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Council Chamber, Simcoe Hall
THE GOVERNING COUNCIL
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2025
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL
Thursday, April 3, 2025 in the Governing Council Chamber, Simcoe Hall
PRESENT: Anna Kennedy (Chair), Sandra Hanington (Vice-Chair), Meric S. Gertler (President), Donald Ainslie, Aarthi Ashok, Amanda Bartley, Jovan Bursac, Luca Calabretta, Vikram Chadalawada, Janet Cloud, Robert Cooper, Indi Gopinathan, Maureen Harquail, Thomas Hofmann, Paul Huyer, David Jacobs, Sarosh Jamal, Linda Johnston, Audrey Karlinsky, Mark Lautens, Ron Levi, Scott MacKendrick, Brian Madden, Rajiv Mathur, Douglas McDougall, Joanne McNamara, Cameron Miranda-Radbord, Andrew Petersen, Maya Povhe, Danielle Skipp, Mary-Agnes Wilson, Trevor Young, David Zingg
Sheree Drummond (Secretary of the Governing Council)
REGRETS: Sharleen Ahmed, Glen Bandiera, Laurent Bozec, Ann Curran, Liam Dravid, Samuel Elfassy, Ramy Elitzur, K. Sonu Gaind, Ankita Goyat, Akina Lalla, Kikelomo Lawal, Eha Naylor, William Verreault, Grace Westcott, Geeta Yadav
GUESTS IN ATTENDANCE:Leah Cowen (Vice-President, Research & Innovation, and Strategic Partnerships), Kelly Hannah-Moffat (Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity and Culture), Scott Mabury (Vice-President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships), David Palmer (Vice-President, Advancement), Christina Szustaczek (Vice-President, Communications), Joseph Wong (Vice-President, International), Gwen Burrows (Assistant Vice-President, International Engagement and Impact), Julie Alpine-Jeffries (Associate, University Counsel), Tony Gray (Director, Strategic Research, Office of the President), Jeff Lennon (Assistant Vice-President, Planning & Budget), Susan Mazza (Senior Project Manager, Office of the President), Archana Sridhar (Assistant Provost), Kristin Taylor (University Counsel and Chief Legal Officer), Sandy Welsh (Vice-Provost, Students)
SECRETARIAT: Miranda Edwards (Recording Secretary), Cindy Ferencz-Hammond
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair, Anna Kennedy, welcomed members and began the meeting by congratulating student governor, Liam Dravid, on receiving the 2025 UTSC Student Leadership Award. - President’s Report
The President began by noting the recent announcement of Professor Melanie Woodin as the 17th President of the University of Toronto as of July 1, 2025, and shared that transition planning was now underway.
U.S. Relations
The President reported that the University continued to monitor the U.S. tariffs issue and its ongoing impacts on Canada and other global trading partners. He noted that work continued to address ways in which tariffs might impact Canadian universities’ operations, including through a request for exemption from retaliatory tariffs for materials necessary to university operations, such as research equipment. While the University had $15-20 million worth of annual direct procurement from the U.S., indirect impacts could be somewhat larger.
The President noted the Trump administration’s recent interventions in the U.S. higher education sector, including the issuing of multiple Executive Orders which had restricted federal agencies’ research funding on a wide range of topics. The President also noted that universities such as Columbia University, Harvard University, and the University of Pennsylvania, had had their federal funding suspended, or were under threat of suspension, due to alleged noncompliance with Trump administration priorities. The President said that the Association of American Universities, of which the University was a member, had issued a strong statement against this withdrawal of research funding for reasons unrelated to research, as it sets a “dangerous and counterproductive precedent.”
The President reported that several researchers at the University of Toronto and its affiliated hospitals received funding from U.S. government agencies, which could now be at risk, and that the University would continue to monitor this closely. As a result of this ongoing turmoil, he commented on the potential for a “reverse brain drain”, whereby US scholars might opt to move to Canadian universities.
Federal Matters
The President noted that Mark Carney had been sworn in as Prime Minister on March 14, 2025, with a new cabinet that included Professor Anita Anand as Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. Professor Anand was currently on leave from the University’s Faculty of Law. With the federal election scheduled for April 28, 2025, the University continued to monitor the platforms of all major federal parties and their higher education policy positions.
On March 13, 2025, the federal government announced a commitment of over $300 million in funding for Canada Research Chairs and the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) Transformation stream. The President was pleased to note that two of the five recipients of the NFRF grants were two faculty members at the University of Toronto.
