Summer 2026

The CAUBO National Office staff and Board wish all members a happy, healthy, and enjoyable summer

Catch Up on Analytics & Reports

Looking to revisit key insights from the past year? The Analytics and Reports section of the Knowledge Centre brings together a range of resources released throughout 2025–2026. Explore the following reports and tools to stay informed on the latest trends, data, and developments in higher education administration.

  • Data Insights Series
  • National Landscape
  • Building resilient universities: Leading on financial sustainability

These resources, along with many more, are available exclusively to institutional members in the Knowledge .

Updated Data Insights Series and Dashboard

CAUBO’s updated Data Insights series highlights key financial trends in the university sector. The Data Insights are available now and provide concise, fact-based analysis of some of the sector’s most pressing risks and challenges.

The analysis incorporates the most recent Financial Information of Universities and Colleges (FIUC) data, available through 2023-24. At a time when universities are navigating significant financial pressures, the series provides timely context to help institutions better understand the forces shaping revenues, expenditures, and compensation patterns across the sector.

The updated entries in the series are available at the links below:

  • Changing Patterns in University Revenues — addresses the ongoing shift in the composition of operating income at Canadian universities and underscores that tuition revenues have become increasingly consequential as government revenues continue to decline as a proportion of funding, focusing on the sector’s increasing reliance on more volatile sources of income, such as those stemming from international students.
  • Changing Patterns in General Operating Expenditures — examines the concurrent shift that has occurred in expenditures at Canadian universities, highlighting the factors that have driven changes in spending patterns between various expenditure types, including faculty compensation, and across functions.
  • Non-Academic Salary Spending Patterns at Canadian Universities — focuses on institutional spending, with an emphasis on non-academic salaries and wages. The analysis explores where compensation is incurred, whether in central administration or within faculties, and contextualizes how growing regulatory requirements, enhanced student services, and increased research support have shaped non-academic compensation. It also examines how institutional size and the degree of administrative centralization influence spending patterns, while highlighting the structural constraints universities face in adapting to fiscal pressures. The interactive dashboard available to accompany this Data Insight has also been updated. Since the analysis is most meaningful when considered in relation to comparable institutions, the dashboard allows users to situate their results within relevant peer groupings. Institutional size, focus, and research intensity can all influence the results; the dashboard therefore supports more meaningful comparisons across institutions of similar size and scope.

Updated National Financial Landscape

An updated National Financial Landscape is available (in English only at this time) for members as part of CAUBO’s ongoing series examining key financial trends within Canadian universities.

The report incorporates the most recent Financial Information of Universities and Colleges (FIUC) data for 2023–24. Building on earlier findings on the financial effects of the pandemic, the data reflects a period of persistent inflation, elevated interest rates, and rising compensation pressures shaping institutional spending. The report also highlights longer-term pressures on university spending and revenue structures, now compounded by declining international enrolment, reduced provincial funding, and increasing cost and regulatory demands.

In addition to national trends, the Landscape highlights key provincial and regional differences, providing important context for understanding the evolving financial realities facing universities and supporting informed discussions at the institutional and provincial levels.

Building resilient universities: Leading on financial sustainability – Released April 2026

A report from Universities Canada and CAUBO, Building resilient universities: Leading on financial sustainability, finds that rising costs, growing infrastructure needs and a widening funding gap are placing the university system under increasing strain.

Canada relies on its universities to develop talent, strengthen competitiveness and drive economic growth. But growing financial pressures are putting that contribution at risk.

A system under pressure

Canada’s universities are foundational institutions within the country’s economic and social fabric. They develop highly skilled workers, generate research breakthroughs, support regional economies and provide important community services. Governments at all levels increasingly rely on universities to help advance national objectives related to productivity, innovation and workforce development.

At the same time, universities face sustained pressure from a combination of declining public funding, rising costs and shifting policy environments. Institutions have responded through efficiency measures and innovation, but many are now confronting difficult choices impacting hiring, programming, infrastructure renewal and student services.

Without renewed public investment and coordinated policy action, the sustainability of Canada’s academic and research mission is at risk. This report aims to support a shared understanding of these financial realities and to inform discussion of potential federal policy levers that could provide meaningful relief.

With coordinated action from provinces, territories and the federal government, universities can continue to serve as essential drivers of talent development, research and innovation and community resilience, supporting Canada’s long-term economic and social priorities.

In addition to seeking government partnership, the sector is also changing from within. This report is part of a broader national effort to support universities as they modernize legacy systems and institutional practices, adapt academic and administrative models and strengthen long-term mission sustainability.

Coming Soon in Analytics and Reports

  • New Deferred Maintenance and Capital Renewal Project
  • Updated FTE-based Dashboards

New Deferred Maintenance and Capital Renewal Project

CAUBO will launch a new deferred maintenance and capital renewal project this summer to support the development of nationally comparable approaches to assessing deferred maintenance and renewal needs at Canadian universities.

Campus infrastructure plays a vital role in supporting Canada’s universities and the broader communities they serve, and deferred maintenance has been a persistent and growing challenge across the sector.

