Report: Governing Council - May 18, 2023 | The Office of the Governing Council, Secretariat

Thu, May 18 2023 at 4:30 pm - 6:19 pm

Council Chamber (AA160)

THE GOVERNING COUNCIL

May 18, 2023

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL held on May 18, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Arts and Administration Building, University of Toronto Scarborough.

Pursuant to section 28 (e) and 38 of By-Law Number 2,
consideration of item 11-14 took place in camera.

Present:

Janet L. Ecker (Chair), Anna Kennedy (Vice-Chair), Meric S. Gertler, (President), Sharleen Ahmed, David Bowden, Vikram Chadalawada, Ann Curran, Sotirios Damouras, Annabelle Dravid, Susan Froom, Sonu Gaind, Alexandra Gillespie, Mathangi (Indi) Gopinathan, Sandra Hanington, Maureen Harquail, Summer Hart, Paul Huyer, Sarosh Jamal, Ernest Lam, Kikelomo Lawal,Rajiv Mathur, Douglas McDougall, Joanne McNamara, Eha Naylor, Danielle Skipp, Veronica Wadey, Grace Westcott, Mary-Agnes Wilson, Joseph Wong

Sheree Drummond (Secretary of the Governing Council)

Regrets:

Glen Bandiera, Janet Cloud, Robert Cooper, Teo Dechev, Madeline Kalda, Shashi Kant, Jessica Johnson, Dveeta Lal, Sameer Lal, Mark Lautens, Ron Levi, Jan Mahrt-Smith, Scott MacKendrick, Arman Rasekh, Ryan Teschner, Nhung Tran, Geeta Yadav, David Zingg, Lara Zink

In Attendance:

Cheryl Regehr (Provost), Scott Mabury (Vice-President, University Operations and Real Estate Partnerships), David Palmer (Vice-President, University Advancement), Wisdom Tettey (Vice-President of the University of Toronto and Principal, UTSC), Andrew Arifuzzaman(Chief Administrative Officer, UTSC), Irena Creed (Vice-Principal of Research and Innovation, UTSC), Lynn Wilson (Vice-Dean, Clinical and Faculty Affairs, and Associate Vice Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions, Temerty Faculty of Medicine), Asmaa Maloul (Institutional Research & Data Governance), Lisa Lemon (Executive Director, Development and Alumni Relations, UTSC), Neel Joshi (Dean of Student Experience & Wellbeing, UTSC), Bryn MacPherson (Assistant Vice-President, Office of the President and Chief of Protocol), Nadina Jamison (Chief Strategy Officer, Office of the President), Marc Couture (Director, Sustainability Operations & Services), Ramy Elitzur (Governor elect), Cindy Sinclair (College of Electors), Andy Sinclair (OISE & Temerty Faculty of Medicine), Liam Dravid (UTSC)

Secretariat:

Anwar Kazimi, Joanne Chou, Tracey Gameiro, Lydia Gill, Tim Harlick, Cindy Ferencz-Hammond, Samantha Frost

Chair’s Remarks

The Chair welcomed members and guests to the meeting. She opened her remarks by thanking members that participated in the symposium on the 50^th anniversary of the Governing Council that took place on May 12^th.

The Chair congratulated former Governing Council Chair, Brian Lawson, on his appointment as the 13^th Chancellor of Trinity College, effective April 27, 2023, for a four-year term. She noted that Mr. Lawson was a dedicated alumnus and long-serving volunteer of both Trinity College and the University of Toronto. She wished him well on his new role.
Report of the President

The Chair invited the President to offer his report.

The President began his report by extending his appreciation toVice-President and Principal Wisdom Tettey and his team at UTSC for their warm welcome to the Governing Council and noted the wonderful energy and enthusiasm on campus. He also extended congratulations to Sheree Drummond, Secretary of the Governing Council, and her team for hosting the successful Governing Council 50^th Symposium held on May 12^th, noting that it was a timely reminder of the importance of good governance in the stewardship of universities, and an opportunity to reflect on the strengths of the University’s unicameral system.

Federal Matters

The President reiterated that there had been little positive news for the post-secondary sector in the Federal budget, as he had shared at the last meeting of Governing Council. He noted that while other jurisdictions around the world were increasing their investments in fundamental research, Canada was at risk of letting its research enterprise fall further behind the global competition.

The President remarked that since the budget was released, he had been engaged in ongoing advocacy efforts at the federal level, including speaking with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and meetings with the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and senior civil servants to advocate for the urgent need for increased federal investment in research in order to attract and retain top talent. The President noted that these issues were at the forefront of the recent Spring Membership Meeting of Universities Canada and the U15 meetings that were held earlier this month.

