Report: Committee on Academic Policy and Programs - April 10, 2024 | The Office of the Governing Council, Secretariat

Wed, Apr 10 2024 at 2:10 pm - 4:40 pm

Council Chamber, Simcoe Hall, 27 King's College Circle, 2nd floor

Report Number 223 Of The Committee Of Academic Policy & Programs

Wednesday, April, 10, 2024

To The Academic Board,
University of Toronto,

Your Committee reports that it held a meeting on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 2:10 p.m. in the Council Chamber, Simcoe Hall with the following members present:

PRESENT: Catherine Amara (Chair), Susan McCahan (Vice-Provost, Academic Programs and Innovations in Undergraduate Education, Joshua Barker (Vice-Provost, Graduate Research & Education and Dean, School of Graduate Studies), Sharleen Ahmed, Pier Bryden, David Dubins, Jason Harlow, Shone Joos, Robert Kyle, Renee Mahal*, Michael Ratcliffe, Sacha Samouk*, Rosa Saverino, Suzanne Wood, David Zingg

REGRETS: Nhung Tran (Vice-Chair), Joseph Flessa, Yu Xuan Huang, Walid Houry, Jeannie Kim, Marcus Law, Irene Morra, Nicole Novroski, Laina Southgate, Colleen Zimmerman

NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Leah Cowen (Vice-President, Research and Innovation, and Strategic Initiatives), Angelique Saweczko (University Registrar)*

SECRETARIAT: Joanne Chou, Tracey Gameiro

IN ATTENDANCE:

Justin Nodwell, Vice Dean, Research & Health Science Education, Temerty Medicine
Lynn Wilson, Vice Dean, Clinical and Faculty Affairs, Temerty Medicine
Mingyao Liu, Director, Institute of Medical Science
Jodie Jenkinson, MSc Biomedical Communications Program Director
Jennifer Gommerman, Chair, Department of Immunology
Pascal van Lieshout, Chair, Department of Speech-Language Pathology
Adalsteinn Brown, Dean, Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Jessica Fields, Acting Dean, UTSC
Michael Souza, Acting Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs and Curriculum, UTSC
Alice Maurice, Chair, Department of English, UTSC
Nick Rule, Vice Principal Academic and Dean, UTM
Tracey Bowen, Vice Dean, Teaching and Learning, UTM
Martha Harris, Manager, Academic Programs, Reviews and Quality Assurance, UTM
Laura Brown, Chair, Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment, UTM
Shauna Brail, Director, Institute for Management and Innovation
Matthew Osborne, Director, MMI Program
Shashi Kant, Director, MScSM Program
Anna Shternshis, Director, Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies
Catherine Barrette, Director, Rotman Commerce Program
Scott Liao, Vice-Dean, Undergraduate and Specialized Programs, Rotman School of Management
Eva-Lynn Jagoe, Vice-Principal, Innis College
David Roberts, Director of the Urban Studies Program, Innis College
Andrea Williams, Director of the Writing & Rhetoric Program, Innis College
Daniella Mallinick, Assistant Dean, Office of the Vice-Principal Academic and Dean, UTM
Martha Harris, Acting Manager, Academic Programs, Reviews & Quality Assurance, UTM
Ajay Rao, Vice-Dean Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs, UTM
Amanda Pullan, Academic Planning & Review Officer, Faculty of Arts & Science
Andrea Benoit – Academic Planning & Review Officer, Faculty of Arts & Science
David Cruickshank, Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Lachmi Singh, Director, Academic Programs, Planning and Quality Assurance, Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs
Emma del Junco, Coordinator, Academic Planning & Reviews, Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs
David Lock, Coordinator, Academic Planning & Reviews, Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs
Alexandra Varela, Special Projects Officer, Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs
Elizabeth Church, Director, Communications & Strategic Projects

(*attended remotely)

OPEN SESSION

Chair’s Remarks

The Chair welcomed members and guests to the meeting. She noted that they would be fulfilling one of the most important parts of the mandate, the second part of the Semi-Annual Reviews of Programs and Units.
Reports of the Administrative Assessors

At the invitation of the Chair, Professor Joshua Barker began his report by updating the committee on the Career Outcomes Project initiative. He noted that:
- The purpose of the project was to provide a snapshot of employment outcomes for PhD graduates of U of T and that this was done on two occasions:
  - In 2016 (from 2000-2015); and
  - In 2022 (from 2015-2021)

