Report: UTM Campus Council - March 09, 2020

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Council Chamber, Room 3130, William G. Davis Building, UTM

REPORT NUMBER 40 OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA CAMPUS COUNCIL 

To the Governing Council,
University of Toronto

Your Council reports that it met on March 9, 2020 at 4:10 p.m. in the Council Chambers, William G. Davis Building, University of Toronto Mississauga.

Present:
Mohan Matthen (Chair), Samra Zafar (Vice-Chair), Dr. Rose M. Patten (Chancellor), Ian Orchard (Acting Vice-President & Principal), Mitchell Bonney, Dario Di Censo, Ivana Di Millo, Imre Gams, Shelley Hawrychuk, Joseph Leydon, Steven Short, Laura Taylor, Ziyaad Vahed

Regrets:
Sultan Akif, Hassaan Basit, Miguel Cabral, Robert Gerlai, Teresa Lobalsamo, Cesar Lozano, Jay Nirula, Lisa Petrelli, Kayla Sousa, Xing Wei

In Attendance:
Cheryl Regehr (Vice-President & Provost), Mark Overton (Dean of Student Affairs), Christine Capewell (Executive Director, Financial & Budget Services), Andrea Carter (Assistant Dean, Student Wellness, Support & Success), Brian Cunha (Assistant Director, Residence Life, Student Housing & Residence Life), Megan Evans (Manager, Parking & Transportation), Erin Kraftcheck (Medical Director, Health & Counselling Centre), Ulrich Krull, Jeff Lennon (Executive Director, Institutional Planning & Budget Administration), Antonia Lo (Assistant Director, Student Services and Ancillaries), Hans Van Monsjou (Campus Affairs Committee Member), Felicity Morgan (Director, Career Centre), Dale Mullings (Assistant Dean, Students & International Initiatives, Student Affairs), Lorretta Neebar (Registrar and Director of Enrolment Management), Jim Parker (Campus Affairs Committee Member), Yan Tam Seguin (Project Manager, Special Projects, Student Affairs), Susan Senese (Executive Director, Strategy), Kaveh Shahrooz (Director of Partnerships & Legal Counsel), Jessica Silver (Director, Student Engagement, Centre for Student Engagement), Jane Stirling (Executive Director, Communications), Veronica Vasquez (Acting Director, International Education Centre)

Secretariat:
Cindy Ferencz Hammond (Assistant Secretary of the Governing Council), Anwar Kazimi (Deputy Secretary of the Governing Council), Alexandra Waters (Governance Coordinator, UTM)


The meeting was held in open session.

  1. Chair’s Remarks
    The Chair welcomed members to the meeting and introduced the Chancellor, Dr. Rose Patten. The Chair noted that Dr. Patten had chaired Governing Council for six years and led the Task Force on Governance in 2010, from which recommendations were made that led to the University’s current tri-campus governance structure. Dr. Patten remarked that it had been a great privilege to serve in these capacities. She became familiar with UTM at a time of immense growth and had had great pleasure in participating in ground-breaking ceremonies for award-winning buildings. She praised UTM’s academic excellence and its great value to the community and the University as a whole. The University’s global prominence was a result of contributions made by the three campuses, and she expressed her delight to return to the University as Chancellor.

    The Chair continued the meeting by announcing that the election results for the Governing Council were posted to the Office of the Governing Council website. He reminded members that applications were being accepted for three seats on the Campus Council and two seats on the Campus Affairs Committee for the Community/Alumni constituency for three-year terms that would begin July 1, 2020. Applications would close on Friday, March 13. 

    With permission of members, he also varied the order of the agenda from the way in which it was initially posted in order to accommodate presenters’ schedules.
     
  2. Budget Report 2020-21 and Long Range Budget Guidelines 2020-21 to 2024-25
    Professor Cheryl Regehr, Vice-President & Provost, and Mr. Jeff Lennon, Executive Director, Institutional Planning & Budget Administration, gave a comprehensive presentation that addressed the Budget Report for 2020-21 and the Long Range Budget Guidelines 2020-21. As part of her introductory remarks, the Provost noted that the shift continued in the balance of funding between tuition and provincial operating grants, with just 22% of the operating budget supported by the Provincial government, down from 24% last year. Despite the challenges this presented fiscally, and as required, the Long Range Budget Guidelines planned for a balanced budget in each of the five years.

