December 15, 2025

Educators and students at institutions such as the University of Ottawa and Université du Québec en Outaouais recently spoke to Radio Canada about the challenges with navigating the fair use of AI and academic integrity monitoring, all while avoiding false accusations. At UOttawa, several professors and students called for the creation of an institutional policy to guide the use of AI. UOttawa Students’ Union President Jack Coen explained to Radio Canada that existing policies vary drastically from course to course, with some professors banning the use of AI and others using it themselves. Coen asserted that this creates confusion among students. At UQO, the institutional policy was updated in 2023 to ban the use of AI in evaluated content unless explicitly allowed, but UQO Rector Murielle Laberge admitted that this policy is not enough to adapt to the AI landscape in 2025.

Carleton University has become the Sustainability Transitions Research Network’s first North American institutional member. As a member, Carleton will bring together scholars who work in a variety of areas related to sustainability transitions. Carleton’s membership will strengthen the network’s global presence and foster international collaboration among scholars. “Joining STRN as its first North American institutional member underscores both the university’s leadership and its ongoing commitment to advancing transition research and action,” said Carleton Ivey Research Chair in Sustainability Transitions Daniel Rosenbloom.

In a recent article for The Walrus, Amanda Perry (Champlain College Saint-Lambert and Concordia University) speaks to instructors about different approaches to AI use in the classroom. Perry writes that while she has personally reverted to “old-school methods,” such as requiring students to write their essays in class by hand, others have embraced AI either because they are interested in the technology or because they feel that they will be seen as “obsolete” if they do not. Several instructors shared how they are using AI in their own work life. Perry highlights the different strategies institutions across Canada are using to tackle AI use, including advising against blanket bans or asking instructors to overhaul their assignments.

Dalhousie University President Kim Brooks and University of King’s College President William Lahey recently shared their vision for the future of their institutional relationship. Brooks and Lahey write about the unique nature of their shared community, the challenges they are facing together, and the opportunities they see to clear the “old fences” between programs and services at each institution. Together, they are exploring shared student supports, streamlined program transitions and pathways, and shared digital and physical spaces. “The Dal–King’s relationship has always been a story of two institutions that discovered, together, that their differences could become strengths when tended with imagination, generosity and shared purpose,” they conclude. “We are grateful for what we have become so far and ready to embrace what will evolve next.”

Université de l’Ontario français and Université catholique de Louvain in Belgium have signed the Erasmus+ exchange protocol, which focuses on student and faculty mobility between Toronto and Louvain-la-Neuve. The agreement will make collaborations possible in areas such as culture, communication, digital literacy, and educational research. The institutions have also committed to promoting the French language through the use of digital technology. UOF Professor Hela Zahar said that this agreement will open up new learning pathways and create spaces for Francophone training and research.

The University of Saskatchewan’s College of Dentistry is celebrating the accreditation of its Doctor of Dental Medicine program. The Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada granted the program full accreditation for a seven-year period. “This outcome reflects the exceptional effort, dedication and professionalism of our faculty, students and staff throughout this intensive accreditation process,” said USask College of Dentistry Dean Dr Walter Siqueira. USask says that this is the strongest accreditation result that its College of Dentistry has received in over three decades.

Kenjgewin Teg is now officially able to offer Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) testing. The credential—designed to replace the GED high school equivalency program—consists of testing in five subject areas: mathematics, reading, writing, science, and social studies. “Being a test site for the CAEC is our first step in supporting access to expanding learning; going forward, based on the actual usage and demand for the CAEC by learners in the upcoming year, Kenjgewin Teg may consider expanding its role in this new credential, in addition to being a test location,” said Kenjgewin Teg President Beverley Roy.

The Journal de Québec reports that the Université Laval has implemented a hiring freeze in response to an anticipated deficit of $14M. Replacements and the creation of administrative positions will be suspended until April 30, 2026, whilemanagers have been asked to assess their workforce requirements. ULaval Vice-recteur exécutif et aux ressources humaines et financières André Darveau said that these measures would be temporary and are meant to ensure that the fiscal year does not end in a deficit.

In an era where universities are focusing on AI for academic purposes, little attention is being given to some students’ increasing emotional reliance on the tool, argues Agnieszka Piotrowska (Oxford Brookes University and Staffordshire University). Citing a study by King’s College London that student loneliness has nearly tripled in recent years, she argues that students may be driven to treat this problem through AI companionship or therapy. She says that universities must teach relational literacy to students so that they can understand how to learn from these conversations with AI, and ideally to rebuild in-person systems in higher education to remove the need for AI intimacy.

Columbia Bible College has announced changes to its core curriculum and academic programs. The college has launched a Church Ministry Program, providing students who are interested in church ministry with the opportunity to study two concentrations: Worship Arts and Youth Ministry. Additionally, it has launched new Program Advisory Groups, ensuring that each academic program is supported by a Program Advisory Group composed of external advocates and subject specialists. Columbia Bible College is also currently undergoing an accreditation process with the Association for Biblical Higher Education.