REPORT NUMBER 275 OF THE BUSINESS BOARD
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2023
To the Governing Council,
University of Toronto,
Your Board reports that it held a meeting in the Council Chamber, Simcoe Hall on November 22, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. with the following members present:
PRESENT: Rajiv Mathur (Chair), Mathangi Gopinathan (Vice-Chair), Ron Saporta (Acting Vice-President, Operations), Kelly Hannah-Moffat (Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture), Trevor Rodgers (Chief Financial Officer), Sharleen Ahmed, Glen W Bandiera*, Vikram Chadalawada, Janet Anne Cloud, Alicia Damley, Maureen Harquail*, Paul Huyer, Thomas Hofmann*, Kikelomo Lawal, Nelson Lee, Scott MacKendrick, Brian Madden, Rima Ramchandani, David Regan, Carmen Sebert, Ian Taylor, Veronica Wadey, Grace Westcott
REGRETS: Kathryn Jenkins, Mary-Agnes Wilson
NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Cheryl Regehr, Vice-President & Provost, David Palmer, Vice-President, Advancement, Christine Szustaczek, Vice-President, Communications, Randy Boyagoda, Acting Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life, David Lehto, Chief, University Planning, Design & Construction, Luke Barber, Acting Chief Operating Officer, Deborah Brown, Chief Administrative Officer, UTM*, Jeff Lennon, Assistant Vice-President, Planning & Budget
SECRETARIAT: Timothy Harlick (Secretary), Tracery Gameiro
IN ATTENDANCE: Catherine Riddell, Assistant Vice-President, Communications, Tanya Kreinin, Assistant Vice-President, Brand Strategy and Chief Marketing Officer Noreen Ahmed-Ullah, Director of the Office of the Vice-President, Communications, Kate Enros, Executive Director, Academic Life & Faculty Relations, Melanie Wright, Associate Director, Academic HR Services, Lisa Becker, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Compliance Officer for University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation (UTAM), Allan Shapira, Senior Partner in Aon's Retirement Practice and Managing Director of Aon in Canada, Helen Bao, Sanish Samuel, Controller & Director Financial Services
*attended remotely
Pursuant to section 38 of By-Law Number 2,
consideration of items 14 and 18 took place in camera.
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair welcomed members and guests to the meeting.
- Reports of the Administrative Assessors
Professor Cheryl Regehr, Vice-President & Provost provided the Board with an update on the release of the report of Ontario’s Blue Ribbon Panel Report on Post-Secondary Education Financial Sustainability (“the Report”).
Professor Regehr highlighted the following recommendations made in the Report:
- A 10% increase in operating grant funding for 2024-2025 with annual increases at the rate of inflation at a minimum rate of 2%
- A 5% increase in tuition for 2024-2025 with annual increases at the rate of inflation at a minimum rate of 2%
- An additional 3% tuition increase for professional programs 2024-25.
- An increase in institutional Student Financial Aid programs and a request that institutions look for greater efficiencies in operations and program offerings.
- An increase in OSAP funding for low-income students.
- Increased funding for deferred maintenance projects.
The Provost noted that specific mention was made of the University of Toronto by the Chair of the Panel, which recognized the University’s “pre-eminence” and the importance of differentiation across the sector. The Provost underscored the significance of the Chair’s recognition that maintaining the University of Toronto’s position as a leading global research university held value for Ontario and Canada and came with higher costs and the need for greater investment.
Regarding tuition increases, the Provost assured members that any changes to tuition levels would continue to be considered hand- in-hand with the University’s commitment to offering the most generous access programs in the province.
- Annual Report: Vice-President, Communications
The Board received the Annual Report of the Vice-President, Communications, for information. The Report provided members with an update on University of Toronto Communications’ (UTC) activities during the FY2022-2023 period.
Highlights of Ms Christine Szustaczek, Vice-President, Communication, presentation included:
- UTC worked to share the University’s leadership in AI, pandemic response, sustainability, social justice issues and more.
- UTC captured the largest share of coverage in external news media of any Canadian university and greatly expanded its footprint in global news media with media coverage in more than 62 languages in top international publications such as The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Guardian.
- U of T’s social media following grew to more than 1 million, with U of T’s Instagram, TikTok and Threads accounts now each having the largest following of any Canadian university.
- UTC streamlined internal communications with the launch of an internal communications table that included representatives from the President’s Office, the Provost’s Office and People, Strategy, Equity & Culture (PSEC).
- UTC received 67 awards and was named in the Not-for-Profit Communications Department category by the International Association for Business Communicators (“IABC”) in the most prestigious, peer-evaluated, global award competition for strategic communications.
Discussion
In the ensuing discussion, Ms Szustaczek discussed her five-year vision for the Communications Office as an intentional evolution, building the innovative work already underway by her staff. This included leveraging emerging technologies and noted that a working group to assess the use of generative AI had been recently formed. Ms Szustaczek also commented on the partnership with the President’s Office and the Issues Management Team to engage with the university community on addressing gaps and differences in expectations.