The project helps students to understand their potential post program trajectory and the university community by providing data to assist in planning and decision-making related to curriculum and other factors to support programs and professional offerings.
The post-secondary sector remained the top sector of employment across all sectors of the PhD graduates dating back to 2000.
- 47% of all PhD graduates were working in the post-secondary sector;
- 24.8% (a quarter) of all PhD graduates were working in the private sector; and
- 11.1% were working in the public sector
In 2022, the top employment sector across all PhD graduates from the physical sciences was the private sector, which was ranked second to post-secondary education (PSE) for the physical sciences in 2016. This indicated that, for the first time, the career landscape for Physical Sciences graduates had shifted towards employment in the for-profit industry.
Subsectors such as biotechnology, information and computing technology, and AI were popular sectors of employment for PhD graduates.
Overall, there was a 5.8% drop in new PhD graduates that had gained employment in PSE, and a 4.8% increase in new PhD graduates that found employment in the private sector.
PhD graduates that were previously employed in the PSE in 2016, had exited the PSE sector leading to an 8% drop.
The study found increased difficulty for new PhD graduates to land tenure stream faculty positions upon graduation.
- 15.7% landed a tenure student faculty position in 2016, and only 6.3% in 2022, representing a significant drop.
The study also observed that, when combining tenure stream and teaching stream faculty positions, the career outcomes looked the same for new PhD graduates in 2016 and 2022.
When looking at new PhD graduates (within 4 years of graduation) whose employment status was found:
- 17.7% landed a tenure stream or teaching stream faculty position as of 2016;
- 17.2% landed a tenure stream or teaching stream faculty position as of 2022; and
- This indicated an increase in new PhD graduates landing teaching stream positions.
In 2022, the top three sub-sectors for the PhD graduates working in Post-Secondary Sector were:
- Tenure Stream Faculty (45.6%)
- Teaching Stream Faculty (14.8%)
- Post-doctoral Fellow (13.0%)
International PhD graduates had a higher percentage (56.6%) of landing employment in Post-secondary Education sector compared to domestic PhD graduates (45.6%) in 2022.
For all found PhD graduates in 2016:
- 89.2% of people landed employment in Private Sector stayed in thesame sector in 2022;
- 85.7% of people landed employment in Post-secondary Sector stayed in the same sectorin 2022; and
- 71.6% of people landed employment in Public Sector stayed in the same sector in 2022.
31% of all found PhD graduates in 2021 were employed as postdoctoral fellows in 2022.
The results of the Career Outcomes initiative reflect the importance of program excellence through various ways that include:
- Highlighting the key sectors of importance, top employers and geographic location of PhD graduates and Postdoctoral Fellows;
- Allowing programs to assess their curricular vis-à-vis common career pathways;
- Assisting programs in matching professional development offerings; and
- Providing valuable information for programs engaged in UTQAP reviews.

Professor Barker concluded that all of the data was available online and through the SGS website: https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/about/explore-our-data/career-outcomes/

In the discussion that followed, Professor Barker added that:

The data included individuals that were self employed and reflected a broad range of roles in this regard.
There was a keen understanding of how international students flowed through the system and their success, and to ensure that they are well supported compared to domestic students.
International students were significant contributors to the overall learning environment for the student community.
International students sometimes experienced more competition for admittance into the PhD programs than domestic students due to funding models.
There was a high proclivity of students that wanted stay in Toronto upon completion of their studies. Consequently, there were limited opportunities in the PSE sector, thus international students would consider exploring international options.
In 2016, there was an overall movement where PhD graduates moved away from tenure stream job outcomes and that this trend had continued with recent study.
Post docs had higher outcomes into academic and tenure stream professions than PhD graduates, and this was considered a stepping stone for many.

Reviews of Academic Programs and Units
1. Semi-Annual Report on the Reviews of Academic Units and Programs
  
  The Chair noted that the Committee had received 13 reviews of units and programs, in which 2 were Provostial and 11 were Decanal. All were brought forward for information and discussion. The submissions included the signed administrative responses from each Dean, which highlighted action plans in response to reviewer recommendations.
  
