Report: Business Board - March 18, 2020

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Virutal Meeting

REPORT NUMBER  251 OF  THE  BUSINESS  BOARD
March 18, 2020


To the Governing Council,
University of Toronto.

Your Board reports that it held a virtual meeting on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. with the following members:

Present:
Bruce Winter (Vice-Chair) (In the Chair); Meric Gertler, President; Scott Mabury, Vice-President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships; Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, Human Resources and Equity; Sheila Brown, Chief Financial Officer; Robert G. Boeckner; David Bowden; K. Sonu Gaind; Gary D. Goldberg; Sarosh Jamal; Kathryn A. Jenkins; Joan Johnston; Anna Kennedy; Jan K. Mahrt-Smith; Joanne McNamara; Brian A. Miron; John Paul Morgan; Susan Rodgers; Ian Taylor; Chris Thatcher; Keith Thomas; Laurent-Philippe (L.P) Veilleux; 

Regrets
Preet Banerjee, Sue Graham-Nutter, Yining (Elin) Gu, Brian D. Lawson

Secretariat:
Sheree Drummond, Secretary of the Governing Council; Anwar Kazimi, Deputy-Secretary of the Governing Council; Patrick McNeill, Secretary, Business Board
 
Non-Voting Assessors:
Cheryl Regehr, Vice-President and Provost; Trevor Rodgers, Assistant Vice-President, Planning and Budget 

In Attendance:
Rosalyn Figov, Chief Operations Officer, Office of the Vice-President Human Resources and Equity (VPHRE); Andrea Russell, Director, Academic Affairs; Daren Smith, President and Chief Investment Officer, University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation (UTAM)


ITEMS 2(a.), 2(b.), 3, 5 AND 6 ARE RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNING COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.  ITEMS 4(a.) AND 8 WERE APPROVED. ALL OTHER ITEMS ARE REPORTED TO THE GOVERNING COUNCIL FOR INFORMATION.

Pursuant to section 33(i) of By-Law Number 2,
items 15-17 were considered in camera.

  1. Chair’s Remarks

    The Chair welcomed members and guests, including President Gertler. 

    COVID-19 Update:

    In light of the circumstances, he invited the President and Provost to make some comments regarding COVID-19.

    Professor Meric Gertler, President and Professor Cheryl Regehr, Vice-President and Provost, provided an update as of March 18, 2020 on the COVID-19 and the efforts underway at the University.

    In response to members’ comments and questions, the President and Provost, as well as the Vice-President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships, stated the following:

    •    detailed work continued to be undertaken regarding enrolment modeling and impact on revenues in the event that international student enrolment were affected;

    •    the University continued to be engaged in high level discussions at the Federal level – this also included conversations with Universities Canada and the U15 group of universities;

    •    urgent priority was being given to address impact on summer internship programs and graduate entry into the labour market – the University was awaiting further details of the expenditure support program for  post-secondary students from the Federal government;

    •    the University was reviewing delivery of summer programs (including a ramp up of additional courses) and the Fall academic term;

    •    the University had transitioned all in-person courses to alternative means of delivery, making innovative use of online technologies and other strategies to carry on with teaching and learning activities; critical research operations were also being reviewed; and

    •    the University had detailed models regarding enrolment, revenues, and expenditure plans across the University that would assist in scenario planning, moniotring, and forecasting throughout the year, and would make adjustments as needed.


The Chair thanked President Gertler, Provost Regehr and Vice-President Mabury for their remarks.

Tuition Fees and Budget:

The Chair advised members that the main theme of the meeting was student fees and the budget.  

The Chair  made reference to two background reports that had been provided: under Item 1(c) Annual Report on Student Financial Support; and Item 1(d) Enrolment Report. He thanked those members who were able to attend the budget preview information session held on February 12, 2020.

Professors Regehr and Mabury reported on the Budget Report for 2020-2021 and the Long Range Budget Guidelines 2020-21 to 2024-25, as well as the tuiton fee recommendations. With reference to the presentation on the Budget, three budget priorities regarding students; equity, diversty and inclusion; and research excellence were highlighted.

President Gertler expressed his support for the Budget and Long Range Budget Guidelines reflecting on the University’s experience and strength to weather difficult and challenging times. He noted the resilience and capacity built into the budget, including reserves and endowments. He expressed cautious optimism in the University’s ability to cope with coming challenges, and indicated that under normal circumstances, strong demand to work and study at the University was evident.