    Professor Regehr reported that the total budgeted operating revenue for 2020-21 of $2.99 billion was 8.0% higher than the 2019-20 budget. This reflected a freeze in domestic tuition fees, increased international enrolment, and an increase in international tuition fees. Key budget priorities included enhancing the student experience, increased diversity in faculty hiring associated outreach/access programs, budget support for the indirect costs of research, and capital investments.

    Mr. Lennon stated that the 10% domestic tuition cut and freeze implemented in 2019 would have a $113 million impact by 2021. The University’s three main sources of revenue continued to be domestic tuition at 20%, the operating grant at 22%, and international tuition at 38%. The University continued to work with the Provincial Government to finalize SMA3, which would span five years into 2024-25 and would restructure the way in which the Province funded universities by tying funding to performance-based metrics. In the first year, 25% of funding would be tied to performance and would increase to 60% by 2024-25. While most institutions would need to demonstrate continuous improvement on metrics to retain full funding, those that scored at the top of these metrics would not need to demonstrate continuous improvement to continue to secure funding. Risk of funding loss would be partially mitigated by the introduction of “tolerance bands” around each metric that reflected recent volatility. Institutions would receive full funding as long as they met the floor of this band. UofT was projected to receive 100% of funding for all five years of SMA3.

    Mr. Lennon reported that the International Scholars Programs at each campus would attempt to diversify the international student population. Entrance scholarships would be created by tuition set-asides, and the University projected to invest an additional $76 million in this program by 2024-25. Mr. Lennon also reported on recent government changes to OSAP, which had resulted in a decreased participation rate in that program. The University would continue its commitment to financial aid through several programs, which included the University of Toronto Advanced Planning for Students (UTAPS). Total spending for student aid was projected at $258M for 2020-21.

    Professor Regehr stated that University Fund (UF) contributions increased from 10% to 14% beginning this year. The UF totalled $42 million, which included $27 million from revenue growth and $15 million from one time only investments made in previous years that were reinvested into the UF. The UF was distributed across the areas of student experience and success, divisional budget support, and faculty and diversity renewal, as follows:
  • $6 million base was allocated to mental health redesign and experiential learning;
  • $16 million base was allocated to structural budget and research support, and an $18 million on time only lump sum was allocated to divisional infrastructure;
  • $2 million base was allocated to the Diversity Hiring Fund and deep learning support;
  • In terms of structural budget support, UF allocations were provided to ensure that each division would receive a minimum increase of 3% to address increases in costs, which were primarily attributed to compensation.

    In terms of risk mitigation, Mr. Lennon stated that the University made efforts to diversify its international student base, and stated that 65% of the international student population was from a single source country (China). He noted, however, that many of these students already resided in Canada prior to their attendance at the University. He discussed the pension plan deficit, and noted that the University had consent to move forward with the University Pension Plan, which would go live in 18 months. Due to risks associated with the market, the University would continue with its plan to increase the pension special payment budget by $5 million annually until 2023-24. This plan would be reviewed after the next pension valuation.

    A member referred to the high portion of the international student population from China and questioned the risk associated with this and how that would affect the budget. Professor Regehr acknowledged that a significant risk existed in this regard, however noted that this was common across many other post-secondary institutions and that the University continued to rely on feedback from government relations and its substantial alumni base there to guide this portfolio. This was also a key factor in the priority to diversify the University’s international enrolment. In response to a question about how containment measures related to COVID-19 concerns could affect the ability of the international student population to travel to and from Canada, Professor Regehr noted that due to the timing of the term, the majority of international students were already on campus and also noted that approximately half of the University’s new intake of international students already resided in Canada. In its continuity plans, the University would ensure a greater number of summer course offerings should students decide not to return home after the current semester was completed.

