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UTSC Council Chamber, Arts and Administration Building
THE GOVERNING COUNCIL
THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2025
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL
Thursday, May 22, 2025 in the Council Chamber, UTSC
PRESENT: Anna Kennedy (Chair), Sandra Hanington (Vice-Chair), Meric S. Gertler (President), Donald Ainslie, Amanda Bartley, Laurent Bozec, Jovan Bursac, Luca Calabretta, Janet Cloud, Robert Cooper, Ann Curran, Liam Dravid, Ramy Elitzur, K. Sonu Gaind, Indi Gopinathan, Thomas Hofmann, Paul Huyer, Linda Johnston, Audrey Karlinsky, Ron Levi, Brian Madden, Rajiv Mathur, Douglas McDougall, Cameron Miranda-Radbord, Eha Naylor, Andrew Petersen, Maya Povhe, Danielle Skipp, Grace Westcott, Mary-Agnes Wilson, Trevor Young
Sheree Drummond (Secretary of the Governing Council)
REGRETS: Sharleen Ahmed, Aarthi Ashok, Glen Bandiera, Vikram Chadalawada, Samuel Elfassy, Ankita Goyat, Maureen Harquail, David Jacobs, Sarosh Jamal, Akina Lalla, Mark Lautens, Kikelomo Lawal, Scott MacKendrick, Joanne McNamara, William Verreault, Geeta Yadav, David Zingg
GUESTS IN ATTENDANCE: Nicholas Rule (Vice-Provost, Academic Programs), Sandy Welsh (Vice-Provost, Students), Karin Ruhlandt (Vice-Principal, Academic and Dean, UTSC), Alison Mountz (Interim Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation, UTSC), Gillian Hamilton (Vice-Dean, Academic Planning, Faculty of Arts & Science), Tim Dang (Dean, Student Experience and Wellbeing), Archana Sridhar (Assistant Provost), Kristin Taylor (University Counsel), Julie Alpine-Jeffries (Associate University Counsel), Nadina Jamison (Chief Strategy Officer, Office of the President), Jeff Lennon (Assistant Vice-President, Planning & Budget), Bryn MacPherson (Assistant Vice-President, Office of the President and Chief of Protocol), Alex Matos (Director, Internal Audit), Andrew Arifuzzaman (CAO, UTSC), Cherilyn Scobie-Edwards (Senior Director, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion), Dan Bowyer, Audelyn Budihardko, Desma Charlemagne-Michel, Lisa Clements, Jen Curry, David deGagne, Annabelle Dravid, Marc Dryer, Carol Ducharme, Sandra Griffiths, Naomi Matsuura, Danielle Martin, Emily Ng, Ana Perez-Leroux, Arthur Ripstein, Steve Samuel, Luca Somigli
SECRETARIAT: Miranda Edwards (Recording Secretary), Megann Davidson, Cindy Ferencz-Hammond, Timothy Harlick, Samantha Frost
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair welcomed members to the Cycle 5 meeting. She noted that it was a special and historic occasion for governors to be on campus to attend the closing ceremony of the year-long celebration of UTSC’s 60th anniversary. - President’s Report
The President extended his thanks and appreciation to the Vice-President and Principal of UTSC, Professor Linda Johnston, and the entire UTSC team for hosting the meeting. He invited Professor Johnston to address the Council.
Welcome Remarks from Vice-President and Principal, UTSC, Professor Linda Johnston
Professor Johnston welcomed governors to the UTSC campus. She described highlights of the governors’ visits that day to the newly opened Sam Ibrahim building, the site of the future Indigenous House, the Gathering Circle space, and the closing ceremony of UTSC’s 60th anniversary celebration. Professor Johnston described the importance of creating Indigenous spaces on campus and the ongoing work of truth and reconciliation. She also described the campus’ new Culture of Care initiative and commitment to wholistic wellbeing.
