Report: UTM Campus Council - October 11, 2023

To the Governing Council,

University of Toronto

Your UTM Campus Council reports that it held a meeting in the Council Chamber, Room 3130, W. G. Davis building on October 11, 2023 with the following members present:

PRESENT: Ann Curran (in the Chair), Andrew Petersen (Vice-Chair), Alexandra Gillespie (Vice-President & Principal), Heather Anderson, Jenny Cui, Robert Gerlai, Rosa Hong, Ehab James, Karen Kwan Anderson, John Paul Lotesto, Latonya Ludford, Asif Mohammed, Eha Naylor, Phoenix Seelochan, Joanna Szurmak, Hana Tariq, Laura Taylor, Ziyaad Vahed, Ron Wener, Daniel Wright

NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Deborah Brown (Chief Administrative Officer), Nicholas Rule (Vice-Principal, Academic & Dean), Mark Overton (Assistant Dean, Student Services and Dean of Student Affairs)

REGRETS: Hassaan Basit, Rafael Chiuzi, Wenchao Du

SECRETARIAT: Cindy Ferencz-Hammond

IN ATTENDANCE: Christine Esteban (Executive Director, Budget, Planning & Finance), Chad Nuttall (Assistant Dean of Students and International Initiatives), Jeff Espie (Office of the Vice-President & Principal), Renu Kanga Fonseca (Acting Assistant Dean, Office of the Vice-Principal Academic & Dean), Vicky Jezierski (Director, Hospitality and Retail Services), Brian Kennedy (Student Housing and Residence Life), Sean Park (Centre for Student Engagement)

IN CAMERA SESSION 

1. Appointments to the 2023-24 UTM Nominating Committee
   
   On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
   
   YOUR COUNCIL APPROVED,
   
   THAT Ehab James (student member of the Campus Council) and Professor Rosa Hong (teaching staff member of the Campus Council) be appointed to serve on the Agenda Committee when that Committee serves as a Nominating Committee of the UTM Campus Council for 2023-24, effective October 12, 2023.

OPEN SESSION

2. Chair’s Remarks
   
   The Chair welcomed members to the Committee’s first meeting, introduced the presidential assessors and noted that their role was to bring items of business forward for the consideration of the Committee. The Chair explained that the Council’s responsibilities were broad and were reflected in its Terms of Reference.  In general, the UTM Council was concerned with matters affecting the objectives and priorities of the campus, the development of long-term and short-term plans and the effective use of resources in the course of these pursuits. The Chair further provided an overview of the difference between the role of governance and administration and talked about the roles and responsibilities of members.  She referred members to the orientation video on the role of the Council produced by the Secretariat, which was available in the resource section of the governance portal.
   
   The Chair also noted that the year 2013-2014 represented the first year of operations for the then newly established tri-campus governance structure – the UTM Campus Council and its Standing Committees. The tri-campus structure had served the UTM campus very well over the course of these past ten years with a parallel structure of governance bodies at UTM and UTSC having delegated responsibilities regarding campus-specific matters, under the umbrella of the Governing Council.  She reminded members a celebratory reception would follow in the Council Chamber immediately following the meeting.
    
3. Report of the Vice-President & Principal
   
   Professor Gillespie began her remarks by noting that the University of Toronto acknowledged the challenging times that many members of the community, particularly those with ties to Israel, Palestine, and Afghanistan, were facing. She noted that in his recent message, Vice-President International, Joseph Wong had expressed the university's commitment to providing resources and support during this period. Students could seek counseling support by calling Telus Health anytime, while faculty, staff, and librarians had access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program, which was available 24/7. UTM was directly reaching out to students from Israel, Palestine, and Afghanistan, and would continue working to connect all students and the community with appropriate support.
   
   The Vice-President & Principal focused on five topics during her report.
   
   Budget and Blue-Ribbon Panel
   
   Professor Gillespie noted that in 2022, a balanced budget was created for five years without any budget-related layoffs. In 2023-24, spending had increased on academics and student supports, while being more targeted in administrative support and infrastructure projects. She noted that the recent historic pay increases for U of T employees had a significant impact on the budget, prompting a need to reassess and make long-term decisions through the annual academic budget review or ABR process, which was currently ongoing. 
   