    In response to a question about the International Scholars Program, Mr. Lennon indicated that the Program would target regions of the world that were not highly represented among the student population.

    Professor Emeritus Ian Orchard, Acting Vice-President and Principal, commented on the increased investments related to student mental health initiatives and expressed appreciation for the central funding that would be allocated to this area. He asked about advocacy efforts with respect to the creation of a new tuition framework by the Provincial Government or changes to OSAP. Professor Regehr stated that the 10% domestic tuition cut had unintended consequences whereby the beneficiaries were individuals in high tuition programs that would likely be high-income earners after graduation. She noted that the University would continue to draw attention to such matters for the consideration of the government.

    In response to a question about faculty diversity and renewal, Professor Regehr stated that a fund was created that would subsidize half the salary of new faculty members that identified as Black or Indigenous.
  1. Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE)
    The Chair invited Ms Jessica Silver, Director, Centre for Student Engagement, to present. Ms Silver provided an overview of the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE). The survey, which collected data about students’ academic and co-curricular experiences prior to entering university, as well as their expectations of these experiences in their first year of study, was administered at UTM for the first time in July 2019. Survey data provided information about students and their anticipated challenges, which would inform transition programming. Data collected indicated that many students faced financial challenges, their grade expectations typically did not align with first-year actual grade averages, and their service expectations were sometimes mismatched to those that were actually available. Survey results would enable the University to identify individuals that would benefit from early intervention based on skewed expectations prior to entering first year. The survey would continue to be administered and the University would also compare results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), which would collect data on students’ first-year experiences, and the BCSSE.  

    In response to a question, Ms Silver mentioned that an Alumni Mentorship Program that was available for upper-year students.

    A member inquired about comparisons across the Greater Toronto Area, but Ms Silver indicated that since BCSSE was not widely used across the Province, comparisons could be only be drawn from NSSE. 

    In response to a question about intervention strategies, she noted that the demographics of the student population would be analyzed to identify more tailored methods of student support.

    In response to a concern about student-faculty interaction, Ms Silver stated that the data could indicate perceived difficulty, but noted that first-year classes tended to be larger and interactions tended to occur more with Teaching Assistants than faculty members. She noted that the Centre for Student Engagement supported increasing events where students could engage informally with faculty members.

    In response to a question about how incoming students’ expectations aligned with academic reality, Ms Silver indicated that academic data could be analyzed through the Office of the Registrar.  
     
  2. Report of the Acting Vice-President & Principal
    Professor Orchard began his report by commenting on the University’s response to COVID-19. He reiterated that decisions were enacted based on the advice of local public health authorities. UofT continued to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation and had prepared contingency plans. The University had created a steering group of senior administrators, which included leaders who responded to the SARS crisis in 2003 to coordinate a response across the three campuses. Professor Orchard reported that UTM had an existing Emergency Response Plan and a business continuity plan developed to align with the institutional UofT plan. Student Housing and Residence Life and Hospitality and Retail Services had contingency plans in the event that travel bans were imposed at the end of the term. Plans included week-to-week residence extensions and meal options. Divisions would also expand summer course offerings should students be unable to return home and wished to participate in courses while they remained on campus. The campus had increased frequency of cleaning and the number of hand sanitization stations, which were continually refilled. The Vice-Dean, Teaching and Learning, Heather Miller, was a member of a tri-campus committee that met weekly to coordinate on the issue. The University had prepared answers to frequently asked questions and provided helpful contact numbers and Professor Orchard encouraged members of the University Community to remain informed on the latest information on that website, which was updated regularly. The University followed the guidance of Federal and Provincial authorities, and individuals were encouraged to monitor destination-specific travel restrictions on the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 travel advisory website. Teaching staff were instructed to follow the advice and procedures for academic continuity, which was posted on the Dean’s website. If severe disruptions were to occur, academic continuity decisions with regard to altering course delivery or policies regarding absences and accommodations would come from the Office of the Vice-President and  Provost, which had convened an academic continuity working group. Students were advised to stay home if they experienced flu-like symptoms. The University would ensure that departments’ policies were used to allow such absences without penalty, and students should be reassured of this to help minimize the impact of both influenza and COVID-19 on the broader community.

