THE GOVERNING COUNCIL
FEBRUARY 27, 2020
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL held on February 27, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber, University of Toronto Scarborough.
Present:
Claire Kennedy (Chair); N. Jane Pepino (Vice-Chair); Meric S. Gertler, President; Preet Banerjee; Harvey T. Botting; David Bowden; P.C. Choo; Susan Froom; K. Sonu Gaind; Gary D. Goldberg; Avrum I. Gotlieb; Mallory Estelle Jackman; Sarosh Jamal; Joan Johnston; Amin Kamaleddin; Anna Kennedy; Ernest W.N. Lam; Brian D. Lawson; Jan K. Mahrt-Smith; Mohan Matthen; John Paul Morgan; Douglas E. McDougall; Jun Nogami; Andrew Padmos; Salvatore M. Spadafora; Andrew Szende; Wisdom Tettey; W. Keith Thomas
Sheree Drummond, Secretary of the Governing Council
Secretariat:
Alexandra DiBlasio; Tracey Gamiero; Anwar Kazimi; Christina da Rocha Feeley; Kata Skoko; Emma Thacker; David Walders
Absent:
Apefa Advijon, Catherine Bragg, Janet L. Ecker, Paul Kingston, Mark Lautens, Joanne McNamara, Nicholas Terpstra, Laurent-Philippe Veilleux, Bruce Winter, Samra Zafar
In Attendance
Grace Westcott, Governor-Elect; David Estok, Vice-President, Communications; Scott Mabury, Vice-President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships; Althea Blackburn-Evans, Executive Director, Communications Strategy and Stakeholder Relations; Gwen Burrows, Executive Director, International; David Curtin, Director, Communications Services, Office of the President; Maurielle Jaya, Student; Sheila John, Assistant Dean, Health, Wellness, Physical Activity, Recreation and Sport; Francesca Kombargi, Student; Bryn MacPherson, Assistant Vice-President, Office of the President & Chief of Protocol
Susan McCahan, Vice-Provost, Academic Programs; Desmond Pouyat, Dean of Student Affairs, UTSC; Trevor Rodgers, Assistant Vice-President, Planning & Budget; Meredith Strong, Director, Office of the Vice-Provost, Students and Student Policy Advisor; Sandy Welsh, Vice-Provost, Students
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair welcomed members and guests to the meeting and thanked Professor Daniel Bender for leading the pre-meeting tour of the Culinaria Research Institute. She began her remarks by expressing deepest sympathy on behalf of the Governing Council to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the tragic downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752.
The Chair then advised members that Professor Sandy Welsh, Vice- Provost Students and Professor Susan McCahan, Vice-Provost Academic Programs, and Vice-Provost Innovations in Undergraduate Education, had both been reappointed to their positions for five-year terms, from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2025. The Chair also invited members to attend events at the upcoming Entrepreneurship Week, which would be held at ONRamp, the University’s entrepreneurship hub, from March 9-13.
The Chair then congratulated Ms Samra Zafar, an alumni governor, who had recently been named to the top 100 list of Canada’s Most Powerful Women for 2019.
She continued by expressing her personal gratitude to governors for supporting her for a fourth term as Chair of the Governing Council. She also offered her congratulations to Mr. Brian Lawson for his recent election as Vice-Chair and, in so doing, expressed her sincere gratitude to the current Vice-Chair, Ms Jane Pepino, whose ninth and final term as a governor was ending in September, 2020.
The Chair then announced the election results, effective June 2019.
The following teaching staff members were elected or re-elected for a three-year term effective July 1, 2020:
• Professor Douglas McDougall
• Professor Jan Mahrt-Smith
• Professor Shashi Kant
The following student members were elected or re-elected to serve one year terms effective July 1, 2020:
• Olivia Batt
• Susan Froom
• Marium Nur Vaheed
• Vishar Yaghoubian
• Diana Li
• Stephane Martin Demers
• Adanna Chigbo
• Amin Kamaleddin
The following individuals were elected or re-elected to the College of Electors, to serve three-year terms, effective July 1, 2020:
• Mr. David Bowden
• Ms Teo Dechev
• Ms Grace Westcott
She welcomed new and returning members and thanked members who were not returning for their service to governance.
Professor Wisdom Tettey, Vice-President and Principle, UTSC, welcomed members and guests to the meeting and introduced Ms Sheila John, Assistant Dean, Health, Wellness, Recreation Physical Activity and Sport, as well as two students, Ms Francesca Kombargi and Ms Maurielle Jaya, who offered a joint presentation, appended here on the Wellness Peer Program. The presentation highlighted the Wellness Peer Program Teams, as well as recent events and initiatives, including the Building Connections initiative.
