REPORT NUMBER 515 OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
To the Governing Council,
University of Toronto.
Your Committee reports that it held a virtual meeting on Tuesday, June 16, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. with the following members present:
Claire M. C. Kennedy (Chair), N. Jane Pepino (Vice-Chair), Meric S. Gertler (President), Catherine Bragg, Janet Ecker, Avrum I. Gotlieb, Sarosh Jamal, Ernest Lam, Mark Lautens, W. Keith Thomas, Laurent-Philippe Veilleux, Bruce Winter
Regrets:
Apefa Adjivon, Mark H. Rowswell
Non-Voting Member:
Sheree Drummond (Secretary of the Governing Council)
Secretariat:
Anwar Kazimi (Secretary, Executive Committee)
In Attendance:
Preet Banerjee (Chair, UTSC Campus Council and Member of the Governing Council), Brian D. Lawson (Chair, Business Board and Member of the Governing Council*), Mohan Matthen (Chair, UTM Campus Council and Member of the Governing Council), Andrew Szende (Chair, University Affairs Board and Member of the Governing Council), Nicholas Terpstra (Chair, Academic Board and Member of the Governing Council), Cheryl Regehr (Vice-President and Provost and Member of the Governing Council), Scott Mabury (Vice-President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships), Nora Gillespie (Senior Legal Counsel, Office of the President and Provost (for item 13a. and 13b.)), Christopher Lang (Director, Appeals, Discipline and Faculty Grievances (for item 13a. and 13b.)), Nadina Jamison (Chief Strategy Officer, Office of the President), Bryn MacPherson (Assistant Vice-President, Office of the President and Chief of Protocol), Anthony Gray (Director, Strategic Research, Office of the President)
*not in attendance for items 3(e.) and 14(a.)
Pursuant to section 28 (e) and 38 of By-Law Number 2, consideration of
items 13-16 took place in camera.
The meeting was held in closed Session.
1. Chair’s Remarks
The Chair welcomed the attendees to the meeting.
2. Report of the President
Report of the President
Anti-Black Racism
The President began his report with reference to his letter to the community on June 1 on the University of Toronto’s condemnation of anti-Black racism and discrimination. President Gertler reaffirmed the University’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion and stressed the need to continue to work together to confront and eradicate racism and discrimination of all forms.
The President referred to ongoing tri-campus events hosted or co-ordinated by the Office of the Vice-President, Human Resources and Equity, and the Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office as well as to a recent podcast by Professor Maydianne Andrade. He observed that these activities were a reminder of the important role the University had to play in convening conversation and debate, promoting understanding, and sharing knowledge. The President extended his thanks to the community offices and student groups who were so deeply committed to change.
In response to a member’s comment that the Indigenous community had also been the subject of racism, the President affirmed the University’s commitment to condemning all forms of racism and discrimination.
Virtual Convocation
The President spoke of the University’s celebration of the class of 2020 with the first virtual convocation in its 193-year history. He described joining the Chair and Chancellor Patten on stage in an otherwise empty Convocation Hall, where the Chancellor then conferred degrees in absentia on more than 15,000 graduating students. He also acknowledged the creative and innovative ways that students had celebrated and personalized the event. The President noted that the ceremony had received more than 115,000 views on Facebook and YouTube. He reported that the event had been an uplifting and inspiring occasion.
The Chair shared that she had been honoured to participate in the ceremony and commented on the solemnity of the occasion notwithstanding the almost empty Hall. She commended the staff of the Offices of Convocation, the President and University of Toronto Communications for their tremendous effort at creating such a special occasion, one that in her view would leave a lasting memory for graduates and their families, however different it might have been from what they anticipated at the start of the year.
The President added his appreciation and thanks to the Offices involved in the success of the event and recognized the tremendous ongoing effort on the part of the Office of Convocation to courier over 15,000 parchments to graduates across the globe.
COVID-19 Advocacy and Update
The President gave an update on the University’s response to COIVD-19, focusing his remarks in four areas: students, research, academic continuity, and business continuity.
Students and Educational Mission
The President reported that the University continued to work diligently on planning for the fall and the gradual safe return to the campuses with as much on-campus activity as is practicable, sensible, and safe.
Professor Gertler reported that the University was working with governments at all levels. Federally, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) had recently announced that it was adjusting its regulations for international students who would be beginning the fall semester at a Canadian university on-line from abroad. These students would be able to complete up to 50% of their program via distance learning if they are unable to travel to Canada. Moreover – and, the President noted, importantly – the time spent studying via distance learning from outside Canada before December 31, 2020 would not be deducted from the length of a future Post-Graduate Work Permit, so that international students would receive the same work permit entitlement of three years that they would have received had they completed their entire degree in person in Canada. The President noted that this was an important change to the normal student visa and PGWP rules, and it provided a great enticement to international students studying in Canada.
