Report: Executive Committee - May 04, 2021

REPORT NUMBER 522 OF
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Tuesday, May 4, 2021
 

To the Governing Council, University of Toronto.

Your Committee reports that it held a virtual meeting on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. with the following members present:

Present:
Claire M.C. Kennedy (Chair), Brian Lawson (Vice-Chair), Meric S. Gertler (President), Olivia Batt
P.C. Choo, Janet Ecker, Sandra Hanington, Ernest W.N. Lam, Mark Lautens, Jiazhen (Diana) Li, Joanne McNamara, Salvatore Spadafora, Bruce Winter

Regrets:
Joan Johnston

Non-Voting Member:
Sheree Drummond, Secretary of the Governing Council

Secretariat:
Anwar Kazimi and Kristi Gourlay

In Attendance:
Cheryl Regehr, Vice-President and Provost and Member of the Governing Council Anna Kennedy, Chair, Business Board and Member of the Governing Council
Paul Kingston, Chair, UTSC 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 Samra Zafar, Chair, UTM Campus Council and Member of the Governing Council Scott Mabury, Vice-President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships
Nadina Jamison, Assistant Vice-President, Strategic Initiatives, Office of the President Bryn MacPherson, Assistant Vice-President, Office of the President and Chief of Protocol Steve Moate, Senior Legal Counsel, Office of the President (Item 14(d))
Anthony Gray, Director, Strategic Research, Office of the President Josh Mitchell, Director, Real Estate (Item 14(d))
Simon Pratt, Director, Policy & Analysis, Institutional Research & Data Governance (Item 3) Signe Leisk, Cassels (Item 14(d))
Adrianna Pilkington, Cassels (Item 14(d))

Pursuant to section 28 (e) and 38 of By-Law Number 2, consideration of
items 14-18 took place in camera.

The meeting was held in closed Session.

1. Chair’s Remarks
   
   The Chairs welcomed the attendees to the meeting.
    
2. Report of the President
   
   The President began his remarks by addressing the Canadian Association of University Teachers’ (CAUT) recent motion of censure pertaining to the discontinued search for a professional/managerial director position for the International Human Rights Program in the Faculty of Law. He expressed disappointment that CAUT had made this decision which the University believed was unwarranted. He confirmed that the University stood behind the findings of the external review conducted by the Honourable Thomas Cromwell – the only person who had had access to all of the information pertaining to the search – who had concluded that the allegations were not supported by the evidence, and that external influence did not play any role in the decision to discontinue the recruitment process. Professor Gertler noted that the University had accepted all of the recommendations in Mr. Cromwell’s Report and reaffirmed that the University remained strongly committed to upholding the principles and practice of academic freedom and merit-based hiring without external interference.
   
   Federal Matters
   
   The President made reference to the Budget that had been released on April 19th, noting the significant items that supported higher education and advanced research, including investments in supports for students, in a national Bioinnovation Strategy to revitalize Canada’s life science and biomanufacturing sector, and in upgrading and improving immigration application processing and support for immigration applicants. The President also referred to the April 14th announcement by the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada that the government was creating an accelerated pathway to Permanent Residency for over 90,000 workers, including 40,000 recent international graduates of Canadian universities, who were currently employed in Canada on temporary work permits. He noted that this would increase Canada’s attractiveness to international talent.
   
   Provincial Matters
   
   The President advised that on April 30th, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities had announced a one-year extension to the current tuition freeze for Ontario students, while at the same time allowing universities to increase fees for out-of-province Canadians by up to three percent annually. He noted that the University was deliberating how to proceed for 2021-22. The President also remarked on the current debate between the provincial and federal governments about the role that cross-border travel to Canada was playing in the third wave of the pandemic. He noted that the University would continue to advise both levels of government that its protocols around international students and its own quarantine program had been extremely successful.
   
   Max Planck-University of Toronto Centre
   
   The President concluded his remarks by announcing that on April 15th, the University and Germany’s Max Planck Society – one of the world’s foremost scientific institutions – had established the Max Planck-University of Toronto Centre for Neural Science and Technology (MPUTC). MPUTC would bring together a team of internationally renowned researchers in neural science and technology that would further enhance the position of U of T and its hospital partners among the world leaders in these fields. President Gertler observed that MPUTC was a strong example of how working with partner hospitals and leveraging combined strengths in research and education could open doors to international collaborations at the highest levels.
   
