Report: Academic Board - October 10, 2024

To the Governing Council,
University of Toronto,

Your Board reports that it held a meeting on October 10, 2024 at 3:10 p.m. with the following members present:
 
PRESENT: Douglas McDougall (Chair), Donald Ainslie (Vice Chair), Trevor Young (Vice-President and Provost), Leah Cowen (Vice-President, Research and Innovation and Strategic Initiatives), Susan McCahan (Vice-Provost, Academic Programs and Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education), Ramona Alaggia, Larry Alford, Robert Austin, Kayra Balikci, Sheila Batacharya, Jordan Bear, Zoraida Beekhoo*, Susan Bondy, Daniel Bowyer, Laurent Bozec, Gabriella Brasileiro Santos, Pier Bryden, Christian Caron, Shai Cohen, Robert Cooper, Ryan Cortez*, Paul Downes, Liam Dravid, Markus Dubber, Jessica Eylon, Monique Flaccavento, Robert Gazzale, Ankita Goyat, Kathayoun Haddadkar-Ghavi*, Antoinette Handley*, Alex Hernandez*, Walid Houry, Sarosh Jamal, Ehab James,  M. Shone Joos*, Rita Kandel, Audrey Karlinsky, Gretchen Kerr*, Elaine Khoo, Tys Klumpenhouwer, Lisa Kramer*, Robert Kyle*, Joanne  McNamara, Libbie Mills*, Maya Povhe*, Anuradha Prakki, Matt Ratto, Nicholas Rule, Suresh Sivanandam, Naomi Steenhof, Adam Stinchcombe, Sali Tagliamonte, Kevin Temple, Edwin Thomas, Erica Walker, Charmaine Williams, Colleen Zimmerman, David Zingg

*participated remotely via Zoom

REGRETS: Tala Alsaid Suliman,Catherine Amara, Glen Bandiera, Joshua Barker, Bensiyon Benhabib, Adalsteinn Brown, Jutta Brunnee, Catherine Chandler-Crichlow, Albert Cheng, Carol Chin, Dinesh Christendat, Susan Christoffersen, Lorne Costello, Tarun Dewan, Lisa Dolovich, Annabelle Dravid, Joseph Flessa, Jason Harlow, Zachary Hawes, Charles Jia, Charlie Keil, Jeannie Kim, Marcus Law,  Robert Levit, Yee Fun Lo, Amy Mann, Ryan McClelland, Irene Morra, Javed Mostafa, Eha Naylor, John Oesch, Jesse Pasternak, Karen Reid, Lisa Robinson, Jonathan Rose, Karin Ruhlandt, Rosa Saverino, Rob Simon, Laura Simone, Markus Stock, Robyn Stremler, Laura Tam, Sergio Tenenbaum, Morgaine van Beers, William Verreault, Suzanne Wood 

NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Kelly Hannah-Moffat (Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity and Culture), Dave Lehto (Chief of University Planning, Design and Construction), Jeff Lennon (Assistant Vice-President, Planning and Budget), Joseph Wong (Vice-President, International)

SECRETARIAT: Miranda Edwards (Acting Secretary to the Academic Board), Timothy Harlick (Assistant Secretary to the Governing Council)

IN ATTENDANCE: Sandy Welsh (Vice-Provost, Students), Susan Mazza (Senior Project Manager, Office of the President), Archana Sridhar (Assistant Provost), Leora Jackson (University Legal Counsel), Elizabeth Church (Director, Communications & Strategic Projects, Office of the Vice-President & Provost)
 

Pursuant to section 38 of By-Law Number 2,
consideration of items 11 and 12 took place in camera.

OPEN SESSION

1. Chair’s Remarks
   
   The Chair, Professor Douglas McDougall, opened the meeting by welcoming new and returning members. He introduced himself and incoming Vice-Chair Professor Donald Ainslie. He also introduced the Board’s assessors, explaining that they were senior members of the administration who had been appointed by the President to advise the Board.
   
   The Chair provided an overview of committee procedures including voting, questions and discussion, remote participation protocols, and meeting room technology. The Chair also referred members to the Academic Board orientation videos and resources available online and advised both new and returning members to make use of these resources throughout the year. 
   
   The Chair encouraged members to participate in meetings, and to actively and respectfully share their views on items of business under discussion. He noted the importance of reviewing all documentation in advance and encouraged members to submit complex questions to the Board Secretary in advance of meetings so that fulsome responses could be presented to the Board.