President Gertler reported that in addition to IRCC the University was in close contact with the Office of the Minister of Public Safety, Health Canada, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and key embassies overseas to expedite the processing of student visas and, if possible, the physical travel of international students to Canada. He acknowledged that there were still many unknowns present, such as air travel, border restrictions, and quarantine requirements, the uncertainty of which made planning all the more challenging.
Research
With respect to research, the President reported that toward the end of last month, the federal government pledged an additional $450 million to help bridge the effects of COVID-19 for researchers, plugging a major gap that had been left unaddressed in previous commitments. This investment would provide wage support to universities and hospital research institutes to pay support staff not covered by Tri-Council grants (i.e. those supported by industrially funded research or philanthropic research grants). It would also assist in the ramp-up back to full research operations once current restrictions were eased.
The President emphasized that this funding was in addition to the earlier $291.6 million that was intended to extend expiring graduate research scholarships and post-doctoral fellowships, and supplement existing Tri-Council research grants. These funding challenges had been a major focus of U of T’s direct advocacy with government and the wider advocacy of the U15 and Universities Canada over the past few months, and he noted that he was very pleased to see the government’s response. The President also confirmed that in spite of the challenges of the pandemic, the University had kept a significant number of labs open while complying with provincial health and safety regulations, including those performing research related to COVID-19, as well as other labs undertaking time-sensitive research.
President Gertler reported that the University was now undertaking a gradual, orderly research reopening across all three campuses, following provincial health and safety regulations. Labs and library spaces would be adapting to the requirements of physical distancing, and continuing to leverage the possibilities of virtual research settings wherever helpful or necessary.
Academic Continuity
At the invitation of the President, the Provost provided an update on academic continuity.
Professor Regehr reported that her office had been working with incident management structures and had struck a number of working groups to deal with aspects of the COVID response. The University released “UTogether 2020, a Roadmap for the University of Toronto,” as a guide for a safe return to research, course instruction and other campus activities.
Professor Regehr went on to report that the University would be launching a Summer Pilot made possible through the Ontario Government that would bring to campus students whose graduation was compromised due to COVID-19 closures and who were in disciplines that the government believed were critical. The Summer Pilot included measures for enhanced screening, cleaning protocols, space considerations and physical distancing protocols and other protective measures, which would provide insight into how the University could move forward in the fall.
In response to a member’s question about course delivery options for faculty, the Provost explained that the decision as to whether a course was in-person or on-line was made in collaboration with the university administration to meet social distancing requirements in large courses. She also noted that there was a new course tagging system that would clearly identify whether a course was on-line synchronous, on-line asynchronous, or in-person. This would give students flexibility to select their courses depending on their comfort level and circumstances.
Business Continuity
The President reported that at the end of May, His Worship Mayor John Tory had announced that the City of Toronto and a number of the city’s other major downtown employers, including universities, would continue to support employees, where possible, to work from home until September at the earliest. A gradual approach to ramping up operations over the summer and into the fall would help to minimize pressure on key resources such as public transportation. He noted also that the University was working closely with the newly created Toronto Office of Recovery and Rebuild.
Professor Gertler concluded his remarks by saying that he continued to sit on the Toronto Region Board of Trade Recovery Steering Committee where work was ongoing with regard to shaping the plan for the Toronto region.
The President invited Scott Mabury, Vice-President, University Operations & Real Estate Partnerships, to add his comments.
Professor Mabury reiterated the point that there was significant activity underway across the campuses to prepare for the safe return to campus in the fall and identified several key initiatives:
-
Increased cleaning of libraries and classrooms with enhanced disinfecting in high-touch areas.
-
Plan to install thousands of sanitizing stations, with hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes, to assist and enable community members in protecting their shared spaces.
-
Plan to provide every student, staff member, faculty member and librarian with two non-medical masks (the University had ordered 250,000 masks).
-
Signage that would encourage and instruct all members of the community to practise physical distancing and proper hand hygiene.
Professor Mabury added that work was continuing on: providing IT support to faculty to assist with working from home and developing on-line courses; planning for setting up safe work, classroom, and residence spaces; as well as taking advantage of the low occupancy on the campuses to do as much construction as possible on various capital projects.
In response to a member’s question about what information to convey to faculty and staff about when it was safe to return to campus, Professor Mabury said that once the University had received notice from the province and city about re-opening services, services would be opened gradually, following public health guidelines about safety measures. All new information would be conveyed to the community when available. He noted that some staff and faculty had already safely returned to campus as needed and in accordance with provincial guidelines.
