Report: UTM Campus Affairs Committee - May 12, 2022

REPORT NUMBER 53 OF THE CAMPUS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

May 12, 2022
 

To the Campus Council, University of Toronto Mississauga,

Your Committee reports that it held a meeting on May 12, 2022 at 3:10 p.m. in the Council Chamber, Room 3130, W. G. Davis Building.
 

Present:
Robert Gerlai (Chair), Rafael Chiuzi (Vice-Chair), Alexandra Gillespie (Vice-President & Principal), Rhonda McEwen (Vice-Principal Academic & Dean), Deborah Brown (Chief Administrative Officer), Mark Overton (Dean of Student Affairs and Assistant Principal, Student Services), Nagham Abdalahad, Layana Alnabhan, Jenny Cui, Dario Di Censo, Adriana Grimaldi, Jessica Hanley, Yuhong He, Sam Hosn, Hans van Monsjou, James Parker, Jessica Silver

Non-Voting Assessors:
Luke Barber (Executive Director, I&ITS and FM&P), Andrea Carter (Assistant Dean, Student Wellness, Support & Success), Christine Esteban (Executive Director, Budget, planning & Finance)

Regrets:
Diana Aldaz, Esther Baffour, Lee Bailey, Melissa Gniadek, Claudiu Gradinaru, Shelley Hawrychuk, Pinar Kahraman, Ashley Monks, Jay Nirula, Stephanie Santos, Evan Silva, Laura Taylor, Fatima Yakubi

In Attendance:
Ilia Binder (Chair, Mathematical & Computational Sciences), Yen Du (Curriculum Officer, Office of the Vice-Principal Academic & Dean), Jason Kwok (Director, Construction and PMO), Anuar Rodriguez (Director of Strategy, Office of the Vice-President & Principal), Johanna Stille (Senior Facilities Planner)

Secretariat:
Tracey Gameiro (Assistant Secretary)

1. Chair’s Remarks
   
   The Chair welcomed members and guests to the first in-person meeting of the Committee since the Pandemic and reminded members of various logistical matters.
    
2. UTM Strategic Framework
   
   The Chair called on the Vice-President and Principal, Professor Alexandra Gillespie to introduce the item.
   
   Professor Gillespie noted that the Framework was created through a collaborative effort over a 2-year period that involved extensive consultations, including over five hundred individuals across the U of T community. The Framework was not a plan in and of itself, but a synthesis of UTM’s existing plans’ collective purpose. As such, the Framework reflected the results of prior processes of consultation, including, but not limited to, those held for the 2020 Sustainability Strategic Plan, the 2021 Campus Master Plan, the 2017 Academic Plan (a 5-year Provostial Review was about to be launched), and the 2021 Defy Gravity Campaign.
   
   Professor Gillespie expressed her appreciation of the staff from the Office of the Vice-President and Principal, Office of the Vice-Principal Research and the former Chief Administrative Officers who had contributed to the drafting of the document.
   
   As part of the presentation, Professor Gillespie outlined the following:
   
   Purposes of the Framework

• Unified existing campus and U of T-wide goals into a common narrative.
• Championed inclusive excellence that enabled people, communities, and environments to flourish.
• Provided shared language to communicate UTM’s aspirations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Made transparent how UTM reached decisions and identified areas for contraction or growth.
• Encouraged iterative review of existing strategic plans and development of new ones at the unit level.
• Prepared the community for times when plans needed to change
• Contributed a principled flexibility to the process of continuous planning.
  
  Priorities
  
  Professor Gillespie stated that the core priorities identified in the Framework were organized in a circular structure to illustrate their non-hierarchical unity. The priorities revolved around the central tenets of truth, openness, and reciprocity, which signified the UTM’s overarching commitment to honesty, transparency, and the development and strengthening of reciprocal relationships. She noted that while this particular priority would inform the basis of all of the campus’s actions, it was particularly significant in terms of UTM’s relationship with Indigenous people and communities.
  