Provincial Matters
The President noted that Premier Doug Ford’s new provincial cabinet had been sworn in last month and that the former Ministry of Colleges and Universities had been renamed to the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (CURES). The President reported that he had since had substantive conversations with Minister Nolan Quinn and had congratulated him on his re-appointment. The University would be monitoring the upcoming Throne Speech and Provincial budget and had hopes of possible further investment in the university sector. The University was also currently working with the Ministry to finalize details of the forthcoming Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA4).
Encampment Retrospective
The President reported that the consultants had completed the data gathering and consultation phase and were now drafting the final report, which the University expected to receive in Spring 2025.
Interim Report on Prohibited Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment
The President invited Provost Trevor Young to deliver the Interim Report on Complaints of Prohibited Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment.
The Provost reported that his office had compiled decentralized data on complaints of prohibited discrimination and discriminatory harassment from the offices of the Principals and Deans; the Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office; Sexual & Gender Diversity Office; divisional EDI offices; CAOs of divisions; the Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life; the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students; and Workplace Investigations.
The Provost noted some caveats about the data. First, that the numbers represented only formal complaints and did not include reports of behaviour that fell outside the University’s jurisdiction or behaviour that did not meet the threshold for consideration under the Statement on Prohibited Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment. Second, that because offices did not track the same data in the same way, and because the same incident may have resulted in multiple complaints, there might be over-reporting or duplication within the data. Lastly, that this was an interim report in preparation for the implementation of Bill 166 and that his office was committed to undertaking further work in its data collection processes.
The Provost reported that 621 complaints were made between July 1, 2022 to December 31, 2024. About 43% of complaints had led to remedial action, 11% led to alternative resolution, 16% led to a referral, 12% were still in progress, 12% had been discontinued, and 5% of cases had insufficient data. The University’s complaints procedures were grounded in the Ontario Human Rights Code and Bill 166. In the Ontario Human Rights Code categories*,[1] about 44% of complaints pertained to race, 19% to disability, 16% to ethnic origin, 16% to gender identity and expression, and 15% to creed. In the Bill 166 categories, about 13% of complaints pertained to anti-black racism, 13% to antisemitism and 9.5% to Islamophobia. This data would be shared with the co-chairs of the Statement on Prohibited Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment review committee. It would also be included in the next Annual Report.
The Provost concluded his report by thanking all University staff who had been involved in the large task of compiling the data and thanked Governors for their input and oversight on this issue over the past year.
Update on the Draft Guide to Law and Policy Regarding Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Discrimination
The President invited Professor Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People, Strategy, Equity and Culture to provide an update on the Draft Guide to Law and Policy Regarding Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Discrimination.
Professor Hannah-Moffat told the Council that a new website would be launched on April 15, 2025 which would contain the new Guide to Law and Policy Regarding Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Discrimination, scenario examples, information about complaints procedures, links to University policies, and a link to the Report of the University of Toronto Antisemitism Working Group (2021). She explained that a website format was chosen for accessibility purposes and to have a broader audience reach.
Questions
A governor inquired if there were any metrics available to reflect if members of the University community felt that things were improving, worsening, or static. Professor Hannah-Moffat responded that no data had been collected on that question but noted that there was newly improved communications and data-gathering procedures between offices that received complaints, which would provide better insights going forward.
In response to a governor’s question about other forms of racism, Professor Hannah-Moffat told the Council that her office maintained a website that provided resources on EDI in a global context, and that there was also a dashboard on progress in addressing recommendations for the University’s equity, diversity and inclusion working groups. She noted that the work of the Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian Discrimination Working Group was currently in its consultations phase.
A governor commented that some cases of discrimination may be opportunities for teachable moments rather than disciplinary action. Professor Hannah-Moffatt agreed and stated that the University offered resource guides and coaching. In regard to the accommodation of religious observances, Professor Hannah-Moffat explained that the University was considerate of such dates, and that it provided resources to faculty and managers about such accommodations.
In response to a governor’s question about creating a “one-stop shop” for individuals to submit complaints, Professor Hannah-Moffat responded that the University had complied with the Bill 166 requirements to have a complaints submission website. Her office encouraged members of the University community to refer to that website.
A governor inquired as to what actions the University was taking to make Jewish students feel safe to bring forward concerns of antisemitism. Professor Hannah-Moffat responded that some Jewish associations on campus have many faculty who at times offer support to Jewish students through mentoring or allyship, as well as support the student in bringing forward their complaint. She also stated that people could come forward with concerns or requests for resources even if they did not wish to start a formal complaint process.
In response to a governor’s comment about further learnings from the data, Professor Hannah-Moffat stated that a staff member in her office had taken on a coding project to further refine and study the data. The Provost added that data disclosures required under Bill 166 would help provide comparator metrics from other institutions, which would provide further insights into the University’s own data. - Tuition Fees and Budget
The Provost informed the Council that the University remained in a strong financial position. He presented a 5-year balanced budget with significant operating reserves, strong credit rating, and strong investment portfolio. The budget was $3.62 billion – an increase of $98 million over the previous year. Two-thirds of operating revenue came 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 down from a multi-year average of around 6%.
