Report: Committee on Academic Policy and Programs - September 16, 2019

REPORT NUMBER 198 OF THE COMMITTEE ON
ACADEMIC POLICY AND PROGRAMS

To the Academic Board,
University of Toronto

Your Committee reports that it met on Monday, September 16, 2019 at 4:10 p.m. in the Council Chamber, Simcoe Hall, with the following present:

Present: Ernest Lam (Chair), Aarthi Ashok (Vice- Chair), Susan McCahan (Vice-Provost Academic Programs), Nadia Al-Banna, Joshua Barker, James Davis, Raisa Deber, Angela Esterhammer, Peter Gooch, Connie Guberman, Emily Hawes, Edsel Ing, Jeannie Kim, Daiana Kostova, Nana (Hyung Ran) Lee, Richard Levin, Mary Pugh, Jennifer Purtle, Lewis Norman Rose, Rosa Saverino

In Attendance:
Daniella Mallinick, Director, Academic Programs, Planning and Quality Assurance, Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs

1. Chair’s Welcome
   
   The Chair welcomed members to the first meeting of the year. He welcomed Professor Aarthi Ashok in her new role as Vice-Chair. He then introduced the Senior Assessor, Professor Susan McCahan, Vice-Provost, Academic Programs, the Non-voting Assessors, Professor Joshua Barker, Mr. Richard Levin, and Professor Vivek Goel, as well as the Secretary, Mr. David Walders.
   
   Professor McCahan introduced Dr. Daniella Mallinick, the Director, Academic Programs, Planning & Quality Assurance.

2. Discussion: Orientation and Committee Responsibilities
   
   An online orientation had been provided to members in advance of the meeting on the Diligent portal.  In reply to a member’s question regarding divisional consultation for reviews of academic programs and units, Professor McCahan explained the consultation and review process, including divisional processes as well as review by governance.  In response to a member’s question regarding new programs and program closures, Professor McCahan noted that a great deal of diligent research and consultation was undertaken before new programs were proposed.  Proponents had several tools for assessing demand for prospective programs, including student surveys, an assessment of program offerings in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada and, in the case of programs leading to professional certification, anticipated industry demand for such qualifications.  Program closures could be the result of a number of factors and were are a normal part of program evolution and quality.

3.  Discussion: Reading Group Guidance
   
   Professor McCahan provided an overview of the reading group guidance document.  She explained that committee members would be broken into reading groups and that there would be 12 reviews divided among these reading groups for the Cycle 2 meeting.

4.  Report of the Previous Meeting: Report 197, May 8, 2019
   
   The Report of the Previous Meeting was approved.

5.  Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting
   
   There was no business arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting

6.   Date of Next Meeting: October 30, 2019 at 4:10 p.m.
   
   The Chair confirmed that the date of the next meeting would be October 30, 2019 at 4:10 p.m.

7.   Reports of the Administrative Assessors
   
   Professor McCahan reported that, in August, 2019, the Quality Council approved the following new graduate programs, reviewed by APP in May 2019:
        - Master of Health Science in Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine 
        - Doctor of Nursing, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing 
        - Doctor of Education in Child Study & Education, OISE
   
   These programs were submitted to the Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities (MTCU) for funding and OSAP approval.  MTCU's target date for approval was late November 2019.  
   
   Professor McCahan also reminded members that the Provincial Government transition had delayed program approvals across Ontario. However, on June 7, 2019, the MTCU advised the University that it had approved all five new programs the University submitted to it in 2018:
   
        - Bachelor of Information, Faculty of Information 
        - Graduate Diploma in Health Research, Faculty of Medicine 
        - Master of Urban Innovation, University of Toronto Mississauga 
        - Master of Science in Pharmacy, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy
        - PhD in Architecture, Landscape and Design, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design
   
   The delay however meant that both master's programs and the PhD program would have their starts delayed until September 2020. 
   
   Finally, the revisions to the UTQAP, which were received by APP for information last year, were approved by the Quality Council in May 2019.

8.  Other Business
   
   There were no items of other business.

The meeting adjourned at 4:53 p.m. 

September 17,  2019