   She reported that the University was eagerly awaiting the results of the Province of Ontario’s Blue-Ribbon Panel, which had been established to improve the financial sustainability of colleges and universities.  Their recommendations were anticipated to shape the University’s long-range forecasts. Overall, the UTM budget was excellent, and the previous year's balanced budget provided a strong starting position. The main investment would be in compensation due to the recent pay increases.
   
   Space and Capital Development
   
   Professor Gillespie noted that over the past two decades, UTM had invested heavily in major capital projects. These projects played a crucial role in advancing UTM’s mission by providing lecture halls, labs, special archival collections, and training facilities for students in various disciplines. These investments have also contributed significantly to the larger Mississauga community, making the area a source of pride for its residents.
   
   In terms of future developments, UTM was set to open the New Science building, which was set to be one of the greenest wet lab facilities in North America, and a student services hub, both expected to be completed early next year. Additionally, there were other opportunities for development that would be submitted through governance, such as a new 400-bed student residence, which aimed to enhance the on-campus experience and support U of T's first-year student residence guarantee.  With rising building and borrowing costs, UTM acknowledged the importance of optimizing existing campus spaces before embarking on new projects. This prioritization of space utilization would be a focus for the upcoming year.
   
   New Programs
   
   UTM was planning to introduce new programs that aligned with its strategic framework and that adapted to new research and to social, environmental, and economic changes. There were several exciting program ideas, and other U of T divisions have shown interest in collaborating with UTM. Some of the proposed programs included co-op, indigenous studies, a PhD in media, technology, and culture, research-based Master of Arts in sustainability and South Asian cultures, joint programs with the Faculty of Arts & Science in robotics, with the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, and with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health in indigenous health. These programs aligned with the strategic priorities of increasing graduate-level research, fostering connections with local industries and employers in Mississauga, and leveraging the resources of U of T's tri-campus system.
   
   Research Discovery and Impact
   
   UTM's research community was thriving. In the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery competition in 2022, UTM achieved a 79% success rate, which was 20% above the national average and 13% above the average at U of T. This excellence had become a tradition, with UTM researchers surpassing the national average by 14% in 2021 and 18% in 2020.
   
   UTM was also excelling in the humanities and social sciences. In the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Grant competition, UTM was 5% above the national average in 2022 and 15% above in 2021. UTM had exceeded U of T's tri-campus average in SSHRC Insight competitions for the past two years, indicating success at scale. This success was thanks to an ambitious hiring plan, resulting in 160% more faculty than 20 years ago, covering diverse fields like robotics, economics, and post-colonial literatures.
   
   UTM's research had gained national and international recognition, including two Sloan Research Fellowships, a New Horizon in Mathematics Prize, and two new appointments to the Royal Society of Canada.  Research at UTM was not only impactful but also influenced the undergraduate student experience. Students had opportunities to take courses taught by renowned researchers and participate in discoveries themselves. In the 2022-23 academic year alone, 400 students worked alongside faculty through the Research Opportunity Program.
   
   UTM's research enterprise was supported by staff contributions and fundraising efforts. The university had already reached 55% of its ten-year fundraising target within two-and-a-half years of the campaign's launch. Notably, UTM received significant donations, including a $2.5 million investment to establish the first endowed chair in a humanities field, Jain Studies.
   
   The research infrastructure was also strong, exemplified by the new SpinUp in the Science Building, U of T's first wet lab incubator for life science innovation. This innovation would not only benefit research but also enhance undergraduate education through experiential learning opportunities with emerging life science companies.
   
   Community partnerships played a crucial role in supporting UTM's research. For instance, the university established its first-ever memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the City of Mississauga, which created collaborative research opportunities in areas such as health equity, life science, robotics, sustainability, and indigeneity. The city partnership had already made a difference, with ongoing projects involving U of T's Robotics Institute, the Canadian Robotics Council, and Mississauga's Economic Development Office to establish a robotics industry demonstration centre in the region.
   