International enrolment had declined by about 6%, which was modest compared to declines in the rest of the sector. This was attributable to the University’s diversification strategy and international scholarship programs. Domestic enrolment demand was extremely strong, but the University remained constrained by limits on government-funded domestic student spaces. Tuition remained frozen for almost all programs until at least 2026-27. Tuition for out-of-province students would be raised by 5% and tuition for international students would be raised by 2-3%.
Staff and faculty compensation continued to be the largest area of expense, accounting for over 60% of the total budget. The University remained committed to student financial support as a key priority, with budget allocations increasing this year to over 11% of the total budget. The University spent far more on financial aid than was required by provincial policy, and 64% more per student than the average across Ontario universities.
The University planned to act cautiously over the next five years as it was expected that costs would continue to outpace revenue growth. It was committed to maximizing the efficient use of resources under its Operational Excellence initiatives, including high priority investments in shared services. The Provost emphasized that there were no planned hiring freezes, lay-offs, programs or services cuts. He credited the University leadership for its excellent management that had led to the University being in a better position than most institutions in the sector.
The Chair noted that comprehensive presentations had been made to the Planning and Budget Committee, Academic Board, Business Board and Campus Councils. Professor Douglas McDougall, Chair of Academic Board and Rajiv Mathur, Chair of Business Board presented summaries of the discussions that took place at the meetings of those Boards. The Chair delivered summaries on behalf of Ann Curran, Chair of UTM Campus Council and Grace Westcott, Chair of UTSC Campus Council.
Questions
In response to a governor’s question, the Provost stated that all academic programs undergo rigorous reviews on a minimum 7-year cycle, for both academic quality assurance and to determine student interest.
In response to a governor’s question about work-study programs and students’ desire for lower tuition fees, the Provost responded that student aid is a top priority of the University. Professor Sandy Welsh, Vice-Provost, Students, acknowledged that some members of the University community were disappointed with changes to the work-study program but noted that her office was working with various divisions to help them find alternative ways to employ students.
A governor inquired if the University conducted any outreach to lower income students at the high school level. The Provost and Angelique Saweczko (University Registrar), noted that there were a number of direct community pathways programs including admissions support and an academic enrichment program dedicated to supporting financially disadvantaged students. The President stated that the University was a national leader in this area and that the University’s statistics reflected a high level of success in recruiting and supporting low-income students to both start and finish their university programs at a rate commensurate with their graduating classes. A governor suggested that the University could better advertise these programs publicly.
In response to a governor’s question about support for indigenous students, Ms Saweczko stated that the University was seized with this, but that it could do more. She noted that not all the funding allocated for this support had been distributed.
In response to a governor’s question, the Provost noted that the University was studying ways to optimize the growing interest from U.S. academics and students in coming to the University.
A governor asked if compensation increases would continue to be a budget risk. Professor Hannah-Moffat responded that, with the exception of one-time increases made as a result of Bill 124, salaries typically increased on par with CPI and that she expected that would continue.
A governor noted the reference to the Operational Excellence initiatives in the Provost’s presentation and asked that there be annual reporting to governance on these initiatives’ progress. A governor also suggested that students be invited to participate in the Operational Excellence Working Group’s initiatives as an experiential learning opportunity.- Tuition Fee Schedule for Publicly Funded Programs, 2025-26
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
IT WAS RESOLVED
THAT the Tuition Fee Schedule for Publicly Funded Programs for 2025-26 be approved.
- Tuition Fee Schedule for Self-Funded Programs, 2025-26
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
IT WAS RESOLVED
THAT the Tuition Fee Schedule for Self-Funded Programs for 2025-26 be approved.
- Institutional Operating Budget Report 2025-2026 and the Long Range Budget Guidelines 2025-26 to 2029-30
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
IT WAS RESOLVED
THAT the Budget Report 2025-26 be approved and
THAT the Long-Range Budget Guidelines 2025-26 to 2029-30 be approved in principle.
- Annual Report: Student Financial Support, 2024-25
The Committee received the Annual Report on Student Financial Support, 2024-25 for information.
- Tuition Fee Schedule for Publicly Funded Programs, 2025-26
- UTFA Tentative Agreement between the University Administration and University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) on revisions to Articles 7 and 13 of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Governing Council of the University of Toronto and The University of Toronto Faculty Association
Professor Hannah-Moffat informed the Council that the University and UTFA had entered mediation to discuss revisions and amendments to the Memorandum of Agreement. The revised agreement and amendments had since been ratified by UTFA Council.
