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Via Virtual Meeting room
Report Number 102 Of The Elections Committee
WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2025
To the Executive Committee,
University of Toronto,
Your Committee reports that it held a virtual meeting on May 28, 2025 at 3:00 pm with the following members present:
PRESENT: Mathangi (Indi) Gopinathan (Acting Chair), Maureen Harquail, Ron Levi
REGRETS: Vikram Chadalawada (Chair), Akina Lalla
SECRETARIAT: Joanne Chou, Secretary, Timothy Harlick, Assistant Secretary of the Governing Council and Chief Returning Officer (CRO), Cindy Ferencz-Hammond, Assistant Secretary of the Governing Council and Deputy Returning Officer (DRO), Megan Davidson, Governance Coordinator and Deputy Returning Officer (DRO), St. George
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair welcomed members and guests to the final Committee meeting of the governance year. - Report for the 2025 Elections for the Governing Council, the Academic Board, University of Toronto Mississauga and University of Toronto Scarborough Campus Councils and their Standing Committees
The Chair stated that there was considerable work related to election matters for the multiple constituencies for the Governing Council and Academic Board elections, as well, for the UTM and UTSC Campus Council and their Standing Committees. She added that, despite the complexity and multi-faceted nature of conducting the 2025 elections, the process was successful.
The Chief Returning Officer (CRO), Timothy Harlick thanked Cindy Ferencz-Hammond (Deputy Returning Officer, UTM), Emma Thacker (former Deputy Returning Officer, UTSC), and Megann Davidson (Deputy Returning Officer, St. George Campus) for their roles in running a successful election, as well as the Governing Council Operations team which included the following:
Ninu Varghese, Althea Webster, Naveen Varna, Steven Straker and Christina da Rocha-Feeley.
The CRO provided an overview of the 2025 election process and results. He highlighted that the nominating management system (“NMS”) reduced the administrative workload with this most recent election. Launched in 2024, NMS was an efficient method for capturing and validating data, noting that candidate interaction with the system increased every year. The data analytics provided useful insights around exploratory usage and interest levels at the constituency level. On the administration side, enhanced back-end implementation increased the capabilities to track submissions, status, and intervene proactively should candidates require assistance.
The CRO highlighted that there were 84 nominations; 8 student seats which included 2 part-time undergraduate student seats, 3 teaching staff constituencies and 1 administrative staff seat. A by-election was conducted to fill a teaching staff constituency that began on July 1.
For the Academic Board, 16 teaching staff and librarian seats were open and the majority were elected acclaimed. Elections were required in the Faculty of Arts and Science, where five seats were contested. 4 vacancies were unfilled on Academic Board, 3 in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and 1 in the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design. A by-election was expected for the fall, as an Academic Board member was successfully appointed to the Governing Council.
At UTM and UTSC, the Campus Council and their standing committees, their elections went forward as scheduled, with most positions occupied through acclamation or by vote. A small number of graduate student and teaching staff seats remained vacant that would be addressed in the fall by-election. All nomination and constituency data was tracked and provided in the full report.
Voting for all eligible students, administrative staff and faculty was conducted through the simply voting platform. Now in its third year, no issues or complaints were reported using the platform and voters received personalized access links tied to their UTOR ID. Candidate statements were visible on both the Elections website and within the ballot interface itself.
The CRO remarked that voter turnout continued to be an area of concern. The Governing Council and Undergraduate student turnout in both constituents was below 3%; Graduate student turnout was between 3 and 3.5%, and administrative staff turnout dipped below 15%, a decrease from 25% in the previous year's election. However, these figures were consistent with long term patterns. Although nomination interest remained strong and system engagement had grown year-over-year, those gains had not translated into a broader voter participation. The disconnect between interest and action was a focus for the 2026 election.
On the matter of campaign conduct, the CRO remarked that no issues were reported, campaign conduct for its candidates was uneventful and stayed within acceptable bounds. As such, there was no need to convene as Election Overseers. One minor campaign violation was reported and resolved internally, and one notice to appeal the results of the election was also received and resolved successfully.
The CRO concluded his remarks by noting that despite the increased initial nomination participation, the voter turnout continued to be an area for improvement and focus for the Secretariat. The Chair thanked the CRO and the Deputy Returning Officers. - Report of the Previous Meeting – Report No. 101, November 28, 2024
The Report of the Previous Meeting – Report Number 101, 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 the Next Meeting: October 20, 2025
The Chair confirmed that the date of the next meeting would be held on October 20, 2025. -
Other Business
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 3:20 p.m.
May 29. 2025