Vice-President, Research & Innovation and Strategic Initiatives
President Gertler, announced that Professor Vivek Goel would be stepping down as Vice-President, Research & Innovation and Strategic Initiatives and taking on a new role as Special Advisor to the President and Provost, effective July 1.
The President noted that Professor Goel’s tremendous expertise had been increasingly sought by multiple agencies and levels of government, as well as the private sector, which was a testament to his unique knowledge, experience, and perspective.
The President advised that Professor Goel would continue to serve as Co-Chair of the University’s COVID-19 Incident Leadership Team and its pandemic recovery and re-entry advisory group, working closely with President, the Provost, and other senior leaders.
In response to a member’s concern about the loss of Professor Goel’s expertise and effectiveness as an advocate with the government for research and the University’s research enterprise, President Gertler stated that that the goal was to have an expedited search process and to ensure that the successful candidate was experienced in this type of advocacy. The President also noted that Professor Goel’s new role would continue to bring him into contact with governmental officials.
Canadian Universities Climate Change Investment Charter
The President concluded his remarks by announcing that the University of Toronto would be a signatory to a new Charter on “Investing to Address Climate Change”. The initiative was spearheaded by U of T and McGill, with a total of 15 founding signatories from across the country, with other Canadian universities being invited to join subsequently. The Charter would articulate four principles that the signatory universities pledged to uphold:
-
The adoption of a responsible investing framework for institutional investment managers;
-
Regular measuring of the carbon footprint of institutions’ portfolios;
-
Regular evaluation of institutions’ progress towards meeting these objectives and sharing their progress publicly;
-
Ensuring that the performance evaluation of institutions’ investment managers took into account their success in achieving the goals and following the principles outlined in the Charter.
The Charter would be announced in both of Canada’s official languages on June 18.
In response to a member’s positive comments about the Climate Charter, and observation that it would be an important means for conveying the University’s stance clearly, the President expressed agreement that this was a indeed an important opportunity to make it clear and emphatic statement about where the University stood on this subject.
3. Item for Endorsement and Forwarding to the Governing Council
a. Establishment of an Extra-Departmental Unit A (EDU:A): Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy (ISUP) at University of Toronto Mississauga
Professor Regehr provided the highlights of the proposal for the establishment of an Extra-Departmental Unit A (EDU:A): Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy (ISUP) at University of Toronto Mississauga. Professor Matthen, Chair, UTM Campus Council, reported that the proposal had received support from several members of that Council.
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the following recommendation be endorsed and forwarded to the Governing Council:
THAT the proposal to establish the Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy (ISUP) at the University of Toronto Mississauga, as an EDU: A, as described in the Proposal for the Establishment of an EDU:A, Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy (ISUP), University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), dated April 16, 2020, be approved, effective July 1, 2020.
b. Proposal to convert the Centre for French and Linguistics (EDU:A) to the Department of Language Studies at University of Toronto Scarborough
Professor Regehr provided the highlights of the proposal to convert the Centre for French and Linguistics (EDU:A) to the Department of Language Studies at University of Toronto Scarborough. Mr. Preet Banerjee, Chair, UTSC Campus Council, reported that the Council had supported the proposal.
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the following recommendation be endorsed and forwarded to the Governing Council:
THAT, the Centre for French and Linguistics (EDU:A) be converted to the Department of Language Studies, as described in the proposal recommended by the Vice-Principal Academic and Dean, Professor William Gough, and dated April 17, 2020, be approved to be effective as of July 1, 2020.
c. Proposal to convert the Interdisciplinary Centre for Health and Society (EDU:B) to the Department of Health and Society at University of Toronto Scarborough
Professor Regehr provided the highlights of the proposal to convert the Interdisciplinary Centre for Health and Society (EDU:B) to the Department of Health and Society at University of Toronto Scarborough. Professor Regehr added that because of the multi-disciplinary area of study, faculty from different departments would continue to work together in this proposed department. Mr. Preet Banerjee, Chair, UTSC Campus Council, reported that the Council had supported the proposal.
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the following recommendation be endorsed and forwarded to the Governing Council:
THAT, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Health and Society (EDU:B) be converted to the Department of Health and Society, as described in the proposal recommended by the Vice-Principal Academic and Dean, Professor William Gough, and dated April 17, 2020, be approved to be effective as of July 1, 2020.
d. Proposed Revisions to Policy on the Recognition of Campus Groups
Professor Regehr provided the highlights of the proposed revisions to the Policy on the Recognition of Campus Groups. She added that the accompanying guidelines to the proposed Policy would soon follow. Mr. Andrew Szende, Chair, University Affairs Board, reported that the proposed revisions had received the strong support of that Board.
