September 11, 2026

The Royal Society of Canada has announced its 2026 Class of Fellows and College Members. A total of 105 individuals were elected Fellows of the RSC, Canada’s highest honour in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences. A total of 54 mid-career individuals were elected to the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists in recognition of their contributions to their fields. These individuals included professionals working in Canadian postsecondary education. “These individuals are shaping Canadian society through their scholarship, creativity, and impact – today and into the years ahead,” said RSC President Françoise Baylis.

The Government of Ontario has allocated 40,000 more funded seats at publicly assisted postsecondary institutions as part of a broader $1.7B investment into 70,000 seats across the province. Of the 70,000 funded spaces, 40,200 to STEM programs, 16,100 to health care, 7,900 to education, 3,800 to the skilled trades, and 3,000 to other “labour-market driven programs.” TheToronto Star explains that 40,000 of these seats were allocated through a competitive process where postsecondary institutions worked with community partners and submitted plans for evaluation by a 40-person ministry team. About 1,000 letters of support from local chambers of commerce and businesses were submitted to the provincial ministry.

The University of Prince Edward Island has revitalized its Heaslip Undergraduate Award with a $1.2M 10-year gift from the William and Nona Heaslip Foundation. Beginning this academic year, the renewable scholarship program will provide $120K each year to support undergraduate students. Six UPEI students will be recognized as Heaslip Scholars and provided with $20K each. “The Heaslip Undergraduate Award gives me the room to not only breathe, but to truly succeed and focus on giving my absolute best to my studies and community at UPEI,” said UPEI student and Heaslip Scholar Gabriel Geraghty.

ONCAT has published a report by Jeffrey Napierala exploring student mobility through the 2025 data from Academica’s University/College Applicant Study. Looking specifically at Ontario applicants who completed the UCAS in 2025, Napierala explored the differences between mobile applicants and nonmobile peers. The author found that mobile applicants tended to be older, married or in common-law relationships, and employed full-time but with lower levels of income and parental education than their nonmobile counterparts. When it came to applying to higher ed, mobile applicants tended to submit fewer applications on average and place a stronger emphasis on career outcomes and proximity to home. Napierala concludes with three recommendations for the postsecondary sector to better serve mobile students.

Some University of Manitoba students have called on the university to ban the far-right group the Dominion Society of Canada from campus after discovering posters on campus that reportedly advocated for mass deportations. “If our institution isn’t taking a stance on it and isn’t pushing back on organizations that are spreading hate, what are they doing to protect us?” asked University of Manitoba Students’ Union President Heaven Kaur. In an email, Dominion Society Founder Daniel Tyrie accused the protestors of censorship and called universities a “crucial battleground for ideological debate.” The University of Manitoba confirmed that the posters were put up without approval and have been removed, but that they do not plan to ban the group.

In a new article for University Affairs, Cary Kogan (University of Ottawa) and Howard Ramos (Western University) explore the results of last month’s CASE Report on antisemitism and discuss how universities can rebuild Jewish students’ trust. The authors explain that, while universities are meant to foster dialogue on challenging topics, discourse on the Middle East conflict has been stifled in favour of imposing ideological positions. To rebuild students’ trust, the authors point to the Network of Engaged Canadian Academics’ suggestions, which include enforcing existing bullying and harassment policies and re-framing academic freedom to include academic responsibility and integrity.

Okanagan College has received tentative approval from the City of Penticton to operate its new 101-unit student residence as a hotel during the spring and summer months. City of Penticton Planner Yvonne Kent explained that the proposal would allow the college to continue to generate income when students have left for the summer. Kent noted that the same plan was approved by the City of Kelowna last year. Penticton council will make a formal decision following a council meeting and public hearing later this month.

A new study led by Dr Xavier St-Denis (Institut national de la recherche scientifique) has found that grandparents’ income levels play can play a role in access to postsecondary education, particularly for children with low-income parents. St-Denis explained that the presence of high-income grandparents seemed to partially negate the impact of having low-income parents on postsecondary education access rates. St-Denis hypothesized that support from grandparents could include RESP contributions, covering tuition costs, or help with navigating the postsecondary system. “When it comes to developing family-support policies, data on grandparents should really be included to get a more accurate picture of the situation,” concluded St-Denis.

Taylor Pro College recently announced that it is launching a Law Enforcement Foundations and Security Diploma at its Kelowna campus. The 52-week program covers topics such as Canadian border security, criminal and civil law, criminology, and investigations and evidence. The program is available in in-person, online, and hybrid formats, with new intakes scheduled every two weeks. Learners will study through a mix of classroom instruction and simulation-based learning.

Lakehead University’s Gichi Kendaasiwin Constellation has received a $600K gift from TD Bank group to expand Indigenous learning, cultural connection, and belonging initiatives at the university. The gift will focus on three areas of Gichi Kendaasiwin’s work: advancing the planning of the group’s The Gathering Place project, supporting the Niijii Indigenous Mentorship program, and expanding Indigenous-led cultural programming. “[Gichi Kendaasiwin] will create new opportunities for Indigenous-led teaching, learning, ceremony, and community connection, while enriching the life of the university as a whole,” explained Lakehead President Dr Gillian Siddall.