  The Chair reported that members had been placed into four reading groups and that each group had been assigned up to four reviews to consider. To guide their work, members of these groups were asked to consider four questions:
  1. Does the summary accurately tell the story of the full review?
  2. Does the administrative response address all issues identified?
  3. Are there any questions, comments or substantive issues that the Committee should consider?
  4. Is there a need to ask that the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs bring forward a follow-up report?

The Chair also noted that, as part of their review, each of the Reading groups had submitted comments to the appropriate Deans’ Offices for their consideration in advance of the meeting.

The Chair invited Professor McCahan to make general remarks about the reviews.

Professor McCahan noted that the Committee played a critical role in the reviews of all academic programs and units at the University. The goals of these reviews were to:

to obtain expert advice of leaders in the field concerning academic and administrative issues,
to measure performance against leading international programs, and
to obtain guidance and input from peers on key strategic decisions.

She confirmed that 13 reviews were being brought forward for the Committee’s consideration; recurring and new themes were identified in the reviews: the talent and high caliber of students and the impressive body of scholarship produced by faculty, as well as the academic units’ strong and productive connections with surrounding communities, and the many initiatives undertaken by the academic units to enhance equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Professor McCahan noted that as always, the reviews indicated areas for development. The reviews identified opportunities for units to strengthen coordination and leverage interdisciplinary strengths, and suggested ways to augment support and mentorship for both students and faculty. The reviews also highlighted the need to ensure that diversity was reflected in the faculty complement and in the curriculum.

Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Department of Immunology

The spokesperson for the reading group reported that the review summary accurately described the full review and reported that the Dean’s administrative response had adequately addressed issues identified by the review. The Reading Group noted the upcoming teacher’s retreat in April to discuss the Undergraduate and Graduate programs and assess the reviewers' suggestions which would form the basis of their new strategic plan. The group also noted that there was a new incoming Dean, Dr. Lisa Robinson on July 1, 2024,who would spearhead the strategic plan and an Associate Chair of Translation Immunology that was being established to increase research in human immunology, an area that the reviewers identified as important for growth. The Reading Group noted that overall, they found the reviewer concerns relatively minor, but sought additional clarification regarding next steps and timelines to address several issues, including the MSc funding, and considerations of adding or converting a third-year laboratory course which would be aligned with many undergraduate immunology and microbiology programs.

Justin Nodwell, Vice Dean, Research & Health Science Education, Temerty Faculty of Medicine responded that the master’s program in immunology was distinct from other programs in medicine. Immunology was part of the harmonized base funding agreement ; however, the master's program was not included in that agreement as it was not a thesis-based program, and students did not conduct lab work. The program was akin to a professional master’s program aimed at students from a variety of disciplines seeking to gain additional knowledge of immunology. The students in the immunology master’s program did receive some financial support and the faculty were working on improving the current levels of support.

Jennifer Gommerman, Chair, Department of Immunology added that they did have a third-year lab course called IMM 385 which allowed undergraduate students to obtain hands-on lab experience, both at the Medical Sciences Building and within the hospital research institutes. Students received credit and this would lead to summer research opportunities. The demand for student placement positions outpaced availability and they established international partnerships with different institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic, and institutes in Europe and Australia. Professor Gommerman concluded by highlighting the upcoming retreat to discuss the concrete steps to address the recommendations and that they followed the governance calendar for implementation regarding the undergraduate programmatic changes.

No follow-up report was requested.

Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Department of Speech- Language Pathology (SLP)

The spokesperson for the reading group reported that the review summary had accurately reflected the full review, and that the administrative response addressed most of the pertinent issues. The reading group highlighted several issues, noting the Accreditation standards of the profession and their successful re-accreditation for 7 years, current resource implications, a changeover of Chairs, and the launch of the projected impact of the new SLP1509 course. The group reported that there was a disproportionately high number of recommendations concerning Equity, Diversity, Indigeneity, Inclusion, Accessibility (EDIIA) and acknowledged the great work that the Department had already accomplished in this area by highlighting several initiatives including the EDIIA committee and Diversity Mentorship Program, addition of EDIIA-related signage and language, and increased Indigenous representation opportunities and supports. The group requested further explanation of the issues related improving student-to-faculty ratios, potential intake of international students to enhance the program, identification of timelines and addressing the various EDIIA issues, however noted that a strategic plan was forthcoming for the program with the arrival of a new Chair.

