THE GOVERNING COUNCIL
FEBRUARY 15, 2022
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL held on February 15, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. via virtual meeting.
Pursuant to section 28 (e) and 38 of By-Law Number 2,
consideration of item 12 took place in camera.
Present:
Brian D. Lawson (Chair), Janet L. Ecker (Vice-Chair), Rose M. Patten (Chancellor), Meric S. Gertler, (President), Cheryl Regehr, (Vice-President and Provost), Harvey T. Botting, David N. Bowden, Vikram Sainadh Chadalawada, Janet Cloud, Robert Cooper, Ann Curran, Teodora Dechev, Stark Draper, Susan Froom, K. Sonu Gaind, Vina Goghari, Sandra Hanington, Maureen Harquail, Paul Huyer, Sarosh Jamal, Amin Kamaleddin, Shashi Kant, Evan Kanter, Anna Kennedy, Sameer Lal, Ernest W.N. Lam, Mark Lautens, Ron Levi, Jan K. Mahrt-Smith, Rajiv Mathur, Douglas E. McDougall, Joanne J. McNamara, Karen Ng, Mozynah Nofal, Salvatore M. Spadafora, Danielle Skipp, Ryan Teschner, Wisdom J. Tettey, Nhung Tuyet Tran, Veronica Marie Wadey, Grace Ann Westcott, Kenneth Javier Williams, Geeta Yadav, Samra Zafar
Sheree Drummond (Secretary of the Governing Council)
Regrets:
Andrew Chen, Joan M. Johnston, Kikelomo Lawal, Vishar Yaghoubian, Lara K. Zink
In Attendance:
Leah Cowen (Vice-President, Research, Innovation & Strategic Initiatives), David Estok (Vice-President, Communications), Alexandra Gillespie (Vice-President & Principal, University of Toronto Mississauga), Scott Mabury (Vice-President, University Operations and Real Estate Partnerships), David Palmer (Vice-President, University Advancement), Joe Wong (Vice-President, International), Bryn MacPherson (Assistant Vice-President, Office of the President & Chief of Protocol, Office of the President), Sandy Welsh, Vice-Provost, Students, Noreen Ahmed-Ullah (Director, Office of the Vice President, Communications), Andrew Arifuzzaman (Chief Administrative Officer, UTSC), Pooja Dey (UTM Student Presenter), Rhonda McEwen (Vice-Principal, Academic and Dean, UTM), Anne McIlroy (Principal, Brock McIlroy and Project Consultant), Fiona Rawle (Associate Dean, Undergraduate, UTM and Presenter), Susan Senese (Interim Chief Administrative Officer, UTM), Anthony Gray (Director, Strategic Research, Office of the President), Nadina Jamison (Chief Strategy Officer, Office of the President), Susan Mazza (Special Projects Officer, Office of the President), Archana Sridhar (Assistant Provost); Kristin Taylor (University Counsel and Chief Legal Officer, Office of the President)
Secretariat:
Anwar Kazimi, Kristi Gourlay, Samantha Frost, Cindy Ferencz-Hammond, Emma Thacker.
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair welcomed members and guests to the meeting and welcomed Vice-President and Provost, Professor Cheryl Regehr, back from her six-month leave. He offered congratulations to Ms Janet Ecker and Ms Anna Kennedy for their recent election by acclamation as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Council for a one-year term starting on July 1, 2022. He also noted the appointment of a new Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council (LGIC) member, Dr. Robert Cooper, for a three-year term effective December 20, 2021.
- Report of the President
President Gertler opened his remarks by welcoming Professor Fiona Rawle from the Department of Biology and Associate Dean, Undergraduate, at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), and Ms Pooja Dey, a fourth year UTM student specializing in Comparative Physiology in Biology, to present on their experiences over the past two years.
The presenters focussed their remarks on the importance of individual connections, and sense of community in the working and learning environments at UTM and how these principles supported excellence. Ms Dey spoke about her positive experiences as a student at UTM despite the challenges presented by the pandemic. She highlighted UTM’s close-knit and supportive environment. Professor Rawle spoke about the innovative foundational shifts in faculty development and support that UTM had made during the pandemic which had improved the teaching and learning environment for both faculty and students. She also spoke to the importance of in-person connections and creating a culture of care.
President Gertler thanked Ms Dey and Professor Rawle for their presentation and for sharing their experiences.
