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COVID-19 and Canadian universities: Information and resources

Learn how universities are responding to the COVID-19 situation

News

Media release

University and Indigenous leaders explore ways to make meaningful, lasting change in support of Indigenous education

September 23, 2021
Commentary

Keep the umbrella handy to weather the next storm

September 16, 2021
Commentary

University innovation: a transformative force for Canada’s post-pandemic economy

September 16, 2021
Commentary

Investing in people and ideas for Canada’s recovery

September 16, 2021

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Lisa Wallace
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communications@univcan.ca

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University facts

$38B

enterprise

As a $38 billion enterprise in direct expenditures, universities are significant drivers of economic prosperity. They provide employment for close to 310,000 people.

Source: Statistics Canada, Financial Information of Universities and Colleges Survey 2017, and Labour Force Survey 2018.
1.4M

students at Canadian universities in 2019

There were about 1,090,000 full-time and 266,000 part-time students in 2019.

Source: Universities Canada estimates based on 2016 Postsecondary Student Information System data.
1.8M

new jobs

Between March 2009 and March 2019, 1,794,500 new jobs were created for university graduates, twice as many as those created for graduates of all other types of postsecondary education combined.

Source: Universities Canada approximation based on Labour force survey data.

More facts and stats

Presidents' perspective

Equity, diversity and inclusion: the challenge to lead

Transcript

Text on screen: [Equality, diversity and inclusion: the challenge to lead]

Annette Trimbee, president, University of Winnipeg:

Universities should be leading on a lot of these issues because we have this incredible passion and energy and expertise in our students and our faculty and our staff, and that’s really what we bring to the table. So we’re challenged every day, and I think our students, our faculty, and staff can definitely show us the way, and we just have to let them. It really is, to use a phrase from Rick Hansen, a time to “measure up”. Universities need to set stretch targets, we need to develop action plans, we need to measure progress, and we need to be held to account.

Text on screen: [Universities Canada/Universités Canada logo. The Voice of Canada’s Universities. univcan.ca]