Andrew Arifuzzaman, Chief Administrative Officer, UTSC, spoke about the ongoing construction work on Indigenous House and the building’s future role as a symbol of indigenous history for the broader Scarborough community. The building was planned in consultation with Elders and would be an integral part of the University’s academic mission, bringing together both Indigenous and non-Indigenous lifelong learners. Mr. Arifuzzaman described the building’s sustainability features, its focus on craftsmanship, and important Indigenous symbology in its design.
Carol Ducharme, Interim Assistant Director, Indigenous Initiatives, UTSC, and Mike deGagne, Special Advisor to the Vice-President and Principal (UTSC) on Indigenous Initiatives, described plans for the various uses of Indigenous House. Ms Ducharme explained that the Indigenous House Activation Working Group had begun its work in December 2024 to plan academic programming, showcases for Indigenous art and culture, and activities related to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action. Both stated their hope that Indigenous House would create a future place of belonging for all campus community members.
In response to governors’ questions, Mr. Arifuzzaman confirmed that construction costs had reached a total of approximately $24 million and Ms Ducharme confirmed that there were currently fewer than 50 students enrolled at UTSC who self-identified as Indigenous.
The President thanked Professor Johnston, Mr. Arifuzzaman, Mr. DeGagne, and Ms. Ducharme for their remarks.
International Matters
The President began his report by acknowledging the difficult state of world affairs. He emphasized that his intention was not to take positions on geopolitical events, but to acknowledge the implications for members of the campus community and to affirm that support services were available. The President noted the University’s continued efforts to combat antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian discrimination, and committed to redoubling the University’s efforts to address these issues.
Federal Matters
The President noted that the new federal cabinet had been recently announced and remarked on key cabinet positions relevant to the University. The President reported that the University continued its advocacy work together with the U15 and Universities Canada to advance various priorities related to research funding, talent recruitment, student housing investments, the removal of graduate students from the international student visa quota system, and the adoption of the proposed Responsible Institutions Framework. The President noted the concerning delays in student visa processing times and stated that the University was also focusing its advocacy efforts in this area.
Provincial Matters
The President noted that the recent provincial budget had focused on economic resiliency, infrastructure and flexibility during these uncertain economic times. The budget had not increased base funding for university operating grants, exacerbating ongoing budgetary constraints and fiscal challenges in the sector. As part of its budget commitments, the Ontario government had committed to expanding teacher education by an additional 2,600 spaces, increasing funding to the Ontario Research Fund – Research Infrastructure, and investing in additional areas in the health care sector. He remarked that funding allocated to support more than 20,000 new STEM spaces had been primarily used to support institutions which had previously over-enrolled domestic students in STEM programs, and would not fund additional expansion despite growing demand. Given the University had adhered to its enrolment commitments in the last Strategic Mandate Agreement, he noted that the University was disappointed with this approach. Nevertheless, the government had committed to a funding review of the sector in the coming months.
U.S.-Canada Relations
The President reported that the University continued to monitor the impacts of the growing restrictions on research funding from U.S. federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health. He commented on the federal government’s recent announcement to revoke Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students, and the potential impacts of this decision on the sector. He noted that many U.S.-based researchers were considering leaving the U.S. for more supportive jurisdictions elsewhere, and that the University was working closely with its government partners to attract potentially mobile academic talent.
Encampment Retrospective
The President stated that, as reported at the Council’s meeting of December 19, 2024, the University had commissioned Deloitte LLP to undertake a retrospective analysis of the University’s experience managing the encampment that took place on the St. George campus in Spring 2024. Deloitte had been given a mandate to review the structures and practices that had informed the University’s recent critical incident responses. Consultants were asked to conduct a current state assessment and gap analysis, and to identify opportunities to improve future response planning. Following their comprehensive approach to this review, Deloitte had delivered its report which identified areas of strengths as well as key improvement avenues and recommendations, with the overall goal to ensure repeatability, consistency, and availability of documentation. The President noted that the full report along with the Administrative Response would be publicly available the following week and that President-designate, Professor Melanie Woodin, would be involved in the implementation of the identified action items. He expressed his appreciation to the members of Governing Council for their participation in this process.