In response to members’ comments and questions, the Provost and Vice-President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships, stated the following:

•    domestic tuition fees had decreased by 10% in 2019-20 and continued to be frozen at the direction of the Provincial government;

•    international student fees for most programs had increased at a lower rate compared to previous years;

•    the University continued to invest in student aid (including international student aid);

•    emergency bursaries were made available for undergraduate students, especially those students experiencing current difficulties;

•    the budget included funding for all current year commitments in response to the recommendations to the Presidential and Provostial Task Force on Student Mental Health (December 2019), including hiring of additional counsellors, redesigned spaces, etc.; and

•    the University had continued to work closely with community agencies (i.e. CAMH) on various student wellness initiatives and preventative issues.

  1. Tuition Fees
     
    1. Tuition fee Schedule for Publicly Funded Programs, 2020-21

      On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

      YOUR BOARD RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNING COUNCIL

      THAT the 2020-21 tuition fees as described in the Tuition Fee Schedule for Publicly-Funded Programs 2020-21 (March 5, 2020) be approved.

       
    2. Tuition Fee Schedule for Self-Funded Programs, 2020-21

      On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

      YOUR BOARD RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNING COUNCIL

      THAT the Tuition Fee Schedule for Self-Funded Programs, 2020-21 be approved.

       
    3. Annual Report on Student Financial Support:  Report of the Vice-Provost, Students 2018-19

      The Chair noted that the Report was intended as background to the tuition fee schedule.

       
    4. Enrolment Report, 2019-20

      The Chair noted that the Report was intended as background to the Budget Report and and Long Range Budget Guidelines.
       
  1. Budget Report 2020-21 and Long Range Budget Guidelines 2020-21 to 2024-25

    On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

    YOUR BOARD RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNING COUNCIL

    THAT the Business Board concur with the recommendation of the Academic Board,

    THAT the Budget Report, 2020-21 be approved, and

    THAT the Long Range Budget Guidelines 2020-21 to 2024-25 be approved in principle.

     
  2. Academic Incidental Fees
    1. New Administrative User Fees and Fines (Category 6 Ancillary Fees), 2020-21

      On motion duly moved, seconded and carried

      IT WAS RESOLVED

      THAT the fees listed in Table 1 of the Report entitled Schedule of Ancillary Fees (Categories 
      5 and 6) 2020-21 be added to the Administrative User Fees and Fines Schedule for 2020-21; 
      And

      THAT the fees listed in Table 2 of the Report entitled Schedule of Ancillary Fees (Categories 
      5 and 6) 2020-21 be removed from the Administrative User Fees and Fines Schedule for 2020-21.

       
    2. Category 5 Cost-Recovery Ancillary Fees, 2020-21 and Category 6, Administrative User Fees and Fines, 2020-21

The report was received by the Board for information.

 

  1. Amendments to the Policy with Respect to Workplace Harassment dated May 13, 2010 (amended October 26, 2017)  

    On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

    YOUR BOARD RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNING COUNCIL

    THAT the amendments to the Policy with Respect to Workplace Harassment be approved, effective April 3, 2020.
     
  2. Amendments to the Policy with Respect to Workplace Violence dated May 13, 2010 (amended October 26, 2017)  

    On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

    YOUR BOARD RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNING COUNCIL

    THAT the amendments to the Policy with Respect to Workplace Violence be approved, effective April 3, 2020.
     
  3. Reports of the Administrative Assessors

There were no reports of the Administrative Assessors.

OPEN  SESSION CONSENT AGENDA

On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
    
YOUR BOARD APPROVED

THAT the consent agenda be adopted.

  1. Report of the Previous Meeting

    Report Number 250 from the meeting of February 3, 2020 was approved. 
     
  2. Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting

    There was no business arising from the Report of the previous meeting.
     
  3. Service Ancillaries Operating Plans, 2019-2020

    Members received the Service Ancillaries Operating Plans, 2019-2020, for information.
     
  4. Status Report on Debt to February 29, 2020

    Members received the Status Report on Debt to February 29, 2020, for information.
     
  5. Report Number 136 of the Audit Committee - March 4, 2020

    Members received Report Number 136 of the Audit Committee dated March 4, 2020, for information.
     

CLOSING ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

  1. Date of the Next Meeting – Tuesday, Aprl 28, 2020

    The Chair reminded members that the date of the next meeting was Tuesday, April 28, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.   
     
  2. Other Business

    There was no other business.
     
  3. Quarterly List of Donations of $250,000 or more to the University of Toronto:  

    November 1, 2019 - January 31, 2020

    The Quarterly Report was received by the Board for information.
     
  4. In Camera Reports of the Administrative Assessors

    The were no in camera reports from the Administrative Assessors.
     
  5. Collective Agreement: University of Toronto and CUPE 3902, Unit 5, January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2022

    The Collective Agreement was received by the Board for information.


The meeting adjourned at 6:20 p.m.


March 19, 2020