September 3, 2025

The Government of Canada has announced a new investment into the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) program and an extension to its federal loans and grants program. Canada has invested $26.1M through the YESS program to support six national projects focused on bolstering education and job supports for youth. These projects will provide 15-to-30-year-old youth with opportunities that will help them access employment supports, gain work experience, and develop their skillsets. Canada has also announced that it has extended its temporary increases to the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program. This includes the 40% increase to select grants and an increase of $90 per week to the Canada Student Loan limit.

Postsecondary institutions across Canada hosted community-building activities, informational sessions, and prize draws to help students get oriented to their new lives on campus. Students took part in social events that ranged from headphone discos to pep rallies to inflatable courses and games, as well as academic workshops to prepare students for their studies. Dalhousie University revised its orientation week this year to have one fee for all events and one calendar for all students, while Durham College, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, and others held faculty-specific events. Sask Polytech shared a self-guided orientation that will be accessible to students throughout the school year. Several institutions—including Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, University of Manitoba, and Vancouver Island University—held dedicated events for Indigenous students.

Western University has reached a milestone with its gender-based and sexual violence prevention: all undergraduate students have completed consent training. Mustangs for Consent—a two-part consent training program that first launched in 2022 for students in residence before it was expanded across campus—is part of the university’s broader approach to promoting education and preventing gender-based sexual violence among its community members. The university also offers training to faculty and staff on how to handle disclosures and is in the process of piloting training for graduate students. “It sets the tone early on about our community expectations of how we’re going to treat each other,” said Western Acting Vice-Provost (Students) Stephanie Hayne Beatty.

Cégep André-Laurendeau, Collège de Maisonneuve, and Université TÉLUQ have joined Obvia, an inter-university network focused on research on the societal impacts of artificial intelligence and digital technology. Obvia was founded in 2019 by Fonds de Recherche du Québec to support intersectoral research on the impacts of AI and digital technology, promote research from Québec, and support the development of AI in the QC ecosystem. With this new development, researchers from each of the three institutions will be able to action their research, mobilize knowledge, and collaborate with others on priority issues. By joining the network, the institutions join 20 other cégeps and universities from across QC that have already joined Obvia.

Most classes at Dalhousie University have been cancelled due to the labour dispute between the university and the Dalhousie Faculty Association, report CBC and City News . On Friday, Dal reported that the DFA had declined the offer of interest arbitration and shared that the two parties had reached “an impasse on faculty wages.” The union has also reportedly filed a complaint with the labour board. Dalhousie Student Union President Maren Mealey highlighted the scale of the impact, saying that about 90% of the classes at the university are taught by DFA members. CBC reports that classes taught by instructors who are not members of the union are proceeding.

Students need to be welcomed to campus with an intentional orientation that builds the foundation for long-term student engagement, writes Kenneth Holmes (University of New Hampshire). Holmes writes that an intentional orientation, which starts before students arrive and extends throughout their education, lays the emotional, social, and academic groundwork for a student’s whole educational experience. The author offers several examples of strategies used at his institution, including starting orientation before students come to campus, fostering trust with families, connecting students with peers, and beginning academic engagement early. “If we want them to thrive, we must do more than welcome them; we must integrate them,” writes Holmes.

Crandall University celebrated the reopening of its Colburne House student residence last week. The entire facility has been renovated with upgrades such as air conditioning in lounge areas; new flooring, paint, and bathrooms; and updated kitchen spaces. “This project represents our commitment to providing students with comfortable, modern, and welcoming spaces where they can thrive both academically and personally,” said Crandall President Dr Bruce Fawcett. Students will be moving into the building this week.

In a recent article from La Presse, several members of the QC postsecondary sector debate whether parental involvement is helpful as students transition into postsecondary education or if it delays the development of independence. Several faculty, staff, and students told La Presse that the transition to the cégep system can be very difficult for some students, who may rely more on their parents as they navigate the new stage of life. However, UQAM lecturer Pascale Bourgeois argued that student wellbeing is being overprioritized at the cost of instruction and the exchange of ideas. UQAC Professor Ève Pouliot cautioned against generalizing about students, indicating that not all students lack autonomy and that many come from differing levels of support and resources.

MacEwan University and Boyle Street Community Services have signed a memorandum of understanding with the goal of better understanding and supporting vulnerable communities in Edmonton. The agreement will provide work-integrated learning opportunities for students as well as research opportunities relating to problems facing the individuals served by Boyle Street. The MOU formalizes an existing partnership between the two institutions, who have collaborated in the past to help the vulnerable in Edmonton. President of MacEwan Annette Trimbee cited MacEwan’s location as a driver of the collaboration: “This agreement is important to the university and to Boyle Street. But I believe it is equally as meaningful to the communities we are a part of. We are both ‘in the mix’ downtown and are key to building thriving communities.”

In a recent article for The Conversation Jimena de Mello Heredia (Monash University) discusses the results of a survey of students on how they are using AI for learning. The survey of nearly 7,000 Australian students found that 49% were using AI to gain feedback on their work and that the majority (84%) found this feedback helpful. While fewer students trusted the feedback given by AI compared to that given by an instructor (60% vs 90%, respectively), students said that AI was easier to access and that they felt less worried about being personally judged for their questions. Mello Heredia explains that universities could use AI to offer students accessible, judgment-free feedback while enabling educators to focus on their areas of strength.