A governor stated his opinion that the encampment had been mishandled by the University and that the report’s assessment did not appear to be an accurate reflection of the situation. He stated that he looked forward to reading the report closely once it was released.
A governor inquired as to the methodology that Deloitte had used to gather its data. The President responded that the consultants had undertaken interviews and surveys, including the survey that had been administered to past and present Governors.
Governors discussed recent events in the U.S. higher education sector, including the U.S. government’s recent decision to suspend Harvard’s eligibility to enroll international students, and ways in which the University could maximize potential benefits of the “reverse brain drain.” In response to a governor’s question, the Provost stated that, despite the University’s intention to welcome potential U.S. students and scholars, those individuals would be required to go through the regular visa application process. In response to another governor’s question, Professor Sandy Welsh, Vice-Provost, Students, confirmed that her office had not received any reports of students encountering challenges crossing the border. - Annual Report: 2024 Performance Indicators for Governance
The Provost explained that the Performance Indicators Report was a reflection of past performance, consolidating data on the University’s progress on its long-term goals and providing points of comparison to peer institutions. The report was a crucial component of the administration’s accountability to governance and provided insight into University operations, achievements, and challenges.
Rankings
The university consistently ranked among the top universities in the world. It was currently ranked as the top university in Canada and among the top publicly funded universities in the world.
Financial
The Ministry of Colleges and Universities’ Financial Accountability Framework sets out eight financial health metrics, three of which are included in the Performance Indicators Report The University exceeded the sector average and the U6’s average on all three of these metrics (Net Income, Viability Ratio, and Interest Burden Ratio).
The University had a large global base of supporters. Over the previous fiscal year, the Defy Gravity campaign raised $311.5 million in philanthropic gifts and grants from over 19,000 donors.
Research Funding
In the previous fiscal year, the University and its partner hospitals received $1.54 billion in research funding from national and international sources. The Provost noted that the university’s ability to attract competitive research funding was a leading indicator of research performance.
Enrolment & Demographics
In the previous fiscal year, international enrolment rose slightly to about 27,000 students, which was 0.3% below target. International enrolment had been a cause for concern due to student visa regulations and geopolitical issues.
The University conducted two institution-wide demographic data surveys – the Student Equity Census and the Employment Equity Survey. Results revealed that the student body was highly diverse. Further data collected would be used to assess University programs and to address systemic barriers. In response to a governor’s question, the Provost noted that just under 1% of students self-identified as Indigenous.
Student Experience & Retention
The availability of student housing continued to be an important issue. The University had 10,500 residences spaces across the tri-campus including 750 spaces in the new Harmony Commons residence that opened at UTSC last year An additional 1,250 spaces were in various stages of construction and the University planned to work with external partners to add up to 5,000 additional spaces over the next decade.
The University continued to prioritize access to mental health support services. Campus health centres provided over 10,000 appointments of which about 50% were for mental health reasons. Over 14,000 same-day mental health sessions were provided, enabled by robust staffing levels.
Over the last decade, the number of students registered with Accessibility Services increased by 125%. The University conducted the Accessibility Services Student Experience Survey to gain further insight into ways to improve support services.
Graduation rates for the cohort that began studies in 2018 was approximately 80%, demonstrating a continued increase.
Student Aid
In the previous fiscal year, 40% of first-year students who received OSAP came from families with parental incomes of $50k or less, which exceeded the provincial average. 63% of graduates graduated with no debt and average debt levels had decreased by 11% since 2018 after inflation. The University spent almost 70% more than the provincial average per student on financial aid. The student aid endowment increased to $1.6 billion, which represented approximately 43% of endowed funds.
In response to a governor’s question, the Provost confirmed that one of the metrics measured in the Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA3) was the number of start-ups supported by the University and noted that the University had a strong upward trajectory in this category.
