Report: UTM Campus Affairs Committee - March 10, 2026

To the UTM Campus Council,
University of Toronto Mississauga,

Your UTM Campus Affairs Committee reports that it held a meeting on March 10, 2026 in the Council Chamber, Room 3130, W. G. Davis Building, with the following members present:

PRESENT: Robert Gerlai (in the Chair), Claudiu Gradinaru (Vice-Chair), Alexandra Gillespie (Vice-President & Principal), William Gough, (Interim Vice-Principal Academic & Dean), Tim Fricker (Interim Dean of Student Experience & Wellbeing), Heather Anderson, Charleson Cao, Mairi Cowan, Rosa Hong April Forbes, Melissa Gniadek, Adriana Grimaldi, Christina Kakaflikas, Harleen Kaur, Marc Laflamme, Carolyn Loos, Mai Lu, Rosalind Murray, Ottavia Paluch, Haze Schepmyer, Jada Thomas, Kathleen Yu

REGRETS: Emily Atkinson, Shakhriyor Bakhtiyorov, Alice Chan, Samuel Kamalendran, Peter Landry, Aisha Mirzada, Joanna Szurmak

NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Luke Barber (Executive Director, Digital and Physical Infrastructure), Christine Esteban (Interim Executive Director, Budget, Finance and Business Services), Melissa Gallo (Interim Assistant Dean, Student Wellness, Support and Success), Chad Nuttall (Assistant Dean of Students and International Initiatives)

SECRETARIAT: Cindy Ferencz-Hammond, Samantha Frost

IN ATTENDANCE: Rabeeya Amjad (Director of Planning and Analysis), Dan Bowyer (COE member, UTSCCC member), Jeff Espie (Director, Strategy and Brand Integration, Office of the Vice-President & Principal), Megan Evans (Assistant Director, Hospitality & Ancillary Services), Adam Fraser (Assistant Dean, Office of the Vice-Principal Academic & Dean), Kristen Leal (Assistant Director, Residence Life), Antonia Lo (Director, Student Services and Ancillaries, Budget, Planning & Finance), Felicity Morgan (Director, Career Centre), Jennifer Skinner (Assistant Director, Residence Administration & Operations)

OPEN SESSION

1. Chair’s Remarks
   
   The Chair welcomed members to the Committee’s cycle four meeting.  He extended congratulations to newly elected and re-elected Campus Affairs Committee members: Carolyn Loos (Administrative Staff, re-elected), Marc Laflamme (Teaching Staff, re-elected), and Christina Lamparter (Teaching Staff). The Chair noted that student election results would be announced on April 7. 
2. Overview of the UTM Campus Operating Budget: 2026-27
   
   The Chair introduced the item by noting that, in the fall and winter, the Committee had received presentations on UTM’s strategic priorities and the University’s long-range budget guidelines, both of which informed the development of the UTM campus operating budget. Materials, including the long-range budget guidelines, enrollment report, and annual report on student financial support, had been made available in advance. The Chair then invited Vice-President & Principal Gillespie to present; she was joined by Christine Esteban (Interim Executive Director, Budget, Finance and Business Services) and Rabeeya Amjad (Director of Planning and Analysis.)
   
   Professor Gillespie framed the budget within the broader financial pressures of the past seven years. She noted that in 2019-20 Ontario tuition was reduced by 10% and then frozen, decreasing the real value of these revenues by more than 25%. This was followed by pandemic-related costs, post-pandemic inflation, compensation increases following the repeal of Bill 124, and federal immigration policy changes in 2024 that reduced international enrollment across the sector. In response, UTM had reduced planned spending by more than $323 million over the past few years while maintaining balanced budgets. Despite these pressures, graduation rates had increased by 4 percentage points, experiential learning had expanded by 53%, and research grants had grown by 74%. Since the 2019 tuition cut, investment in UTM’s 19 academic departments and institutes had increased by 49%, representing more than $50 million in base funding growth, and student financial aid had increased by 85%.
   