Return to Campus
The President reported on the University’s gradual resumption of in-person operations, and thanked all students, faculty and staff for their continued patience, commitment, and adaptability. He noted the University’s plans had been made in close consultation with Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, sister institutions across the province, and with support from the Council of Ontario Universities. He reported that Professor Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity and Culture, and her team continued to meet regularly with the Faculty Association and other labour partners to ensure a safe return to campus. The President also expressed his gratitude to the University’s campus safety and operations staff for securing the St. George campus in response to the recent convoy demonstrations in Toronto.
Provincial Update
President Gertler referenced the recent provincial announcement regarding an accelerated timeline for easing public health restrictions, noting that all capacity limits were expected to be lifted by March 1. He reported that the provincial government was now in pre-election mode, with a budget anticipated for the Spring. He then recognized a number of recent UofT recipients of two provincial awards. Three University of Toronto researchers had received the 2021 John C. Polanyi Prize for early career excellence in research: Dr. Gwendolyn Eadie and Dr. Eno Hysi had received the Prize in Physics and Dr. Fumin Guo had received the Prize in Physiology and Medicine. UofT recipients of the Minister of Colleges and Universities’ Awards of Excellence had included Mr. Efosa Obano, creator of the Black Founders Network, for his contributions in supporting Black entrepreneurs and creating more Black-led businesses; Mr. Jon French, director, University of Toronto Entrepreneurship, for working with industry and business to drive economic development; and Dr. Suzanne Stewart, professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and director of the Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health, for assisting with Indigenous-led COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
Federal Update
President Gertler reported that the University continued to focus its federal advocacy on pre-budget priorities. Working closely with U15 and Universities Canada, the University had been advocating for increased investments in fundamental research, and in talent attraction and retention. As the major research investments that followed the recommendations of the Naylor Report were set to expire in 2022, it was now a critical time to re-invest and to reaffirm the importance of fundamental research in order to maintain Canada’s competitive position.
President Gertler concluded his initial remarks by welcoming back the Provost, Professor Cheryl Regehr, from her leave. He then invited her to comment on COVID-related matters.
COVID-19 Update
The Provost provided a brief update on the winter term, focussing on the health and safety measures the University had taken as in-person teaching and on-campus activities resumed. She noted the enthusiasm expressed by students which reaffirmed the importance of being on campus to academic success and mental wellbeing. She reported that the University was closely monitoring public health guidance and would continue to update its practices to ensure the campus was safe. She highlighted three important components of this plan:
Vaccination Rates and Clinics
- To date, 99.2% of community members registered with UCheck had been fully vaccinated.
- All three campuses were offering community members access to onsite vaccination clinics as well as hosting pop-up clinics.
- UCheck had been updated to allow individuals to voluntarily upload documentation related to additional (booster) doses. She emphasized the importance of receiving an additional vaccination (booster) dose as they became eligible.
- There were no immediate plans to change the University’s vaccine requirements that were based on the recommendations of the Council of Ontario Medical Officers of Health and at the direction of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer and were in keeping with the practices of other universities and colleges across the province. She noted that the University would continue to monitor the situation as information became available.
Masks - Medical grade masks had been recommended for all employees, students, and visitors.
- Masks were available, as supplies allowed, to community members who were unable to obtain them elsewhere.
Ventilation - The University had put in place a sector-leading approach to ventilation.
- Measures, such as upgrading filters, had been implemented in all areas of buildings, and were routinely assessed.
- Classroom specific control measures had been put into place to measure and increase air flow where needed.
- She directed members to the UTogether website for more detailed information.
Students
Professor Regehr reported that registrars were working with international students who were facing challenges with the return to in-person instruction. Supports, including counselling and peer groups, were available for all students struggling to adjust. She noted also that divisions had made more spaces available to support studying and eating between classes in a distanced fashion.
Academic Continuity
The Provost reported that plans to return to campus varied depending on division and program: for example, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences was offering online options until reading week, courses in the health sciences would remain online longer, and the Faculty of Engineering had returned almost fully to in-person learning.
Research
Professor Regehr reported that research activities were gradually increasing across the three campuses. Following a pause due to the Omicron wave, face-to-face research activities were set to resume at the end of the month.
The Provost ended her remarks by thanking faculty members, staff, librarians, and students for their dedication during these challenging times.
In the discussion that followed, a member made reference to the cancellation of in-person examinations which had occurred in December 2021 in response to the Omicron wave and asked whether the University had developed a strategy to avoid a similar cancellation should such a situation arise in future. In response, Professor Regehr noted that the sudden provincial lockdown in mid-December had been an unexpected event that had impacted the entire country. She acknowledged that the cancelation of in-person examinations had been disruptive and difficult for students but noted that the University’s Academic Continuity Policy had ensured that students had been able to complete their courses in spite of the academic disruption.