The President reported that there had been a nationwide ‘walkout’ on May 1, in support of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Professor Marc Johnson, Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, had played a key role in organizing the grassroots movement known as 'Support Out Science' (SOS) which called for the walkout. The President reflected that the value of graduate student scholarships had not increased in 20 years, and post-doctoral fellowships had increased only marginally during this time.As such, U of T, the U15, Universities Canada, and many others had strongly supported this cause, along with increasing funding for the Research Councils. He noted that this point was made eloquently in a recent op-ed in the Globe & Mail by University Professor Mark Lautens. The President concluded they were now waiting for the government’s response to the Report of the Advisory Panel on the Research Support System (also known as the ‘Bouchard Report’), which he hoped would address these very pressing issues.

The President then highlighted the recent announcement by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry that the University of Toronto’s Acceleration Consortium had been awarded a $200-million grant from theCanada First Research Excellence Fund(CFREF). This was the largest federal research grant ever awarded to a Canadian university and would support the Consortium’s initiatives on ‘self-driving labs’ that combined AI, robotics, big data and advanced computing to discover new materials and molecules in a fraction of the usual time and cost. The President noted that this was a landmark achievement for the Consortium, U of T, and Canada, with the potential to transform the innovation economy. He congratulated Professor Leah Cowen, Vice-President, Research and Innovation, and Strategic Initiatives, and Professor Alán Aspuru-Guzik, Director of the Acceleration Consortium, and their teams for their tremendous work to secure this historic grant.

Provincial Matters

The President noted that efforts on the provincial front were focused on engaging with the Blue-Ribbon Panel on Higher Education. The President reminded governors that the Province had set up this Panel to provide advice and recommendations to the government on how to promote and enhance financial sustainability for the post-secondary education sector, and to advise on long-term tuition fee policy.

He noted that the Panel was engaged in consultations with key stakeholders, and that executive heads of Ontario universities had recently attended a meeting convened by the Council of Ontario Universities (COU), with Dr. Alan Harrison, Chair, and Bonnie Patterson, Vice-Chair of the Blue-Ribbon Panel. He noted that both COU and U of T had submitted their proposals to the Panel, calling for greater investments in higher education. The President stated that U of T and COU would continue to engage with the Panel to ensure our priorities were represented. He noted that this was the first comprehensive review of the sector undertaken by the government since 2004, and that he was looking forward to helpful recommendations from this process.

Other Matters

The President then provided an update on the work of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Principles to Guide Recognition and Commemoration. He had established this presidential advisory committee in June 2022, with the mandate to recommend principles that could guide the University's decisions and practices around naming or renaming of buildings, programs, scholarships, etc. It would also take into consideration principles around rescinding distinctions, such as honorary degrees. Additionally, the Committee was asked to recommend a process by which such decisions could be considered, and to suggest instances in which relevant policies or guidelines of the University might be amended. The committee was chaired by University Professor of Philosophy, and former Provost, Cheryl Misak, who had recently submitted her report following extensive consultations across the University and careful deliberations by the Committee. The President noted that the report and the administrative response would be released soon.

Finally, the President welcomed the new Vice-President, Communications, Christine Szustaczek, remarking on her impressive track record of leadership, most recently at Sheridan College. He thanked David Palmer, Vice-President Advancement, for serving as Interim Vice-President Communications since last Fall, and expressed gratitude for his excellent leadership of this vital portfolio during this transition.

The Chair inquired if both the University and COU submissions to the Blue-Ribbon Panel could be shared with the Governors, to which the President responded that he would endeavour to do so. The Chair encouraged governors to review the submissions and continue to urge the government to support the points as outlined.

The President then introduced Professor Wisdom Tettey, Principal and Vice-President, University of Toronto Scarborough to offer welcome remarks. Professor Tettey began his remarks by speaking to the connections of the land, to the people and health, and the connections to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Professor Irena Creed, Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation(VPRI) gave a presentation and highlighted four new initiatives:
- Institutional Strategic Initiatives SDGs;
- Launch of iRISE (Institutes for Resilient and Inclusive Societies and Ecosystems);
- Sam Ibrahim Centre for Inclusive Excellence in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership at University of Toronto Scarborough;
- Empowering the public through the “Art of Storytelling”
Professor Creed concluded her remarks by noting that at UTSC, they aspired to do things differently, to embody inclusive excellence in all activities from discovery to impact.
Items for Governing Council Approval
1. Affiliation Agreements: Renewal of the Existing Affiliation Agreements between the University of Toronto and the Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN) associate member hospitals, and revisions to the 2018 agreement template.
  