Professor Tettey then provided updates on the following matters:
The UTSC strategic plan, Inspiring Inclusive Excellence: A Strategic Vision for the University of Toronto Scarborough, had reached the final phase of development. The plan would be entering the governance cycle in early March and would be presented to the May meeting of the Governing Council. Since Fall, 2018, consultation on the strategic plan with over 1100 stakeholders through various touchpoints had occurred, and there was tremendous excitement and enthusiasm for the plan.
Turning to Indigenous initiatives, Professor Tettey announced the formation of the UTSC Elders Advisory Circle comprised of Elders from First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities, who would provide counselling, event support and lend expertise as needed. UTSC was also fulfilling its commitment under the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to recruit and hire Indigenous faculty, and faculty who would support increased Indigenous content in the curriculum. Over the last year, two such faculty had been hired in the Department of English and other searches were ongoing.
Finally with respect to indigenous initiatives, after many months of consultation, UTSC had been successful in its bid to approval the installation of ceremonial versions of signs at Military Trail and Ellesmere, and at Military Trail and Morningside, reflecting the Mohawk phrase “People of the Mountains”. The signage would be installed on February 28th and a broader communication would be circulated in the coming weeks.
The Chair thanked the students for their presentation and congratulated them on their efforts to building community at U of T.
- Report of the President
The President began by congratulating the Chair for being re-elected to her position for a fourth year and congratulated Mr. Brian Lawson for his election to the Vice-Chair position.
The President then read into the record the names of the individuals who had accepted the Governing Council’s invitation this year to receive an honorary degree from the University of Toronto.
Elizabeth Cannon
For her excellence in the academy, as a leading researcher and a tireless ambassador for science and technology in Canada and globally, the Committee for Honorary Degrees is very pleased to recommend that Elizabeth Cannon be conferred an honorary doctorate
Douglas Cardinal
For his service to the professions, as a world-renowned Canadian architect, the Committee for Honorary Degrees is very pleased to recommend that Douglas Cardinal be conferred an honorary doctorate.
David Colcleugh
For his outstanding service to the University, through his transformative and pioneering contributions to leadership education in Engineering, the Committee for Honorary Degrees is very pleased to recommend that David Colcleugh be conferred an honorary doctorate
Anne Innis Dagg
For her outstanding service for the public good, as a trailblazing scientist and a passionate advocate for equity in academia, the Committee for Honorary Degrees is pleased to recommend that Anne Innis Dagg be conferred an honorary doctorate.
Ken Greenberg
For his outstanding service for the public good, as a tireless advocate for restoring the vitality, relevance, and sustainability of the public realm in urban life and for his excellence in the professions, as a leader of countless projects that have transformed Toronto and beyond, the Committee for Honorary Degrees is pleased to recommend that Ken Greenberg be conferred an honorary doctorate.
Donald (Don) Guloien
For his excellence in the professions, as an outstanding leader and contributor to the insurance industry, and for his outstanding service to the University, as a dedicated volunteer and mentor, the Committee for Honorary Degrees is very pleased to recommend that Donald (Don) Guloien be conferred an honorary doctorate.
Geoffrey Hinton
For his excellence in the academy, as an internationally renowned pioneer in the field of deep learning as a mode of artificial intelligence, the Committee for Honorary Degrees is pleased to recommend that Geoffrey Hinton be conferred an honorary doctorate.
Shirley Hoy
For her outstanding service to the University, through her tireless commitment to University governance, and for her outstanding service to the local community, through her significant contributions as a public servant and volunteer, the Committee for Honorary Degrees is pleased to recommend that Shirley Hoy be conferred an honorary doctorate.
The Honourable Harry S. Laforme
For his outstanding service to the nation, as an exemplary advocate for Indigenous rights, land claims, education, and self-government and for his excellence in the professions, through his distinguished judicial career, the Committee for Honorary Degrees is pleased to recommend that Justice Harry S. LaForme be conferred an honorary doctorate.
Heather Reisman
For her outstanding service for the public good, as a champion of literacy and an exceptional volunteer and philanthropist, and for her excellence in the professions, as a nationally-esteemed business leader, the Committee for Honorary Degrees is very pleased to recommend that Heather Reisman be conferred an honorary doctorate.
Allen J. Scott
For his excellence in the academy, through his innovative and distinctive contributions to the fields of urban studies and economic geography, the Committee for Honorary Degrees is very pleased to recommend that Allen J. Scott be conferred an honorary doctorate.
Chandrakant Shah
For his outstanding service for the public good, as a pioneering leader in public health education in Canada, tireless advocate for Indigenous peoples, and champion of equity and inclusion, the Committee for Honorary Degrees is very pleased to recommend that Chandrakant Shah be conferred an honorary doctorate.
