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Council Chamber, Simcoe Hall
REPORT NUMBER 249 OF THE UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS BOARD
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
To the Governing Council,
University of Toronto,
Your Board reports that it held a meeting in the Council Chamber, Simcoe Hall on November 25, 2025 with the following members present:
PRESENT: Geeta Yadav (Chair), Ron Levi (Vice-Chair), Sandy Welsh (Vice-Provost, Students), David Newman (Executive Director, Student Experience), Sharleen Ahmed, Kate Baggott, Amanda Bartley, Vikram Chadalawada, Fatima Faruq*, Susan Froom, David Gren*, Dzhafar Kabidenov, David Kim, Dulce Martinez*, Rishi Shah, Lynn Shen*, Alice Wright
*remote attendance
REGRETS: Robert Gerlai, Brian Harrington, Syeda Hasan, Audrey Karlinsky, Gretchen Kerr, Dina Reiss, Efe Sahinoglu
NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Kelly Hannah-Moffatt (Vice-President, People, Strategy, Equity, and Culture), Tim Fricker (Dean, Student Experience and Wellbeing, UTM), Nadia Rosemond (Executive Director, Office of the Vice-Provost, Students), Tim Tang (Dean, Student Experience and Wellbeing, UTSC)
SECRETARIAT: Miranda Edwards (Secretary), Amanda Grant (Governance Coordinator)
IN ATTENDANCE: Carla DeMarco, Cheryl Gibbs, Angela Treglia, Terese Weisburg
Pursuant to section 38 of By-Law Number 2,
consideration of items 11 to 12 took place in camera.
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair welcomed members and guests to the Board’s cycle 2 meeting. - Report of the Senior Assessor
Professor Sandy Welsh, Vice-Provost, Students reported a recent staff change in her office – Nadia Rosemond had begun an 18-month secondment as Executive Director in the Vice-Provost's office. Professor Welsh said that Ms Rosemond would be a valuable asset to her office and noted her lengthy experience at the University, particularly in student engagement.
Professor Welsh told the Board about the recent premiere of a documentary produced by the University: “International Students: Life After Graduation” which included a screening at all three campuses. The documentary followed six international students as they pursued their work and passions in the year after graduation. The film was produced as a collaboration between the Innovation Hub in Student Life, The Centre for International Experience, UTM’s International Education Centre and UTSC’s International Student Centre. The film was available for free online.
The University’s first-ever, Food Security Strategy Jam took place on November 14, 2025, hosted by the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students in collaboration with Hart House, and in partnership with the University of Toronto Student Union, Scarborough Campus Student Union, UTM Student Union, and the University of Toronto Graduate Student Union. The event emerged as a product of conversations that took place between Professor Welsh and student leaders about student food security issues, and was just the first step in what would be an ongoing conversation. Professor Welsh thanked all students and staff who had worked hard to organize the event.
Professor Welsh concluded her report by wishing faculty and students the best of luck with their final exams and papers.
Members had no questions. - Annual Report: Non-Academic Discipline
Professor Welsh presented the annual report on statistics of concluded cases of non-academic discipline which arose out violations of the Code of Student Conduct over the previous five years. Professor Welsh emphasized that the report included only concluded cases and noted that some cases which were initiated over the same five-year period were still ongoing. She further noted that the Report did not include complaints for which an informal resolution was reached.
She noted that decisions related to the Code rested with division heads (Principals and Deans). There were a range of mechanisms within the Code that allowed the University to address concerns and find resolutions. Hearing Officers were empowered to impose a wide range of sanctions such as mandating training, issuing no-contact orders, imposing certain conditions for participating in the University community, or issuing a recommendation for suspension or expulsion.
Professor Welsh informed the Board that her office was launching a review of the Code of Student Conduct. The most recent review took place in 2002. The review would be led by former Vice-President and Provost, Professor Cheryl Regehr, whose leadership and experience would be invaluable to this important process. Consultations were expected to begin in 2026. Additional information would be shared at future Board meetings.
In response to a member’s question about cases which had taken longer than 18 months to resolve, Professor Welsh noted that, in 2024-25, three cases took 21, 24, and 35 months, respectively, to be resolved. In 2023-24, three cases took 23, 25, and 28 months, respectively, to be resolved. Professor Welsh explained that cases which took longer than 18 months were usually cases that were paused due to parallel criminal proceedings. The University usually paused its investigations to await the outcome of criminal investigations or court proceedings. Sometimes cases took longer than 18 months to resolve due to a case’s complexity or volume of evidence. Professor Welsh emphasized that, in cases which took a lengthy time to resolve, the University had the power to impose interim measure and conditions, such as no-contact orders, that could be used to protect complainants’ safety during the course of an investigation.
In response to a member’s question about the presentation of data, Professor Welsh stated that she was open to feedback on how best to present data going forward. She noted that, as the Code had been in existence for decades, her office tried to keep to the same reporting criteria for consistency and year over year comparability. She further noted that data must be detailed enough to provide valuable information but aggregated in a way that protects privacy. Her office had not previously reported data by campus or other divisional location as this might make individuals more easily identifiable; however her office could, in future, examine ways to present this data while protecting privacy.
Members recognized and thanked the University staff involved in managing discipline cases, acknowledging the difficult and complex work that was being done. - Annual Report: Supportive Leaves Policy
Professor Welsh presented the annual report on cases which arose out of the Supportive Leaves Policy in the preceding academic year. Under the Policy, the University had the power to place students on mandated academic leave in cases where a student’s behaviour compromised the safety of the university community. The Policy provided a compassionate and non-punitive solution in addressing students exhibiting violent or threatening behaviour when all other methods of resolution had been exhausted.