   Members had no questions.
    
4. Presidential Assessors Portfolio Overview and Priorities for 2023-24
   
   At the invitation of the Chair, Deborah Brown, Chief Administrative Officer, Mark Overton, Dean of Student Affairs & Assistant Principal, Student Services and Professor Nicholas Rule, Vice-Principal Academic and Dean presented overviews of their respective offices. Their presentations outlined organizational structures and assessor priorities for the 2023-24 academic year.
   
   In response to questions, assessors spoke on the following topics:

• On the topic of advising and the one-stop referral system at the new student services hub, the Dean of Student Affairs said that advising will not only refer through to student affairs structure, but also will encompass the entire student support ecosystem on campus, including academic departments and the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre. It was noted that faculty and staff could also refer students to the hub and conversations with parents and family supporters had also occurred, about the many services of the hub.  This information will also be provided to faculty and staff through their onboarding.
• On the topic of the first-year student residence guarantee and whether that will continue in the future given the current housing shortage, Mr. Overton noted that it was anticipated that the guarantee would remain and would be sustainable especially with the addition of the planned new residence building.
• On the same topic, the Vice-President and Principal added that the University and the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) were in discussions with both the federal and provincial governments about how they could support students with respect to housing, in that it was much easier for a private developer to build apartments than for the University to do so.  Challenges for UTM also included those related to zoning.
• With respect to interactions with private landlords, it was noted that Student Housing and Residence life provided assistance and resources to students who had concerns or needed guidance.
• On the report of the Vice-Principal Academic & Dean and the topic of graduate student expansion and support, Professor Rule noted that UTM was not contemplating a separate graduate studies office, but that a more concerted effort would be made to track those graduate students who although not officially affiliated with UTM, spent a lot of time on the UTM campus.  The planned development of a new doctoral program in Media, Technology, and Culture would also help support and maintain UTM’s own sense of a graduate student community.
• Regarding UTM’s enrolment targets, the Vice-President & Principal noted that UTM was doing well compared to other similar institutions. It was further noted that there was a trend of softer international enrolment, as students took the opportunity to apply to many more universities than in previous years. These choices made it harder to predict where students would end up. The university was slightly below their international target and slightly above their domestic target, but overall, they were within normal fluctuations.
• The landscape for international student enrollment was changing, and the University was watching it closely, including the results of the Blue-ribbon panel on this topic.
   

5. Compulsory Non-Academic Incidental Fees: UTM Student Societies - Proposals for Fee Increases for 2024
   
   The Chair noted that student society fees were subject to the terms and conditions of the Policy on Ancillary Fees and the Policy for Compulsory Non-Academic Incidental Fees.
   
   At the invitation of the Chair, Mr. Overton advised members that the UTM Student Union was requesting two changes to its fees charged on their behalf by the University, both of which were supported by referenda of their members as follows:  the establishment of a Housing Our University Students Equitably (HOUSE) UTM portion of the fee with $5.00 per session for full-time students and $2.50 per session for part-time students and the establishment of a Regenesis UTM portion of the fee also with $5.00 per session for full-time students and $2.50 per session for part-time students.  He pointed members to the results in the item documentation and noted that the referenda were held in the spring of 2023 and in accordance with UTMSU’s governing documents.  The UTMSU Board ratified the recommended results and requested the fee changes at the first meeting of this year’s CAC cycle, as their ratification date fell after the governance deadlines for the last cycle of meetings in 2022-23. Mr. Overton noted that the timing was also due in part to process challenges of UTMSU’s ratification approval and that if the item was not approved, UTMSU would have the time to re-run the referendum for a later governance cycle. He also noted that UTMSU planned a referendum later this fall in support of the planned Student Centre renovation project, which may appear in an upcoming governance cycle for early consideration as well. Mr. Overton noted that no complaints were filed with UTMSU regarding the referenda.
   