Lynn Wilson, Vice Dean, Clinical and Faculty Affairs, Temerty Faculty of Medicine responded that:

In terms of adequacy of the faculty complement, the Vice-Dean noted that the department would wait for the arrival of the new Chair before undertaking hiring processes.
The clinical coordinator was on a graduated retirement schedule, and the department would identify an early replacement to mitigate potential challenges.
While the ratio of appointed faculty to clinical learners is high, the department did have a lot of status only faculty and clinical preceptors.
The Faculty of Medicine valued international students, and this was simpler on the MD side where they enrolled many international residents and clinical fellows. She noted the need for strong English proficiency given the clinical work requirements, though acknowledged that the language used in the administrative response regarding this issue could have been more carefully chosen, highlighting those international learners enhanced the learning environment for all students, through their diversity of perspectives and experiences.
Many of the recommendations had been implemented, such as the revised student handbook to reflect accessibility and accommodation, EDI on the portal, and the diversity mentorship program.
There was a robust curriculum committee across the Rehabilitation Sciences sector that held ongoing curriculum reviews, recommended enhancements, and shared leading practices.
The SLP program joined the learner experience unit of Temerty Medicine.
It was of significant importance that the clinical teachers in the hospitals and schools experienced community engagement through faculty meetings and events, and professional faculty development opportunities.
The incoming Chair would lead the strategic planning process.

Pascal van Lieshout, Chair Department of Speech-Language Pathology added that it was best to allow the new incoming Chair the opportunity to express their vision and strategic planning with department, faculty and community input.

No follow-up report was requested.

Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Master of Science in Biomedical Communications

The spokesperson for the reading group reported that the review summary had accurately reflected the full reviewand that overall, they had found the review to be positive.While the administrative response adequately addressed most of the relevant issues, the grouphighlighted areas of concern regarding financial sustainability, and requested further explanation of the plans to address scholarship funding and tuition relief for students.

Jodie Jenkinson, MSc Biomedical Communications Program Director responded that the concerns regarding tuition had been raised in the past, and that they had spoken with the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, as the tuition fees did not align with other cognate programs at U of T, resulting in loss of international student enrollment. She noted that it was difficult to compete with institutions such as Johns Hopkins, who have measures in place to support international student tuition and attract these learners to their programs; and that the MScBMC would need support to help address this issue.

No follow-up report was requested.

Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH)

The spokesperson for the reading group reported that the review summary had accurately reflected the full review and that the Dean’s administrative response had addressed the issues identified. The reading group sought additional clarification on several areas of the administrative response that included considerations for strategic faculty complement planning, and if formal agreements could be established between DLSPH and primary employers of status-only faculty to ensure recognition of the importance of teaching in the University and to provide a certain level of release for status-only faculty. The group acknowledged that the model of using a majority of status-only faculty had been successful in other divisions, thus perhaps identifying solutions to bolster this approach in DLSPH would be useful.

Adalsteinn Brown, Dean, Dalla Lana School of Public Health responded that:

DLSPH functioned under the fully affiliated Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network (TAHSN)agreement; this is where many status-only and adjunct faculty held appointments. This agreement provided formal recognition of teaching and facilitated ongoing conversation with leadership at those various institutions, to keep them apprised of current significant research and education initiatives.
DLSPH had signed several affiliation agreements with the employers of their largest number of faculty outside of the hospitals, which included Public Health Ontario, Toronto Public Health and have another agreement underway with the Ontario Health Agency. He noted that DLSPH had never successfully fulfilled an affiliation agreement with the Government of Ontario, but that they did receive support from them.
There were ongoing collaborations with the Office of the Provost to ensure appropriate recognition of teaching contributions.
He compared the scale of DLSPH with that of the reviewers’ home institutions, which included Johns Hopkins University and Oxford University, and highlighted the contrasting funding models. DLSPH had plans to focus on hiring that fostered partnerships with other organizations to increase funding, and to strengthen and stabilize existing programs.