For context, Professor Welsh outlined that, in 2024-25, the University had over 100,000 enrolled students and provided about 52,000 mental health services appointments. Only a very small number of students had been placed on leave under the Policy - the 5-year average was 4.2 students per year. In 2024-25, Professor Welsh’s office received only one request from a division head to invoke the Policy and that student was placed on leave.
Students had the right to request a review of the Vice-Provost's decisions to the Provost; and to appeal the Provost’s decisions to the University Tribunal. Students were also permitted to provide additional information at any time during the process and were permitted to take a voluntary leave of absence even after the process of a mandated leave was initiated. Case managers were available to help students understand the Policy and its procedures, and to develop a return to studies plan. A Student’s Companion Guide to the Policy was also available online.
Professor Welsh informed the Board that her office would be launching a review of the Policy beginning in January 2026. Further information would be reported to the Board later this year.
Members commended the case managers and the Vice-Provost for their work in managing these complex cases. - Review of the Statement on Prohibited Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment
Professor Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People, Strategy, Equity, and Culture, outlined the recommendations received during the review of the Statement on Prohibited Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment. The goals of the review were to strengthen institutional commitments and meet the legislative requirements of Bill 166, which was enacted in Fall 2024.
Professor Hannah-Moffat noted that the Statement had not been updated since 1994 and was outdated, referring to offices and policies which no longer existed.
The review was co-chaired by Professor Brenda Cosman, Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Law and Caroline Rabbat, the former director of High-Risk Faculty Support in the Faculty of Arts and Science. They conducted a range of consultation with faculty, staff, and students across the tri-campus, including 45 closed sessions and 8 open sessions. The consultation website received over 3,200 visitors. The collective feedback informed 13 recommendations. A key item of feedback received was that the Statement should be transformed into a Policy for greater enforceability. Another key item of feedback was support for one point of entry for all complaints, as it was currently difficult to distinguish between formal and informal complaints pathways. The review also addressed the need for a robust, University-wide tracking system of complaints to fulfill the annual reporting requirements of Bill 166.
The review process was currently in the policy drafting phase. Drafting was being led by Julie McAlpine-Jeffries, Associate University Counsel; Archana Sridhar, Assistant Vice-President, Institutional Affairs & Senior Advisor; and Jodie Glean, Executive Director, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion.
Professor Hannah-Moffat informed members that the full consultation report would be released on the consultation website within the next couple of weeks and that she hoped to bring the policy forward to governance in cycle 5 of the current year. She welcome members’ participation in the process.
In response to a member’s question, Professor Hannah-Moffat confirmed that her office would consult with the Office of the Ombudsperson as part of the policy review procedure.
In response to a member’s question, Professor Hannah-Moffat and Professor Welsh both confirmed that, as the review of the Code and the Statement were underway, their offices would be aligned and working collaboratively to ensure synergies between the two documents and avoid any contradictions or overlaps. They confirmed that the new Policy would be specifically focused on discrimination and harassment; whereas the Code would address a broader range of student conduct. - Revisions to the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment
Professor Welsh reported to the Board that the draft revised Policy had been brought before numerous governance bodies in cycle 1 for feedback and had also been made available on a public webpage for community feedback between September 3 – October 8, 2025. Professor Welsh noted that her office had made significant efforts to spread awareness of this final opportunity to provide feedback and had reached out directly to many student, faculty, and staff organizations. Her team received 25 submissions through the online form and 6 emailed submissions. In total, approximately 150 individual items of feedback were received. About 130 of those items were directly related to the Policy while the remaining items related to broader issues of sexual violence.
Professor Welsh listed highlights of feedback received as detailed in the materials provided to members, including enhanced clarity for definitions and procedures, clarified provisions regarding reprisals, clarified timelines, more information about support for respondents and interim measures and conditions. Professor Welsh noted that most feedback was related to requests for additional clarity. This feedback had been incorporated into the final draft that was being proposed for the Board’s recommendation. In response to community feedback, Professor Welsh told members that her office would also be adding new information about the Policy to the University website and making operational improvements.
Professor Welsh acknowledged and conveyed her gratitude to all those who provided input during the consultation process as well as the many staff members who had contributed to the policy review process.
Members had no questions.
On motion duly made, seconded, and carried,
IT WAS RECOMMENDED
THAT the proposed revisions to the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment, dated November 25, 2025, be approved, effective January 1, 2026.
CONSENT AGENDA
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
IT WAS RESOLVED,
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 7, the Report of the Previous Meeting, be approved.
- Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 248 – October 23, 2025
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. - Date of Next Meeting – Thursday, March 5, 2026, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
The Chair confirmed that the Board would next meet on Thursday, March 5, 2026, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
- Other Business
There was no other business.
IN CAMERA SESSION
- Appointments: Service Ancillaries Review Group (SARG)
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
IT WAS RESOLVED
THAT the following University Affairs Board members be appointed to the Service Ancillaries Review Group for the 2025-26 governance year:
Ms Amanda Bartley (Alumni member)
Ms Sharleen Ahmed (LGIC member)
Ms Kate Baggott (Administrative staff member) - Appointments: University Affairs Board Striking Committee
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
IT WAS RESOLVED
THAT the following individuals be appointed to the University Affairs Board Striking Committee for 2025-26:
Ms Kate Baggott (Administrative staff member)
Ms Amanda Bartley (Alumni member)
Mr. Dzhafar Kabidenov (Student member)
Ms Sharleen Ahmed (LGIC member)
Dr. Audrey Karlinsky (Teaching staff member)
The meeting adjourned at 5:25 p.m.
November 26, 2025