{"id":14292,"date":"2026-04-30T11:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T15:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/?p=14292"},"modified":"2026-04-30T11:21:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T15:21:00","slug":"651st-board-meeting-summary-april-28-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/2026\/651st-board-meeting-summary-april-28-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"651st Board Meeting Summary \u2013 April 28, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n 651st Board Meeting Summary \u2013 April 28, 2026\n <\/h1>\n \n \n \n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Board of Governors met in open session on April 28, 2026. Minutes from the meeting will be posted on the Board of Governors website once available. The following are the highlights from the meeting:<\/p>\n\n\n <\/header>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

2026\/2027 Combined Operating and Ancillary Budget<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Board of Governors approved Carleton University\u2019s 2026\u201327 Operating and Ancillary Budget, which reflects similar ongoing financial challenges facing universities across Ontario and Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The University is operating in a structurally difficult financial environment, shaped by several years of provincially constrained tuition policy, enrollment volatility driven primarily among international students since Federal government restrictions were imposed, and rising operational costs that are largely fixed. As a result, the 2026\u201327 budget includes a combined deficit of approximately $32 million. This deficit is not driven by short-term institutional spending decisions but by long-standing structural financial pressures on universities that cannot be resolved in a single year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After much sector lobbying, recent changes to provincial funding have improved Carleton\u2019s near-term outlook, providing increased operating grant support and greater predictability. These improvements alone, however, do not fully offset the cumulative impact of years of earlier tuition reductions, inflation, and enrollment disruptions. Tuition revenues continue to lag behind cost growth, particularly as inflation-adjusted domestic tuition remains significantly below pre-2019 levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The budget prioritizes stability and sustainability. Key areas of focus include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Protecting the student experience, including teaching continuity, student supports, and financial aid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Supporting enrollment recovery, especially through targeted investments in recruitment, international engagement, and academic programming.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Managing costs responsibly, with careful workforce planning and disciplined position management rather than across-the-board reductions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Strengthening planning and governance, including improvements to budgeting, analysis, and decision-support systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Ancillary operations, such as housing, dining, athletics, parking, and student services, remain self-funded and continue to support the student experience and campus vitality. In 2026\u201327, ancillary budgets focus on maintaining service quality while making planned investments in capital renewal and deferred maintenance, using reserves in a deliberate and time-limited way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Overall, the 2026\u201327 budget reflects an institution focused on preserving its academic mission, managing risk responsibly, and laying the groundwork for long-term financial sustainability while navigating a challenging external environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2026\/2027 Domestic Tuition Fees<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The Board of Governors approved domestic tuition fees for the 2026\u201327 academic year, in accordance with the Ontario government\u2019s Tuition Fee Framework announced earlier this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Under the new provincial framework, universities may increase tuition for Ontario-resident domestic students by up to 2%, beginning in September 2026. Carleton will apply this maximum increase to most domestic programs. Tuition for out-of-province domestic students will increase by 5%, which continues to be permitted under provincial policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A small number of programs with approved tuition anomalies\u2014the Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of International Business, and Master of Business Administration\u2014will see a 7.5% increase, consistent with previously approved multi-year adjustments to bring these programs closer to comparable programs elsewhere in Ontario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Board also approved tuition rates for Full Cost Recovery programs, which are not government-funded and are not eligible for OSAP. Tuition for most of these programs will remain frozen at 2025\u201326 levels, with a limited adjustment to the Master of Finance program to move to a single domestic tuition rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These changes reflect new flexibility provided by the province after several years of frozen domestic tuition and are intended to support the University\u2019s financial sustainability while keeping tuition competitive and predictable for students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Establishment of the Vice-President (Advancement)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The Board of Governors approved the establishment of a Vice-President (Advancement) position to strengthen Carleton\u2019s ability to enhance meaningful and purposeful engagement to advance shared values and aspirations in collaboration with alumni,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    donors, and various partners, including governments, industry, Indigenous communities, and the broader public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Advancement activities, such as fundraising, alumni relations, as well as related communications and external engagement, have grown significantly in scale and complexity at Carleton. Establishing a Vice-President (Advancement) provides clear executive leadership and accountability for this work. The role will more strategically integrate and coordinate advancement functions, proactively align them with Carleton\u2019s academic and research priorities, and strengthen the University\u2019s ability to build trusted, long-term relationships with partners and supporters to advance its mission, make an inclusive impact, and drive global prominence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Reports from the President<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The President\u2019s report highlights continued progress on Carleton\u2019s core mission, academic excellence, inclusion, research impact, and community engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This spring, Carleton formally launched \u201cTowards Carleton@100\u201d, a long-term visioning process to guide the university toward its centennial in 2042. Developed collaboratively with the community, the vision will define priorities that build on Carleton\u2019s strengths and expand its impact locally, nationally, and globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The report highlights a welcome momentum in enrollment and student engagement. Undergraduate applications and applicants have increased across Ontario, Canada, and internationally, with strong attendance at recruitment events and campus open houses. Significant philanthropic support, with over $6 million directed to student awards, continues to enhance access and student success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Carleton\u2019s academic and research profile maintains its growth trajectory through new and innovative programs, major research grants, and national and international recognitions. Faculty and researchers received prestigious awards, secured major partnerships, and contributed expertise to global policy, science, and sustainability initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The report also underscores Carleton\u2019s leadership in equity, inclusion, and wellbeing. The university was recognized again by Canda\u2019s Top 100 Employers 2026 as a National Capital Region Top Employer, it expanded mental health and harm reduction supports to its community, advanced equity initiatives in STEM and across campus, and invested significantly in scholarships and programs supporting equity-deserving and Indigenous students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Finally, the report highlights Carleton\u2019s role as a partner and anchor institution, with strengthened global partnerships, high-profile campus visits, alumni impact worldwide, and continued investments in infrastructure and operational excellence to support the university\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Together, these updates reflect a university advancing with purpose, strengthening its academic mission, supporting students, and preparing for long-term impact and sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Next Meeting: June 4, 2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The next meeting of the 2025\/2026 Board year is scheduled for June 4, 2026. Open session meeting materials are posted one week in advance of each meeting. More information on items approved, as well as minutes from previous meetings, can be found on the Board of Governors website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sincerely,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Beth Creary<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Chair, Carleton University Board of Governors<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    2026\/2027 Combined Operating and Ancillary Budget The Board of Governors approved Carleton University\u2019s 2026\u201327 Operating and Ancillary Budget, which reflects similar ongoing financial challenges facing universities across Ontario and Canada. The University is operating in a structurally difficult financial environment, shaped by several years of provincially constrained tuition policy, enrollment volatility driven primarily among international […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":442,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":"news-2"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/442"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14292"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14299,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14292\/revisions\/14299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}