2. Report of the Vice-President and Provost
    
   Vice-President and Provost, Professor Trevor Young, provided his report to the Board. The Provost began by congratulating University Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton on being named co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics this week. The Provost also shared that the Times Higher Education rankings had been released and that the University of Toronto had retained its status as the top-ranked university in Canada, 21^st in the world, and 2^nd ranked public university in North America, for the second year in a row.
   
   Senior Academic Appointments
   
   The Provost listed recent senior academic appointments:

Professor Alex Hernandez is the new Principal of Victoria College.
Professor Nicholas Terpstra is the new Provost and Vice-Chancellor of Trinity College.
Professor Kevin O’Neill is the new Dean of Arts at Trinity College.
Dr. James Orbinski is the new Principal of Massey College.

Fall 2024 Enrolment Update

The Provost provided an update on Fall 2024 enrolment. He informed the Board that, in undergraduate programs, international student intake was approximately 340 students lower than in Fall 2023 and that there was a more than 50% decrease in student enrolment from India. The Provost noted that these decreases were less than those experienced by other Canadian higher education institutions this year. He also noted that these decreases had been partially offset by a 7% increase in domestic student intake, which was about 700 students above the university’s target. The Provost informed the board that the revenue loss caused by decreases in international enrolment was manageable within the university’s overall budget.

In response to a member’s question, the Provost stated that the current increase in domestic      enrolment was due to increased demand and that admissions standards remained unchanged.

International Study Permits

The Provost informed the Board that, under the Federal Government’s new international student visa system, U of T had been allocated 6,300 Provincial Attestation Letters (“PALS”) for new international undergraduate students in the 2024-25 academic year. This allocation was sufficient for the university’s needs. Next year, it was expected that the government would provide fewer PALS and extend PAL requirements to graduate students and international students studying at Canadian high schools. Despite these anticipated new regulations, the Provost said the university expected that its allocation number would continue to match the university’s needs.

User Guide on U of T Policies on Protests and Use of Campus Spaces

The Provost responded to a member’s question regarding the new User Guide on U of T Policies on Protests and Use of Campus Spaces. He explained that the Guide was intended to summarize and consolidate current longstanding policies such as the Policy on the Disruption of Meetings and the Policy on the Temporary Use of Space. The Guide also incorporated provisions that were set out in the Ontario Superior Court ruling last July, such as restrictions on structures. The Provost reiterated that peaceful protests on campus were recognized as a form of free expression and that the Guide would support protests being carried out safely. He emphasized that the university had not adopted any new policies regarding protests.

University Response to Antisemitism

The Provost outlined the various approaches that were being undertaken by the university to address concerns about antisemitism. These included: convening a group of faculty members to advise the university on a definition of antisemitism; reviewing the 1994 Statement on Prohibited Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment; revising the mandate of the Institutional Equity Office to include antisemitism; and developing new training programs.

Institutional Neutrality

The Provost reiterated the university’s position of institutional neutrality. The Provost confirmed that the university would refrain from making statements or taking positions on political issues. He indicated that it was expected that individual academic units and offices would do the same, to preserve the academic freedom of individual faculty members. The Provost also stated that the university, in accordance with longstanding policies, was unequivocally opposed to academic boycotts, which are antithetical to academic freedom and the advancement of knowledge through open dialogue. The Provost informed the Board that his office was currently looking into ways to further clarify and emphasize this position through its official communications.

Civil Discourse Working Group

The Provost noted the recent establishment of a Working Group on Civil Discourse which had begun its consultation phase with members of the university community. The Provost encouraged all Board members to attend a consultation session or complete the online form.

After his presentation, the Provost took questions and comments from members. A member thanked the Provost for the weekly update emails that were sent from his office and asked for clarification regarding funding increases for research graduate students. The Provost responded that consultations had begun in advance of implementation next year, and that new funding procedures would be phased in by student cohort, beginning with PhD students. The Provost outlined the various funding sources that would be utilized, including fundraising and the tri-agency fellowships. He emphasized that funding issues needed to be addressed in order to attract and retain top graduate students to the university amid a cost of living crisis in Toronto. He indicated that further information would be communicated in the future through department Chairs and Deans.

