Report: Agenda Committee - November 05, 2024

Report Number 310 Of The Agenda Committee

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

To the Academic Board,
University of Toronto,

Your Committee reports that it held a virtual meeting on November 5, 2024 with the following members present:

PRESENT: Donald Ainslie (Vice-Chair), Trevor Young (Vice-President and Provost), Susan McCahan (Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, Digital Strategies), Nicholas Rule (Vice-Provost, Academic Programs), Catherine Amara, Charles Jia, Mark Lautens, Sergio Tenenbaum

REGRETS: Douglas McDougall (Chair), Edwin Thomas

SECRETARIAT: Miranda Edwards, Acting Secretary, Agenda Committee

IN ATTENDANCE: Lachmi Singh (Director, Academic Programs, Planning & Quality Assurance), Archana Sridhar (Assistant Provost)

The meeting was held in Closed Session.

CLOSED SESSION

1. Chair’s Remarks
   
   The Chair welcomed members and explained that he would serve as Acting Chair of today’s meeting as Douglas McDougall was unable to attend.
   
   The Chair congratulated Professor Susan McCahan on her new appointment as Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, Digital Strategies and thanked her for her past service to the Agenda Committee in her previous role as Vice-Provost, Academic Programs. He also congratulated and welcomed Professor Nicholas Rule, who was recently appointed to the role of Vice-Provost, Academic Programs and had joined the Agenda Committee as a new member.
2. Review of Academic Programs and Units

   1. Follow-Up Reports from Previous Reports
      
      Professor Catherine Amara, Chair of the Committee on Academic Policy and Programs (AP&P), advised the Committee that AP&P, at its meeting on October 22, 2024, reviewed the follow-up report on the program in Paramedicine offered jointly by the University of Toronto Scarborough Department of Health and Society and Centennial College.
      
      Professor Amara explained that AP&P had requested this one-year follow-up report at its meeting of October 24, 2023. AP&P requested that the report include information regarding the program’s acclimation to its new home in the UTSC Department of Health and Society, student readiness and support programs, student workload, DEI initiatives, the communication of program requirements, and the alignment of coursework and training offered at UTSC with that of Centennial College.
      
      Professor Amara confirmed that AP&P was satisfied with the follow-up report and had found no issues of concern to be brought forward to the Academic Board. No further follow-up reports were requested.
       

   2. Semi-Annual Report on the Reviews of Academic Units and Programs
      
      Professor Amara reported that nine external reviews were received and reviewed by AP&P at its meeting on October 22, 2024. There were seven Decanal Reviews commissioned by Deans under the University of Toronto Quality Assurance Process (UTQAP) and two Provostial Reviews, as listed below:
      
      Provostial Reviews:
      • Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering
      • Lawrence Bloomberg School of Nursing and its programs

Decanal UTQAP Reviews:

Faculty of Arts & Science:

• Department of Cell & Systems Biology and its programs
• Christianity & Culture and Christianity & Education programs (housed in St. Michael’s College)
• Ethics, Society & Law program (housed in Trinity College)
• Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures and its programs

University of Toronto Mississauga:

• Department of English & Drama and its programs
• Department of Language Studies and its programs
• Department of Visual Studies and its programs

Professor Amara informed the Committee that the Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs had examined the review reports to identify both new and recurring themes including the high calibre of student talent, the impressive scholarship of faculty members, the connections between units and their surrounding communities, and equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives. The reviews identified opportunities for academic units to further strengthen and leverage coordination, interdisciplinary connections, student supports, and EDI initiatives.

Professor Amara reported to the Committee that AP&P did not request any follow-up reports.

3. Academic Board – Review and Approval of Agenda – November 14, 2024
   
   The Committee reviewed and approved the agenda for the Cycle 2 meeting of the Academic Board scheduled for November 14, 2024.
   
   The Committee determined that the agenda would include the follow-up report and the nine program reviews forwarded by AP&P for information, as well as the Provost’s Annual Report on Cases of Academic Discipline (2023-24) for information.
   
   The Committee determined that the Consent Agenda would consist of Report Number 252 of the Academic Board – October 10, 2024 for approval; Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting; the Semi-Annual Report: Academic Appeals Committee, Individual Cases, Fall 2024; the Semi-Annual Report: University Tribunal, Individual Cases, Fall 2024; Report Number 226 of the Committee on Academic Policy and Programs – October 22, 2024; Report Number 310 of the Agenda Committee – November 5, 2024; and Membership of the Advisory Committee on the University of Toronto Library System for 2024-25.
   
   The Committee also determined that the agenda would include an in camera session to consider for approval, the Appointment of two Assistant Secretaries for the University Tribunal.
   
   In response to a request from the university administration, it was agreed by the Committee that the Quarterly Reports on Donations of $250,000 or more to the University of Toronto would be brought forward to Academic Board in Cycles 1, 3, 4, and 6 going forward.
4. Approval of the Report of the Previous Meeting
   
   Report 309 for the Agenda Committee meeting of September 24, 2024 was approved.
5. Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting
   
   There was no business arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting.
6. Date of the Next Meeting – December 11, 2024
   
   The Chair advised members that the Committee would next meet on December 11, 2024, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
7. Other Business
   
   There were no items of other business.
    

The Committee moved IN CAMERA.

IN CAMERA AGENDA

8. Academic Administrative Appointments
   
   On a motion duly moved, seconded and carried,
   
   YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
   
   the following academic administrative appointments.
    

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

FACULTY OF LAW

WOODSWORTH COLLEGE

The meeting adjourned at 2:40 p.m.

November 6, 2024