A member expressed concern that the University’s COVID-related restrictions for student theatre groups were more restrictive than those imposed by the province on theatre groups and those imposed on University campus athletics and asked whether the University was considering loosening these restrictions. The Provost responded that the University was addressing such situations on a case by case basis, and was confident that the COIVID-19 Planning and Re-Entry Advisory Group would be able to find ways to assist student theatre groups.
A member noted the positive impact of increased on-line student services during the pandemic for those students who found it challenging to travel to campus and asked whether these on-line services would be continued post-pandemic. In response to these questions, Professor Regehr responded that the University recognized that the move to online services had improved accessibility for many students and would be announcing a strategy to evaluate what online services had worked most effectively, what improvements could be made, and how to build capacity in these areas.
The President concluded his report by reading into the record the names of the individuals who had accepted the Governing Council’s invitation to receive an honorary degree from the University of Toronto in 2022.
JAMES (JIM) CUDDY
For his outstanding service for the public good through his charitable work in support of diverse and important causes and his excellence in the arts as an iconic Canadian musician.
GLORIA EPSTEIN
For her excellence in the professions through her transformative impact on law and her outstanding service to the University as a mentor and volunteer.
IRA GLUSKIN
For his excellence in the professions as an internationally recognized leader in the securities and investment sector and for his outstanding service to the community as a dedicated volunteer and generous philanthropist.
B. DENHAM JOLLY
For his outstanding service to the local community as a foundational and transformative leader and promotor of equity, social justice, and opportunity within the Greater Toronto area.
BASIL JONES and ADRIAN KOHLER
For their excellence in the arts through their global leadership and ground-breaking innovation and creativity in the art of puppetry, and for their outstanding service for the public good through their commitment to social justice and international cooperation.
ANNETTE KENNEDY
For her excellence in the professions as a dedicated and influential leader with an unsurpassed commitment to the nursing profession, and for her outstanding service for the public good as a champion of equity and inclusivity, human rights, and universal health care.
WINSTON LAROSE
For his outstanding service to the local community as a tireless leader, effective advocate, and dedicated supporter of the Black community of the Greater Toronto Area.
EDWIN SIU-HUNG LEONG
For his outstanding service for the public good through his sustained and profound commitment to bettering the lives of others through volunteerism and philanthropic support of higher education and health globally.
CAMILLE ORRIDGE
For her outstanding service to the local community as a pioneering health care leader in Toronto, and for her outstanding service for the public good through her promotion of a more equitable and just health system.
NADA RISTICH
For her outstanding service to the local community through her tireless advocacy for the arts and her thoughtful, innovative, and creative role in corporate philanthropy.
- Capital Project: Report of the Project Planning Committee for the Retail and Parking Commons at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC): Project Scope and Sources of Funding
Professor Scott Mabury, Vice-President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships, provided a brief overview of the project highlighting the following points:- The project was a key element of the UTSC Master Plan in which buildings were to be built on current surface parking lots, consolidating parking in a single structure.
- The structure would include a central loading dock connected underground to existing and future buildings eliminating the need for loading docks in new buildings.
- The project would deliver much needed preparation for future academic and other buildings.
Mr. Andrew Arifuzzaman, Chief Administrative Officer, UTSC, gave a brief presentation which highlighted the following aspects of the project: - The structure would provide 1,084 parking spaces which were required to meet a by-law and which would replace spots from the current surface parking lots which had been reallocated for development.
- The structure would include space for the UTSC Bookstore, Campus Safety and Parking Services offices, a café, central indoor bicycle and scooter storage, and a covered multi-purpose area to be used for the Farmer’s Market and other student and community activities.
- The building was designed so that the central core could be removed in order to repurpose the structure for residence and/or office space as needed and as parking demand was reduced.
- Many sustainable design elements had been included in the design of the building, including solar panels on the roof to provide electricity to 217 electrical vehicle and scooter stations and low carbon and carbon sequestering building materials.
Ms Grace Westcott, Chair of the UTSC Campus Council, then commented on the discussion of the item at the meeting of that body on January 26, 2022. She reported that in response to questions from members, Mr. Arifuzzaman had reported the following: - The mass timber lifespan was projected at 150 years.
- Materials were locally sourced, which reduced tariffs, and were easier to maintain over time.
- The parking structure addressed the increased number of community members who needed to drive, as well as future undergraduate expansion because the growth of public transit to campus remained uncertain.
