Report Number 67 Of The Utsc Campus Council
TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2025
To the Governing Council, University of Toronto,
Your Campus Council reports that it held a meeting in the Council Chamber, Arts and Administration Building, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 4:10 p.m. with the following members present:
PRESENT: Aarthi Ashok (Vice-Chair), Syed Ahmed*, Daniel Bowyer, Jason Glover*, Brian Harrington, Paul Huyer*, Mariana Jardim, Elaine Khoo, Mandy Liao*, Gillian Mason, Silma Roddau*, Dorinda So, Rachel Sturge, Arjun Yanglem, Hoorik Yeghiazarian*
NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Karin Ruhlandt (Vice-Principal, Academic and Dean)*, Andrew Arifuzzaman (Chief Administrative Officer), Tim Tang (Dean, Student Experience and Wellbeing)
REGRETS: Linda Johnston (Vice-President and Principal), Grace Westcott (Chair), Irmi Hutfless, Willow James, Imran Khan, Sonja Nikkila, Shennell Simpson
SECRETARIAT: Miranda Edwards, Megann Davidson
IN ATTENDANCE: Scott Mabury (Vice President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships), Aileen Cabrera, Mark Campbell, Lisa Clements, Carmina Elefano, Celine Gibbons-Taylor, Ramona Gonsalves, Tony Degregorio, Greg Hum, Liam Mitchell, Varsha Patel, Tanya Poppleton, Janine Raftopoulous, Cherilyn Scobi-Edwards, Tharsini Sivathasan, Mike Snowdon, Fran Wdowcdyk, Larry Whatmore
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
The Vice-Chair, Professor Aarthi Ashok, welcomed members to the Cycle 4 meeting of the UTSC Campus Council. The Vice-Chair noted that she was acting as Chair for today’s meeting as Grace Westcott was unable to attend. The Vice-Chair welcomed CAC members to the meeting, noting that they had been invited to attend so that they could hear the budget presentation and were welcome to ask questions during the question period for that item.
Professor Ashok told the Council that elections for Governing Council, Academic Board, and the Campus Councils had now concluded. She congratulated Professor Elaine Khoo and Professor Rachel Sturge for their election to the two teaching staff positions. Professor Ashok noted that there were 11 undergraduate students who had put their names forward for the undergraduate seats; therefore, a byelection would be held and the results announced on April 7, 2025. Unfortunately, no UTSC graduate students put their names forward for the available graduate student seat. Applications for Community/Alumni seats on Campus Council and its standing committees were now open and were due on March 7, 2025. Professor Ashok asked members to encourage qualified alumni and community members within their networks to apply for these important governance positions. - Presentation: Black Excellence at UTSC
In response to UTSC’s Anti-Black Racism Task Force recommendations, the Anti-Black Racism Black Inclusion Advisory Committee (ARBIAO) was established, comprised of UTSC students, staff, and faculty. The ARBIAO served as an advisory body to the Office of the Vice President & Principal. Its goal was to remove systemic barriers for black UTSC community members and incorporate black excellence into all aspects of the UTSC campus. It has also helped to develop engagement frameworks that enabled teaching, learning, research, and outreach activities such as partnerships with local black community organizations. One of its top priorities was a pathway to graduation framework which aimed to increase the graduation rate of black students.
This year, the ARBIAO supported the design and launch of a new website: Black Excellence at UTSC. The website has transformed from an annual Black History Month webpage to a site that prioritizes and showcases black excellence year-round. The website highlighted the achievements, contributions, and personal stories of black students, faculty and professionals, with the intention to inspire current and future black students. The website would also serve as a centralized source of information about the many initiatives and services available to support black excellence across UTSC. The website has fostered a sense of community, creating opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, and professional networking which were essential for academic and career advancement in the face of systemic barriers and stereotypes. The tone of the website was enthusiastic and joyful, celebrating the spirit of advocacy and positive social impact.
The website had so far been a success with 424 site visits. The ARBAIO team had engaged, and planned to continue engaging, black students, faculty, and administrators in developing the website’s content. It was noted that, in the long term, there were plans for the website to become a micro-site with further expanded content.