In response to a member’s questions regarding the call for greater integration between Public Health Services (PHS) and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME), Dean Brown responded that the arrangement between IHPME and PHS was improving with a lens to enhance collaboration opportunities. He noted that there would be a merged website and alumni associations, in addition to an exploration of the potential consolidation of backend administration. There were preliminary discussions regarding the possibility of creating one graduate unit and the value of maintaining two sides of the school to retain their distinct identities. He noted that the current structure mirrored that of many global public health schools, and was aligned with accreditation requirements. He concluded his remarks by noting that the last several hires were budgetary cross- appointments between the PHS and IHPME, and there had been an increase in course offerings on both sides.

No follow-up report was requested.

University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment (GGE)

The spokesperson for the reading group reported that the review summary accurately reflected the full review, and that the Dean’s administrative response had adequately addressed many issues that had been identified. The reading group noted that the Self Study indicated that less than 50% of students graduated in four years which suggested that approximately 50% of students required at least one additional year to graduate. Thus, the group sought further clarification regarding the proportion of the GGE program graduation rates compared to UTM and U of T more broadly, and the financial implications for UTM associated with the longer time to completion within the context of the Strategic Framework.

Nick Rule, Vice-Principal (Academic) & Dean, University of Toronto Mississauga responded that UTM was committed to improving their graduation rates overall. He noted that UTM normally assessed graduation rates in the standard six-year time-frame , and that UTM’s six-year graduation rate was generally acceptable. There were a variety of factors that could impact students delayed completion of studies: students would typically enroll in GGE programs later in their academic studies, and many would also take on internships, which could contribute to a slowing their progress.

No follow-up report was requested.

University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), Department of English

The spokesperson for the reading group reported that the review summary had accurately reflected the full review. The reading group reported that the Dean’s administrative response had adequately addressed most of the issues identified by the review, however, asked the administration to further address the concerns around workload issues and faculty burnout, particularly for Creative Writing faculty and teaching-stream faculty. This included addressing the responsibilities and impact of the new Special Advisor to the Dean on Teaching-Stream faculty success and clarification of teaching release for “creative and professional work” of the teaching-stream faculty.

Jessica Fields, Acting Dean, and Vice-Dean Faculty Affairs, Equity & Success in the Office of the Vice-Principal Academic & Dean responded that a special advisor on teaching stream faculty success was appointed in January 2022 and that this position arose from a UTSC working group that developed a report to address burnout, workload and other concerns amongst teaching stream faculty. The report addressed the various discussions and impact of workload concerns, and the relationship between workload and career advancement. The role of the Teaching Stream Special Advisor was intended to meet with teaching stream faculty, administrative units and leaders to explore the implementation of the recommendations in practice. She acknowledged that they experienced a lack of clarity in their workload policies, and that they were in the midst of a review. There were consultations with the chair and the dean on the workload policy to reflect on the current landscape in the department and noted that certain teaching activities, such as the coordination of a multi-section course, supervision of independent studies in creative writing, or mentorship, would be included in faculty workload considerations.

No follow-up report was requested.

University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), Provostial

The spokesperson for the reading group reported that the review summary had accurately reflected the full review. The reading group reported that the Dean’s administrative response had adequately addressed the issues identified by the review, however, asked the administration to further address the concerns around the clarification of UTM’s dual objectives of undergraduate education and top-tiered research, which presented conflicting priorities and how that would be managed, and if there were efforts being made for faculty to enhance diversity initiatives as was done for students.

Nick Rule, Vice-Principal (Academic) & Dean, University of Toronto Mississauga responded that the potential tensions between undergraduate education and top-tiered research was not unique to UTM. UTM’s commitment to these dual objectives was reflected in the University’s statement of institutional purpose. He noted that they had pointed out instances in which there were no conflicts nor tensions, and that there was not a lot of resolution or clarity offered by the external reviewers, and as such was not able to offer additional feedback in the response.

Dean Rule then highlighted several UTM initiatives to reflect faculty diversity. This included:

In 2017, the Office of the Dean had created an index of organizations that catered to underrepresented groups and various disciplines, noting the ongoing updates to the index which included contributions from different academic units with on-the-ground knowledge about supportive and helpful resources.
In 2020-21, Dean Rule’s predecessor prioritized the diversification of the faculty and initiatives for hiring for Black and Indigenous faculty members.
In 2021-22, this continued and was accelerated to involve proactive recruitment of individuals from underrepresented groups, and where potential candidates were notified of the potential job opportunities available.
These diversification initiatives have continued to move forward.