Addressing deferred maintenance requires more than additional funding. Institutions also need consistent and comparable approaches to assessing facilities condition, renewal requirements, and investment priorities. This project will help strengthen planning, benchmarking, and advocacy across the sector by supporting a clearer understanding of deferred maintenance and capital renewal needs.

CAUBO members will be invited to participate in a survey in early fall. Member input will be essential to developing credible, useful information that reflects the current deferred maintenance and capital renewal landscape across Canadian universities. Further details will be shared as the project gets underway.

Updated FTE-based Dashboards

Members will soon have access to updated FTE-based dashboards to support more meaningful benchmarking across Canadian universities.

CAUBO’s FTE-based financial dashboards are being updated to include 2023-24 data and are expected to be released this summer. Based on the Financial Information of Universities and Colleges and incorporating faculty and student FTE data from Statistics Canada’s UCASS and PSIS surveys, these dashboards allow members to benchmark with peer institutions on key indicators such as research income, provincial funding, and teaching and administrative costs.

Members can customize their analysis by selecting comparable institutions based on student FTEs and faculty within major fields of study, as well as by using filters for institutional size, mission, research intensity, and province.

CAUBO Leader Program Continues to Grow

The inaugural CAUBO Leader Program concluded at CAUBO 2026, marking the successful completion of a transformative learning journey for a cohort of mid- to senior-level administrators from institutions across the country. Through collaborative learning, leadership reflection, and practical exploration of the complex challenges facing higher education administration, participants strengthened their leadership capacity and expanded their national networks. Congratulations to the inaugural cohort on this significant achievement!

Building on the success of the program’s first year, CAUBO is currently developing the 2026–2027 offering and looks forward to welcoming a new cohort of emerging and established leaders committed to advancing higher education administration in Canada.

Applications for future offerings are expected to open this summer. Members interested in future cohorts are encouraged to monitor CAUBO.ca for updates.

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

  • CAUBO Leader – 2026-2027 cohort applications – Summer 2026
  • University Culture and Governance (UCG) Online course – Fall 2026
  • Fundamentals of the Research Enterprise (FORE) Online course – Winter 2027
  • Higher Education Administration Onboarding Workshop – Winter 2027

CAUBO offers topical webinars on trends and issues affecting higher education administrators. Visit the Webinars page for more information and a list of on-demand webinars available to administrative staff at a member institution.

Student Housing Webinar Series

CAUBO’s Student Housing webinar series supported institutions navigating the evolving student housing landscape. The four-part series examined needs assessment, procurement approaches, tax and regulatory considerations, and operational planning. On-demand recordings of all four webinars are available here.

On-demand recordings are available for the CAUBO Student Housing Webinar Series:

CAUBO 2026: Annual Conference Wrap-Up

The 2026 CAUBO Annual Conference took place in beautiful St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, from June 15-17, welcoming a record-breaking number of delegates from across Canada. More than 850 delegates gathered in this vibrant coastal destination, known for its colourful streets, rich history, warm hospitality, and spectacular ocean views. Delegates enjoyed inspiring keynote presentations, timely functional and concurrent sessions, and valuable opportunities to connect with colleagues and sector partners. The conference explored emerging issues and shared challenges facing higher education administration, while providing practical insights and best practices that participants can apply at their institutions.

Members who attended the conference and those who purchased an on-demand conference pass can continue to access available recorded sessions through the conference platform. Please note that not all sessions were recorded or made available for on-demand viewing.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in St. John’s and helped make CAUBO 2026 such a success. We look forward to welcoming you to the 2027 CAUBO Annual Conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario, from June 14-16, 2027.

CAUBO 2027 Call for Proposals—Opening Soon!

Share your expertise and experience with your peers and colleagues at CAUBO 2027, taking place from June 14-16, 2027, in Niagara Falls by submitting a content proposal to be considered for the conference program. The Call for Proposals opens on August 20 and closes on October 22, 2026, so keep an eye out for the launch message and visit www.caubo.ca for details and to access the submission form.

2026 Recognition and Q&P Award Winners Announced

At the 2026 annual conference in St. John’s, Newfoundland, we honoured some of our outstanding members with the Recognition Awards and celebrated the innovative ideas and best practices demonstrated by the 2026 Quality and Productivity Award winners. You can learn more about this year’s winners by watching the videos created to celebrate the Q&P and Recognition Award winners.

2025/2026 CAUBO Highlights Infographic

Have you explored CAUBO’s 2025–2026 Highlights yet? Presented as an interactive infographic, this annual snapshot showcases the resources, insights, professional development opportunities, and member connections that shaped the past year. Take a look back at the many ways CAUBO supported higher education administration professionals across Canada and discover the impact of our collective work.

Member Discounts

Summer is here! Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, or preparing for a move, CAUBO members can access exclusive savings through our national partner agreements.

Available to administrative staff and faculty at CAUBO member institutions, member benefits include preferred rates on hotels, car rentals, VIA Rail, Park’N Fly, the Union Pearson Express, and moving .

Before you book, explore CAUBO Member Benefits and make your travel budget go further this summer.