Report: University Affairs Board - October 09, 2024

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Council Chamber, Simcoe Hall

REPORT NUMBER 242 OF THE UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS BOARD

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2024

To the Governing Council,
University of Toronto,

Your Board reports that it held a meeting on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 with the following members present:

PRESENT: Geeta Yadav (Chair), Sandy Welsh (Vice-Provost, Students), Sonu Gaind (Vice-Chair), David Newman (Executive Director, Student Experience), Amanda Bartley, Luca Calabretta, Spencer Craddock, Ramy Elitzur, Fatima Formuli*, Brian Harrington*, Avi Hyman, Sarosh Jamal, Audrey Karlinsky,  Gretchen Kerr*, Jihan Khatib, David Kim, Rachel Leggett, Cameron Miranda-Radbord, Somtochukwu Nnakenyi, Daneille Skipp*, Payam Zahedi

REGRETS:  Robert Gerlai, Ankita Goyat, William Verreault, Arjun Yanglem

NON-VOTING ASSESSORS:
Mark Overton (Dean of Student Affairs and Assistant Principal, Student Services)
Robyn Parr (Executive Director, Office of the Vice-Provost, Students)

SECRETARIAT: Joanne Chou, Tim Harlick

IN ATTENDANCE:  
Cheryl Gibbs, Manager, Student Policy Initiatives
Nicole D. McFadyen, Assistant Director, Education and Communication, SVPSC 
Angela Treglia, Executive Director, Sexual Violence Strategy, Prevention & Support, SVPSC 
Helen Tewolde, Director, Access Strategy & Partnerships Office

OPEN SESSION
 

  1. Chair’s Remarks

    The Chair introduced herself and welcomed new and returning members to the first meeting of the 2024-25 academic year. She introduced the Vice-Chair, Professor Sonu Gaind, the Senior Assessor, Professor Sandy Welsh, and Mr. David Newman, the Voting Assessor to the Board. 

  2. Report of the Senior Assessor

    At the invitation of the Chair, Professor Sandy Welsh, Vice-Provost, Students, offered updates on the following matters: 

    Vice-Provost, Students (OVPS) - Portfolio 

    • Welcomed students back to campus this Fall to participate in in-person learning and campus life, noting the remarkable levels of student engagement across the three campuses. She highlighted the energy and enthusiasm of the incoming students, observing the higher levels of engagement and extended her thanks to the Tri-Campus Student Life staff and student leaders  that helped facilitate orientation and transition activities. 
    • The University was working hard to improve its student and community supports in light of challenging times being experienced.
    • The Institutional Equity Office (IEO), in partnership with community partners across the tri-campus offered programs, supports and resources to assist university community members with navigating work and learning environments through challenging times.
    • The University held community check-ins meetings with many community members to discuss current challenges related to several events and activities on campus, to address concerns related to antisemitism, discrimination, and including the events of October 7th.
    • The Institutional Equity Office developed a community restorative and trust building plan for Fall 2024, and well as the preliminary drafting of a faith and anti-racism framework. The IEO also began consultations to develop tri-campus modules to address topics such as antisemitism, anti- Israeli discrimination, the intersection of antisemitism and anti-Israeli discrimination, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian discrimination, as well as faith, race and human rights.
    • Highlighted the EDA in a Global Context (https://people.utoronto.ca/inclusion/edi-in-a-global-context/) site on the The Division of People Strategy, Equity & Culture website.
    • In her role of Vice-Provost Students, noted the broad responsibility for supporting and enhancing the student experience across the University’s three campuses and overseeing policies and procedures for students and student organizations. This included oversight of the Division of Student Life on the St. George Campus, Hart House, the Access Strategy and Partnerships Office, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre, and Student Mental, Health Systems and Strategy.
    • Provided a brief overview of her portfolio and reviewed some of the annual business items and updates on key initiatives related to student support and engagement that would be coming forward to the Board this year, such as the annual reports on Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Office of Indigenous Initiatives.
    • OVPS launched an updated website and an e-newsletter which would be published bi-monthly, and encouraged interested members to subscribe through the OVPS website.

