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Via Virtual Meeting room
Report Number 100 Of The Elections Committee
MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2024
To the Executive Committee,
University of Toronto,
Your Committee reports that it held a virtual meeting on October 21, 2024 at 5:00 pm with the following members present:
PRESENT: Mathangi (Indi) Gopinathan (Acting Chair), Maureen Harquail, Ron Levi
REGRETS: Vikram Chadalawada, 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, UTM
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair welcomed members and guests to the meeting. - Overview of Mandate & Terms of Reference
The Chair provided an overview of the Committee’s mandate and highlighted its areas of responsibility as outlined in its Terms of Reference, including its composition. One of the Committee’s stated areas of responsibility was to review and recommend for approval the policy on elections. While there was not a separate document on “elections policy”, the Election Guidelines and the University of Toronto Act, 1971, each contained elements which together were considered the elections policy. She added that the U of T Act also spoke to a number of areas related to Governing Council membership and elections.
The Act empowered the Governing Council to determine the manner and procedure of election of its members. The Act also authorized the Governing Council to set constituencies and assign administrative staff, student, and teaching staff to these constituencies, which could be characterized as subgroups within each estate. The Committee also oversaw the elections process and the CRO would present an Elections Report to the Committee at the final meeting of the governance cycle.
Turning to Elections Guidelines, the Chair noted that an important function of the Committee was to undertake an annual review of the Election Guidelines and approve any minor amendments. The draft 2025 Guidelines would be considered by the Committee at the next meeting. If required, recommendations for “major” amendments to the Guidelines would be forwarded by the Committee to the Executive Committee for approval.
As in past years, the 2025 elections schedule would start with the opening of the nomination period in January, through the campaign and voting period in mid-February, the appeals period, and ended with any hearings regarding election expenses towards the end of March.
The Chair then discussed the important role of the Committee as election overseers. In this role the Committee would be empowered to consider any appeal of a decision of the CRO as well as any appeal or other question arising from the conduct of the elections as outlined in the Guidelines. - Calendar of Business
The CRO, Mr. Timothy Harlick, noted that a central function of the Committee would be to consider the Election Guidelines 2025 at its next meeting, as well as the important responsibility of the Elections Overseers. - Preliminary Discussion – Elections Guidelines 2025
Mr. Harlick provided a preliminary report on the proposed revisions and updates to the 2025 Guidelines. He noted that no major amendments were expected to be brought forward, and that the minor revisions proposed related to the election schedule.
Mr. Harlick then provided an update on the number of elections that was being envisaged for the Governing Council. He noted that there would be 86 seats to be filled, 28 seats for both Governing Council and Academic Board, and 58 seats for UTM and UTSC which included teaching staff, administrative staff and student seats.
Mr. Harlick noted the modernization of the election process by highlighting the development of the online nomination management system (NMS). Since its initial launch in 2024, improvements had been made to increase functionality and better categorization of data. He remarked that there was a 75.8% increase in drafted and completed nominations compared to the previous year, and a 91% decrease in failed supporting nominations, underscoring the effective and efficient use of the system.
Mr. Harlick concluded by noting that they were also planning to modernize the election guidelines, creating a more simplified and digestible format.
There were no questions from members. - Report of the Previous Meeting – Report No. 99, May 30, 2024
The Report of the Previous Meeting – Report Number 99, 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: November 28, 2024
The Chair confirmed that the date of the next meeting would be held on November 28, 2024. - Other Business
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 5:19 p.m.
October 22, 2024