Members asked questions about ways in which the UTSC community could further support and publicize this initiative. Members suggested ideas such as creating a QR code, inclusion of the website in new student orientation materials and the March Showcase, ensuring that departments were welcomed to submit news and accolades about the achievements of black students and faculty, and local community and alumni involvement. - Institutional Operating Budget Report 2025-2026 and the Long-Range Budget Guidelines 2025-26 to 2029-30 [Presentation from the Office of the Vice-President & Provost]
The Chair invited Professor Scott Mabury, Vice-President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships and Mike Snowdon, Academic Planning & Analysis, Office of Planning & Budget to deliver the presentation.
Overview
Professor Mabury and Mr. Snowdon informed the Council that the University had presented for approval, a 5-year balanced budget with significant operating reserves and a strong credit rating. The budget was $3.62 billion – an increase of $98 million over the previous year - with two-thirds of operating revenue from student tuition and fees and the remaining third from the provincial government. Revenue growth was expected to slow to 2-3% for the next five years due to political and economic uncertainty, restrictions on international student study permits, the provincial tuition freeze in place until 2026-27, and inflation. Staff and faculty compensation continued to be the largest area of expense, accounting for 66% of the total budget. The University planned to act cautiously over the next five years as it was expected that revenue growth would continue to slow as costs increased.
Tuition and Operating Grants
Domestic tuition revenue had grown due to higher enrolment levels and increases to out of province tuition fees. The University planned to increase out of province domestic tuition by approximately 5% next year, which would generate additional revenue of approximately $5 million. The University generated less revenue from domestic enrollment than it did in 2018-19 in nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. International tuition growth had declined due to restrictions on international study visas.
Members asked questions regarding provincial funding restrictions in other provinces compared to Ontario. Members also discussed the University’s lobbying and advocacy strategies to increase funding. Professor Mabury noted that this was an ongoing priority.
Compensation and Faculty Hiring
The University planned to hire 15 new faculty positions next year which was significantly less than the typical annual number of approximately 50 new faculty hires.
Enrolment
Last year, the University enrolled 20,811 graduate students. In recent years, most graduate program enrolment growth was seen in professional Master’s programs, with declining demand in research-stream Master’s degrees. In 2024, the University committed to a base funding increase for doctoral students from $30,000 to $40,000 per year.
The Government signaled that it may fund domestic enrolment growth in STEM related programs in the future. In response, the University proposed adding 4,850 undergraduate spaces and 565 Master’s spaces. This potential growth was not yet included in the long-range budget plan.
Professor Mabury noted that, last year, UTSC had added 550 new enrolment placements for the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health programs, which was unprecedented in recent years. There was a clear trend in both government priorities and enrolment trends towards the health sciences.
International Students
The 2025-26 enrolment target for international students was just over 5,800. Last year, there was a 6% decline in international student enrolment – far better than the sector’s average decline. Approximately $90 million was budgeted for international student scholarships, which were to be fully funded from international student tuition revenues.
Student Aid
The 2025-26 budget included planned spending of $405 million on student financial support programs. Approximately $1.6 billion of the University’s endowment fund was earmarked for student aid with an annual payout of approximately $69 million. Last year, about 10,000 students received about $40 million in support through UTAPS and next year, the UTAPS budget would be increased to about $45 million.
Shared Service Investments and Operational Excellence
Investments in shared services would include a new identity management system, an expansion of the Library’s electronic acquisitions, a new expense reimbursement system, and a new centralized employee HR system. It was expected that strategic operational efficiencies would save the University both staff time and money. The University allocated approximately $1 million for an Operational Excellence Fund. Portions of this Fund would also be provided to divisions to support them in aligning with these strategies.
Deferred Maintenance
As approved by the Governing Council at its meeting on February 27, 2025, the University planned to take on $250 million in debt in order to finance urgent repair and renovation of University building infrastructure. Approximately 400 projects would be prioritized over the next two to three years. It was noted that further information about deferred maintenance would be provided to the UTSC Campus Affairs Committee at its forthcoming meeting.
Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA4)
It was noted that the University was currently in discussions with the government regarding the new Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA4). It was planned that SMA4 would go into effect for the 2025-26 academic year and remain in place for five years. In response to a member’s question, Professor Mabury explained that the basic structure of the agreement would remain the same as with SMA3 and that there would still be enrollment provisions and performance-based funding. Approximately 25% of the University’s funding was dependent on performance metrics. The government has indicated that it planned to undertake a funding model review in the third year of the agreement.