  Professor Lynn Wilson, Vice Dean, Clinical and Faculty Affairs, and Associate Vice Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions, provided an overview of the affiliation agreements between UofT and the TAHSN associate member hospitals (Item 3a), community affiliated hospitals (Item 3b), and its non-hospital clinical sites (Item 3c). She noted that the agreements were broad relationship frameworks that set out shared objectives in a number of areas including: the appointment of faculty and staff, teaching, research, fundraising, and legislative requirements.
  
  Professor Wilson noted that the template affiliation agreements with the fully-affiliated hospitals were updated and renewed and approved by governance in the Fall of 2022. Relevant changes agreed to with the fully-affiliated hospitals were then carried over to the agreements with the associate hospitals, community hospitals, and non-hospital clinical sites.
  
  Professor Wilson outlined the proposed amendments to the existing templates, and spoke to the consultation undertaken as part of the review process of each. She addressed the further amendments that had recently been made to the three affiliation agreements, and that were specific to insurance provisions. She noted that the proposed amendments were to correct an oversight that resulted in the correct language not being reflected in the current revised template.
  
  In response to a member’s questions about whether the insurance had been budgeted for, the Provost responded that it had been paid for the last several years.
  
  On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
  
  IT WAS RESOLVED
  
  THAT the revised template for affiliation agreements between the University of Toronto and the associate member hospitals of the Toronto Academic Health Science Network be approved, effective immediately;
  
  THAT the President, or designate, be authorized to sign such agreements on behalf of the Governing Council, provided that the agreements conform to the approved template; and
  
  THAT the agreements signed under the provisions of this resolution be filed with the Secretary of Governing Council.
2. Affiliation Agreements: Renewal of the Existing Affiliation Agreements between the University of Toronto and its community hospitals, and revisions to the 2017 agreement template.
  
  On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
  
  IT WAS RESOLVED
  
  THAT the revised template for affiliation agreements between the University of Toronto and the community hospitals be approved, effective immediately;
  
  THAT the President, or designate, be authorized to sign such agreements on behalf of the Governing Council, provided that the agreements conform to the approved template; and
  
  THAT the agreements signed under the provisions of this resolution be filed with the Secretary of Governing Council.
3. Affiliation Agreements: Renewal of the existing affiliation agreements between the University of Toronto and its nonhospital clinical sites, and revisions to the 2017 agreement template.
  
  On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
  
  IT WAS RESOLVED
  
  THAT the revised template for affiliation agreements between the University of Toronto and its non-hospital clinical sites be approved, effective immediately;
  
  THAT the President, or designate, be authorized to sign such agreements on behalf of the Governing Council, provided that the agreements conform to the approved template;
  
  and
  
  THAT the agreements signed under the provisions of this resolution be filed with the Secretary of Governing Council.
4. Capital Project (Level 3): Report of the Project Planning Committee for Lash Miller Building Expansion – Project Scope and Sources of Funding
  
  At the invitation of the Chair, Scott Mabury, Vice-President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships provided an introduction of the Lash Miller Building Expansion. Professor Mabury provided the following highlights:
  - Three new stories atop the existing one story to house an important research initiative, the Acceleration Consortium (AC).
  - The addition will service the AC research initiative with labs, offices, and shared meeting spaces within a highly functional and collaborative space.
  - The project also included the replacement and modernization of 3 large classrooms and three new active learning classrooms as part of the Learning Space Management department.
  - The project would enhance the presence of the Department of Chemistry and its research activity
  - Architect and contractor were hired ahead of time as the Lash Miller Expansion project was critical to moving this forward.
  - The vertical expansion would be retaining much of the existing infrastructure.
  Professor Doug McDougall, Chair of the Academic Board, then commented on the discussion of the item at that body:
  - Following an overview of the project a member had asked about the long-term learning space management plan given that the Lash Miller Project would only replace about 80% of the existing classroom space and that classroom space was already constrained on the St. George campus.
  - In response, Professor Mabury had explained that modern building codes would not allow for all existing classrooms to be replaced.
  - He had stated that the shortage of classroom space was more an issue of scheduling than it was a lack of physical space and that addressing underlying scheduling issues would result in more efficient use of classrooms.
  - Ron Saporta had addressed a member’s question regarding the sustainability design of the proposed project, advising that the building was aligned with the University’s climate positive strategy and met all sustainability targets.
  - He had noted that all future capital projects would set explicit carbon and energy budgets that could then be incorporated on a tri-campus scale to advance the University’s 2050 climate positive goal.
  On motion duly made, seconded, and carried
  
