March 4, 2026

Concordia University and McGill University have decided to drop their legal challenges against the Government of Quebéc over the out-of-province student tuition increase. When discussing their reasons for dropping the lawsuits, Concordia spokesperson Vannina Maestracci cited the university’s “current financial situation” while McGill spokesperson Katherine Cuplinskas asserted that legal action would undermine the university’s focus on “strengthening local engagement.” Both Concordia and McGill have reportedly experienced declines in applicants from out-of-province applicants (27% and 20% respectively).

Algonquin College and Okanagan College have announced changes to their programming and operations as they continue to respond to their financial situation. Algonquin’s Board of Governors has voted to proceed with cutting 30 programs. The decision was originally delayed to give the college time to understand the impact of ON’s funding changes. “The information that we have seen so far has led us to conclude that we must continue strong fiscal diligence going forward,” said Algonquin President Claude Brulé. Okanagan announced that it would be consolidating some of its programs to a shared Arts and Sciences portfolio, as well as merging the activities of its standalone International Education department into its Student Services portfolio.

Olds College of Agriculture and Technology has cancelled its Olds College Spring Rodeo, which was scheduled for the upcoming weekend. The college says that this cancellation was made due to a sudden resignation and additional animal care requirements as part of Olds’ Animal Use Protocol. The Albertan and CTV News report that students and local small business owners are frustrated about the decision. The Albertan reports that Lakeland College has announced that it will host the event on the same dates as originally planned.

Vancouver Island University has launched the Ripples of Change campaign, which will raise funds for scholarships, awards, and bursaries. This campaign will run until Spring 2027 with the goal of raising $2M to boost the number of financial awards available, as well as their amounts. “Every gift creates a ripple of impact and helps a student stay in school and reach their full potential,” said VIU Foundation Chair Lee Rowley. “As inflation and living costs continue to rise, demand for financial assistance also rises. Support from donors helps close this gap for students facing financial hardship.”

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières and Senegal have signed a framework agreement focused on research, innovation, and university cooperation. The parties will be collaborating in a variety of areas, including organizing joint events in biotechnology, AI, and water and the environment; developing joint laboratories; organizing targeted exchanges; and supporting research development. The framework identifies several potential areas for collaboration, including university pedagogy, university administration, and educational technology.

Lakehead University and Laurentian University have each received donations toward research chairs focused on mining and minerals. At Lakehead, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) has donated $1M to establish the Lakehead University–NOHFC Industrial Research Chair in Mineral Exploration. The university simultaneously received $441K from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario toward a new microanalytical research lab focused on mineral exploration. Laurentian received funding from Vale Base Metals and the United Steelworkers Local 6500 to create the Dr Leo Gerard Research Chair in Occupational Safety and Health. The chair will focus on research, training, and innovation to protect workers in the mining sector.

The University of Winnipeg has announced the Manitoba Consortium for Digital Agriculture, a hub that will link academics, farmers, government, and industry partners for digital agriculture research. The Manitoba Crop Alliance and Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers have provided $460K to the consortium to hire its first staff member, Elena GomezHaro. UWinnipeg Assistant Professor Dr Michael Beck said that the increasing affordability of digital tools will allow the MDCA to research a variety of areas including robotics, smart hardware, and embedded systems. The hub is currently operating out of UWinnipeg, but plans to expand to other disciplines and eventually to other institutions.

Institutions must pivot from providing lifelong learning and continuing education programming as ancillary offerings to making them central to the institution’s mission, argues Jess Lambrecht (University of Wisconsin Green Bay). Lambrecht notes that many institutions currently suffer from fragmentation across their departments: Continuing education, registrar’s offices, and academic affairs may all operate under different assumptions and cater to different target audiences. She argues that divisions must cooperate to gain a comprehensive view of learners and the various pathways that may lead them through, and back to, an institution. Institutions should then focus on long-term data, she says, to understand learners’ engagement over a lifetime rather than focusing on a single point in time.

Memorial University’s Board of Regents has approved the university’s new commitment to institutional neutrality on political matters. The statement on neutrality drafted by the university explains that this will ensure that anyone speaking on the institution’s behalf will remain neutral and ensure that the institution “encourages open discourse, celebrates diversity, and respects the independent viewpoints of its community members.” University officers include the president, vice presidents, provost, chancellor, chair of the Board of Regents, and any other individuals speaking on behalf of the institution.

The University of Toronto and co-working lab operator BioLabs have partnered to run the first BioLabs co-working facility in Canada. The facility will be located in the MaRS Discovery District and will help more than 30 early-stage life-science local startups to work and grow their businesses. “The goal is to turn Canadian research discoveries into Canadian companies that attract talent and investment,” said U of T VP Operations and Real Estate Partnerships Scott Mabury.