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the following recommendation be endorsed and forwarded to the Governing Council:
THAT the proposed revisions to the Policy on the Recognition of Campus Groups, dated May 7, 2020, be approved, effective immediately.
e. Capital Project: Report of the Project Planning Committee for the Trinity College in the University of Toronto New Student Residence & Academic Building – The Lawson Centre for Sustainability
Professor Scott Mabury provided the highlights of the capital project.
Mr. Andrew Szende reported that at the meeting of the University Affairs Board a member had enquired about funding for low-income students in the proposed residence. Mr. Szende said that in response Professor Mayo Moran, Provost, Trinity College, had noted that needs-based financial aid, including residence bursaries, were part of the funding structure for the proposed project. Professor Nicholas Terpstra, Chair, Academic Board, reported that a member of that Board member had asked about the impact of the project on the shared use of the playing field by the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE), and on athletics generally at the University. Professor Terpstra said that in response, Professor Mayo Moran noted that planning discussions had taken place and continued with KPE, and reported that the proposal to consider integrating the field into the design had come from students. Professor Moran had also acknowledged that the new design would mean that the field space would not be available in the same way as it had been for some intermural sports, but was confident that students’ connection with nature and outdoor activities and sport would be maintained.
A member of the Executive Committee added that the Design Review Committee had supported the project.
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the following recommendation be endorsed and forwarded to the Governing Council:
THAT the Report of the Project Planning Committee for Trinity College in the University of Toronto New Student Residence & Academic Building - The Lawson Centre for Sustainability, dated April 16, 2020, be approved in principle; and,
THAT the project totaling 9,229 net assignable square metres (nasm) and 14,068 gross square metres (gsm), be approved in principle, to be funded by Trinity College by means of a combination of institutional investments, fundraising, and external loans.
f. Report of the 2020 Committee to Review the UTM and UTSC Campus Councils (CRCC 2020)
Ms N. Jane Pepino, Chair, CRCC 2020, provided the highlights of the Report. Mr. Matthen and Mr. Banerjee, members of the CRCC 2020, expressed their support for the Report and its recommendations.
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the following recommendation be endorsed and forwarded to the Governing Council:
THAT the Report of the 2020 Committee to Review the UTM and UTSC Campus Councils (CRCC 2020), dated June 5, 2020, be approved in principle.
CONSENT AGENDA
On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that the items be approved.
4. Item for Endorsement and Forwarding
a. Summer Executive Authority
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the following recommendation be endorsed and forwarded to the Governing Council
- THAT until the next regular meeting of the Governing Council or its appropriate committee or board, authority be granted to the President for:
- decisions on other matters the urgency of which does not permit their deferral until the next regular meeting of the Governing Council or its appropriate standing committee or board,
- appointments to categories 2,1 3,2 and 53 of the Policy on Appointments and Remuneration approved by the Governing Council of the University of Toronto, dated May 30, 2007;4
- approval of such additional curriculum changes as may arise for the summer and September 2020; and
Except to the extent that any matter encompassed within (i) to (iii) above ought reasonably be addressed by the COVID-19 Special Committee5; and
- THAT all actions taken under this authority be approved by the Chair of the Governing Council prior to implementation and reported to the appropriate committee or board for information.
[1] Category 2 includes the positions of Vice-President, Secretary of the Governing Council, and University Ombudsperson, which are subject to the approval of the Governing Council.
[2] Category 3 includes the positions of Deputy Provost, Associate and Vice-Provosts, Chief Financial Officer, Senior Legal Counsel and Deputy Secretary of the Governing Council, which are subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, and are reported for information to the Governing Council.
[3] Category 5 includes the head of Internal Audit (approved by the Business Board) and the Warden of Hart House (approved by the University Affairs Board); such appointments are reported for information to the Governing Council.
[4] Approval of Academic Administrative Appointments until the next regular meeting of the Agenda Committee of the Academic Board shall be approved by electronic ballot and shall require the response of at least five members of the Agenda Committee.
[5] The Governing Council approved the establishment of the COVID-19 Special Committee on April 2, 2020. This Special Committee shall exist up to and including the first regularly scheduled meeting of the Governing Council for the 2020-2021 academic year, and has the power to respond to urgent matters related to COVID-19 which do not permit their deferral until the next regular meeting of the Governing Council or its appropriate standing committee, campus council or board.