No follow-up report was requested.

University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), Master of Management of Innovation

The spokesperson for the reading group reported that the review summary accurately described the full review. The reading group reported that the Dean’s administrative response had adequately addressed most of the issues identified by the review, however, noted the omission of space allocation for staff and that many concerns raised by reviewers would be addressed during an upcoming faculty/staff retreat. The reading group reported that an external review of IMI and its programs was scheduled for Summer 2025, and perceived this as an opportune checkpoint to assess the progress made in response to recommendations. The reading group asked the Dean to further comment if there was an established timeline for the faculty/staff retreat and if there were initiatives to increase the enrollment of engineering students to extend the program’s scope to encompass all STEM fields and engineering firm internships to boost enrollment given the potential growth and enhanced enrollment stability.

Nick Rule, Vice-Principal (Academic) & Dean, University of Toronto Mississauga clarified that staff alternated their days of work and thus had access to hoteling options and opportunities to access communal office spaces to conduct private meetings. He also confirmed that the retreat was planned for the Fall. The program appealed to engineering students who were transitioning away from their engineering disciplines into other fields. These were students that graduated with a bachelor's degree in engineering and sought gainful employment, thus the program attracted students that were interested in doing something different outside of engineering. This contributed to the lack of engineering firms for internships.

A member inquired if the administration had plans to increase the number of engineering students to which Shauna Brail, Director, Institute for Management and Innovation responded that they recruited from engineering programs on an annual basis. She noted that the program received few applications, due to the fact that there were specialized professional master's programs for engineering graduates, and that engineering graduates at the undergraduate level went directly into the workforce.

Matthew Osborne, Director, Master of Management of Innovation Program, noted the trend in the decline in engineering students over the last few years was driven by changes in the labour market. There were increases in other technical business programs, such as Rotman’s management and data analytics program which attracted engineering students. They had increased staff and remedial support to help students who experienced challenges with the technical aspects of the program due to the drop in engineering students. He noted the positive feedback from these initiatives and reiterated that recruiters actively participated in engineering fairs and proactively sought engineering students. Professor Osborne concluded by noting that he would raise this at the next faculty retreat to explore further.

No follow-up report was requested.

University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), Master of Science in Sustainability Management (MScSM)

The spokesperson for the reading group reported that the review summary accurately described the full review. The reading group reported that the suggestions made by external reviewers for greater clarity with respect to the program's objectives, particularly in distinguishing between preparing practitioners vs scholars and researchers, was not adequately addressed in the administrative response. The Reading Group noted that the reviewers expressed concerns about launching a PhD program without a corresponding research-based Master’s program and felt this area of concern was also not sufficiently addressed in the administrative response. The group acknowledged that the Dean’s response to the concern regarding the "lack of clarity around the MScSM’s identity and objectives” entailed plans for a “full review of IMI in summer 2025” as well as “consultations with external stakeholders (surveys and one meeting) and a faculty retreat."

Nick Rule, Vice-Principal (Academic) & Dean, University of Toronto Mississauga clarified that the MScSM program was a professional program, and thus did not train researchers. He noted that there were no plans to train researchers or develop a PhD program.

No follow-up report was requested.

Faculty of Arts & Science, Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies

The spokesperson for the reading group reported that the review summary accurately described the full review and that the overall the administrative response had addressed the issues identified by the review. The reading group appreciated the complexities of the program within the University with many faculty working across different departments. The Reading Group sought additional clarification on several areas of the administrative response, which included updates on the Lab for the Study of Global Antisemitism, new course offerings, and planning progressions regarding dedicated space and staff resources for lectures, seminars, and public programs.

A member inquired about the new funding model that was cited in the administrative response to tackle HR in teaching challenges.

Suzanne Wood, Interim Associate Dean, Unit-Level Reviews responded that the new budget model was in discussion amongst deans and directors within Arts and Science. She explained that principles had been agreed upon and representation included humanities, social sciences and life sciences. The new budget model was led by Gillian Hamilton, Vice-Dean, Academic Planning, Faculty of Arts and Science and mirrored the broader University of Toronto model. She noted that it had been slowly implemented with ongoing adjustments being made with six pilot departments this year. In response to the resourcing for the Lab for the Study of Global Antisemitism, Professor Wood confirmed that funding for a new staff position had been approved by the Dean. She noted that the job description was currently going through the administrative HR process and would be approved within the next few weeks.