Members asked follow-up questions about the performance metrics that the University was required to meet. Professor Mabury responded that approximately 5% of funding was tied to administrative requirements such as reporting deadlines and research security attestations. Additional metrics included topics such as enrolment, research, graduation and employment rates. Professor Mabury noted that the University had exceeded all of its SMA3 targets in all five years of the agreement. - Operating Plans and Fees: UTSC Service Ancillaries, 2025-26
Mr. Andrew Arifuzzaman, Chief Administrative Officer, explained to the Council that UTSC’s four service ancillaries (student housing, parking, food services, retail and conference services) were intended to be self-funded and revenue-generating. There were four financial objectives for all service ancillaries: 1) to operate without subsidies from the University’s operating budget, 2) provide for the costs of capital renewal including deferred maintenance, 3) maintain an operating reserve, and 4) contribute to the net revenues of the University. Mr. Arifuzzaman pointed out that that the net revenues had grown up to 14%, as noted in Professor Mabury’s budget presentation. Taken together, the four categories of service ancillaries generated annually approximately $26 million in net assets, approximately $3 million in income, and approximately $20 million per year in revenue.
Student Housing
Mr Arifuzzaman reported that, since the opening of Harmony Commons residence, which provided the traditional first-year residence experience, the Housing team was now working on improving the graduate housing experience. Housing fee increases were planned to range from 3.5% to 5.7%.
Parking
Mr Arifuzzaman told the Council that the goal was to provide quality parking facilities in a safe and effective environment. He noted the parking challenges that existed at the present time due to construction and road closures. He further noted that the new Parking Commons structure was expected to open in about 19 months. Parking rates had been gradually increased over the past couple of years to accommodate the building costs of the parking structure so that rates would not have to increase dramatically in one price raise. Once the new Parking Commons had opened, the rate increases were expected to return to normal.
Mr Arifuzzaman noted that the threat of U.S. tariffs was a cost risk for the Parking Commons project because the concrete was being manufactured at a Canadian company’s facilities in Michigan. It was uncertain if the planned concrete shipments would be subject to new tariffs.
In response to a member’s question, Mr. Arifuzzan told the Council that a City of Toronto bylaw required that UTSC provide a certain number of parking spaces based on the square footage of the campus. A special provision was negotiated within the bylaw that allowed UTSC to decrease that ratio when certain additional transit services from the City were to become available. The expectation was that, as City transit services were expanded, it would allow UTSC to limit the number of new parking spaces that the campus was required to build as the campus size and population expanded.
Food Services
Mr. Arifuzzaman commended the food services team for providing a retail culinary experience that worked towards sustainability goals as well as reflecting the cultural diversity on campus. There has been new financial success in this ancillary service with promising financial projections for the future. Much of this is attributable to the Harmony Commons meal plans which have been more popular than anticipated. There has been an approximately 3% increase in food prices which is aligned with the current grocery inflation rate.
Retail and Conference Services
Mr. Arifuzzaman told the Council that UTSC was looking for opportunities to enhance its conference services. Recent successes included hosting students in the Green Path program and hosting athletes for the Canadian Olympic trials. UTSC was also seeking to expand new campus filming permits as a revenue source.
In response to a member’s question regarding the reasons for increased housing fees, Mr. Arifuzzaman and Mr. Greg Hum (Director, Housing & Residence Life) acknowledged that the housing increase was slightly above inflation but that the fee increases had been below the inflation rates and that student housing fees were still well below local market rates and below many comparable university campuses. An additional reason for the fee increase was that, in response to student feedback, the winter break fee that was charged to students who wished to remain in residence during winter break, would be reduced, and the cost of this would be absorbed by the general fee increase. Another contributing factor to the fee increase was the unexpected, significant increase in utility fees, and the elimination of the previous utility rate discount. - Compulsory Non-Academic Incidental Fees: SCSU Sport and Rec Complex Levy, UTSC
Tim Tang, Dean of Student Experience and Wellbeing told the Council that the UTSC Sports and Recreation Complex Levy had been established in 2010 following a student referendum to support the construction of a new sports complex. As part of that referendum, students voted to support an annual fee increase of 4% over a 25-year period between 2014 and 2039 to fund the project’s costs. As such, beginning in Summer 2025, the fee would increase by $829 per session for full-time students and by $166 per session for part-time students.