   At the invitation of the President, the Provost provided an update on the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She highlighted the following:
   
   Students

• The majority of the roughly 2,500 students in residence had returned home at the end of the winter term, with 400 choosing to remain over the summer, and 150 new residents.
• The University was gauging student interest in residences and continuing to work closely with Environmental Health and Safety on occupancy limits and health and safety protocols.
• The University hoped that public health conditions would permit housing for all eligible first- year students in the fall but recognized that provincial health regulations would determine availability.
• In response to the federal government’s halting of flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days to slow the spread of variants of concern, University staff had been in contact with impacted students and were monitoring the situation closely in order to provide students with updates when they became available.
• Immigration Canada had recently announced that all international students who completed their visa applications by May 15 would be notified of the status of their applications by August 6, enabling them to arrive in Toronto for the fall term.
• The University’s quarantine programs continued to help students arriving in Canada. As of the end of April, nearly 2,900 students had registered for these programs and just over 2,600 students had completed them.
• The University’s Emergency Bursary program continued to provide critical financial support for students affected by the pandemic. It had now provided more than $9.5 million in emergency bursaries to more than 7,000 students.
  
  Research
• Research was continuing with measures in place to follow public health guidance.
• Graduate student researchers were eager to get back to campus and move forward with their academic work.
• To facilitate this, the University was working to provide as much flexibility as possible around where and when graduate student researchers conducted their work, virtual mentorship opportunities, and emergency bursaries to support their academic progress.
  
  Academic Continuity
• Faculties and Divisions continued their preparations for the Fall 2021 semester.
• The University was hoping for a great deal of in-person contact on the campuses in the fall should public health guidelines permit this and had been working with academic administrators, chief administrative officers and others to develop plans.
• The University was watching how other provinces were planning for the fall and hoped that Ontario would receive similar guidelines to those received by universities in other provinces.
  
  Vaccine Clinics
• The University of Toronto Mississauga clinic continued to provide a significant service to the community and had administered 100,000 vaccines since opening in March.
• The St. George clinic, with its patient-focused design, had administered 11,000 doses despite operating only once or twice a week due to vaccine shortages.
• The St. George campus team had developed a partnership with the Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health and Na-Me-Res to provide culturally appropriate and safe vaccinations to the downtown Toronto Indigenous community. There were now two clinics focused on this population which had provided more than 800 vaccinations to community members.
• The St. George team had also been asked to operate a pop-up vaccination site in a high-risk neighbourhood in Rexdale and was scheduled to deliver 14,000 vaccines in the following week.
• The University of Toronto Scarborough remained committed to supporting their broader community with COVID-19 testing and had completed more than 80,000 tests since December 2020.
  
  Preparing for a Safe Return to Campus
  
  In preparation for a safe return to campus, the University was pursuing more than a dozen strategies including:
• using UCheck and other means to screen for health before coming to campus;
• using scheduling and capacity limits to minimize building occupancy;
• rearranging spaces to promote physical distancing;
• requiring the use of nonmedical masks as appropriate;
• continuing the practice of enhanced cleaning of high-touch points;
• assessing, upgrading, and modifying classroom ventilation and air filtration to meet or exceed high standards;
• creating support for contact tracing through the use of building access QR codes;
• deploying rapid screening where appropriate; and
• monitoring wastewater in larger residences to mitigate potential outbreaks before they happen.
  
  In closing, the Provost thanked staff and faculty members for their incredible work and ingenuity through another semester under the pandemic.
  
  Professor Scott Mabury, Vice President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships and Vice Provost, Academic Operations, provided further details about some of the strategies to which the Provost had referred.
• Wastewater monitoring in large residences had proven successful in detecting a resident with the virus two days ahead of the manifestation of symptoms, allowing the population of the residence to be tested and the infected student isolated. He reported that the initiative would be expanding to include up to 11 residences and that a response protocol had been developed.
• The voluntary rapid screening pilot testing was focused on essential service groups which had higher interactions with the public and was integrated with the UCheck application.
• The Tri-campus ventilation strategy had been updated. Air exchange and movement had been tested in all classrooms across the three campuses and the University was committed to modifying any classroom with fewer than six air exchanges per hour, the same amount required in hospital emergency rooms. In classrooms where this was not possible, alternative strategies would be implemented before the space could be used
• The development and testing of a new dashboard to assist with communicating to the community the Universities efforts at preparing for a safe return to campus and which would provide the opportunity to learn more about individual strategies.
  