- Temporary parking had been allocated during the project construction.
Ms Wescott reported that the proposal had been recommended for approval by the UTSC Campus Council.
Professor Salvatore Spadafora, Chair of the Academic Board, reported that Professor Mabury and Mr. Arifuzzaman had spoken to this item at the meeting of the Board on January 27, 2022. In response to members’ questions, Mr. Arifuzzaman had clarified the following: - Snow removal would be much easier to manage in a structured parking lot than in surface parking lots.
- Infrastructure was in place to expand the facility to be 100% chargeable for electric cars.
- Indoor bicycle parking areas would accommodate the electrical charging of bicycles and scooters.
- A mix of charging stations would be included in the project, with some being dedicated to single model cars and others able to service multiple car models.
- It was anticipated that there would be some charge back for the use of electric car charging stations.
- The photovoltaic arrays were tied into the structural grid of the building creating flexibility for various mounting and technology systems and would be very adaptable for future systems.
A governor raised several questions about risk management related to climate change: had the increased risks of fire and flooding due to climate change been considered in the design of the building; had these risks resulted in increased insurance rates; and had the University considered not including basements in future developments.
Professor Mabury confirmed that insurance rates had risen in response to climate factors and other issues. He noted that no decisions had been made to eliminate basements in future projects but that consideration had been given to the broader issues around climate change and had factored into the overall resilience planning for the University and into determining what was needed in design standards to address issues such as flooding.
On motion duly made, seconded, and carried
IT WAS RESOLVED
THAT the Report of the Project Planning Committee for the Retail and Parking Commons at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), dated December 3, 2021, be approved in principle; and,
THAT the project totaling 42,877 gross square metres (gsm), be approved in principle, to be funded through: the UTSC Parking Ancillary Capital Construction Reserve; UTSC Major Capital Project Reserves Fund; UTSC Reserves; and Financing.
- University of Toronto Mississauga Master Plan
Professor Alexandra Gillespie, Vice-President and Principal, University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), provided a brief introduction to the item. She noted the significant growth experienced at the UTM campus over the past decade and stated that the campus was poised for a transformative fifteen years. She noted that UTM was the only comprehensive or research university directly serving the Peel region. She referred to the enormous potential for the campus and the need for a map to guide sustainable growth, consolidation, and continuous improvement of the campus—the Master Plan was a key component of this map. She expressed gratitude to all who had contributed to the development of the plan. Professor Gillespie also noted that the Master Plan was foundational to UTM’s new Strategic Framework which included the key components of commitment to indigeneity, the promise of extraordinary research and learning capacity for the future, and the importance of the people and environment of the Peel region. She expressed her enthusiasm for the Master Plan’s inclusion of a cricket pitch for the use of UTM and the extended Peel community.
Ms Anne McIlroy, Project Consultant and Principal of Brock McIlroy, made a brief presentation about the Master Plan. She noted that the vision and guiding principles of the Master Plan supported the design of sustainable, high-quality buildings and spaces that embraced natural ecological settings, promoted community health, connection, and flourishing, and that enabled aspirations in research, teaching, and reciprocal civic engagement. Key components of the plan included:
• identifying potential future development sites;
• creating a landmark building and plaza;
• redeveloping and extending Middle Road;
• creating a flexible outdoor campus commons;
• reinforcing the Riparian Ribbon as a pedestrian connection;
• creating and Academic Quad and Cultural Commons;
• expanding and consolidating athletic uses;
• incorporating a new cycle track and cycling infrastructure; and
• establishing “shared streets”.
Ms Samra Zafar, Chair of the UTM Campus Council, commented on the discussion at its meeting on January 25, 2022. Ms. Zafar reported that Ms Christine Burke, Assistant Vice President, University Planning, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships, had introduced the item and had spoken to the Master Planning process as it related to the new Capital Planning and Capital Projects Policy. Ms Susan Senese, Interim CAO, and Ms Monika Farrell, Assistant Director Planning & Design, then had provided a detailed presentation. During discussion, and in response to a member’s question about sustainability plans, Ms Senese had noted that sustainability and ecological considerations were at the forefront of the Master Plan. She had further explained that considerations for flooding and flood zones had been built into the planning and development for each capital project. Professor Gillespie had added that questions of climate resiliency and climate adaptation had been woven into UTM’s existing sustainability plans and had pointed to the work of the Credit Valley Conservation organization, whose work paid particular attention to flooding and fire risks. The UTM Campus Council had recommended the proposal forward.