  The Framework identified the following five priorities:
• Fostering Student Success
• Empowering Research Discovery and Impact
• Embracing “Our Place”
• Building Efficient and Sustainable Operations
• Encouraging Collaboration and Belonging
  
  Professor Gillespie further noted that three commitments were listed under each priority, which would operationalize each priority into actions as a basis for measurement. Five questions were listed following each set of commitments that would serve as accountabilities, which were points of reflection that serve to ensure the campus is on track with its progress towards each priority –these accountabilities would be integral to the annual review process of the Framework by the Office of the Vice-President & Principal, in consultation with U of T’s President & Provost, and other tri-campus leaders.
  
  Professor Gillespie stated that while annual reviews would be all-encompassing, they would pay particular attention to the accountabilities stated for each priority; and, upon completion of the annual review process, a report that outlines any updates to the Framework would be posted to the Office of the Vice-President & Principal’s website.
  
  The Chair thanked Professor Gillespie for her presentation. There were no questions from members. On motion duly made, seconded and carried,
  
  YOUR COMMITTEE RESOLVED
  
  THAT the UTM Campus Affairs Committee concur with the recommendation of the UTM Academic Affairs Committee,
  
  THAT, the University of Toronto Mississauga Strategic Framework, dated March 17, 2022, submitted by the Vice-President and Principal, be approved in principle.
   

3. Proposal to Establish an Extra Departmental Unit C (EDU:C): Centre for Nonlinear Analysis and Modeling (CNAM), UTM
   
   At the invitation of the Chair, Professor Rhonda McEwen, Vice-Principal Academic & Dean introduced the item and highlighted the following:

• UofT and UTM in particular is internationally recognized as leading groups working on topics associated with non-linear dynamics.
• CNAM will harness existing expertise to advance a development of new tools for analyzing complex systems and will connect tri-campus, where colleagues also do some of this work.
• Enable researches in nonlinear analysis and modeling to establish connections outside of their traditional circle.
• CNAM will provide opportunities for visiting scholars and strengthen new teaching and learning opportunities.
• CNAM will support four post docs and one visiting researcher each year.
• Wide consultation led by professors who were previous and current chairs of the department of Mathematical & Computational Sciences (MCS) and consulted with departments (mathematics, computer science, geography) across all campuses.
• CNAM will establish another distinct area in MCS allowing to strengthen recruitment and retention efforts.
  
  On motion duly made, seconded and carried, YOUR COMMITTEE RESOLVED
  
  THAT the proposal to establish the Extra-Departmental Unit C (EDU:C): Centre for Nonlinear Analysis and Modeling (CNAM), UTM, as detailed in the proposal dated May 2, 2022, be approved, effective July 1, 2022.

4. Capital Projects Update
   
   The Committee received two presentations that provided an update on UTM’s capital projects: a presentation on level 1 capital projects, provided by Luke Barber, Executive Director of Facilities Management & Planning and Interim Director of Information & Instructional Technology Services, and a presentation on UTM’s level 2 and 3 capital projects, provided by Deborah Brown, Chief Administrative Officer.
   
   For Level 1 Capital Project Updates, Mr. Barber reported the following:

• Level 1 projects were those whose total project cost was under $10M and were adjudicated at UTM;
• UTM’s 26 person team oversees the work of approximately 121 projects in progress worth $415M (including level 2 and 3 capital projects);
• UTM’s Space Planning & Management Committee (SPMC) adjudicated these projects; this will move to a new structure in near future;
• Capital projects overall aligned with UTM’s strategic mandate with a focus on sustainability and with a goal of strengthening value proposition of the campus to attract students and scholars to the campus;
• The following Level 1 capital projects were highlighted:
  
  Renovation Projects
  1. Geography/Earth Sciences laboratory;
  2. Upgrade of four computer labs and lecture theatres in CCT (seating, finishing and flooring, technology);
  3. Kaneff Centre Management /IT Upgrade (updating all spaces, graduate hub, mix of open and private offices, new kitchenette, increase natural light);
  4. Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation Office created in Maanjiwe nendamowinan, featuring a showpiece artistic window treatment by local indigenous artist.