Student Equity Census Dashboard

  • In August 2024, OVPS launched the student equity census data dashboard. The dashboard provided a snapshot of student demographic data across the tri-campuses, graduate and undergraduate student communities.
  • The U of T Student Equity census was a demographic data collection initiative that was developed to provide better insight and understanding of the U of T student community.
  • The OVPS website added more comprehensive information about the Census, including a detailed FAQ, and demographic data from November 2023. Professor Welsh noted that the dashboard would be updated on an annual basis.
  • The data collected would be used to develop, assess and maintain programs and initiatives that responded to the needs of the students, and strengthen student recruitment efforts, access and success strategies, and address and eliminate barriers within various processes. The focus was to better understand how students and the different communities of students moved through the university.
  • In response to feedback from students, a new question on religious, spiritual affiliations and beliefs was added in August. Professor Welsh encouraged students to complete the equity census if they had not had the chance to do so.

Rossy Chair in Campus Mental Health

  • Announced the appointment of Dr. Kristin Cleverley, who was named the inaugural Rossy Chair in Campus Mental Health for a five-year term that began in July 2024.
  • Dr. Kristin Cleverley was an award winning researcher, and a distinguished associate professor at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at U of T and the CAMH Chair in Mental Health Nursing Research.
  • A strategic investment by The Rossy Foundation – to transform how Canadian campuses approach mental health – enabled U of T to establish this new chair and reinforce the University’s  commitment to the recommendations put forward by the Presidential and Provost Mental Health Task Force.
  • Dr. Cleverley conducted critical research to inform U of T’s efforts to harmonize and enhance the way the university delivered mental health services across its three campuses with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of students.

User Guide to U of T policies on protests and use of campus spaces

  • The Provost’s Office and the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students, developed a User Guide to U of T’s policies on protest and use of campus spaces. The webpage provided guidance on existing university policies as they relate to protests and similar activities on U of T property.
  • The guide focused on peaceful protests as a form of freedom of expression and the right of its community members to express and discuss freely, including the right to protest.

Student Life at U of T St. George

  • In collaboration with the Office of the Associate Vice-President, International Student Experience and Centre for International Experience, the Innovation Hub launched the International Students First 48 Hours documentary.  The documentary featured a diverse group of 8 international students that documented their first 48 hours in Canada using journals, video diaries, and interviews. The data and stories collected were used to better understand the needs on incoming international students as they arrived to Canada for the first time.  
  • The official opening of Ziibiing (the Indigenous landscape project at Hart House Green) took place on September 23, 2024. A celebration that featured representatives from the Council of Indigenous Initiatives Elders’ Circle, the Indigenous Landscape Advisory Committee, and the University. The project was born out of Answering the Call: Wecheehetowin, the final report of the Steering Committee for U of T’s Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which outlined the need for dedicated Indigenous spaces on campus.
  • Increased participation in many activities over the past few months on the St George campus, which included the recent Club Fair, The ASKme program, The Learning Abroad Fair, and the University Prep Workshop. There was a 53% increase in enrollment and completion of the joint orientation leaders, leader training, and other student leaders that played a key role in welcoming new students. U of T also welcomed 38 new Pearson Scholars this year.

University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM)

  • New Student Services Hub (SSH) which served as a ‘first stop’ united support teams into one location, offered a new space for students to seek resources and opportunities which was located on the main floor of UTM's Davis Building. This included the Career Centre, the International Education Centre, and the Health & Counselling Centre’s health promotion team. 
  • Increased student engagement through events such as the solar eclipse in April 2024, and the new Student Orientation that took place in August and September. Recreational spaces, networking activities, career and wellness fairs were all well attended and popular with the student body.
  • UTM hosted the All-Nations powwow in September 2024, an Indigenous social celebration where community members gathered and enjoyed traditional singing and dancing.