Anna Shternshis, Director of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies responded that many of the recommendations such as enhancing the study of antisemitism on campus had been implemented. She explained the social science concept called ‘urgent research’ and that the new lab for the study of global antisemitism brought together scholars and students. She noted the collective programming, outreach and support for the research activities of the new lab and its inaugural director was Ron Levi, a Professor of Global Justice at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and the Department of Sociology. The course on the code of ethics and antisemitism was taught at the Munk School and the Center for Jewish Studies, and this would gradually expand through other departments and units. Anna noted that the lab would provide an innovative curriculum for both undergraduate and graduate work in that area. New courses had been introduced called Shabbat and Arabs in Israel, noting positive enrollment in both courses. Efforts were made to introduce a new curriculum in the changing campus climate, and it was hopeful that it would build knowledge and awareness.

No follow-up report was requested.

Faculty of Arts & Science, Rotman Commerce

The spokesperson for the reading group reported that the review summary had accurately reflected the full review and that the administrative response fully addressed the issues identified and no further questions or issues needed to be considered. The Reading Group commended the attention paid to the experience of first-year students in the administrative response.

No follow-up report was requested.

Faculty of Arts & Science, Urban Studies

The spokesperson for the reading group reported that the review summary accurately described the full review, and that the Dean’s administrative response adequately addressed all issues identified. The Reading Group sought additional clarification on several areas of the administrative response. This included the recommendation for additional full-time faculty and the existence of any near-term plans to address this need given the proposed transition from Innis College and the Department of Geography and Planning, and if there were any efforts to incorporate methodological themes from other disciplines within the curriculum in the short term. The Reading Group noted that the impact of the move of Urban Studies to Geography and Planning was currently under discussion, and the group looked forward to regular updates as the governance process got underway to address the proposed changes, program impact, and alignment with its future goals and objectives.

Suzanne Wood, Interim Associate Dean, Unit-Level Reviews responded that there were near term plans to address the need for additional full-time faculty. The primary step was to complete the transition of the administrative home from Innis College to the Department of Geography and Planning, which was being rolled out in phases over this year and the next. She noted that the partnership was in discussion to determine its curricular framework.

David Roberts, Director of the Urban Studies Program, Innis College added that the current faculty complement was two, thus facing limitations in implementing the recommendations. He explained that his dual role expanded to the Academic Director of the multidisciplinary urban capstone project. They sourced projects from a wide range of community partners that addressed diverse topics and fostered relationships with experts in departments across the university to adequately support students on the capstone projects. They leveraged expertise in other units, and were in the process of defining the relationship in their new administrative home in the Department of Geography and Planning which would take time to develop. He concluded by noting that they would be happy to update the committee on the governance process.

No follow-up report was requested.

Faculty of Arts & Science, The Writing & Rhetoric Program (W&R) at Innis College

Suzanne Wood, Interim Associate Dean, Unit-Level Reviews responded that the potential hire was submitted by Innis College and would be considered by the faculty appointments committee. EDI considerations were addressed in every faculty appointment request as it was a priority in the Faculty of Arts & Science. There were a few retirements within the faculty and many requests for those positions, indicating that the current year would experience faculty allocation constraints. Professor Wood reminded the Committee of the interim monitoring report mandate for the UTQAP process.

Andrea Williams, Director of the Writing & Rhetoric Program, Innis College clarified that the administrative support that had been identified was not about EDI integration, but geared towards program outreach.

No follow-up report was requested.

The Chair thanked all members of the Committee’s reading groups for their work and also thanked the Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs for assembling the Review Compendium.

CONSENT AGENDA

On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED

THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 4, the Report of the Previous Meeting, be approved.

Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 222 – February 15, 2024

The report of the previous meeting was approved.
Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting

There was no business arising from the report of the previous meeting.
Date of the Next Meeting: May 8, 2024, 3:10 – 5:10 p.m.

The Chair confirmed that the next meeting of the Committee would be held on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 in the Council Chamber.
Other Business

There were no items of other business.

The meeting adjourned at 4:09 p.m.

April, 17, 2024