June 6, 2025

Advocacy organizations and scholars are pushing back against the Government of Ontario’s recently proposed legislation, Bill 33. Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance President Sayak Sneddon-Ghosal and Ontario Student Voices Director of Advocacy Olami Ogunnote both expressed concern about the impacts the bills will have on student services and supports. Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations President Nigmendra Narain and Ontario Public Service Employees Union President JP Hornick argued that the bill constitutes unreasonable political interference. University of Regina Professor Marc Spooner told the Globe that the bill constitutes “a scandalous overreach” that both interferes with university autonomy and takes a simplistic view of the concept of merit.

Wildfires have led to temporary closures and service disruptions at several postsecondary institutions in Western Canada. In Alberta, Northern Lakes College has closed four campuses—Chateh, Loon River, Peerless Lake, and Trout Lake—due to nearby wildfires and evacuation orders. In Saskatchewan, the Gabriel Dumont Institute has closed its Northern Saskatchewan Indigenous Teacher Education Program campus and La Ronge-based training office until further notice. Northlands College has postponed its graduation ceremony due to the evacuation order affecting La Ronge and other northern SK communities. “Our priority is the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community,” reads a notice from Northlands.

In a recent “love note to postsecondary” written for CERIC, Candy Ho (Kwantlen Polytechnic University) writes about the challenges of working in the sector in an era of job losses. She encourages those who have experienced job loss to use the same strategies and tools they have offered to students and community members. In addition, they should recognize the cognitive, affective, and behavioural aspects of job loss. Ho acknowledges the relief and “survivor’s guilt” experienced by those who have not been laid off, and encourages individuals in this situation to give themselves permission to have natural emotional reactions and to speak to their supervisors honestly about priorities. Ho also encourages professionals to consider drawing guidance from their professional frameworks. “The principles of career development we champion for others are the very tools that will carry us through,” writes Ho.

The Université du Québec has signed a three-year partnership agreement with Atypie-Friendly, a France-based initiative that promotes the inclusion of neurodivergent students and staff in higher education. The program focuses on supporting individuals with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit disorders, and learning disabilities. The collaboration will centre on three priorities: sharing evidence-based tools and practices, improving accessibility within student and staff mobility programs, and developing multidisciplinary research networks on neurodiversity in postsecondary contexts. UQuébec says that the agreement aligns with its broader commitment to educational accessibility.

A new partnership between Western University, MFC Training, and the London International Airport will create a new opportunity for Western aviation students to earn their Integrated Airline Transport Pilot licences (iATPL). First and second-year students in Western’s Commercial Aviation Management program will complete MFC Training’s specialized education, which includes complex cockpit environments and advanced simulator training. “By aligning with MFC Training, we’re not only expanding our flight training capacity, we’re embedding our students into a nationally recognized pilot training system, complete with modern aircraft, advanced simulation, and a direct path to successful careers in commercial aviation,” said Jacqueline Book, Director of the CAM Program.

Leading through crisis is as much about values as it is about action, write Janet N Spriggs (Forsyth Technical Community College) and Paula Dibley (FTCC) for Inside Higher Ed. The authors outline 10 key strategies for responding to challenging leadership moments, such as confronting problems directly, staying focused on long-term crisis recovery, and protecting both team cohesion and institutional mission. True leadership, they argue, involves knowing when to act, when to pause, and how to support others without losing sight of your own well-being. “Crisis leadership is both a test and a teacher,” they write, “the lessons it imparts— about resilience, humility and strategic focus—are hard-earned but invaluable.”

The University of New Brunswick’s McKenna Institute and Venn Innovation have launched a partnership called TechConnect Southeast to help newcomers, underrepresented groups, and other individuals prepare for and begin their career. This program will offer paid work placements, hands-on training, and mentorship to support participants in building their skillsets and acquiring meaningful jobs. “Ensuring newcomers and equity-deserving groups are supported in building upon their existing skills and tech experience can lead to shorter job searches, meaningful employment and the opportunity to thrive in our province,” said UNB McKenna Executive Director Adrienne Oldford.

Brock University and St Clair College have officially formalized a transfer pathway for students interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Sport Management degree. Eligible students from St Clair’s Sport and Recreation Management advanced diploma program will be able to transfer eight credits to the bachelor’s program, reducing their time to completion and costs. “Harnessing their knowledge from both St Clair and Brock, students will develop the skills necessary to not only enter but also thrive in this competitive field upon graduation,” said Brock Department of Sport Management Chair Curtis Fogel.

AI prompt engineering is emerging as a foundational skill for educators, argues Timothy Montalvo (Iona University), who discusses how it can be used in several different ways to support educational efforts. He proposes that, when used thoughtfully and ethically, prompt engineering can enhance instruction and feedback by helping teachers generate customized lesson plans and rubric-aligned responses in less time. Montalvo adds that it can also reduce teacher burnout by automating repetitive tasks such as drafting rubrics and newsletters. Finally, instructors who understand prompt engineering can support student development by teaching learners how to craft, revise, and evaluate prompts—building key skills in metacognition and digital literacy. “Prompt engineering is not just about using AI,” he writes. “It’s about using it wisely, ethically, and creatively.”

Cégep de Saint-Jérôme is beginning construction and renovation work on several spaces on campus. The cégep will be renewing several spaces for the student community, including a new student socialization area for committee and club meetings, networking, and socialization; a multipurpose computer room designed for hybrid teaching; and a multifunctional room. The cégep will also begin construction on two new respiratory therapy laboratories for the cégep’s Inhalothérapie program. These labs will be used for hands-on learning opportunities and interdisciplinary learning activities.