   Rabeeya Amjad reviewed enrollment, noting that for the third consecutive year, UTM had intentionally exceeded its domestic intake target with Provostial approval. In fall 2024, 3,118 domestic students registered, 17% above the 2,662 target. UTM’s domestic intake target remained constant at 2,662 for the 2026-27 budget until further information on the new enrolment corridor is provided by the provincial government. Internationally, UTM reduced its intake target by 19% to 1,032 students, reflecting historical averages after registering 975 international students in 2025, 24% below the prior 1,280 target. The overall intake target for 2026–27 is set at 3,694 students, 6% lower than previous years, with a higher proportion of domestic students. Applications from emerging markets such as Pakistan, Vietnam, and Indonesia were reported to be up 24%, 42%, and 62% respectively year-over-year. Undergraduate enrollment was budgeted at 14,901 students, but came in at 15,079, slightly above target due to strong domestic demand and retention, while summer enrollment in 2025 had exceeded revenue targets by $3 million. Professional program enrollment in the Institute for Management and Innovation was projected to decline temporarily due to a redesign of the Master of Management in Professional Accounting program.
   
   Christine Esteban presented the financial overview, reporting gross revenue of approximately $458 million for 2026–27. Tuition accounted for 62% of revenue, provincial operating grants for 15%, self-funded student services for 8%, university fund allocations for 7%, divisional revenue for 4%, and other sources, including investment income, for 4%. In the budget model, U of T retained institutionally 14% of gross academic revenue from all divisions, UTM included. These funds were then redistributed based on divisional needs, with most receiving more than 14% and some receiving less. UTM's allocation was 7%, which means UTM made a net positive impact on the university-wide budget.  Of total gross revenue, $31M supported tri-campus student aid and $55M supported university-wide costs, i.e., tri-campus shared services and pension costs. This left $372 million in campus-specific operating revenue.  Operating expenses totaled approximately $372 million, with nearly two-thirds allocated to compensation. Of compensation costs, 45% supported faculty and librarians and 28% supported staff.
   
   Professor Gillespie explained that to address a projected $22 million revenue short fall for 2026-27, UTM would make no cuts to its 19 academic departments or decanal and registrarial offices. Academic budgets would increase by 7% year-over-year, complementing more than $50 million in base growth over the past five years, including 26 net new faculty positions. Savings would instead be achieved through prudent use of reserves, deferral of select planned expenditures, increased summer enrollment targets, and a 5% reduction in campus shared service portfolios through careful vacancy management, active workforce planning, and lower discretionary spending.
   
   Christine Esteban highlighted that student financial support would total approximately $7.1 million in 2026-27, stabilized after 85% growth since 2019. For international students, UTM contributed 6% of international tuition revenue toward scholarships, supporting renewable awards of $25,000, and $45,000 annually, and introducing a new $15,000 renewable tier. UTM now enrolled at least 20 students from 19 distinct countries, up from 15 countries five years ago. Approximately $2 million in annual one-time-only investment, over two years, would fund initiatives aligned with teaching, research, academic advising, recruitment, student mental health, accommodations, and digital infrastructure.
   
   In the question-and-answer period, a member asked about student-faculty ratios. It was reported that UTM had improved considerably on this metric over the last ten years, now achieving a ratio roughly on par with those at U of T’s other first-entry arts and science divisions.
   
   Another question addressed the financial implications of domestic enrollment exceeding funded midpoints and differences in funding weights across disciplines. It was explained that, although the province planned to increase the Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA4) corridor midpoint to capture actual domestic enrolment in 2024-25, UTM would still have a material level of unfunded enrolment because of the larger Fall 2025 domestic cohort. As such, there was no change to domestic intake targets for Fall 2026, which needed to be maintained to bring levels back down to the funded midpoint over the next few years. Funding weights varied by program, with STEM and upper-year science students generating more weighted grant units than arts students; however, higher funding weights reflected higher instructional costs, and cross-subsidization across disciplines remained essential to sustaining a comprehensive academic model. There was also discussion of the opportunity in funded expansion in select STEM, health, education and trades programs, which represented approximately 40,000 seats to be allocated by the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security.
   
   The Chair concluded the discussion by thanking the presenters for the comprehensive report.

3. Compulsory Non-Academic Incidental Fees: UTM Student Societies, UTMSU - Proposals for Fee Increases for 2026-27
   
   The Chair introduced the item by explaining that these fees were governed by the University’s policies on ancillary and compulsory non-academic incidental fees. Any increase above the rate of inflation must be approved by student referendum, while inflation-limited increases must already have been authorized through a prior referendum permitting cost-of-living adjustments. Although the fees supported a student society, the administration is responsible for bringing them forward to governance. The Chair then invited Tim Fricker, Interim Dean of Student Experience and Wellbeing, to introduce the item.
   
