January 7, 2026

Canadian postsecondary institutions are welcoming students, faculty, and staff back to campus for 2026. At institutions like Loyalist College, McGill University, and Mount Allison University, new students were welcomed with winter orientation activities, social programming, and welcome packs. Leaders such as University of Saskatchewan President Vince Bruni-Bossio and York University Interim President Lisa Philipps issued statements welcoming the campus community to the new year and outlining some of the opportunities ahead in 2026.

Aurora College has suspended its online and in-person classes this week after a cyber-attack impacted its operations. The college told Cabin Radio that its servers, e-learning platforms, email, self-service portal, and student application portal are all down. Aurora President Angela James explained that there is no evidence of any data breach or ransomware taking place, and that students’ personal electronics are not at risk. While classes are suspended, instructors are reportedly assigning students independent readings, assignments, and project-based work.

The Government of Ontario has announced its 2026 international student application allocation. In 2026, graduate students at publicly assisted colleges and universities will no longer require a PAL, though they will count toward ON’s 70,074 study permit cap. The voluntary unused PAL return program will also continue in 2026. In response to the announcement, Colleges Ontario CEO Maureen Adamson told the Toronto Star that the situation is “beyond our worst-case scenario projections,” while Council of Ontario Universities CEO Steve Orsini called on increased government investment to make up for lost revenue

With AI now part of the future, the liberal arts are becoming more valuable, write Mount Allison University President Ian Sutherland and MtA student Lucas Orfanides. Sutherland and Orfanides assert that those with a liberal arts education are career resilient and are not tied to particular fields or industries. Since AI development depends on the humanities to design products that meet human needs and confront the shortcomings of AI, the authors state that liberal arts training will need to train students how to use AI responsibly. “In the age of AI, it is the human intelligence of the liberal arts, built on critical thinking, ethical leadership and strong interpersonal skills, that will matter most,” write Sutherland and Orfanides.

A recent article from the Toronto Star discusses the challenges that some students experience with registering for their required classes. Reporter Janet Hurley interviews students and references studies such as a recent Academica survey and the 2024 CUSC survey in her discussion of the issues students encounter while registering. The Star goes on to highlight some of the efforts underway to tackle these challenges, including unofficial initiatives like a student-created app that pings students if a seat becomes available and official institutional initiatives like Queen’s University’s revolutionized course selection process.

Northwestern Polytechnic has finalized the acquisition of a building and land in Grande Prairie. The location will be transformed into the polytechnic’s new Skilled Trades Training Centre, which will provide apprenticeship and trades training. The site will include purpose-built training environments that will support hands-on training, applied learning, and industry-aligned education. “By centralizing our programming and establishing a dedicated Skilled Trades Centre in the heart of industry, we become more accessible to students and strengthen the productive partnerships that will give our region a competitive advantage,” said NWP President Dr Vanessa Sheane.

The University of Victoria has received a $1.5M donation from the Joyce Family Foundation to support students facing financial barriers to education. This gift will provide multiple students with a renewable $8K award per year to help pay for their undergraduate studies. “This award allows them to undertake their journey, knowing they have four years of financial support to help them succeed,” said UVic Associate Vice-President, Student Affairs Jim Dunsdon. “The award enables UVic to address student barriers and support diverse, talented minds.”

Several Ontario colleges announced or warned of job cuts as they ended the calendar year. Conestoga College announced that 181 full-time faculty would be laid off, with the layoffs taking effect on March 16. The layoffs will reportedly be served primarily to faculty at the college’s Kitchener – Doon campus. At Fanshawe College, President Peter Devlin told employees that eligible staff will be sent a voluntary exit incentive as a measure to reduce the institution’s deficit. St Clair College President Michael Silvaggi also suggested that more job cuts may be coming in response to the college’s reduced enrolment.

The University of Manitoba has been appointed the North American regional lead for the Age-Friendly University Global Network. As the regional lead, UManitoba will guide strategy, outreach, and educational efforts across North America and work with the Global Network Secretariate on global initiatives. “For years, UM has provided a great range of opportunities for people of all ages through employment, research participation, lifelong learning, recreational and wellness programs, cultural or sporting events, and intergenerational engagement,” said UManitoba Director of the Centre on Aging and Professor Michelle Porter. “Our commitment to age-friendly principles is helping to break down barriers and welcome a growing community of older learners.”

Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz has approved a $3M settlement from the Canadian Universities Reciprocal Insurance Exchange to current and former Laurentian University staff and faculty who contributed to retirement health benefits. CBC reports that the retiree health benefits plan was mismanaged from 2021 to 2022. Union members who paid into the plan between 1998 and 2020 will receive 175% of their contributions. More than 300 members of the Laurentian University Staff Union and around 550 Laurentian University Faculty Association members will receive payments, according to the presidents of each association.