After years of financial uncertainty and province-wide funding pressures, Queen’s leaders had an optimistic tone at their Board of Trustees meeting.
The meeting began at 5:15 p.m. in Richardson Hall and lasted roughly an hour and a half. Trustees moved through a packed meeting agenda that included tuition and budget approvals, student leader reports, committee updates, and governance motions. Several consent agenda items were also approved, including student ancillary fees, course-related fees, and multiple reports.
The Board later approved the report on domestic and international tuition fees for 2026-27 and 2027-28, along with the final 2026-27 operating budget overview.
Student Leader Reports
Newly elected representatives from the AMS and Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) outlined their priorities for the upcoming academic year.
AMS President Dreyden George pointed to Kingston’s 2.4 per cent rental vacancy rate, rising food costs, transit, and utilities as pressures facing students. He said the AMS plans to prioritize alternative revenue generation, cost saving initiatives, discount partnerships, and advocacy around non-market student housing.
SGPS President Tatyana Grandmaitre said the Society distributed about $60,000 in financial aid in the last academic year, along with $15,000 for food security programming. She added the SGPS received another $15,000 from the University’s Sustainability Initiatives and Activation Fund for food security network.
Rector Niki Boytchuk-Hale announced she will remain in the role for a third year, extending her term beyond the two years many Rectors traditionally serve. She said she hopes to continue projects focused on student leadership and governance while helping students navigate major institutional changes, including discussions surrounding a proposed College of Computing and the University’s new brand initiative.
READ MORE: Proposed College of Computer Science draws pushback at April Senate
Tuition and budget
While presenting the 2026-27 and 2027-28 tuition fee report, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Matthew Evans said Queen’s is increasing tuition after Ontario’s renewed tuition framework lifted the domestic in-province tuition freeze.
“We are taking advantage of the fact that we’re now allowed after several years to increase our tuition to do so,” Evans said.
Under the approved tuition fee report 2026-27 and 2027-28, most domestic in-province undergraduate and graduate programs will increase by two per cent annually in 2026-27 and 2027-28. Domestic out-of-province students in direct-entry undergraduate programs will see a five per cent increase.
Bachelor of Computing tuition will rise by 7.5 per cent in 2026-27 and 6.6 per cent in 2027-28. Evans said some programs, including Computing and Law, are permitted to increase above the standard two per cent cap because their tuition remains comparatively low relative to similar Ontario programs. The increases are intended to bring those programs closer to provincial averages.
Queen’s requested approval for two years of tuition fees because the province has now set a multi-year tuition framework, according to Evans. This allows the University to give incoming students clearer information about what they will pay before arriving to Queen’s.
Trustees also approved the final 2026-27 operating budget. During this presentation, Evans said the provinces February funding announcement forced the University to revise its budget plans late in the process.
The budget includes a planned subvention from the University fund for the Faculty of Arts and Science, which Evans said is the only faculty not projected to be in structural balance. He said the faculty will receive “just shy of $41 million” next financial year,
“It will be great for a while, but it will eventually run out,” Evans said. “We will need to continue to be vigilant and continue to maintain the cost controls and the sustainability measures that we are undertaking at the moment.”
Principal’s report and university priorities
Principal Patrick Deane said Queen’s is entering a period of opportunity following years of uncertainty across the post-secondary sector.
“The government has us focusing on dual-use technologies, particularly technologies with civilian application that can, however, play to the good of the country and its sovereignty,” Deane said.
Boytchuk-Hale said the University community must better understand the strategy behind major institutional initiatives.
“As we make some exciting changes at Queen’s, whether it’s considering a College of Computing or a new brand initiative, […] I think it’ll be very important that our community is afforded a chance to see the strategy and understand the reason behind the change,” she said.
Other motions and updates
Trustees also approved Principal Deane signing the Commonwealth Sport Lekwungen Declaration on Reconciliation and Partnership with Indigenous Peoples. This declaration is focused on advancing reconciliation and partnership through sport, education, and community institutions.
Deane said the declaration aligns with Queen’s ongoing reconciliation efforts ahead of the 10th anniversary of the University’s Truth and Reconciliation report.
Board Chair David Court, Comm ’79, said support for the declaration depended on ensuring it results in “real action” rather than becoming a “box checking exercise.”
Trustees also approved updates to the Board Diversity Statement, amendments to the Audit and Risk Committee’s terms of reference, revisions to the office of the University Ombudsperson’s terms of reference, and the University’s pooled endowment fund spending policy.
During committee updates, Investment Committee Chair Todd Mattina said Queen’s manages just under $3.4 billion in assets across four funds, including more than $2 billion in the pooled endowment fund. The University has already met its goal of allocating 15 per cent of the endowment toward lower-carbon and sustainability-focused investments through the Queen’s Climate Action Allocation ahead of its 2030 target.
The Board adjourned just before 6:50 p.m. following remarks from Chancellor Shelagh Rogers, who promoted a Queen’s Conversation event, which The Journal covered separately.
Tags
Board of Trustees, College of Computer Science, financial aid, Operating Budget, tuition
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