In response to another governor’s question, Mr. Jeff Lennon, Vice-President, Planning & Budget, explained that under the Strategic Mandate Agreement’s framework, the University needed to achieve 100% of its KPI targets in order to maintain its funding levels. For every percentage point below the KPI target point, one percent of funding related to that metric would be held-back by the provincial government. He further clarified that the targets were adjusted slightly from year to year as they are based on the most recent three years of actual performance.
In response to a question regarding emissions and sustainability metrics, the Provost stated that the University tracked and reported on its emissions in compliance with provincial regulations and was working towards its target of being climate positive by 2050.
In response to a governor’s question, Mr. Lennon said that the University tracked the total costs of student fees, including residence fees, meal plans, and ancillary fees and provided detailed data in its annual Report on Student Financial Aid. These cost assessments were factored into the calculations used in the UTAPS program in order to ensure that financial aid was commensurate with total costs faced by students. Mr. Lennon noted that the University also offered online calculators on its website to help students gain a fulsome understanding of the total costs of their education.
In response to a governor’s question, the Provost confirmed that financial aid took into account the extra costs incurred by out-of-province students. A governor stated that the University could be charging higher tuition for out-of-province students and was charging less than other provinces such as Quebec.
A governor inquired what the University was doing to increase the number of Indigenous students. The Provost stated that, in addition to the building of Indigenous-focused spaces, all three campuses were taking advice on how to create more welcoming environments for Indigenous students, as well as implementing Indigenous academic pathways, and offering a tuition grant to nine First Nations communities. - Establishment of an Extra-departmental Unit B (EDU:B) - Institute of Forensic Sciences (IFS), UTM
Ann Curran, Chair of UTM Campus Council, delivered a summary of the discussion that took place regarding this item at the Council’s meeting on April 22, 2025.
Members had no questions.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
IT WAS RESOLVED,
THAT the proposal to establish the Extra-departmental Unit B (EDU:B) – Institute of Forensic Sciences (IFS), at the University of Toronto Mississauga, as described in the Proposal for the Establishment of an EDU:B, Institute of Forensic Sciences, UTM dated February 21, 2025, be approved, effective July 1, 2025. - Proposal for the Academic Restructuring of the Department of Italian Studies and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese
Professor Doug McDougall, Chair of Academic Board, delivered a summary of the discussion that took place regarding this item at the Board’s meeting on April 24, 2025.
Members had no questions.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
IT WAS RESOLVED,
THAT the academic restructuring described in the Proposal for Academic Restructuring of the Department of Italian Studies and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese (March 10, 2025), be approved, effective July 1, 2025.
CONSENT AGENDA
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
IT WAS RESOLVED
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 6, the Report of the Previous Meeting, be approved.
- Minutes of the Previous Meeting of the Governing Council
The Minutes of the Governing Council meeting of April 3, 2025 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
Members received the following reports for information.- Report Number 559 of the Executive Committee (May 6, 2025)
- Report Number 246 of the University Affairs Board (May 1, 2025)
- Report Number 256 of the Academic Board (April 24, 2025)
- Report Number 284 of the Business Board (April 23, 2025)
- Report Number 71 of the UTM Campus Council (April 22, 2025)
- Report Number 68 of the UTSC Campus Council (April 21, 2025)
- Date of Next Meeting – June 24, 2025, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
The Chair advised that the next meeting of the Governing Council would be on June 24, 2025 and provided information relating to the upcoming meeting in light of the revisions made last year to the Governing Council's by-laws in connection with Ontario's Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA), pursuant to which the governors of the University would constitute members for the purposes of ONCA. - Question Period
A governor inquired as to the administration's response to a student petition that had been circulated with almost a thousand signatures, requesting the installation of additional bidets in campus restrooms in order to accommodate cultural and religious sensitivities. Professor Welsh stated that her office had received an excellent student presentation on this subject and was currently looking into the matter. She noted that each campus would be responsible for any installations on their respective campuses. - Other Business
A governor presented a motion to add an item to the next Council meeting’s agenda. The Chair indicated that the governor would have three minutes to make a presentation about the proposed agenda item, to be followed by a vote of the Council requiring a two-thirds majority to pass.