David Shore
For his excellence in arts, entertainment, and sports, through his creative genius, his exceptional contribution to global culture, and his award-winning television series, which enriched audiences with a deeper understanding of themselves and others, the Committee for Honorary Degrees is very pleased to recommend that David Shore be conferred an honorary doctorate.
Masai Ujiri
For his outstanding service for the public good, as a humanitarian focused on meaningful social change, for his excellence in arts, entertainment, and sports, as a highly successful coach with a deep commitment to the role of sport in improving lives, and for his excellence in the professions, as a visionary leader and champion of diversity, the Committee for Honorary Degrees is very pleased to recommend that Masai Ujiri be conferred an honorary doctorate.
Warren Washington
For his excellence in the academy, as an internationally recognized pioneer of innovative climate change research and methodology, the Committee for Honorary Degrees is very pleased to recommend that Warren Washington be conferred an honorary doctorate.
The President then offer remarks on the following matters:
Crash of Flight PS752
The President began his report by addressing the tragic crash of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 near Tehran on January 8, 2020. The President noted that the crash had had an immense effect on the academic community across Canada. Many vigils and moving memorials had been held across the University of Toronto’s three campuses to mourn the loss of eight members of the University community, including six students. In one such well-attended memorial, held in Convocation Hall on January 12, 2020, the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, the Hon. Chrystia Freeland, the Premier of Ontario, the Hon. Doug Ford, and the Mayor of Toronto, His Worship John Tory, had addressed mourners united in their grief over the tragedy.
The President said that the University had launched the Iranian Student Memorial Scholarship Fund to honour the memory of those who died in the crash. To date, $100,000 had been received and, with the commitment of the University to match the first $250,000 at a 3:1 ratio, the $100,000 in donations would become a $400 thousand endowment. The President added that the Provincial government had announced the creation of new post-secondary scholarships in memory of each of the 57 Canadian victims of flight PS752.
Federal Matters
The President reported that in the previous month, he had met with Federal government officials in Ottawa. The primary focus of the visit had been to make the case for investments in research and infrastructure in the run up to the Spring 2020 budget. The President had also recently chaired the quarterly meeting of U15 Executive Heads. In attendance were the Honorable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, as well as Chief Science Advisor Dr. Mona Nemer, both of whom reaffirmed the government’s continuing commitment to fundamental and applied research. Both also noted the current global economic and political uncertainty, which could curtail the spending plans of the government.
Provincial Matters
The President reported that on February 4, 2020, he had hosted the Hon. Jeff Yurek, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks. In the discussion that followed, the Minister had received a briefing on the University’s Low Carbon Action Plan (LCAP), and the Landmark Geothermal project and similar projects on all three campuses. The Minister had also undertaken a tour of BioZone at the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering.
Continuing with provincial matters, the President noted that on February 11, the government had released the Report of the Expert Panel on Intellectual Property. The Report focused on improving education regarding the importance of IP as part of the commercialization process. The recommendations contained in the Report were largely aligned with the University’s advocacy regarding maintaining flexibility. Shortly following the release of the Report, the President, along with Professor Vivek Goel, Vice-President Research and Innovation, and Strategic Initiatives, Professor Ed Iacobucci, Dean of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and Dr. Derek Newton, Assistant Vice-President, Innovation, Partnerships and Entrepreneurship, had met with Minister Romano to discuss the recommendations, and to assist his team in thinking through the implementation process.
The President added that the Provincial government had announced an investment of an additional $1 million for the Good2Talk program, with a specific focus on text-based services. The Good2Talk initiative, Ontario’s bilingual mental health support service, provided professional counselling, information and referrals. The services were available to post-secondary students on a 24/7/365 basis.
The President also noted that recently, Ontario’s universities, colleges and student advocacy groups were at Queen’s Park to launch In It Together 2020, a joint report that put forward a series of recommendations for helping meet the growing challenge of student mental health.
Municipal Matters
The President had met with Mayor Tory. They had discussed assistance with issues related to the University’s current development projects, and the improvement of transit connections to UTSC.
In reply to a question submitted in advance regarding the increasing cost of the TTC Metro Pass and its effect on students, the President noted that Mayor Tory was keenly aware of these challenges and was committed to working to address it. The President noted that the University was a participant in StudentMoveTO, a collaborative partnership focused on improving the transportation experiences of post-secondary students in the GTA. In addition, the University, at the request of representative student groups, had written in support of the 2019 Members Motion 10.7, which had been approved at Toronto City Council. The motion requested that the Toronto Transit Commission Board explore options for affordable post-secondary student single-fare and monthly transit passes.