A member asked if there had been internal discussions within the administration regarding calls from some student groups for disclosure and divestment of university investments. Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President of People, Strategy, Equity & Culture, confirmed that discussions had taken place. The Vice-President informed the Board that any divestments would need to be undertaken within the framework of the university’s Policy on Social and Political Issues with Respect to University Divestment. She also mentioned ongoing work towards the establishment of a university working group to address anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian discrimination.

3. Report on Capital Projects
   
   In accordance with the university’s Capital Planning and Capital Projects Policy, Mr. Dave Lehto, Chief of University Planning, Design & Construction, delivered a presentation on capital projects priorities for the coming year. Mr. Lehto provided an overview of three major capital projects in the planning phases which would be coming forward for governance approval this year.
   
   The first project was the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s new building to be located in King’s College Circle. The project was currently in the architectural design phase and was expected to be nine stories and around 355,000 square feet. It would provide seven floors of research labs accommodating 60 Principal Investigators (PIs) from the Faculty of Medicine and 27 PIs from the Faculty of Arts and Science. The building would also provide new classrooms, seminar rooms, student society and study spaces, administrative offices, and event spaces tailored to convocation and alumni events. This state-of-the-art building would be integrated into the campus Master Plan and the university’s initiative to become “Climate Positive/Net Zero” by 2050. The building was expected to have a significant impact on the St. George campus’ architecture, research capacity, and sustainability with an anticipated completion date of 2030.
   
   The second project described to the Board was the revitalization of the Faculty of Information. The Faculty’s current building, located at 140 St. George St, had not been significantly renovated since 1973 and was no longer fit for purpose. Major renovations included a revitalized entrance, new student lounges, exhibition spaces, classrooms, and improved accessibility. These improvements were required to better accommodate the Faculty’s growing enrolment and the goal of creating new undergraduate and graduate programs, with a planned completion date of September 2026.
   
   The third project was the Department of Computer Science (DCS) at the Schwartz/Reisman Innovation Campus. This project would retrofit two floors of the Schwartz/Reisman building to bring together the university’s leading artificial intelligence scientists. The explosive growth in AI had led to a need for even more campus space. This project would allow DCS, the university’s strongest AI group, to co-locate with the AI Vector Institute and other AI initiatives, creating a strategic research and innovation hub.
   
   In response to questions, Mr. Lehto confirmed that the campus heritage strategy was to be taken into consideration in the architectural design phase of the Temerty and Faculty of Information projects and assured the Board that the university was working on plans to minimize disruption to campus life when staff and students are relocated during the construction phases.
   
   A member expressed a desire to hear greater detail during future capital projects presentations delivered to the Board, similar to the types of presentations delivered to the Planning & Budget Committee. Mr. Lehto responded that his office would do so.

OPEN SESSION CONSENT AGENDA
 

On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

YOUR BOARD APPROVED

THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 5, the Report of the Previous Meeting, be approved.

4. Approvals Under Summer Executive Authority
    
   The Chair reported that there were no approvals under summer executive authority within the purview of the Academic Board.
5. Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 251 – May 23, 2024
   
   Report Number 251, from the meeting of May 23, 2024 was approved.
6. Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting
    
   There was no business arising from the report of the previous meeting.
7. Items for Information
   
   Members received the following items for information:
   1. 2024-2025 Calendar of Business
   2. Report Number 307 of the Agenda Committee – May 28, 2024
   3. Report Number 308 of the Agenda Committee – June 25, 2024
   4. Report Number 309 of the Agenda Committee – September 24, 2024
   5. Report Number 213 of the Planning and Budget Committee – September 17, 2024
   6. Report Number 225 of the Committee on Academic Policy and Programs – September 19, 2024
8. Quarterly Report on Donations of $250,000 or more to the University of Toronto: May 1, 2024 – July 31, 2024

END OF CONSENT AGENDA

9. Date of the Next Meeting: November 14, 2024, 3:10-5:10 p.m.
   
   The Chair confirmed that the next meeting of the Board would be held on November 14, 2024 at 3:10 p.m.
10. Other Business
    
    
    No items of other business were raised.

THE BOARD MOVED IN CAMERA.

IN CAMERA AGENDA

11. Appointment of Assistant Discipline Counsel
    
    On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
    
    YOUR BOARD APPROVED
    
    THAT Chloe Hendrie, Sonia Patel, Ryan Shah, Jesse Wright, and Adam Iggers be appointed Assistant Discipline Counsel, effective immediately.
12. In Camera Report of the Administrative Assessors
    
    There were no in camera reports from the Administrative Assessors.
     

The Board returned to Open Session.