5. Items for Confirmation
a. Creation of the Centre for Global Disability Studies as an Extra-Departmental Unit (EDU:C) at University of Toronto Scarborough
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE CONFIRMED THE DECISION OF THE ACADEMIC BOARD
THAT, the creation of the Centre for Global Disability Studies as an Extra-Departmental Unit C as described in the proposal recommended by the Vice-Principal Academic and Dean, Professor William Gough, and dated April 7, 2020, be approved to be effective as of July 1, 2020.
b. Proposal to Close the Fraser Mustard Institute of Human Development (FMIHD) as an Extra-Departmental Unit C (EDU:C) at University of Toronto Mississauga
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE CONFIRMED THE DECISION OF THE ACADEMIC BOARD
THAT the proposal to disestablish the Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development as an EDU: C, as described in the Proposal to Close the Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development (FMIHD), dated March 27, 2020, be approved, effective January 1, 2021.
c. Name Change of Academic Unit: Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering to change the name of the EDU:A Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering to Institute of Biomedical Engineering
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE CONFIRMED THE DECISION OF THE ACADEMIC BOARD
THAT the name of the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, at the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, be changed to the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, effective July 1, 2020.
d. Constitutional Amendments: John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE CONFIRMED THE DECISION OF THE ACADEMIC BOARD
THAT the proposed amended Constitution of the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design Council, which was recommended for approval by the Council on February 26, 2020 be approved, effective July 1, 2020.
6. Reports of the Previous Meeting of the Executive Committee
Report Number 513 (May 5, 2020) and Report Number 514 (May 14, 2020) were approved.
7. Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting
There was no business arising from the minutes of the previous meetings.
8. Minutes of the Governing Council Meeting – May 14, 2020
Members received the Report of the May 14, 2020 Governing Council meeting for information.
9. Business Arising from the Minutes of the Governing Council Meeting
There was no business arising from the minutes of the Governing Council meeting.
10. Reports for Information:
Members received the following Reports for information:
- Review of Academic Programs and Units – Part 2
- Follow-Up report on Reviews - (i) Edward S. Rogers St. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering); (ii) Cinema Studies Institute (Faculty of Arts and Science); (iii) The David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics (formerly the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics), the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA) and the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Faculty of Arts and Science)
- Semi-Annual Report on the reviews of Academic Units and Programs – October 2019 to March 2020
- Report Number 87 of Elections Committee (May 20, 2020)
- Report Number 218 of the University Affairs Board (May 21, 2020)
- Report Number 228 of the Academic Board (May 28, 2020)
- Report Number 42 of the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus Council (May 25, 2020)
- Report Number 42 of the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus Council (May 26, 2020)
END OF CONSENT AGENDA
11. Date of Next Meeting
The Chair advised members that the next meeting was scheduled for Thursday, June 25, 2020 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
12. Other Business
a. Governing Council Meeting
The Chair reminded members that the next meeting of the Governing Council was to be held on June 25, 2020 and discussed the arrangements surrounding that meeting.
The Committee Moved In Camera.
In Camera Session
13. Items for Approval
a. Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters: Recommendation for Expulsion
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE RESOLVED
THAT the President’s recommendations for expulsion, as outlined in the memorandum and supporting documentation from the Secretary of the Governing Council, dated June 9, 2020 be confirmed.
b. Academic Integrity Matters: Laying of Charges and Establishment of a Judicial Board
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE RESOLVED
THAT the President’s recommendations for the Laying of Charges and Establishment of a Judicial Board, as outlined in the memorandum and supporting documentation from the Secretary of the Governing Council, dated June 9, 2020 be confirmed.
c. External Appointment
i. West Park Healthcare Centre Board of Directors
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE RESOLVED
THAT Professor Susan Jaglal be appointed as the University of Toronto’s representative on the Board of Directors of the West Park Healthcare Centre for a term of one (1) year, or until her successor is chosen, subject to approval by the members of the West Park Healthcare Centre’s Board of Directors at their Annual General Meeting of June 25, 2020.
14. Items for Endorsement and Forwarding
a. Capital Project: Report of the Project Planning Committee for the Trinity College in the University of Toronto New Student Residence & Academic Building – The Lawson Centre for Sustainability – Total Project Cost and Sources of Funding
The Committee approved a motion to endorse and forward to the Governing Council, a recommendation dated June 9, 2020, from Professor Scott Mabury regarding the total project cost and sources of funding for the Trinity College’s New Student Residence and Academic Building – The Lawson Centre for Sustainability capital project.
15. Committee Members with the President
Members of the Executive Committee, with the Board and Campus Council Chair, met with the President.
16. Committee Members Alone
Members of the Executive Committee, with the Board Chairs, met privately.
The meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.
June 18, 2020