  IT WAS RESOLVED
  
  THAT the project scope of the Lash Miller Building Expansion as identified in the Report of the Project Planning Committee for the University of Toronto Lash Miller Building Expansion, dated February 14, 2023, be approved in principle; and,
  
  THAT the project totaling new 2,858 net assignable square metres (nasm) (4,881 gross square metres (gsm)), and 936 gross square metres (gsm) renovated space, be approved in principle, to be funded by the Faculty of Arts and Science Future Major Capital Projects Reserve Fund and Faculty of Arts & Science Borrowing.
5. Capital Project (Level 3): University of Toronto Facilities & Services Project Concept Report for the Climate Positive LEAP – Project Scope and Sources of Funding
  
  In presenting this project, Professor Mabury noted:
  - UTSG made a commitment to become Climate Positive by the year 2050, transforming the campus from a carbon source to carbon sink.
  - Project LEAP was the first project that begins this journey.
  - This project reduced carbon emissions by over 50%, by starting the transition away from fossil fuels to electricity through heat pumps and boilers.
  - It addressed a significant amount of deferred maintenance in the central steam plant, by removing an aged boiler that had been installed in the 1960s, thereby increasing resiliency and improving infrastructure.
  - The transformation of the utility and energy infrastructure reduced greenhouse gas emissions on campus by at least 80% as part of the overall climate positive campus strategy.
  - This was done through unique partnerships with the private sector to design, deliver and guarantee a technical solution, and leveraged financing through Canada Infrastructure Bank.
  Professor Doug McDougall, Chair of the Academic Board, then commented on the discussion of the item at that body:
  - Following the presentation on the proposed Project Leap, in response to a member’s concern regarding disruptions to building occupants, Ron Saporta had advised the Board that the overwhelming majority of the deep energy retrofit work would be underground or to the roof of the building, with only a small portion having an impact onoccupied space.
  - Mr. Saporta had advised that stakeholder engagement sessions had been established to keep occupants fully informed of the project’s progress and to allow planning for scheduled shutdowns as required.
  - A member had inquired whether emissions associated with construction were captured in the Climate Positive Campus Plan, to which Mr. Saporta stated that the Plan did not yet include the ‘Scope 3’ embodied or embedded emissions associated with construction because there lacked a framework to reliably quantify these emissions, but that faculty at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design had been engaged to develop models to quantify those emissions.
  - Finally, a member had asked whether the project considered the decreasing costs of technology over time, and Mr. Saporta had replied that this was not an issue as most of the initiatives to be implemented by the project involved well-established technology, that had been in use for several years, resulting in significant carbon emission reductions given the age and scale of the campus infrastructure.
  On motion duly made, seconded, and carried
  
  IT WAS RESOLVED
  
  THAT the project scope of Project LEAP, as identified in the Concept Report and Technical Submission, dated March 31, 2023, be approved in principle; and,
  
  THAT the project be approved in principle to be funded through: UTSG Utilities Operating Funds, Federal Grants, and Debt Financing.
2022 Performance Indicators for Governance

At the invitation of the Chair, the Provost provided an overview of the 2022 Performance Indicators for Governance 2022 Report, which measured the University’s progress towards long-term goals in a range of areas. Professor Regehr began by noting that the reports were shorter as the metrics had shifted into an online dashboard.

Professor Regehr reiterated the strengths in three areas which have been covered in other reports: financial metrics, research, student success and wellbeing. She noted that there were 10 metrics related to areas of skills and job outcomes, and economic and community impact. She informed the Council that the University had exceeded nine of the SMA3 performance metrics and was well ahead of the targets. She highlighted the following:
1. The University’s strong financial position and budget model, including success at exceeding the performance-based metrics introduced in the third provincial Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA3), and the University’s strong global support from donors;
2. Stable credit ratings that reflected the University’s exceptional academic profile, strong student demand and fundraising capacity, and effective financial management practices, which have translated into positive operating results and a strong balance sheet;
3. The University’s research strength and increased partnership engagement; and,
4. Sustained by its strong research performance, U of T was ranked first in Canada and 18^thin the world. U of T was also ranked 11^th in the world for employability rankings.
The Provost also called attention to U of T’s strengths in the areas of student experience and learning, including positive responses on a range of student surveys regarding student well-being and sense of inclusion; expanded mental health services including a partnership with Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH); increased accessibility services to support student success; enhanced investment in student aid; and improving retention and graduation rates.