- Presidential and Provostial Task Force on Student Mental Health (December 2019) and Administrative Response
The President began by noting the he had been impressed with the thoughtful recommendations, and noted that the administration had enthusiastically accepted all 21 recommendations in its response. The President highlighted the extensive consultation process that had occurred. He also noted that the recommendations made by the Task Force had provided opportunities for the University to create integrated care pathways with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The President reported that a dashboard had been created on the Provost’s website to allow members of the University community to track progress on the recommendations.
The Provost offered a presentation, appended here, in which she reiterated that the administration was actively engaged in ongoing consultations to bring together the research community within the University and to collaborate with partner institutions such as CAMH. The goal was to undertake a process redesign of mental health services at the University to align with a stepped model of care that would best serve those in need with a range of services and supports. Through these efforts, the University would continue to promote a culture of caring in addressing and supporting mental health across the University community.
In reply to members’ questions, the Provost applauded representative student groups at the University for negotiating increased benefits to students with respect to access to mental health practitioners, without an increased cost to students. She added that the University was working with University partners on improving services to students at colocations. In reply to another comment, the Provost re-iterated the University’s commitment to improving upon communication efforts with respect to its mental health initiatives. The Provost also noted that the University participated in the National College Health Assessment, which assisted the University in assessing student health care needs. Finally, in addressing a question relating to stress among health care providers, the Provost noted that the Faculty of Medicine was working to increase awareness of supports in place for clinicians.
The Chair thanked the President and Provost for their continued commitment to student mental health.
- Update on the Tri-Campus Review
The Chair noted that information was provided in the meeting package about the Tri-Campus Review, noting that the working groups were all now close to completion and that a final report that synthesized the recommendations of these groups would be presented for information to governance at a later date.
In reply to a members’ comment, the Provost confirmed that a focus of the Review would be to centralise and consolidate a number of services. The Provost expressed support for another members’ comment regarding the importance of reinforcing the tri-campus nature of the University when onboarding new hires within senior administration.
The Chair thanked the Provost for the continued work of her office on the Tri-Campus Review.
CONSENT AGENDA
- Report of the Previous Meetings of the Governing Council – October 24, 2019
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:
a) Report Number 215 of the University Affairs Board (January 27, 2020)*
b) Report Number 39 of the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus Council (January 28, 2020)
c) Report Number 39 of the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus Council (January 29, 2020)
d) Report Number 225 of the Academic Board (January 30, 2020)
e) Report Number 250 of the Business Board (February 3, 2019)
f) Reports of the Executive Committee- Report Number 508 of the Executive Committee (December 4, 2019)
- Report Number 509 of the Executive Committee (Special Meeting) (December 12, 2019
- Report Number 510 of the Executive Committee (February 12, 2020)
- Date of Next Meeting – Thursday, April 2, 2020 at 4:30 p.m.
The Chair advised that the next meeting of the Governing Council was scheduled for Thursday, April 2, 2020.
- Question Period
There were no questions for the administration.
- Other Business
There was no other business.
The Governing Council moved in camera.
- Capital Project: Fitzgerald Revitalization located at 150 College Street – Revised Total Project Cost and Sources of Funding
On motion duly made, seconded and carried
It was Resolved
THAT the recommendations concerning the revised Total Project Cost and Sources of Funding for the Fitzgerald Revitalization located at 150 College Street, as outlined in the memorandum from Professor Scott Mabury, dated February 20, 2020, be approved.
- Capital Project: UTM Science Building – Revised Total Project Cost and Sources of Funding
On motion duly made, seconded and carried
It was Resolved
THAT the recommendations concerning the revised Total Project Cost and Sources of Funding for the UTM Science Building, as outlined in the memorandum from Professor Scott Mabury, dated February 20, 2020, be approved.
- Tri-Campus Follow-up Governance Review – Terms of Reference and Membership of the Committee to Review the UTM and UTSC Campus Council (“CRCC”)
On motion duly made, seconded and carried
It was Resolved
THAT the recommendations concerning the Terms of Reference and Membership of the Committee to Review the UTM and UTSC Campus Council (“CRCC”) as outlined in the memorandum from Ms Claire Kennedy, dated February 20, 2020, be approved.
- Senior Appointments
On motion duly made, seconded and carried
It was Resolved
THAT Mr. David Estok be re-appointed as Vice-President, Communications, subject to the approval of the terms and conditions by the Senior Appointments and Compensation Committee, for a five-year term, effective April 1, 2020 and continuing until March 31, 2025.
On motion duly made, seconded and carried
It was Resolved
THAT Professor Trevor Young be appointed Acting Vice-President and Provost, for a six-month term, effective April 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020.
The meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m.
February 28, 2020