The governor noted that the Council had a responsibility to provide strategic oversight and advice regarding student experience and the University’s reputation. The governor further noted that governors had a responsibility to provide a safe environment for all community members but had failed to do so for its Jewish students, staff, and faculty. The governor stated that, to the University’s credit, it had undertaken initiatives in an effort to combat antisemitism; however, these initiatives had not successfully eradicated discrimination.
The governor stated that the University administration had not followed the recommendations of the Report of the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights of December 2024 (“Heightened Antisemitism in Canada and How to Confront It”) and that the Governing Council had not discussed the Report’s recommendations. In the governor’s view, this lack of adherence to the Report’s recommendations had sent a message that the University was not taking its obligations to its Jewish community members seriously. The governor concluded by stating that if the University did not engage with the Report’s recommendations, it would be seen to be antisemitic or willingly allowing a platform for antisemitism to flourish.
In response to governors’ questions, the Chair clarified that the agenda item being proposed for the following meeting was a motion to adopt the Report’s recommendations; however, the vote that was to take place at the current meeting, was to determine only whether this item should be brought forward at the next meeting.
Several governors objected to the suggestion that not supporting the proposed motion was an act of antisemitism; noting that in previous discussions on this topic, members had been clear about their categorical rejection of antisemitism. Governors discussed the merits of studying the Report, with some stating they felt this was the Administration’s responsibility. In response to a governor’s question, the Chair and the President confirmed that it was not usual practice for House of Commons reports on topics related to education to be brought forward to the Governing Council for information. A governor stated their opinion that such Reports were non-binding on the University and emphasized that this was a report of a Standing Committee of the House of Commons, and not a set of official recommendations issued by the Government of Canada. A number of governors objected to the suggestion that the University’s efforts to combat antisemitism had been ineffective.
The vote was taken. The motion to add the item to the agenda of the next meeting was defeated. Following the vote, a member asked for a recorded vote and was advised that such a request was required to be made before the vote was taken.
A governor remarked that the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) had recently passed a motion that included a call for the University Pension Plan (UPP) to divest from entities with ties to Israel’s actions in Gaza. The governor stated that the language of the motion appeared aligned with that used by the Boycott, Divest, Sanction (“BDS”) movement, and asked how this related to the University’s policy on institutional neutrality.
The President responded by referring to the language enshrined in the University’s Policy on Social and Political Issues with Respect to University Divestment, noting that investment decisions should not be influenced by geopolitical debates. He also noted that the University’s leadership, over many years, had consistently rejected the notion of academic boycotts, as they were antithetical to the University’s foundational principles. The President and Professor Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture, emphasized that both UTFA and the UPP were independent of the University, and that UPP’s investment policy decisions were made by the Board of Trustees which would assess any requests for divestment through their inclusions policy.
A governor stated they took umbrage with bad faith attacks against the administration and other members of the Council at the meeting, emphasizing that, as the meeting was being livestreamed, it was important to clarify that not all members of the Council viewed the BDS movement or pro-Palestinian activists as inherently antisemitic. The governor further stated that issues such as the Justice Committee Report and the IHRA definition had been raised at every meeting of the current academic year. The governor acknowledged the ongoing recent challenges of antisemitism and noted that other important initiatives such as kosher food services on campus and accommodations for Jewish religious holidays were equally important to the Jewish community and required advocacy.
As a final item of other business, as Mr. Dravid and his family were in attendance, the Chair once again congratulated student governor, Liam Dravid, on receiving the 2025 UTSC Student Leadership Award.
The Council voted to move in camera.
IN CAMERA SESSION
The Chair advised members that Item 12 (Senior Appointment) had been removed from the agenda and would come forward instead to the next meeting
- Appointments: Members of the Governing Council to Governance Bodies, 2025-26
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried,
IT WAS RESOLVED
THAT the proposed Assignments of members of the Governing Council to Boards and Committees for 2025-26, be approved.
The meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m.
June 6, 2025