard reports that the group is hoping to put pressure on management to resolve these issues and improve labour relations.

A University of British Columbia Okanagan student has ridden 270km in a single day to raise money for wildfire relief in British Columbia. Ains Reid, who moved to Saskatchewan for work this summer, spent this past Sunday riding from Saskatoon to Regina. Reid explained that he chose to raise money after recalling his experience with wildfires. “In 2023, the wildfires were affecting my family and my community quite a bit, and so I decided I would really like to do something to help despite not being at home.” In total, Reid raised over $7.8K for the Canadian Red Cross’ 2026 British Columbia Wildfires Appeal.