YOUR COMMITTEE RESOLVED, Subject to Confirmation of the Executive Committee,
THAT, beginning in the Summer 2025 session, the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union fee be increased by $8.29 per session ($1.66 for part-time students) in the UTSC Sports & Recreation Complex Levy portion of the fee. - Operating Plans and Fees: Office of Student Experience and Wellbeing, UTSC
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Advice from the Council on Student Services
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Operating Plans and Fees: Office of Student Experience and Wellbeing
Dean Tang began by noting that the Office of Student Experience and Wellbeing operated primarily through student services fees, without drawing substantially on operating income. As part of the Operating Plans and Fees review process, the Council on Student Services (CSS) reviewed the detailed annual operating plans including the budgets and the proposed non-academic incidental fees, and provided recommendations on the areas in which UTSC might expand or adjust OSEW programming. CSS and the UTSC Campus Affairs Committee voted to approve a permanent year-over-year 2.38% increase of the 2025-26 student services fees.
Dean Tang told the Council that, in his short time at UTSC, it was apparent that UTSC students were highly engaged in governance. He noted that his office had collaborated closely with CSS, which had engaged over seventy students and staff along with three Finance advisory committees and fourteen departmental advisory committees in rich and productive conversations.
On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE RESOLVED, Subject to Confirmation of the Executive Committee,
THAT, the 2025-26 operating plans and budgets for the UTSC Student Experience and Wellbeing (including the Health & Wellness Centre, Athletics & Recreation, Student Services), as presented in the documentation from Mr. Tim Tang, Dean of Student Experience and Wellbeing, be approved; and
THAT the sessional Health & Wellness Service Fee for a UTSC-registered or UTSC- affiliated full-time student be increased to $94.70 per full-time student per session ($18.94 per part-time student per session); which represents a year over year increase of 9.71% ($8.38 for full-time student; $1.68 for part-time student); and
THAT the sessional Athletics and Recreation Fee for a UTSC-registered or UTSC- affiliated full-time student be decreased to $142.05 per full-time student per session ($28.41 per part-time student per session); which represents a decrease of 1.43% ($2.06 for full-time student; $0.41 for part-time student); and
THAT the sessional Student Services Fee for a UTSC-registered or UTSC- affiliated full-time student be increased to $217.75 per full-time student per session ($43.55 per part-time student per session); which represents a year over year increase of 1.99% ($4.25 for full-time student; $0.85 for part-time student).
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UTSC Capital Projects Report
The Vice-Chair invited Mr. Arifuzzaman to provide a brief update on UTSC capital projects. He noted that Indigenous House had been about 18 months behind schedule due to issues with the contractor, but was now scheduled to open in Summer 2025. The entire UTSC community was looking forward to this important milestone.
The UTSC Scarborough Academy of Medicine & Integrated Health was progressing well in the construction phase and was expected to open in June 2026 and host its first academic programs in September 2026.
The Sam Ibraham building was now occupied by faculty and staff and open to academic programming. The official grand opening ceremony had been delayed but was now scheduled for April 7th. Mr. Arifuzzaman told the Council that tours of the new building were popular and that senior leadership from across the University had shown a great deal of interest in utilizing the classrooms and their leading-edge pedagogical design.
The Harmony Commons student residence project was now complete and fully occupied.
In response to a member’s question, Mr. Arifuzzaman told the Council that, as part of the Hammerheads Program, there were close to 60 apprenticeship programs active on UTSC’s campus. He stated that more details would be provided in forthcoming Council meetings.
CONSENT AGENDA
The Chair noted that of the items listed on the Consent Agenda, one item, Item 8 – the Report of the Previous Meeting, was for approval. All other items were for information only.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COUNCIL APPROVED,
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 6, the Report of the Previous Meeting, be approved.
- Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 66 – November 12, 2024
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. -
Reports for Information
Members received the following reports for information:
Report Number 75 of the UTSC Academic Affairs Committee (January 9, 2025)
Report Number 60 of the UTSC Campus Affairs Committee (January 8, 2025) -
Date of Next Meeting – April 21, 2025, 4:10 p.m.
The Chair advised members that the Committee would meet again on April 21, 2025 at 4:10 p.m. - Other Business
Members had no other business
The meeting adjourned at 6:25 p.m.
March 28, 2025