REPORT NUMBER 56 OF THE UTSC ACADEMIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
March 23, 2022
To the Campus Council,
University of Toronto Scarborough,
Your Committee reports that it met virtually, on Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 3:10 p.m., with the following members present:
Present: Gillian Mason (Vice-Chair), Wisdom Tettey (Vice President and Principal), Irena Creed (Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation), Katie Larson (Vice-Dean, Teaching, Learning & Undergraduate Programs), Mary Silcox (Vice-Dean, Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies), Syed Ahmed, Beheshta Ali Dad Khan, George Arhonditsis, Corinne Beauquis, Glenn Brauen, Shelley Brunt, Elyse Caron-Beaudoin, Shadi Dalili, Suzanne Erb, Angela Hamilton, Paula Hastings, John Hannigan, Margaret Kohn, Randy Lundy, Karen McCrindle, Sharlene Mollett, Michelle Ramnaraine, Paulina Rousseau, Sofia Suleman, Phil Triadafilopoulos, Jinny Tsang, Shelby Verboven, Kenneth Welch, Liana Williams, Marco Zimmer-De Iuliis
Non-Voting Assessors: Martha Harris, Hugh Laurence, Varsha Patel
In Attendance: Tanzina Mohsin, Christopher Payne, Bhavani Raman, John Trougakos
Regrets: Sonja Nikkila (Chair), William A. Gough (Vice-Principal Academic & Dean), David Zweig (Acting Vice-Dean Recruitment, Enrolment & Student Success), Sandra Bamford, April Franco, Barry Freeman, Vina Goghari, Connie Guberman, Joseph Hermer, Irmi Hutfless, Faizah Islam, Jubayer Jalal, Thembela Kepe, Neil ten Kortenaar, Patricia Landolt, Daniel Lysak, Michael Molloy, Juvenal Ndayiragije, Malaika Rashid, Laura Risk, Mahinda Samarakoon, Larry Sawchuk, Sonja Sedivy, Michelle Silver, Jessica Wilson, Marco Zimmer-De Iuliis
Secretariat: Emma Thacker (Secretary), Patrick McNeill
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
Ms Gillian Mason, Vice-Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, welcomed members. It was noted for members that Professor Sonja Nikkila (AAC Chair) had an unavoidable conflict, and as such Ms Mason would Chair the meeting. She reminded members that in-person governance meetings would resume in April of 2022.
- Major Modification: Undergraduate, Minor in Global Leadership, UTSC
The Chair invited Professor Katie Larson (Vice-Dean, Teaching, Learning & Undergraduate Programs), to present the item brought forward by the Department of Management. Professor Larson provided an overview of the proposed freestanding Minor in Global Leadership. The Minor was a cohort-based, tri-campus program initiated by the Vice-President - International, which would build upon the University’s Global Citizen and Global Scholars programs. Students in the Minor would complete a core series of global leadership courses (2.0 credits) and a series of electives from UTSC departments (2.0 credits). The Minor would become effective September 1, 2023, with UTSC students being able to enrol in the Spring of 2023. Members had no questions.
On motion duly made, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED,
THAT the Minor in Global Leadership offered by the Department of Management, as described in the proposal dated February 25, 2022, be approved, effective September 1, 2023.
- Major Modification: Undergraduate, Minor in Applied Climatology, UTSC
The Chair invited Professor Katie Larson to present the item brought forward by the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences (DPES). Professor Larson provided an overview of the proposed freestanding Minor in Applied Climatology. The Minor was distinctive given that at this time, there were no undergraduate programs with a special focus on climate change. Students would complete courses in three stages, 1) introductory calculus and physics, 2) foundational courses in statistics and climatology, and 3) climate change impact assessment and applied climatology. The Minor would become effective September 1, 2022. Members had no questions.
On motion duly made, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED,
THAT the Minor in Applied Climatology offered by the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, as described in the proposal dated March 2, 2022, be approved, effective September 1, 2022.
- Minor Modification: Undergraduate Curriculum, Humanities, UTSC
The Chair invited Professor Katie Larson to present the item. The Department of Historical & Cultural Studies, and the Department of Language Studies proposed several new courses and one course level change for the upcoming academic year. The changes were proposed to become effective for the 2022-23 academic year. Members had no questions.
