January 19, 2026

The University of British Columbia has shared an update on its financial circumstances as it begins its budget planning process for 2026–27. The university stated that it is in a strong financial position overall. However, it notes that its faculties and administrative units have undertaken cost-saving measures such as implementing a voluntary retirement program, reducing travel, and postponing non-essential projects. UBC is also pursuing new revenue opportunities through professional education, micro-credentials, and partnerships. “In response to the financial pressure felt throughout the sector, we are actively assessing our commitments, reallocating resources strategically and ensuring that every dollar is directed toward advancing our academic mission,” said UBC Provost and VP Academic Gage Averill.

Canada’s Top 100 has released its regional lists of the top employers—including members of the postsecondary sector—for the areas of Greater Toronto, Hamilton-Niagara, and Kitchener-Waterloo. For the Greater Toronto area, George Brown Polytechnic was recognized for its sabbatical leaves, University Pension Plan Ontario was recognized for its health spending account, and the University of Toronto was recognized for the support offered by its Family Care Office. Three institutions were recognized in Hamilton-Niagara: Brock University for its maternity leave top-up payments and onsite child care, McMaster University for its mental health coverage, and Mohawk College for its maternity and parental leave top-up payments. In Waterloo, OCAS Application Services Inc, which handles applications for Ontario colleges, was recognized for its time off policies.

The University of Manitoba has launched its new UM Today news site, which serves as a central hub to share stories with the broader community. The new news site offers multi-media capabilities and unique story formats, in order to better showcase UManitoba’s successes and highlight stories affecting the university community. Stories are categorized into topics including Indigenous, Research, Community, and News to help readers navigate to material that is of interest to them. The university explained that content will range in style from photo-based stories to in-depth features.

In an article for Globe and Mail, Jonathan Malloy (Carleton University) asserts that Canadians are taking their public postsecondary system for granted. Malloy begins by contrasting the US higher education system with the Canadian system, where the latter’s public universities offer a largely equal, high-quality education. He warns that Canadians’ tendency to treat universities like “utilities or commodities,” where price is the sole consideration, chips away at the accessible, equal-quality model that Canada currently enjoys. He concludes that this could lead to a situation where the quality and associated prestige of Canada’s universities could diverge, resulting in a situation where “where someone earned their degree […] will signify whether they were a winner or a loser in the higher ed status game.”

At the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, members of the NAIT Academic Staff Association (NASA) recently voted 83% in favour of a strike mandate, which will later be verified by the Alberta Labour Relations Board. NASA said that issues include wages, benefits, and protection from replacement by lower-paid instructors. NAIT said that classes will continue as usual and that the two sides will work with a mediator to come to an agreement. The association is able to issue a strike notice any time until May 15.

Canadore College has officially launched its Indigenous Learning Outcomes initiative after a successful pilot. The goal of the initiative is to embed Indigenous knowledge into Canadore’s curriculum by integrating it with Western frameworks. The four outcomes were designed to be adaptable across a variety of disciplines. The outcomes are: understanding the principles of Indigenous knowledge, describing the relationship between Indigenous people and the land, analyzing the impact of colonization on Indigenous people, and evaluating social and political reconciliation in Canada. “Embedding Indigenous Learning Outcomes is both a responsibility and an opportunity—to honour Indigenous knowledges, strengthen teaching practice, and advance reconciliation through education,” said Canadore Dean, Centre of Academic Excellence and Lifelong Learning Deidre Bannerman.

The Université du Québec à Montréal has expanded its Allô welcome program this semester to serve all UQAM students. The welcome program ensures that students beginning their first semester at UQAM are supported with a variety of offerings, including activities that will help them build connections and explore Montréal, workshops for adapting to university life, and a peer support program. UQAM Allô Program coordinator Michèle Jacques explained that the program helps address the needs of domestic students from regions outside of downtown Montréal and of international students. She further noted that the program offers a welcoming place where students can build relationships.

The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit is conducting an investigation into the death of business instructor Laura Gover-Basar, who taught at Camosun College and Vancouver Island University. The police have reportedly arrested and charged Gover-Basar’s ex-husband. Camosun and VIU each shared statements about Gover-Basar. “Her passing leaves a profound sense of loss within the college community as well as those who were fortunate enough to know her,” said Camosun President Lane Trotter. “Laura was a well-respected, highly-engaged and passionate instructor who was loved by many friends and colleagues at the college.” VIU also noted that Gover-Basar’s “care for students, dedication to learning, and the quiet ways she showed up for others” have left a lasting impression on the university community.

Collège Boréal and Université de Sudbury have announced a partnership that will enable the university to offer science programming for the first time since 1960. Under the partnership, Boréal will lease its science laboratory facilities to USudbury. Boréal President Daniel Giroux and USudbury President Serge Miville explained that this will improve access to French-language studies in science in Northeastern Ontario and attract more members of the Francophone community to the region.

Cégep de Sept-Îles has inaugurated a new facility: the Pavillon de recherche et d’innovation Rio Tinto IOC. This building houses three applied research units that will provide technical assistance, training, and innovation development, supporting key sectors of the Côte-Nord economy. It also contains the Centre d’entrepreneuriat et de valorisation des innovations de la Côte-Nord. In addition to custom-designed test benches for individuals such as researchers, interns, and students, the building was designed to facilitate industry collaboration. The cégep says that the location will become a training centre that will support the region’s development.