University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC)

  • UTSC orientation events were successfully conducted and well attended. Orientation events such as Welcome Day attracted over 1,200 students and the ASKme booth supported 1,000 students.
  • October 6, 2024, marked the 60th anniversary of UTSC, with the campus celebrating its deep history and continued expansion. Professor Welsh encouraged members to check out the 60th  anniversary website and digital media to see all the wonderful developments and transformations on the Scarborough campus from 1964 until now.  (https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/home/u-t-scarborough-60)
  • A new hub for student services at the Sam Ibrahim Building brought together the Academic Advising and Career Center, Accessibility, Health and Wellness Services, and The Office of Student Experience & Wellbeing.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Task Force

  • The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Task Force led by Professor Susan McCahan, Provostial Advisor on AI, comprised of individuals with expertise across a range of academic, administrative, and technical areas.
  • The group considered ways to best leverage AI to enhance research expertise and support student success, co-curricular learning and engagement in thoughtful and impactful ways.
  • Highlighted the Nobel Prize in Physics by University Professor Emeritus, Geoffrey Hinton.


Working Group on Civil Discourse

  • This working group was led by Professor Randy Boyagoda, Provostial Advisor on Civil Discourse, and comprised of faculty members, and graduate and undergraduate students, with support from senior staff leadership.
  • The group contributed advice, suggestions, and insights towards strengthening a culture of civil discourse on campus.


    In the discussion that followed, Professor Welsh added the following:

  • An additional question was added to the Student Equity Census, providing new and current students the opportunity to identify their religious and/or spiritual affiliations. Professor Welsh encouraged alumni and anyone that had questions about the Census to reach out to the Office Vice-Provost Students (OVPS).
  • The User Guide to U of T Policies on Protest and Use of Campus Spaces was new, and was developed to allow protests and other forms of expression to occur with certain limitations on the place and time where and when they occur.
  • U of T community members had the right to protest, and the guide drew on a number of U of T policies such as the Statement on Freedom of Expression, Code of Student Conduct, and the Policy on the Temporary Use of Space. 
  • The guide was one of the steps to help the University better communicate with the community the limitations on protests, University’s expectations and potential consequences, all of which could be found in U of T’s policies.
  • Provided additional details on the processes and navigation if members of the University community experienced a violation of the policies. The Working Group on Civil Discourse was developed to support the University in fostering an environment in which robust dialogue, academic curiosity, and civil engagement on difficult questions could thrive. The recommendations that came from the working group would help improve the learning environments across the three campuses.
  • U of T and particularly St. George campus had a long history of being an open and public campus. The University allowed protests and counter protests to occur, and in reference to the Statement on Free Expression, members of the University community could be confronted with offensive language. If the speech reached a level of hate speech, then it would be appropriate to direct it to Toronto Police/Campus Safety.
  • A report on hate speech regarding the Jewish Defense League was not known to be made at this time.
  • The guidelines were not meant to be restrictive of protests or restrictive on speech but to determine boundaries. OVPS continued to seek feedback from students and student groups, and explored ways to improve the clarity of the guidelines and its intentions, and to capture the important policy areas where there were time-based limits, and to ensure that the guidelines were understood in a way where freedom of speech, protests and other types of similar events were able to continue.
  • OVPS was drafting examples to accompany the guidelines to better improve the transparency of the guidelines.
  • If hate speech were witnessed online, Professor Welsh encouraged such incidents to be reported and to engage Campus Safety, as they would be able to navigate these issues appropriately. Such videos were be reviewed once reported, as hate speech was a criminal offense.
  • U of T gave limited amnesty to pro-Palestinian protesters before encampment was cleared as part of an agreement that they abide by a court order and clear the encampment on campus.
  1. Board Orientation

    The Chair referred members to the orientation videos which had been provided to members in advance of the meeting. One of the videos described the unicameral structure of the University, while the other was designed to provide an overview of the University Affairs Board. She encouraged members who had not yet had the chance to view the videos to do so.  

    Professor Welsh noted that throughout the year, a number of items from the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students, would be brought forward to the Board during the year. 

    In response to a member’s question about the OnBoard platform, comments made in the platform by individual members were not openly shared with the Board.
  2. Annual Report: Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre

    The Chair invited Professor Welsh, to provide an update on the Annual Report: Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre.

    Professor Welsh began by noting that the report was a response to the recommendation in the 2022 Review of U of T’s Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment for robust annual institutional reporting on sexual violence and sexual harassment. Professor Welsh highlighted the available data in the report which included the number of Disclosures, Reports broken down by the status of Complainant and Respondent, how the Reports progressed after assessment, and the time elapsed for related processes.  She noted that this year’s report included new data, the non-adjudicative and adjudicative processes, which demonstrated the number of outcomes and the conclusion of those outcomes.  She explained that the outcomes varied depending on whether the respondent was a student, staff or faculty, and that a single case may result in more than one outcome.

