March 3, 2025

The Government of Alberta has released its 2025 budget. For Advanced Education, the budget outlines an estimated operating expense of $6.6B; this marks a $323M increase over the previous year, though AB states that this increased expense is “more than offset” by the increase in institutional own-source revenue such as tuition fees. For 2025-26, own-source revenue constitutes 58% of 2025-26 postsecondary institution operating expense. Funding has been increased for independent academic institutions (additional $9M in 2025-26, plus $17M in subsequent two years), the First Nations Colleges Grant (additional $0.5M annually), and the Alberta Student Grant (additional $5M annually). AB is also budgeting for a continued investment of $187M for advanced education under the capital plan, as well as $170M for capital projects through the Skills for Jobs program.

Canada’s Top 100 has released the 2025 results of its Canada’s Best Diversity Employers competition, and 10 universities have appeared among the leaders. The competition evaluates employers based on successful diversity initiatives for five key groups: Women, members of visible minorities, people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, and LGBT individuals. The winning universities are Dalhousie University, McGill University, McMaster University, the Université de Montréal, the University of British Columbia, the University of Calgary, the University of Manitoba, the University of Toronto, the University of Victoria, and York University.

Olds College of Agriculture & Technology has announced that it is suspending intake for multiple programs due to the challenges posed by declining provincial funding and federal policy changes. The suspensions include programs in the areas of Agriculture Technology Integration, Business Management, Craft Beverage & Brewery Operations, and Hospitality & Tourism Management. “In order to navigate the growing demands and complex issues in the postsecondary system, we’ve been reviewing our program mix to ensure we align with industry needs, student demand and institutional priorities to ensure long-term stability for Olds College,” said Olds Interim President Debbie Thompson. Olds says that these suspensions are a “first step” in addressing the challenges faced by the college.

Lakehead University has received a $1M donation from BMO to support the creation of a new outdoor learning space for Indigenous education and cultural and community engagement. This five-year donation will support the learning space, which is part of the university’s broader project to embed the concept of Gichi Kendaasiwin (Ojibwe for “higher knowledge”) into the campus culture. “For too long, Indigenous peoples have been historically disadvantaged in educational spaces, and Gichi Kendaasiwin represents a commitment to changing that narrative,” explained Lakehead Ogimaawin Indigenous Education Council (OIEC) Chair Precious Anderson. “It is about honouring our teachings, languages, and communities, and this partnership, rooted in the spirit of reconciliation, helps bring that vision to life in a powerful and lasting way.”

Thompson Rivers University and the BC Law Institute have announced that the Canadian Centre for Elder Law (CCEL) is moving to TRU’s Faculty of Law. Under a revised memorandum between the two parties, TRU’s Law Library will house all Canadian Centre for Elder Law publications. “The range of issues related to our aging populations is diverse and the need for innovative legal approaches is more important than ever,” said TRU’s Dean of Law Daleen Millard. “Hosting the CCEL is a wonderful opportunity for the TRU Faculty of Law to deepen our research and commitment to excellence in this area.”

Collège Boréal and Conseil scolaire catholique (CSC) Nouvelon have partnered to enrich the Hockey Canada Skills Academy programs offered by CSC Nouvelon schools. Grade 6-12 students who are registered in a CSC Nouvelon hockey program will have the opportunity to explore Boréal programming and receive support from Boréal’s varsity team and experts. “Collège Boréal is proud to bring its proven expertise in health programs, especially in sports, to the students of the Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon,” said Boréal President Daniel Giroux. “This new agreement not only promotes physical activity that supports the well-being of our youth but also sustains the tradition of our national winter sport, all while reinforcing the French-language educational continuum.”

In an interview with The Hub, McGill University President Dr Deep Saini discusses the challenges currently facing universities in Canada. The interview touches on several topics, including the international relationship between Canada and the US, immigration, and the role that universities play in supporting the economic and social wellbeing of the country. Saini also speaks to the importance of academic freedom and debate on campus—especially with difficult topics such as international conflict—and the responsibility that universities have in supporting and facilitating difficult conversations. Turning to McGill, Saini discusses the university’s unique role in supporting Canadian unity by providing students from other provinces or territories with an avenue to either become a part of Québec or become “lifelong ambassadors” for the province.

A working group within the University of Manitoba’s senate is proposing changes to the committees that deal with undergraduate academic matters. Three new standing committees—the Certificate and Micro-Certificate Committee, Undergraduate Studies Council, and Academic Policy and Regulations Committee—would replace the four existing committees. The goals of this change include enabling a more comprehensive examination of undergraduate program proposals, streamlining the review process, and promoting cross-university engagement.

Conestoga College, McMaster University, and Université du Québec à Montréal each recently launched new programs. Conestoga launched a three-year Bachelor of Data Analytics that will prepare students to work with data with practical experience. McMaster University has launched a Minor in Nuclear Studies and Society with three specializations: Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Applications in Applied and Medical Science, and a general track. Students in the program will be prepared for careers in the nuclear sector. UQAM has launched an advanced graduate diploma in art therapy for psychotherapists interested in adding related techniques to their intervention methods. The university will also offer an art therapy specialization for its doctorate in psychology program.

In a recent conference presentation, Phillip Dawson (Deakin University) argued that postsecondary institutions should focus on redrawing their assessments rather than prioritizing discussions about AI-related cheating. Dawson asserts that while cheating is important to pay attention to, it is more important to focus on assessment validity. Since AI is well suited to some “busywork” tasks, such as handling citations and reference structuring, Dawson says that instructors should assume students may use these tools and make “structural changes” to their assignments to ensure that they are “assessing what we mean to assess.” “The times of assessing what people know are gone,” concludes Dawson.