   The Chair of the Campus Affairs Committee, Professor Robert Gerlai reported that discussion at the Committee included reference to the large number of abstentions in the referenda results and that the UTM Student Union representatives who were at the meeting reported that at the time, voting was occurring on both the referenda and elections, so a significant number of students cast election votes while refraining from voting on the referenda items. They noted that to address the high number of abstentions, the UTMSU Board of Directors sought legal advice and reviewed their referenda rules, constitution and by-laws and were satisfied that the appropriate rules were followed. Therefore, the UTMSU Board decided to move forward with the ratification of the results.  CAC members also talked about whether the university had an established set of standards around abstention rules, and Melinda Scott, Executive Director, Office of the Vice-Provost, Students, noted that the University did not set its own standard regarding what would be required for a referendum to pass, because student societies were autonomous organizations and the rules surrounding ratification of referenda were up to their constitution and bylaws. She further noted that the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students reviewed UTMSU’s referendum results, which passed, including their internal review of the results with their board of directors.  The CAC recommended the item forward for Council’s consideration.
   
   At the invitation of the Chair, Kiki Ayoola, UTMSU VP External, spoke on behalf of the student union and answered questions from members of Council.  She noted that at the time of the referenda, there were up to four teams running in the UTMSU executive elections, which may have accounted for the large number of abstention votes as the referenda were overshadowed by these other activities.  She further noted that the UTMSU board took their time consulting legal representatives and looking at how student unions at other institutions proceeded before deciding to move forward with Regenesis and House fees.
   
   During discussion, the following points were made:

• Students had a week to vote, and accommodations were made for those who couldn't vote in person.
• The requested fee would go entirely to the external organizations and would provide funding for new initiatives by HOUSE and Regenesis.
• The funds collected were separate from the union's budget allocation for existing levy groups, societies, and clubs.
• The aim was to make initiatives accessible and free for students.
• Regarding the low voter turnout, it was noted that there was a higher turnout this year than in previous years.
• Before clubs were recognized, UTMSU followed a vetting process, reviewing constitution and bylaws, and funds are subsequently audited.
• External groups needed to gain at least 10% approval through petitions from students before being able to conduct a referendum. The decision to propose a new fee through a referendum was made based on the approval received.
  
  On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
  
  YOUR COUNCIL RESOLVED,
  
  THAT Subject to Executive Committee Confirmation,
  
  THAT, beginning in the Fall 2024 session, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU; legally, Erindale College Students’ Union) fee be modified as follows: (a) the establishment of $5.00 per session ($2.50 part-time) in the HOUSE UTM portion of the fee, and (b) the establishment of $5.00 per session ($2.50 part-time) in the Regenesis UTM portion of the fee.
  
  If approved, the total Fall/Winter UTMSU fee will be $451.76 per session ($176.27 part-time), charged to all UTM undergraduate students. The total Fall/Winter UTMSU fee for Mississauga Academy of Medicine (MAM) students will be $530.65 per fall session and $530.64 per winter session.
   

6. Calendar of Business, 2023-24
   
   The Chair reminded members that the Council’s Calendar of Business represented the expected items of business for governance consideration for the year and noted that it would be updated regularly on the Council’s website.

CONSENT AGENDA

On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

YOUR COUNCIL APPROVED

THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 9, report of the previous meeting, be approved.
 

7. Report on Capital Projects, as at April 30, 2023
    
8. Reports for Information
   1. Report Number 51 of the Academic Affairs Committee - September 19, 2023
   2. Report Number 60 of the Campus Affairs Committee - September 21, 2023
   3. Report Number 61 of the Agenda Committee - October 2, 2023
       
9. Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 60 – May 23, 2023
    
10. Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting
     
11. Date of the Next Meeting – Tuesday, November 14, 2023

12. Other Business
    
    A member asked that the administration consider providing an overview of fees, including tuition and other mandatory fees like the compulsory non-academic incidental fees, so that members could have a full picture of the fees landscape for students.  The Chair noted that she would raise this request at the next meeting of the Agenda Committee and would report back at a future meeting of Council.
    
    The Chair reminded members of Council and guests to remain in the Council Chamber for a reception to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the establishment of the UTM Campus Council and its Committees.