November 27, 2025

The Government of British Columbia has announced the launch of an independent review of its public postsecondary education system. The review will focus on governance and operations, program delivery, and financial sustainability. BC says that the review will focus on ensuring that the PSE system is responsive to the needs of the people of BC and the labour market, fulfills regional access considerations, and reflects the contributions institutions make to their local community. “A strong and resilient public postsecondary system is fundamental to building [a skilled] workforce and driving BC’s economic growth,” said BC Minister of Postsecondary Education and Future Skills Jessie Sunner. “Public postsecondary institutions must be prepared to respond to these evolving needs.”

Algonquin College, Cambrian College, Centennial College, and Fanshawe College have each launched new degree programs. Algonquin has launched a Bachelor of Science in Nursing that will provide a hands-on nursing education to students interested in becoming Registered Nurses. Cambrian will be offering a Bachelor of Applied Computing program in Fall 2026, which will include specialization options in AI, cybersecurity, and data analytics, as well as a paid internship. At Centennial, a new Honours Bachelor of Business Administration – International Business degree beginning in Fall 2026 will prepare students to work in international trade, logistics, and investment. Fanshawe’s Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree will include clinical experiences, hands-on learning with technology, and small classes.

Government of Quebec MNA Jean-François Roberge is tabling legislation today that would expand the province’s secularism rules, with new implications for colleges and universities. Among the changes expected to affect postsecondary institutions, the legislation will reportedly ban prayer rooms at all public institutions. Journal de Quebec reports that students and teachers at public postsecondary institutions will be required to show their face at all times. An exemption will be made for those who are already employed, though the exemption will be removed if they are promoted or transferred. Additionally, public institutions will be prohibited from showing religious symbols in their communications and will face restrictions around religion-based meal offerings.

Brock University has launched a $100M initiative to reimagine campus sustainability and position the university as a climate action leader. The SPARK (sustainability, performance, adaptation, renewal and knowledge) initiative focuses on reducing Brock’s carbon footprint, targeting an 83% reduction by 2028, and reducing the university’s energy usage by 60%. The investment will be used to retrofit the university’s critical infrastructure, such as by converting lights to LEDs, optimizing building automation system controls, and installing efficient hot water heat pumps. Additionally, SPARK will create knowledge transfer activities that use the campus as a living lab.

Statistics Canada has released the results of its 2024/25 University and College Academic Staff System survey, describing counts and socio-economic details of full-time teaching staff at Canadian universities. Results show that the representation of women has increased significantly at all ranks of professorship compared to 1984/85, though women have still not reached parity with men at the full professor rank (33.6%). Consequently, the researchers explain that a wage gap exists between men and women, with factors like rank, age, and size of institution explaining 94.1% of the gap. The data also revealed that the country’s professoriate is aging, with those aged 65 or older making up 22.6% of full professors in 2024/25 compared to 5.6% in 2005/06.

McGill University has revamped its French translation services by introducing digital tools to support translation. McGill’s Linguistics Services has implemented new workflow tools is now offering free translation and revision to all McGill units. The university has also approved the use of two AI tools—Microsoft Copilot and DeepL Pro—for McGill employees who are looking to complete their own translation projects. Linguistics Services has added a decision aid that will help employees determine whether they should translate content using AI assistance. “Linguistic Services wanted to adapt to new realities, and AI tools are a great addition to our communications toolbox,” said McGill Linguistic Services Director Karine Majeau. “Clients say the new way of working has made their life easier.”

The University of New Brunswick and the University of Saskatchewan have each launched strategic partnerships with industry partners. UNB has partnered with NB Power to advance power research through the NB Power Industrial Research Chair in Smart Grid Technologies, as well as to continue to provide co-op experience at NB Power for students. USask’s Global Institute for Food Security has partnered with the Canadian Beef Improvement Network to provide tissue testing for Canadian beef producers. The partnership will remove the need for cross-border testing, strengthening Canada’s food system resilience and streamlining logistics.

A recent report from the City of Halifax’s Heritage Advisory Committee has identified several of Dalhousie University’s properties as having “high heritage registration potential.” The committee advised Halifax yesterday to adopt a streamlined process for evaluating 22 properties in particular—including Shirreff Hall, the Provincial Archives Building, and the Forrest Building—given their strong potential for heritage status. CTV News reports that properties are evaluated according to six categories: age, architectural merit, historical or architectural importance, architectural integrity, relationship to the surrounding area, and significance of the architect or builder.

Cégep de Rimouski closed its doors on Tuesday to support the Sûreté du Québec as it conducted a search for a missing person. Cégep Directeur Generale Julie Gasse told FLO FM that the missing individual, Eric Avon, is an instructor at the institution and the former coach of the cégep’s football program. While the provincial police asserted that there was no danger to the public, the cégep decided to close its doors for the day so that it could make its resources available to the police. Gasse added that students and staff have access to supports through the cégep’s internal communication platform Omnivox. Radio Canada states that several cégep students participated in the search Tuesday morning. The institution reopened on Wednesday.

Northwestern Polytechnic has partnered with energy company Ovintiv on the creation of a new Tool Hub on the school’s main campus. The Ovintiv Tool Hub will act as a shared area for the new electrical, power engineering and instrumentation, and millwright labs and contain tools to support trade students’ hands-on learning. NWP CEO Dr Vanessa Sheane said that “by providing students with timely access to the latest tools, technology, and training spaces, we are preparing them to meet workforce demands while supporting the ongoing growth of skilled trades in northern Alberta.” The $500K investment by Ovintiv is part of a $5M industry-supported capital campaign to advance trades education in the region.