CAUBO has launched a new project to develop a nationally comparable framework for assessing deferred maintenance and capital renewal needs at Canadian universities.
Campus infrastructure plays a vital role in supporting Canada’s universities and the broader communities they serve, yet deferred maintenance and capital renewal remains a persistent and growing challenge across the sector.
Building on CAUBO’s 2019 national assessment, the purpose of this initiative is to update sector information and strengthen the methodology used to measure, compare, and interpret deferred maintenance and capital renewal needs across institutions.
This work aims to establish a consistent national framework for assessing deferred maintenance and capital renewal, examine these needs within broader institutional and funding contexts, and provide practical guidance to support capital planning, investment prioritization, and infrastructure decision-making.
Following a competitive selection process, CAUBO has retained Roth IAMS to support the project. Roth IAMS specializes in infrastructure asset management, facility condition assessments, and capital planning, and has extensive experience supporting Canadian universities in the assessment and management of deferred maintenance and capital renewal needs.
The project will provide members with nationally comparable information, clearer guidance for interpreting key measures, and practical tools to support capital planning, investment prioritization, and communication with senior leaders, boards and governments.
Member participation will be essential to its success. Beginning in early fall, members will be invited to contribute through a survey and by sharing relevant institutional information and resources.
Broad participation will help ensure that the resulting framework, benchmarks, and practical guidance accurately reflect the current state of deferred capital renewal and maintenance and capital renewal across Canadian universities and provide members with meaningful information to support planning, and decision-making.