On motion duly made, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED,
THAT the proposed Humanities undergraduate curriculum changes for the 2022-23 academic year, as detailed in the respective curriculum reports, dated March 23, 2022, be approved.
- Minor Modification: Undergraduate Curriculum, Management, UTSC
The Chair invited Professor Katie Larson to present the item. The Department of Management had proposed a new course and several course modifications for the 2022-2023 academic year. The changes were proposed to become effective for the 2022-23 academic year. Members had no questions.
On motion duly made, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED,
THAT the proposed Management undergraduate curriculum changes for the 2022-23 academic year, as detailed in the respective curriculum reports, dated March 23, 2022, be approved.
- Minor Modification: Undergraduate Curriculum, Sciences, UTSC
The Chair invited Professor Katie Larson to present the item. The Departments of Physical & Environmental Sciences, and Biological Sciences, had proposed several new courses for the 2022-2023 academic year. Members had no questions.
On motion duly made, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED,
THAT the proposed Sciences undergraduate curriculum changes for the 2022-23 academic year, as detailed in the respective curriculum reports, dated March 23, 2022, be approved.
- Report of the Presidential Assessors
The Chair invited Professor Irena Creed (Vice-Principal, Research & Innovation) to present her report. Professor Creed reported on the launch of the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health (SAMIH). She noted that the Ontario Government had announced the approval of the initiative and shared that SAMIH would become the first-ever medical school in Scarborough to serve the needs of its diverse, and multicultural communities, which would transform healthcare in the eastern GTA. SAMIH was scheduled to open in 2025, and would have the capacity to graduate 30 physicians, 30 physician assistants, 30 nurse practitioners, 40 physical therapists, and 300 life science undergraduate students per year once fully operational. She also reported on the Annual Research Symposium, held on March 18/19, 2022, which highlighted UTSC undergraduate student research and scholarship contributions. The theme was the ‘power of community.’ She also reported on the ongoing search for two Associate Vice-Principal-Research & Innovation positions. One position was focused on research facilitation and administration and the second on strategic initiatives and innovation. The search committee would be struck shortly, with the roles to begin in the Fall of 2022. Professor Patricia Landolt (Associate Vice-Principal Research–Strategic Initiatives) was also leading an initiative that would inform part of the Strategic Plan related to engaged scholarship. Lastly, Professor Creed shared that the Earth District collaborators had submitted a proposal regarding climate action and the economy – results to be announced in the Fall.
The Chair invited Professor Larson to present a report, on behalf of the Dean’s Office. Professor Larson reported that Dean Gough sent his regards and regrets. He also had asked Professor Larson to express his thanks for all the efforts to navigate pandemic pressures, as well as looking ahead to a post-pandemic horizon. He also wanted to express his support for the two new Minors. Professor Larson reported that the return to campus had been going smoothly, and that as of February 28 there was close to full capacity on campus for the first time since March 2020. The largest classes were continuing online or by web-option which enabled larger classroom spaces to be used for smaller and mid-size classes. Students could download a space-finder mobile app to find places on campus to join online lectures in between their in-person lectures. Professor Larson also reported that over the last week there had been continuing changes in Provincial guidelines and restrictions, and the mask and vaccine mandate were in place until at least the end of the winter term, including the exam period. The Dean’s Office and academic units were actively planning for the summer term, which was expected to be mostly in-person, as well as for the fall. Summer term would have some online options, to compliment in-person courses. Beginning in Fall 2022, any course that would be offered in online or hybrid mode would require governance approval. The Dean’s Office was working with Departments to support conversations about how online and hybrid courses, would complement in-person teaching and learning, post-pandemic. There were also conversations about the use of classroom educational technology, post-pandemic. Lastly, the Curriculum Review Working Circle had completed its work, and the Report would be released in April 2022.
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.
- Minor Modifications to Undergraduate Curriculum, UTSC
- Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 55 – February 9, 2022
The report of the previous meeting was approved.
- Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting
There was no business arising from the report of the previous meeting.
- Date of Next Meeting – April 27, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
The Chair advised members that the Committee would meet again on April 27, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
- Other Business
No other business was raised by members.
The meeting adjourned at 4:01 p.m.
March 29, 2022