Infrastructure Projects
1. W. G. Davis Building Elevator modernization;
2. CUP Tunnel Repair;
3. CUP Slab Rehabilitation (no discontinuity of services across campus);
4. Davis CABB Air Compressor Replacement (end of life replacement);
5. Davis D Block Mechanical Slab Remediation (waterproofing floor so that research and mechanical spaces would not be impacted if there was a flood).

In response to a member’s question about UTM’s attention to preventative and deferred maintenance in its capital planning, Mr. Barber reported that the campus had a significant budget for this type of work and UTM planned for and recognized this need.

For Level 2 and 3 Capital Project Updates, Ms Deborah Brown reported the following:

• Level 2 capital projects were those whose total project cost (TPC) was between $10 and 50M and Level 3 were those with a TPC of above $50M;
• UTM’s newly approved Master Plan informed future capital projects and provided a framework for development for next 10-15 years of open spaces, physical infrastructure and transportation;
• The Student Services Hub, a Level 2 capital project was primarily a major internal renovation project, as opposed to a new building project. It renovated the former UTM Library space and opened up a large part of the Davis Building to student services. Construction began in May and estimated completion was the summer of 2023;
• For Level 3 projects:
  1. New Science Building represented a critical expansion of wet research capacity; also contained faculty administration and graduate student space offering multiple sustainability features; It was in its last year of construction and was on track and on budget for completion in June 2023.
  2. F2 Site Build (formerly ACT), was currently in the schematic design phase to address scope and design of building which has been reduced in size by 21%. The reduced programmatic scope would focus on robotics, computer science, and Communication, Culture and Information Technology, programs that saw the heaviest increase in enrolment.
  3. New Residence has almost completed design development; location to be next to Oscar Peterson hall; 400 bed residence combination of singles and doubles.

Members had no questions.

5. Reports of the Presidential Assessors
   
   During his presentation, Mark Overton, Dean of Student Affairs and Assistant Principal, Student Services provided the following updates on the features and the progress of the newly approved Student Services Hub (SSH):

• Hub is both a space that brings together several student affairs teams and a new service to help UTM students untangle complex issues & make expert connections in the SSH & across campus;
• Hub offers much better setting for collaboration and engagement;
• A comfortable space for students to explore self-help resources, engage peer support & seek professional expertise
• The Hello Desk was planned to feature well trained deep generalists to link students with appropriate supports and cross-campus experts;
• Will give students a first stop of where to turn and then help problem solving when multiple consultations are required;
• Bringing teams together: the SSH re-gathers the International Education Centre, Career Centre, Accessibility Services, Centre for Student Engagement, & Health Promotion teams, which had been dispersed across the campus as the student population grew, and now positions them for greater collaboration and impact;
• Provides space for innovation and programming;
• Offers more than 100 work spaces for staff and student-employees; spaces for meetings, collaborations and programs, and areas for student to explore paper, electronic and people resources;
• Offers choices that encourage engagement - provides support that is a blend of high tech and high touch services;
• Encourages help-seeking behaviour and minimizes options paralysis;
• Destination for referrals from faculty, staff and students’ families.
  
  In response to a member’s question about how this project compared to models nationally with respect to innovation and best practices, Mr. Overton explained that the SSH was the only service of its kind at UofT and was to be a model across Canada, representing the placement of student development services at the centre or heart of the Hub.

CONSENT AGENDA

On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 9 - Report of the Previous Meeting, be approved.

6. Annual Report: Recognized Student Groups, 2021-22
   
   The Annual report was received for information.
    
7. Annual Report: UTM Campus Safety, 2021
   
   The Annual report was received for information.
    
8. Report on Capital Projects – as at April 30, 2022
    
9. Report of the Previous Meeting
   
   Report number 52, dated March 23, 2022, was approved.
    
10. Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting
     
11. Date of Next Meeting – September 12, 2022 at 3:10 p.m.
    
    The Chair reminded members that the next meeting of the Committee would be held on September 12, 2022 at 3:10 p.m.
     
12. Other Business
    
    The Chair expressed his thanks to members for their engagement and participation throughout the year and recognized all outgoing members for their service on the Committee.
    ​​​​​​​

The meeting was adjourned at 4:09 p.m.

May 16, 2022