REPORT NUMBER 265 OF THE AGENDA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
To the Academic Board,
University of Toronto
Your Committee reports that it held a virtual meeting on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, at 3:00 p.m. with the following members present:
PRESENT:
Nicholas Terpstra, Chair; Douglas McDougall, Vice-Chair; Markus Bussmann; Samantha Chang; Richard Hegele; Ernest W.N. Lam; Susan McCahan; Jan Mahrt-Smith; Cheryl Regehr
SECRETARIAT:
Tracey Gameiro, Secretary, Agenda Committee
IN ATTENDANCE:
Daniella Mallinick, Director, Academic Programs, Planning & Quality Assurance, Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs; Archana Sridhar, Assistant Provost, Office of the Vice-President and Provost
The Meeting was held in Closed Session
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair welcomed members and guests to the meeting and thanked them for their attendance.
Approvals by Electronic Ballot
The Chair noted that prior to the Committee’s meeting, there had been a need, because of time constraints, to consider three academic administrative appointments by means of an electronic ballot. He read the resolutions of April 24, 2020
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
the following academic administrative appointments
FACULTY OF MUSIC
Associate Professor Jeffrey McFadden Associate Dean, Performance and Public Events July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022
JOHN H. DANIELS SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPE & DESIGN
Associate Professor Robert Wright Interim Dean July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 [or whenever a new Dean is appointed whichever is sooner]
ROTMAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
Professor Susan Christoffersen Vice- Dean, Undergraduate and Pre-Experience Programs July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 [extension]
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Review of Academic Programs and Units – Part 2
Follow-Up Report on Reviews
The Committee received a summary report by Professor Ernest Lam, Chair of the Committee on Academic Policy and Programs (AP&P) regarding three follow-up reports from previous reviews of academic programs and units that had been considered by AP&P at its meeting on May 6, 2020. The following reports were received:
- Edward S. Rogers St. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering)
- Cinema Studies Institute (Faculty of Arts and Science)
- David D. Dunlap Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics (formerly the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics), the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA), and the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Faculty of Arts and Science)
Professor Lam confirmed that AP&P was satisfied with the follow-up reports and determined that there were no specific issues of concern to be brought forward to the Academic Board.
A member inquired whether the progress made towards increased diversity in faculty complement and curriculum development was tracked in any systematic way. In response, Professor Susan McCahan, Vice-Provost, Academic Programs, reported that while efforts towards increased diversity had always been part of the reports implicitly, this metric was explicitly added to the process approximately two years ago. She noted that, when the prompts had first been added, comments had generally been limited to one particular type of diversity. More recently, work was being done to ensure faculty were thinking about more and different types of diversity when putting together their self-studies. Professor McCahan added that there had been a change in the response from the divisions to their reviews. Responses were more fulsome and concrete as divisions looked at the various ways their counterparts were responding to diversity initiatives, and incorporated these ideas to develop better responses.
Further to Professor McCahan’s comments, Dr. Daniella Mallinick, Director, Academic Programs, Planning & Quality Assurance, added that currently information on trends around diversity was based more on anecdote than on a systematic analysis. Dr. Mallinick reported that work had been progressing towards a more systematic analysis of review reports so that themes could be identified, specifically around diversity, but that that progress had been considerably delayed given the academic continuity work that had taken precedence as a result of COVID-19.
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Semi-Annual Report on the review of Academic Units and Programs, October 2019 – March 2020
Professor Lam reported on the six decanal reports received by AP&P at its May 6, 2020 meeting. A summary of the discussion was contained in the AP&P report. He noted that the reviews had been conducted appropriately and within policies.
Professor Lam indicated that one follow-up report had been requested from the Department of Management, University of Toronto Scarborough. He also noted that a follow-up report would have been requested with regards to the review of the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IHPST), were it not for the fact that another review of the Institute was planned for 2021-22.
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Academic Board – Review and Approval of Agenda – Thursday, May 28, 2020
The Committee reviewed and confirmed the agenda for the last meeting of the Academic Board for the 2019-2020 governance year, scheduled for May 28, 2020.
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Approval of the Reports of the Previous Meetings
Report 263 from the Committee’s meeting on April 7, 2020, and Report 264 from the Special Meeting held May 14, 2020 were approved.
- Business Arising from the Reports of the Previous Meetings
There was no business arising from the Reports of the previous meetings.
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Date of the Next Meeting – Tuesday, June 2, 2020
The Chair stated that the next meeting would be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
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Other Business
There were no items of other business.
The Committee moved IN CAMERA.
- Appointments: 2020-2021 Nominating Committee for the University Tribunal and Academic Appeals Committee
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the following individuals be appointed to the 2020-2021 Nominating Committee for the University Tribunal and the Academic Appeals Committee for a term from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021:
Professor Edward Iacobucci, Chair and President’s designate
Professor Ben Alarie, teaching staff member of the Academic Board
Mr. Peng Fu, alumni member of the Academic Board
Ms Mama Adobea Nii Owoo, student member of the Academic Board
- Academic Administrative Appointments
On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
The following academic administrative appointments.
FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
Professor Marsha Chechik Chair and Graduate Chair Department of Computer Science July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022
Professor Asher Cutter Interim Associate Dean Student Affairs July 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020
Associate Professor Rafael Gomez Director Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2026 [Renewal]
Associate Professor Dionne Pohler Acting Director Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021
Professor Jeremy Quastel Chair and Graduate Chair Department of Mathematics July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 [Extension]
Professor Scott Schieman Chair Department of Sociology July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 [Extension]
FACULTY OF INFORMATION
Associate Professor Tony Tang Associate Dean, Research July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2025
FACULTY OF LAW
Associate Professor Christopher Essert Associate Dean, JD Program July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023
FACULTY OF MEDICINE
Professor Charles M. Boone Interim Director Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021 [or until a new Director is appointed, whichever is first]
Professor Reinhart Reithmeier Interim Vice Dean, Research and Innovation July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021[or until a new Vice Dean is appointed, whichever is first]
JOSEPH L. ROTMAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
Professor Joanne Oxley Acting Vice Dean, Research, Strategy, and Resources July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA
Associate Professor Andreas Bendlin Chair Department of Historical Studies July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023
Associate Professor Margarida Duarte Chair Department of Economics July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2025
Associate Professor Philip R. Goodman Chair Department of Sociology July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023
Professor Kathi Wilson Vice Dean Faculty July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2025
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO SCARBOROUGH
Professor Paul Kingston Director Centre for Critical Development Studies July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 [Extension]
Professor Neil ten Kortenaar Chair Department of English July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022
THE COMMITTEE RETURNED TO CLOSED SESSION
The meeting adjourned at 3:43 p.m.
May 20, 2020