  In response to members’ questions, the President reported the following:
• The very positive feedback from the MPUTC suggested that there was potential for broadening the initiative beyond neuroscience.
• The impact of the CAUT censure was still to be seen, but to date it had not impacted global partnerships. It was anticipated that it would not have a significant long-term impact on the University which continued to be a world-class institution where individuals wanted to work, study, and do research.
• The duration of the CAUT censure would be determined by CAUT. The University did not find viable CAUT’s proposed remedy of hiring the preferred candidate into the vacant position both because it would not be appropriate to move forward with the position until the comprehensive review of the IHRP program that had been undertaken by the Faculty of Law was complete, and because the original search had been cancelled and would need to be restarted.
  
  In response to a member’s question, the Provost reported that the Council of Ontario Universities was seeking legal guidance with respect to mandatory vaccinations for those who return to campus.
  
  In response to member’s questions Professor Mabury reported that the safety protocols for a safe return to campus would be monitored to ensure that they were effective in practice with the goal of continuous improvement.

3. 2020 Performance Indicators for Governance
   
   The Chair invited the Provost to provide a brief summary of some of the highlights of the Performance Indicators for Governance 2020 report which measured the University’s progress towards long-term goals in a range of teaching and research areas. Professor Regehr made reference to the following areas:

• challenges presented by COVID-19 and the success of the University’s responses;
• accessibility and well being;
• graduate employability;
• growth in research funding;
• employment equity and the ongoing work of diversifying faculty hires; and
• Tri-Campus work in sustainability.
  
  In response to a question about whether the University had strategies to address the lack of diversification in international student enrolment, the Provost reported that ongoing efforts were being made to attract students from different parts of the world using different strategies with the goal of further diversifying the international student body.
  
  Another member expressed concern that while the University was measuring the student experience, it did not appear to be measuring student satisfaction. The member made reference to one survey which reported a top score for reputation but the lowest score for student satisfaction. The Provost responded that the terminology between student experience and satisfaction presented some challenges and that clarity would be provided in future reports.
  
  The Chair thanked the Provost and her team, in particular Mr. Simon Pratt, Director, Policy & Analysis, Institutional Research & Data Governance, for the work on this important annual report.

4. Item for Confirmation
   1. Capital Project: Report of the Project Planning Committee for the University of Toronto Experiential Learning Hub at 203 College Street (Level 2 project)
      
      Professor Mabury provided a brief overview of the project highlighting the following points:

• The project was a collaboration between the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, the Faculty of Arts & Science, and Student Life.
• It would provide space beyond the classroom for integrated learning on campus and for students and employers to interact.
• The building site had been converted into mixed commercial and residential space.
  
  On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
  
  YOUR COMMITTEE CONFIRMED
  
  THAT the project totaling 1,113 net assignable square metres (nasm) (1,337 gross square metres (gsm)), be approved in principle, to be funded equally by Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering APSC Faculty Reserves; Faculty of Arts & Science Major Future Capital Project Account; and the Provost’s Institutional Funds.

CONSENT AGENDA

On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED

THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Items 5 (a) and (b) and 9 be approved.

5. Reports of the Previous Meetings of the Executive Committee
   1. Report Number 520 (March 25, 2021)
   2. Report Number 521 (April 6, 2021)
6. Business Arising from the Reports of the Previous Meetings
    
7. Minutes of the Governing Council Meeting – April 6, 2021
    
8. Business Arising from the Minutes of the Governing Council Meeting
    
9. Revised Governing Council and Executive Committee Meeting Dates, 2021-22
    
10. Reports for Information
    1. Report Number 47 of the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus Council (April 19, 2021)
    2. Report Number 47 of the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus Council (April 21, 2021)
    3. Report Number 223 of the University Affairs Board (April 22, 2021)
    4. Report Number 258 of the Business Board (April 27, 2021)
    5. Report Number 233 of the Academic Board (April 28, 2021)

END OF CONSENT AGENDA

11. Date of Next Meeting
    
    The Chair advised members that the next meeting was scheduled for Monday, June 14, 2021 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
     
12. Other Business
    
    The Chair noted that Janet Ecker, Chair of the Audit Committee had asked to speak briefly on the Audit Committee’s recent review of the Annual Report: Security and Protection of Digital Assets. It was determined that this would occur in the in camera portion of the meeting.
     