The Provost remarked on the successful return to in-person activities back on campus, noting the biggest back to school events last fall and the successful transitions from online learning to in-person academic and co-curricular programs. She highlighted the welcome change given the challenges posed by the pandemic.

In the discussion that followed, the Provost added the following:
- The Government reviewed the performance indicators in numerous ways, noting a ‘best- in-class’ category where the University was expected to continue to maintain or exceed strong performance indicators and metrics as indicated in the SMA.
- The number of start-ups reported was a count of start-ups only, not their impact. President Gertler added that the University is tracking entrepreneurship data in other ways, including the Alumni Impact Survey that is conducted periodically. This reflects impact through the number of new ventures launched in a range of industries and fields, amongst other things. He noted that there is also broader interest in learning how more domestic companies could scale to global levels and enhance Canadian capabilities. The President also noted that they would consider how to present additional data regarding U of T startups to the Council in the future.
- The responses from the Student Equity Census that was launched in 2020 were confidential to encourage participation from all students. Professor Sandy Welsh launched an initiative to refresh the census, collect data and integrate the data collected with data that lives on other platforms in order to further enrich the information to be shared with divisions and units about student experience at U of T.
- Retention for third and fourth year was being captured as part of the data projects undertaken in relation to the performance indicators.
- U of T ranked 1^st in Canada and 11^th in the world for employability rankings.
- The metrics reported were part of the current SMA3 and the targets were part of the institutional negotiation of SMA3. The University had not yet heard about the process for SMA4.
- The access to same-day counselling began as a one-time appointment and students could continue on to receive additional support services as required. The Provost emphasized that this response time and level of service provided more access to mental health care for students than what would be available in the community.
The Chair thanked the Provost and her team, in particular Ms Asmaa Maloul, Director, Reporting and Analytics, Institutional Research & Data Governance, for the work on this important annual report.

CONSENT AGENDA

On motion duly made, seconded, and carried

IT WAS RESOLVED

THAT the consent agenda be adopted and Item 5 approved.
Minutes of the Previous Meeting of the Governing Council, March 30, 2023

The minutes of the previous meeting 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

The following reports were received for information.
1. Review of Academic Programs and Units – Part 1 & Part 2 
  1. Follow-up Reports from Previous Reviews
  2. Semi-Annual Report on the Reviews of Academic Programs and Units
2. Report Number 59 of the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus Council (April 24, 2023)
3. Report Number 234 of the University Affairs Board (April 19, 2023)
4. Report Number 271 (April 24, 2023) and Report Number 272 of the Business Board (April 26, 2023)
5. Report Number 245 of the Academic Board (April 27, 2023)
6. Report Number 541 of the Executive Committee (March 30, 2023)
7. Report Number 542 of the Executive Committee (May 9, 2023)

END OF CONSENT AGENDA

Date of Next Meeting – Tuesday, June 27, 2023, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

The Chair noted that the date of the next meeting was Tuesday, June 27 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Question Period

There were no questions from members.
Other Business

There were no items of other business.

The Governing Council moved in camera.

In Camera Session

Appointments: Members of the Governing Council to Governance Bodies, 2023-24

On a motion duly moved seconded, and carried

IT WAS RESOLVED

THAT the proposed Assignments of members of the Governing Council to Boards and Committees for 2023-24, be approved.
Appointments: Committee for Honorary Degrees Membership, 2023-24+

On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

IT WAS RESOLVED

THAT the proposed memberships of the 2023-24 Committee for Honorary

Degrees be approved.
Capital Project (Level 3): Report of the Project Planning Committee for the Lash Miller Building: Project Cost and Sources of Funding+

On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

IT WAS RESOLVED

The Governing Council approved a motion that the recommendation of the Vice-President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships, as outlined in the memorandum dated April 20, 2023 regarding the total project cost and sources of funding for theLash Miller Building Expansion, be approved in principle.
Capital Project (Level 3): Report of the Project Planning Committee for the Project LEAP: Project Cost and Sources of Funding+

On a motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

IT WAS RESOLVED

The Governing Council approved a motion that the recommendation of the Vice-President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships, as outlined in the memorandum dated April 20, 2022 regarding the total project cost and sources of funding for theClimate Positive LEAP Project, be approved in principle.

The meeting returned to open session.

The meeting adjourned at 6:19 p.m.