    Professor Welsh noted that in terms of timeliness, the University was committed to moving cases forward in a timely manner, while ensuring those participating in the processes had adequate time to prepare and receive necessary supports, guidance and advice. The University strived to work from a trauma-informed approach, and provide the complainant the time needed to move through the process. There were factors that impacted the timelines, such as the availability and readiness of the complainants and witnesses participating in the process, the amount of evidence needed to be reviewed, the volume of cases, a student's exam schedule, academic work for a term, or if there is a parallel processes underway these processing times. The University continued to strive to create additional capacity to reduce institutional delays.

    Professor Welsh reminded members that the 2022 review of the Policy recommended that case managers be hired to reduce undue institutional delays and improve communication with complaints and respondents. Since the two case managers joined the University in the last year, transparency was enhanced to complaints and respondents, in terms of knowing where the university was in the process, as well as providing an important resource for those going through a sexual violence opening process to offer a safe space to ask questions.  

    Since the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre opened in 2017, it had been a support for students, staff, librarians and faculty members who had been affected by sexual violence or sexual harassment. This work was described in two broad categories; to support and offer advice to complainants and other university community members, and initiatives and activities designed to raise awareness and prevent sexual violence on campus. The Center also supported community members who received disclosures of sexual violence or had a concern related to sexual violence and harassment, and the report provided information on the number of disclosures that the center received last year.

    Professor Welsh noted that the University community accessed the Center for consultations, programming and learning activities. The center offered training to the university community through a range of delivery methods, both in-person and virtually, to enhance its reach. The Centre held 115 educational initiatives and 39 programs during this reporting period, and reached over 13,765 participants across the St. George campus in more than 50 divisions, units and departments, and included workshops that focused on creating and maintaining healthy boundaries, engaging in intimacy of after trauma, consent and self-care.

    As of fall 2024, all new students living in residence on the three campuses were required to complete the module as a requirement to live in residence, and close to 10,000 new students living in residents had completed the module. The Center provided safety planning to support staff, students, faculty and librarians who visit the center and work in partnership with the community safety office. The Community Safety Office continued to collaborate with the Center on complex, high risk cases, and the center took a more active role in safety planning for survivors as it aligned with their focus, goals and provided a holistic place for supports.

    For the year ahead, the Center would focus on continuing to enhance the program resources and processes, to encourage the community to access supports and raise barriers to disclosing and reporting.  In next year's 2024- 2025 report, Professor Welsh remarked that they would include comparative data from previous years. She expressed her gratitude to all members of the University community that supported survivors on the campuses, helping to prevent incidents from occurring, and building and reinforcing a culture of consent.

    In the discussion that followed, Professor Welsh added the following:
  • The data helped to inform jurisdictional information.
  • Professor Welsh met with student groups and student leaders on a monthly basis to seek feedback and address concerns related to sexual violence, and how best to address their needs.
  • The new training for students had evolved and improved to go beyond understanding the policy, and included research and understanding the culture of consent.
  • Highlighted the positive impact of the collaborative community partnerships at the three clinics located on the three campuses and the broad range of mental health supports and access to specialized resources.
  • The importance of reporting and building a culture where people felt safe to come forward to report. She acknowledged that individuals may come forward to the center and disclose, and were not ready to report for a variety of different reasons. 
  • Professor Welsh acknowledged the recent case that involved the UTM Faculty member and the University’s response regarding the allegations, and could be found in the report. She noted that in cases that involved faculty members, the full range of sanctions had been used. She encouraged that members who had been affected to come forward with their concerns at the Centre for a confidential discussion.
  • The criteria for determination of a sexual violence case was dependent on a number of factors, such as behaviours and situational context. Professor Welsh noted that more clarity needed to be done to report and trust the administrator’s decisions regarding the outcome of a case.
  • The administration had already begun the work on the Review of the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment which needed to be reviewed every three years; this was a priority of the University and that it would be coming forward to the University community and the Board in the New Year.
  • Exploring avenues to build out the types of programs from the Centre, such as mental health supports that were sustainable.