   Dean Fricker explained that while the UTMSU was an independently incorporated not-for-profit student government representing over 15,000 undergraduate students, its fee proposals remain subject to University policy. He confirmed that the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students had reviewed the proposal and was satisfied that UTMSU had met its governance responsibilities, including compliance with its constitution and bylaws, accountability through elections and referenda, open meetings such as its annual general meeting, and external audit reporting. On that basis, the fees were recommended for approval.
   
   Owen Zhang (UTMSU Vice-President Internal) provided additional context. Mr. Zhang outlined UTMSU’s governance structure, including its executive team, board of directors, staff, and membership decision-making through annual general meetings. He described UTMSU’s campaigns, events, and services, including tuition advocacy, orientation programming, health and dental plans, free menstrual products, weekly breakfast programs serving approximately 300 students, a food centre supporting about 200 students weekly, the Blind Duck campus restaurant serving approximately 2,000 guests per month, first aid and emergency response services, refugee sponsorship programs, transit UPASS, and other student initiatives. He noted that the proposed fees included the student society membership fee, student centre levy, academic society fees, Blind Duck fee, food centre fee, legal services fee, transit UPASS fee, Canadian Federation of Students fee, and others. He confirmed that there would be no increase to the health and dental fee, as terms had been successfully negotiated with the insurer.
   
   On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
   
   YOUR COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED
   
   THAT, beginning in the Fall 2026 session, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) fee be modified as follows:

   1. an increase of $0.88 per session ($0.03 part-time) in the society portion of the fee;
   2. an increase of $4.97 per session in the MiWay U-Pass portion of the fee (full-time & part-time);
   3. an increase of $0.26 per session ($0.08 part-time) in the Student Centre Levy portion of the fee;
   4. an increase of $0.03 per session in the Academic Societies portion of the fee (full-time & part-time);
   5. an increase of $0.07 per session in the Blind Duck portion of the fee (full-time & part-time);
   6. an increase of $0.24 per session in the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) portion of the fee (full-time only);
   7. an increase of $0.03 per session in the Downtown Legal Services portion of the fee (full-time only);
   8. an increase of $0.01 per session in the Food Centre portion of the fee (full-time & part-time);
   9. an increase of $0.11 per session ($0.06 part-time) in the HOUSE UTM portion of the fee;
   10. an increase of $0.01 per session in the On-Campus First Aid Emergency Response portion of the fee (full-time & part-time);
   11. an increase of $0.11 per session ($0.06 part-time) in the Regenesis UTM portion of the fee; and
   12. an increase of $0.05 per fall and winter session ($0.03 part-time) and $0.02 per summer session (full-time only) in the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Levy portion of the fee.

THAT, beginning in the Fall 2026 session, the UTMSU fee charged to Mississauga Academy of Medicine students be increased as follows:

an increase of $2.49 per fall session and $2.48 per winter session in the MiWay Summer U-Pass portion of the fee.

4. Revisions to the UTM Campus Affairs Committee (CAC) Terms of Reference
   
   The Chair advised that the proposed changes to the CAC composition would be forwarded to Governing Council for approval but were presented to CAC for information. He then invited Cindy Ferencz Hammond, Assistant Secretary of the Governing Council, to explain the revisions.
   
   Ms. Ferencz Hammond explained that the proposed updates to the CAC terms of reference were intended to better align with recent changes to UTM’s senior administrative structure and to reduce the need for frequent amendments in the future. Specifically, the current reference to the “Chief Administrative Officer” as a presidential assessor would be replaced with the more functional description “senior officer responsible for financial matters,” mirroring the approach used in the University’s Audit Committee terms of reference. In addition, the role previously titled “Dean of Student Affairs,” now renamed “Dean of Student Experience and Well-being,” would be updated to the broader designation “senior officer responsible for student affairs and services.” These changes, reflected in section 1.1 of the composition, were designed to ensure appropriate representation while allowing flexibility in the event of future structural or title changes.

CONSENT AGENDA

On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED

THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 5, report of the previous meeting, be approved.

5. Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 74 – January 26, 2026
6. Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting

7. Date of the Next Meeting
   
   The Chair reminded members that the next meeting would be on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.

8.  Other Business
   
   There was no other business.
    

IN CAMERA SESSION

9. Capital Projects Report, as of December 31, 2025
   
   The Committee received the capital projects report dated December 31, 2025, for information.

The Committee moved into open session and adjourned at 3:57 p.m.

March 12, 2026