- Agreement between the University of Toronto and the University of Toronto Faculty Association regarding proposed revisions to the Policy for Librarians, 1991
Professor Randy Boyagoda, Acting Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life, reported that the revisions would impact over 169 librarians. He then provided the overview of the proposed changes to the Memorandum of Settlement between the University of Toronto Faculty Association (‘UTFA”) and the University, with respect to the Policies for Librarians which included:
- Affirming the role librarians have in advancing the mission of the University and clarity that their role is a combination of professional practice, research and scholarly contributions, creative professional activity, and service as governed by the University of Toronto Workload Policy and Procedures for Faculty and Librarians;
- Restating that librarians have access to the grievance procedure under Article 7 of the Memorandum of Agreement;
- Expanding the educational requirements to include a Master’s degree in library, archival or information science from an accredited institution, or equivalent professional education;
- Changes to librarian searches, including moving postings for librarian roles to the UofT Job Board instead of the Faculty of Information website, as well as clarification regarding the composition and advisory purpose of search committees;
- Access to secondment appointments; and
- Changes to criteria for promotion to Librarian III and IV categories.
Professor Boyagoda noted that a transition framework had been agreed to support the implementation of these changes. This transition framework outlined that those librarians appointed prior to the effective date (January 1, 2024), could opt to use either the new or prior PFL as part of their permanent status review.
Discussion
In response to a member’s question, Professor Boyagoda commented that in addition to the many ongoing professional practices, librarians also engaged in academic services. Some of those professional and academic services included teaching, embedded curriculum workshops and providing research consultations on several topics such as copyright, research data management and conducting research in an open access environment.
Professor Boyagoda also provided an overview of the Ontario Council of University Libraries (“OCUL”) Scholars Portal and its funding arrangements and cost recovery model with the University of Toronto and the participating university libraries.
On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried,
YOUR BOARD RECOMMENDED
THAT the Memorandum of Settlement between the University of Toronto Faculty Association and the University Administration, dated October 27, 2023, regarding the Policies for Librarians be approved, effective immediately.
- Revision to University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation By-laws
The Board received and reviewed a proposal to approve a new General Operating By-law No.1 (“by-law”) for the University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation (“UTAM”) to comply with Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 (“ONCA”)
Trevor Rodgers, Chief Financial Officer, introduced the item and noted that the proposed revisions had been reviewed by UTAM’s Board and had been recommended to the Business Board for its approval with respect to clauses specified under clause 64 (c) of the by-law.
Lisa Becker, Chief Operating Officer, University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation, commented that UTAM had been subject to the Corporations Act (Ontario) and was now subject to ONCA, which was intended to align legislation with equivalent federal corporations’ law. The updates to the by-law were required to comply with ONCA.
Ms Becker concluded by noting that following approval by the Board, the by-law would then be subject to approval by UTAMs members and directors, and all appropriate corporate filings would be made.
On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried,
YOUR BOARD APPROVED
Subject to its sanction and confirmation by the board of the University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation at a meeting, and by its voting members of at an annual or special meeting;
THAT General Operating By-Law No. 1 - University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation be approved.
CONSENT AGENDA
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR BOARD APPROVED
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 9, the Report of the Previous Meeting, be approved.
- Status Report on Debt to August 31, 2023
Members received the Status Report on Debt to August 31, 2023, for information.
- Quarterly List of Donations of $250,000 or more to the University of Toronto – August 1, 2023, to October 31, 2023
The Quarterly List of Donations of $250,000 or more to the University of Toronto – August 1, 2023, to October 31, 2023, was received for information.
- Health and Safety Requirements: Quarterly Report on Compliance
The Health and Safety Requirements – Quarterly Report on Compliance for July 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023, was received for information.
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Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 274, September 27, 2023
Report Number 274, from the meeting of September 27, 2023, was approved.
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Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting
There was no business arising from the report of the previous meeting.
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Report Number 154 of the Audit Committee, September 20, 2023
Report number 154 of the Audit Committee, September 20, 2023, was received for information.
- Date of Next Meeting – Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
The Board was informed that the next meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
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Other Business
The Board moved In-camera.
IN CAMERA CONSENT AGENDA
- In Camera Reports of the Administrative Assessors
Mr. Saporta provided an update on two capital projects.
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Report on Capital Projects as of October 31, 2023
The Board received the Report on Capital Projects as of October 31, 2023, for information.
Mr. Saporta and David Lehto, Chief, University Planning, Design & Construction, provided a summary overview and update of the capital projects underway this academic year.
- MCU Financial Accountability Framework 2023
The Board received a presentation on the Ministry of Colleges and Universities Financial Accountability Framework by Trevor Rodgers, Chief Financial Officer.
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University Pension Plan Ontario (UPP) Actuarial Valuation at January 1, 2023
The Board received an update on the University Pension Plan Ontario (UPP) Actuarial Valuation at January 1, 2023 by Mr. Rodgers. Allan Shapira, Senior Partner in Aon's Retirement Practice and Managing Director of Aon in Canada was also present to respond to questions from members. -
Business Board Striking Committee 2023-24 Membership
On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried,
YOUR BOARD APPROVED
THAT the following be appointed to the Business Board Striking Committee to recommend appointments for 2023-2024:
- Vikram Chadalawada (Administrative Staff)
- Scott MacKendrick (Alumni)
- Mary-Agnes Wilson (Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council)
- Nelson Lee (Student)
- Veronica Wadey (Teaching Staff)
The Board returned to Open Session.
The meeting adjourned at 7:09 p.m.
December 1, 2023