    Professor Orchard continued his report, by discussing the impact of the 10% cut to domestic tuition imposed by the Provincial Government in the current academic year and the tuition freeze that would continue into 2020-21.  He noted that this cut was projected to lead to a $24 million reduction in revenue to UTM, and a $1.1 billion revenue reduction across the Provincial post-secondary sector. The Council of Ontario Universities and the University of Toronto would bring to the attention of the Provincial Government the consequences of the tuition framework and the effects of OSAP changes.

    Next, Professor Orchard stated that a Provostial Advisor had been engaged to consider divisional and inter-divisional opportunities in the field of data science at the University across the Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences. Development of data science programming would broaden opportunities for interaction between UTM and other divisions.

    Lastly, Professor Orchard discussed the UofT Women in House program, whereby top female students would be invited to Parliament Hill to gain exposure to federal politics. Activities included one-on-one shadowing of parliamentarians for a day and a networking session on Parliament Hill. Ten positions would be open to UTM students in 2020 to attend the program.
     
  3. Tri-Campus Follow-Up Governance Review – 2020 Committee to Review the UTM and UTSC Campus Council (CRCC) Terms of Reference and Membership
    The Chair invited Mr. Anwar Kazimi, Deputy Secretary of the Governing Council, to present the item. Mr. Kazimi stated that when the Governing Council approved the Terms of Reference for the UTM and UTSC Campus Councils and their Standing Committees in June 2012, the resolution included a provision that mandated a review of the new governance model at the end of the first year of operation. The CRCC reported its findings on December 11, 2014. Given that at the time of the first review it had only been one year since implementation, the CRCC (2014) recommended that the Governing council undertake a follow-up review in three years’ time. Following approval by the Executive Committee, that review was delayed until the administrative review was completed. Since the administrative review process has concluded, the follow-up review of the tri-campus governance model would proceed. At its meeting on February 27, 2020, the Governing Council established the 2020 Committee to Review the UTM and UTSC Campus Councils to fulfill the resolution’s requirement. The CRCC would review particular elements of the UTM and UTSC Campus Councils which experience demonstrated may require refinement. It was expected that the recommendations of the CRCC would be considered by the Governing Council at its meeting on June 25, 2020.
     
  4. Operating Plans and Fees: UTM Student Services
    The Chair advised members that pursuant to The Memorandum of Agreement Between the University of Toronto, The Students’ Administrative Council, The Graduate Students’ Union and The Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students for a Long-Term Protocol on the Increase of Introduction of Compulsory Non-Tuition Related Fees (The Protocol) approved by the Governing Council on October 24, 1996, the UTM Quality Service to Students committee (QSS) reviewed annual operating plans of fee-funded student services, including current and proposed future budgets and related compulsory non-academic incidental fees and would then offer advice to the Committee on those plans. The Chair invited Mr. Mark Overton, Dean of Student Affairs, to present the advice shared from QSS. 

    (i) Advice from the Quality Service to Students Committee (QSS) 
    As per The Protocol, Mr. Overton noted that student input was provided in relation to compulsory non-academic incidental fees through consultations with QSS, which was composed of student leaders and administrators. Fees under consideration were the Health and Counselling fee, the Athletics and Recreation fee, and Student Services fee, which had a number of subcomponents. Straw polls had been used to gauge support for the Student Services fee subcomponents, and all subcomponents except Academic Support were unanimously supported. Mr. Overton reported that all three fee proposals received unanimous votes from QSS.  

    A member inquired how QSS student members were selected. Mr. Overton stated that each representative student society selected its own student members of QSS as followed: UTMSU selected 5 student members, UTMAGS selected 1 member, UTM Athletic Council selected 2 and the Residence Council selected 2 members.