Angela Treglia, Executive Director, Sexual Violence Strategy, Prevention, Support & Response added the following:

  • If an individual had specifically identified a location in their sexual violence report, this detail would be known, but not necessarily presented in the Report on the Policy. Further details about location of incident not included in the Report on the Policy.
  • One of the goals of the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre (Centre) and reason for creating a central place for survivors to go, was to try and identify patterns or areas of concern. The Centre encouraged the community to come forward and share this type of information. If a concern or pattern had been noted, the Centre would explore ways to address this from a community safety perspective, working with appropriate offices and maintaining a trauma informed and survivor centered approach. 
  • The Centre did not have a formal relationship with the PEARS Project, as they were not officially part of the Centre. The Centre welcomed opportunities for collaboration and feedback, and hear from survivor voices and referrals on their experience accessing services from the Centre. The Centre had previously reached out to the PEARS Project for community feedback and consultations, as they represented a group of student survivor voices on campus.
  • The Centre engaged in ongoing ways to support survivors and understand and address their needs; this included safety and security on campus, and what that may look like for some individually. The Centre approach included a survivor centre framework where they worked with an individual to understand their unique needs and develop a holistic plan to support them.
  • The Centre supported the entire University community who were comprised of a diverse populations of students, faculties and divisions. A key need that the Centre saw was to support student survivors with their academic progression and academic accommodation.
  • The Centre also supported those impacted by cyber sexual violence.
  • Mental health support was part of the Final Report of the Presidential and Provostial Advisory Committee on Prevention and Response to Sexual Violence, and this was an ongoing project underway that reviewed ways to enhance counselling access for survivors.
  • The Center built a relationship with community partners where they had been able to facilitate and improve access to expert services in the community, and feedback from this initiative had been successful and positive.
  • Building trust with the community was an ongoing evolution and a commitment that the Centre was undertaking through outreach initiatives, the hiring of the appropriate and trained individuals, and breaking down barriers for members and survivors to come forward and report.
  • A member acknowledged the positive work done by the Centre and the support given to members of the University community. 
  • Everyone had a shared responsibility to build a culture of consent on the campuses and possessed self reflections about their own behaviours. She noted the continuous work on facilitating and improving access to education and highlighted the ongoing commitment by the administration to respond to the recommendations made by the Final Report of the Presidential and Provostial Advisory Committee on Prevention and Response to Sexual Violence.
  • Highlighted the Governors workshop on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment workshop that took place on an annual basis.
  • Student conversations were very powerful, and shared student testimonials of those that utilized and access the Centre were very impactful and helped create awareness and foster education. 


Nicole D. McFadyen, Assistant Director, Education and Communication, Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre added that they incorporated students into the work by the Center through the Work-Study program on each of the three campuses. Last year they researched and explored peer-programming opportunities and collaborations, including partnering with UTSC’s Health & Wellness Peer Ambassador program. This year, the Centre was piloting a weekly peer drop-in program at the St. George campus that was led by the Work Study students, with staff onsite to provide support if needed. The goal was to help connect students with Centre services and build community, while also providing a bridge for those that need to be connected to Centre staff that had extensive clinical expertise and could support the student community. The Centre also continued to work to build relationships and collaborations with student groups on all three campuses.

  1. Summer Executive Authority: Annual Report on UAB Approvals

    The Chair reported that there were no approvals under Summer Executive Authority that were within the purview of the University Affairs Board.
  2. Calendar of Business, 2024-25

    The Chair referred members to the Calendar of Business located on the Office of the Governing Council’s website and advised that the document would be updated by the Secretariat regularly as business came forward. She encouraged members to review the Calendar on a regular basis.

CONSENT AGENDA
 

On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

YOUR BOARD APPROVED

THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 7, the Report of the Previous Meeting, be approved.

  1. Report of the Previous Meeting

    The Report of the Previous meeting was approved.
  2. Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting

    There was no business arising from the report of the previous meeting.
  1. Date of Next Meeting: November 21, 2024, at 4:30 p.m.

    The Chair confirmed that the next meeting would be held on November 21, 2024 in the Council Chamber.
  2. Other Business

    There were no items of other business.


The meeting adjourned at 6:02 p.m.

October 22, 2024