13. Governing Council Meeting – May 13, 2021
    
    The Chair reminded members that the next meeting of the Governing Council was to be held on May 13, 2021.
    
    The Committee Moved In Camera.
    
    Ms Ecker spoke to the committee about Audit Committee’s recent review of the Annual Report: Security and Protection of Digital Assets.
     
14. Items for Endorsement and Forwarding
    1. Appointments: Members of the Governing Council to Governance Bodies, 2021-22
       
       The Chair provided an overview of the process that informed the proposed 2021-22 assignments of members of the Governing Council to governance bodies.
       
       On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried YOUR COMMITTEE RESOLVED
       
       THAT the following motion be endorsed and forwarded to the Governing Council:
       
       THAT the proposed Assignments of members of the Governing Council to Boards and Committees for 2021-22, be approved; and
       
       THAT, pursuant to section 38 of By-Law Number 2, the Governing Council consider this item in camera.
       
       THAT, subject to the approval of the membership of the Elections Committee by the Governing Council on May 13, 2021, Professor Mark Lautens be appointed as Chair of the Elections Committee for a one-year term effective July 1, 2021.
       
        
    2. Report of the Committee to Review the Office of the University Ombudsperson 2020-2021
       
       The Chair, in her capacity as Chair of the Committee to Review the Office of the University Ombudsperson, provided an overview of the review process and the recommendations contained in the Report.
       
       On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried YOUR COMMITTEE RESOLVED
       
       THAT the following motion be endorsed and forwarded to the Governing Council:
       
       THAT the Report of the Committee to Review the Office of the Ombudsperson 2020-21, dated April 27, 2021, be accepted and that the recommendations contained therein be endorsed in principle, and
       
       THAT, pursuant to section 38 of By-Law Number 2, the Governing Council consider the item in camera.
       
        
    3. Senior Appointment
       
       The Committee approved a motion to endorse and forward to the Governing Council a recommendation on a senior appointment.
       
        
    4. Property Matter
       
       On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried YOUR COMMITTEE RESOLVED
       
       THAT the recommendations of Professor Scott Mabury, Vice-President, University Operations and Real Estate Partnerships, be endorsed and forwarded to the Governing Council.
       
       THAT, pursuant to section 38 of By-Law Number 2, the Governing Council consider this matter in camera.
        
15. Items for Approval by the Executive Committee
    1. External Appointments
       1. Hart House Board of Stewards
          
          On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried YOUR COMMITTEE RESOLVED
          
          THAT Mr. David Kim be re-appointed to the Hart House Board of Stewards for a one-year term, from May 1, 2021 until April 30, 2022, or until his successor is appointed.
          
          THAT Mr. Paul Lindblad be re-appointed to the Hart House Finance Committee for a one- year term, from May 1, 2021 until April 30, 2022, or until his successor is appointed.
           
       2. Sunnybrook Health Science Centre (SHSC) Board of Directors+
          
          On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried YOUR COMMITTEE RESOLVED
          
          THAT the following individuals be re-appointed to the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (SHCS) Board of Directors for one-year terms, effective the Sunnybrook’s AGM on June 14, 2021 to the AGM in June 2022 of the SHSC:

16. Items for Confirmation by the Executive Committee
    1. Capital Project: Report of the Project Planning Committee for the University of Toronto Experiential Learning Hub at 203 College Street (Lev 2 project) – Total Project Cost and Sources of Funding
       
       On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
       
       YOUR COMMITTEE CONFIRMED the decision of the Business Board
       
       THAT the recommendation outlined in the memorandum of Professor Scott Mabury, Vice- President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships (VPOREP), dated April 27, 2021, regarding University of Toronto Experiential Learning Hub at 203 College Street ) – Total Project Cost and Sources of Funding, be approved.
17. Committee Members with the President
    
    Members of the Executive Committee, with the Board and Campus Council Chairs, met with the President.
     
18. Committee Members Alone
    
    Members of the Executive Committee, with the Board and Campus Council Chairs, met privately.

The meeting adjourned at 7:11 p.m.

May 12, 2021