    (ii) Operating Plans and Fees 
    Mr. Overton summarized the three fee categories for which increases were proposed and noted that detailed information about each fee could be found in their respective management packages. He stated that the fees allowed under The Protocol indexes would have been higher than what was currently proposed. Mr. Overton noted that fee categories for 2019-20 had been restructured to reflect the new Ontario fee streams developed under the Student Choice Initiative.  He then invited Directors from the relevant service areas to comment on factors that contributed to fee increases:

    Health & Counselling Centre (HCC)
    Ms Erin Kraftcheck, Medical Director, HCC, reported that a highlight of last year’s fee increase allowed the Centre to open the Wellness Hub on the second floor of the Davis Building. The Hub offered drop-in educational activities related to wellness and increased peer educational efforts through increased social media followings

    Recreation, Athletics and Wellness Centre (RAWC)
    Ms Andrea Carter, Assistant Dean, Student Wellness, Support and Success, stated that the RAWC collaborated with the HCC such that students that sought support through the HCC for depression, anxiety and stress management were paired with personal trainers from the RAWC as part of their treatment plans, which would assist in the development of resiliency and healthy habits.

    Career Centre
    Ms Felicity Morgan, Director, Career Centre, stated that the Career Centre continued to make efforts to deepen levels of student engagement through tailored messaging to first-year and international students, and assist in the development students’ careers through their time at UTM.

    Child & Family Care
    Antonia Lo, Assistant Director, Student Services and Ancillaries, stated that 23 children, which included 8 children from student families, were enrolled in child care. The Family Care Office provided diverse program delivery, on-site and on-line access to peer mentors and family care advisors, and employed students on a casual basis.

    Shuttle Bus Service
    Ms Megan Evans, Manager, Parking & Transportation, reported that as of Fall 2019, all regularly scheduled vehicles were equipped with accessibility lifts and could accommodate up to two mobility devices. The dedicated fleet was outfitted with upgraded suspension and full climate control. Wifi services were introduced as of June 2019.

    International Education Centre (IEC)
    Ms Veronica Vasquez, Acting Director IEC, reported that the IEC had added a specialized employment strategist that worked with the Career Centre as well, and expanded their range of services to include advising and group support throughout the year.

    Centre for Student Engagement (CSE)
    Ms Jessica Silver, Director, CSE, reported that the CSE had implemented a co-curricular support drop-in centre for students, staff and faculty. The CSE would pilot with the Career Centre to identify opportunities to expand co-curricular record (CCR) opportunities across the University.

    A member inquired if the fee increase to the Child Care subcomponent of the Student Services Fee was justified given the level of enrolment by student families, and asked about the QSS discussion on this topic. Mr. Overton stated that QSS engaged in a robust discussion on this matter and decided to maintain support for student-parent users of UTM’s centre and for other student-parents who accessed support through the fee to help with off-campus licensed centre costs as well.  He noted that, due to the size of UTM compared to the St. George campus centres, it was difficult to maintain operation of the Centre without a higher level of subsidy.

    A member questioned if the model of the Centre should be re-evaluated to better serve needs of potential users of the service. Mr. Overton stated that many models had been investigated and piloted, with the current having been the most effective and efficient model so far, but that this matter was reconsidered each year. 

    On motion duly made, seconded and carried,

    Be it Resolved,

    THAT subject to confirmation of the Executive Committee,

    THAT the 2020-21 operating plans and budgets for the UTM Health & Counselling Centre; the UTM Department of Recreation, Athletics & Wellness; and the UTM Student Services under the Student Services Fee, recommended by the Dean of Student Affairs, Mark Overton, and described in the attached proposals, be approved; and

    THAT the sessional Health Services Fee for a UTM-registered or UTM-affiliated full-time student be increased to $60.15 per session ($12.03 for a part-time student), which represents a year-over-year increase of $8.45 per session ($1.69 for a part-time student) or 16%; and

    THAT the sessional Athletics & Recreation Fee for a UTM-registered or UTM-affiliated full-time student be increased to $205.88 ($41.18 for a part-time student), which represents an increase of $2.04 ($0.41 for a part-time student) per session or 1%; and