A key revision was the exclusion of certain academic administrators from UTFA membership so that those individuals could participate in academic labour relationship processes (such as negotiations and grievances) on behalf of the university without any real or perceived conflict of interest. The exclusions included Vice Deans and Associate Deans, Academic or equivalent.
The other key revision was to modernize the grievance process for faculty members and librarians to be more aligned with Labour Relations frameworks used elsewhere in the University. Going forward, both parties agreed that the previous three-person grievance review panel, which had consisted of a professional arbitrator and two faculty members or librarian, would now be replaced by one professional arbitrator who would act as sole decision maker. This arbitrator was to be selected from a rotating list of mutually agreed-upon arbitrators. Going forward, Association grievances that would have a significant impact on academic employment matters were to be decided by a Chief Arbitrator or their Deputy. Both parties agreed to a process to determine a Chief Arbitrator and/or a Chief Deputy Arbitrator by September 1, 2025. Faculty members and librarians would continue to choose whether they wished to have UTFA representation at mediations.
The University and UTFA had agreed to a transition model for active grievances that were currently in the process of being heard under the prior agreement. Professor Hannah-Moffat noted that the University Administration initially had concerns about moving to a model where academic colleagues did not have a role in the adjudication of grievances given the important culture of collegial governance. However, the University was confident that the arbitrators selected for this process were sufficiently knowledgeable of the nature of academic employment and the University and that the new model was more expeditious. Other notable changes included new timeline requirements for notices and decisions to ensure timely communications and the removal of references to outdated policies, procedures, and terms.
The University consulted with Vice Presidents, Deans, Principals, and Academic HR leaders. All were welcoming of the changes as creating a more efficient process that was better aligned with the University’s best practices.
As this item was considered and recommended by the Academic Board and the Business Board, the Council heard a report from Professor Douglas McDougall, Chair of Academic Board summarizing the discussion that took place at the Board’s meeting.
A governor expressed concern that arbitrated settlements could result in large financial awards that pose a risk to the University. Professor Hannah-Moffat responded that the arbitration in question would not typically cover salary matters. She further noted that the University did not typically move to arbitration unless it was absolutely necessary.
A governor inquired if there was any data available on how many individuals chose to use UTFA representation. Professor Hannah-Moffatt responded that data was not formally tracked and that such trends would not be published due to confidentiality. She noted that her sense was that it was generally rare that faculty chose to have alternative representation to UTFA. A governor also expressed concerns that excluding Vice-Deans from UTFA meant excluding a very knowledgeable group of faculty. Professor Hannah-Moffat confirmed that not all Vice-Deans would be excluded from UTFA – only those whose role involved in academic labour relations matters.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
IT WAS RESOLVED
THAT the amendments to Article 7 and Article 13 of the MOA, as agreed to by University of Toronto Administration and the University of Toronto Faculty, on February 20, 2025, and the related housekeeping changes to Articles 6 and 11 be approved, effective immediately.
CONSENT AGENDA
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
BE IT RESOLVED
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item #5, the Reports of the Previous Meetings, be approved.
- Minutes of the Previous Meetings of the Governing Council
The Minutes of the previous meetings were 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 558 of the Executive Committee – Special Meeting (March 26, 2025)
- Report Number 557 of the Executive Committee (March 25, 2025)
- Report Number 556 of the Executive Committee – Special Meeting (February 27, 2025)
- Report Number 283 of the Business Board (March 12, 2025)
- Report Number 255 of the Academic Board (March 6, 2025)
- Report Number 67 of the UTSC Campus Council (March 4, 2025)
- Report Number 70 of the UTM Campus Council (March 3, 2025)
- Report Number 245 of the University Affairs Board (February 26, 2025)
- Date of Next Meeting – May 22, 2025, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
The Chair advised members that the Governing Council would next meet on May 22, 2025 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the UTSC Council Chamber, Arts & Administration Building on the Scarborough Campus. - Question Period
There were no questions for the administration. - Other Business
A governor shared with the Council that he had spoken with the Provost about potentially banning face masks during protests and civil actions on campus. The Provost stated that a review of the Code of Student Conduct was planned for the upcoming academic year and would be brought forward to Governing Council. He said that this matter could be considered as part of that review, noting that it would require careful consideration and consultation.
Some governors expressed their concerns about this proposal, citing issues of freedom of expression, doxxing and online safety. Others expressed support for a potential ban.
[1] Secretary’s Note: These percentages add up to 110% due to the fact that some complaints were attributed to multiple categories.
The meeting adjourned at 6:15 p.m.
April 29, 2025