Professor Spadafora reported that the Academic Board had received a comprehensive presentation from Ms Burke and Ms Farrell. In response to a member’s question, Ms McIlroy had stated that the implications of ecology and topography were central to the Master Plan in controlling building scale and how campus streets and the adjacent forest and valley would be knit back into the campus. Ms McIlroy had explained that the buildings were designed to have a porous and connected environment that would allow for more comfortable movement through the buildings to the outdoors and for outdoor spaces to be used functionally during colder temperatures.
Ms Kennedy reported that the Business Board had received the item for information and there had been no questions following the UTM Master Plan presentation.
A governor expressed enthusiasm for the cricket pitch as an important way to bring the community together and an opportunity for fundraising.
In response to a question about the process for selecting the consultants and architects for capital projects and the guidelines and principles that informed the process, Professor Mabury responded that the University followed a prescribed process. This competitive process included a select committee with relevant expertise, posting the project for public procurement to comply with the legal requirement to seek out the best, a formal interview process, and checking of references. He noted that design excellence was a primary objective, together with capturing the essence of what the building needs as expressed in the detailed project report.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
IT WAS RESOLVED
THAT, the University of Toronto Mississauga Master Plan, dated November 18, 2021, be approved in principle.
- Dissolution of the Pension Committee
The Chair provided a brief introduction to this item. He noted that with the successful conversion of the University of Toronto Pension Plan to the University Pension Plan Ontario [the UPP], the University of Toronto Pension no longer existed as a separate trust or plan, and the U of T Pension Committee had been effectively replaced by the UPP Board of Trustees. As there had been some “residual responsibilities” related to the University Plan, the U of T Pension Committee had met on September 28, 2021, and then held its final meeting on December 9, 2021. At that final meeting of the Committee it had adjourned “sine die” – i.e, without any further scheduled meeting.
There were no questions or comments from members on this item.
On motion duly made, seconded, and carried
IT WAS RESOLVED
THAT the Pension Committee be dissolved with immediate effect.
CONSENT AGENDA
On motion duly made, seconded, and carried
IT WAS RESOLVED
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and Item 6 approved.
- Minutes of the Previous Meeting of the Governing Council – December 16, 2021
The minutes of the previous meeting of the Governing Council were approved.
- Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting
There was no business arising from the report of the previous meeting.
- Reports for Information
Members received the following reports for information:
- Report Number 46 of the Pension Committee (September 28, 2021)
- Report Number 47 of the Pension Committee (December 9, 2021)
- Report Number 527 of the Executive Committee (December 16, 2021)
- Report Number 51 of the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus Council (January 25, 2022)
- Report Number 51 of the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus Council (January 26, 2022)
- Report Number 237 of the Academic Board (January 27, 2022)
- Report Number 262 of the Business Board (February 2, 2022)
- Report Number 528 of the Executive Committee (February 7, 2022)
END OF CONSENT AGENDA
- Date of Next Meeting – Thursday, March 31, 2022 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
The Chair advised that the next meeting of the Governing Council was scheduled for Thursday March 31st.
- Question Period
A governor referred to the University’s February 14 communication regarding the entrustment of the Anti-Semitism Working Group’s final report and expressed concerns about the University’s decision not to adopt any of the formal definitions of antisemitism that had been proposed by external organizations or that some peer institutions were using.
In response, President Gertler noted that as he had previously indicated to the member, the report had offered a working definition that explored the many dimensions of antisemitism that had been experienced by many members of the Jewish community. He noted that that this approach was effective in guiding the specific actions that had been included in the report. He emphasized the University of Toronto’s commitment to condemn and combat antisemitism and noted that this commitment had been confirmed in the entrustment ceremony.
Another member commented that the report had not included reference to the need for continued assessment to ensure that the changes recommended in the report were being implemented effectively.
President Gertler emphasized that the University was committed to the actions that had been recommended in the report, including the enhancement of resources and the continued training of equity and anti-racism staff to ensure that they were well prepared to respond to complaints of any alleged incidents of racist activity or antisemitism on campus.
- Other Business
There were no items of other business.
In Camera Session
The Governing Council moved in camera.
- Capital Project: Report of the Project Planning Committee for the Retail and Parking Commons at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC)- Total Project Cost and Sources of Funding
On motion duly made, seconded. and carried
IT WAS RESOLVED
THAT the Total Project Costs and Sources of Funding for of the Retail and Parking Commons at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), as outlined in the memorandum from Professor Scott Mabury, dated February 10, 2022, be approved in principle.
The meeting returned to open session.
The meeting adjourned at 6:23 p.m.
March 14, 2022