    THAT the sessional Student Services Fee for a UTM-registered or UTM-affiliated full-time student be increased to $201.25 ($40.25 for a part-time student), which represents an increase of $9.10 ($1.82 for a part-time student) per session or 4.7%
     
  5. Compulsory Non-Academic Incidental Fees – Student Society Fees: UTM Student Society Proposals for Fee Increases (UTMAGS & UTMSU)
    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. He invited Mr. Overton to speak to the matter. Mr. Overton advised members that the fee increases requested by student societies adhered to the appropriate processes. Mr. Overton stated that the City of Mississauga transit pass was the primary driver behind fee increases.  

    On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried,

    Be it Resolved,

    THAT subject to confirmation of the Executive Committee,

    THAT beginning in the Fall 2020 session, the University of Toronto Mississauga Association of Graduate Students (UTMAGS) fee be increased as follows: (a) an increase of $6.36 per Fall and Winter sessions (full-time only) in the Mississauga Transit U-Pass portion of the fee; and (b) an increase of $3.88 per Fall and Winter sessions (full-time only) in the Mississauga Transit Summer U-Pass portion of the fee.[1]

    If approved, the total Fall/Winter UTMAGS fee will be $215.32 per session, charged to all full-time UTM-affiliated graduate students.

    Be it also Resolved,

    THAT subject to confirmation by the Executive Committee,

    THAT beginning in the Summer 2020 session, the University of Toronto Mississauga Student Union (UTMSU; legally, the Erindale College Student Union) fee be increased as follows: (a) an increase of $9.87 per Summer session (full-time and part-time) in the Mississauga Transit U-Pass portion of the fee;

    THAT beginning in the Fall 2020 session, the UTMSU fee be increased as follows: (a) an increase of $0.73 per session ($0.02 part-time) in the society portion of the fee; (b) an increase of $0.02 per session (full-time and part-time) in the Academic Societies portion of the fee; (c) an increase of $0.18 per session (full-time only) in the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) portion of the fee; (d) an increase of $0.02 per session (full-time only) in the Downtown Legal Services portion of the fee; (e) an increase of $0.01 per Fall and Winter sessions (full-time and part-time) in the Food Bank portion of the fee; (f) an increase of $0.01 per session (full-time and part-time) in the On Campus First Aid Emergency Response/Erindale College Special Response Team (ECSPERT) portion of the fee; (g) an increase of $0.04 per Fall and Winter sessions ($0.02 part-time) and $0.02 per Summer session (full-time only) in the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Levy portion of the fee; (h) an increase of $6.26 per Fall and Winter sessions (full-time and part-time) in the Mississauga Transit U-Pass portion of the fee; and

    THAT beginning in the Fall 2020 session, the UTMSU fee charged to Mississauga Academy of Medicine (MAM) students in the Fall and Winter sessions be increased as follows: (a) an increase of $6.80 per Fall and Winter sessions in the Mississauga Transit Summer U-Pass portion of the fee.

    If approved, the total Fall/Winter UTMSU fee will be $390.61 per session ($144.32 part-time), charged to all UTM undergraduate students. The total Fall/Winter UTMSU fee for MAM students will be $472.96 per session.

CONSENT AGENDA

8. Report on UTM Capital Projects – as at January 31, 2020

9. Reports for Information 
(i) Report 40 of the Agenda Committee (March 9, 2020)
(ii) Report 39 of the Campus Affairs Committee (February 10, 2020)
(iii)Report 36 of the Academic Affairs Committee (February 11, 2020)

10. Report of the Previous Meeting
Report number 39, dated January 29, 2020, was approved.


11. Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting 

12. Date of the Next Meeting – Tuesday, April 21 at 4:10 p.m.

13. Question Period
There were no questions.


14. Other Business
There was no other business.


The meeting adjourned at 5:59 p.m.

March 11, 2020


[1] Further to UTMAGS’ request, the U-Pass Program fees will not be charged to Master of Management and Professional Accounting (MMPA) students or Diploma in Investigative and Forensic Accounting (DIFA) students.