Report Number 56 Of The UTM Academic Affairs Committee
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2025
To the UTM Campus Council,
University of Toronto Mississauga,
Your UTM Academic Affairs Committee reports that it held a meeting in the Council Chamber, Room 3130, W. G. Davis building on January 8, 2025 with the following members present:
PRESENT: Laura Taylor (in the Chair), Rosa Hong (Vice-Chair), William A. Gough (Interim Vice-Principal, Academic & Dean), France Gagnon, (Vice-Principal Research and Innovation), Ajay Rao (Vice-Dean Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs), Margarida Duarte (Vice-Dean, Undergraduate), Areej Al-Dailami, Shakhriyor Bakhtiyorov, Barend Beekhuizen, Steven Bernstein, Randy Besco, Brett Beston, Ilia Binder, Elizabeth Blake, Laura Brown, Craig Chambers, Boris Chrubasik, Michael DeBraga, Pierre Desrochers, Jacob Gallagher-Ross, Tanjim Hossain, Ehab James, Josée Johnston, Arsalan Kahnemuyipour, Renu Kanga Fonseca, Andrew Miles, Asif Mohammed, Katie Ngo, Andreas Park, Andrew Petersen, Brian Price, Christoph Richter, Dany Savard, Afsaneh Tafazzoli, Jaimal Thind, Anil Wasif, Jonathan Weisberg, Ron Wener, Ronald Wolthoff
REGRETS: Alexandra Gillespie, Andreas Bendlin, Shauna Brail, Jan Durkiewicz, Claudiu Gradinaru, Sarah Hillewaert, Ayman Kashif, Robert McMillan, Michael Nixon, Alanna Olteanu, Gary Lee Pelletier, Gurpreet Rattan, Todd Sanders, Adriano Senatore, Sarah Sharma, Jumi Shin, Meghan Sutherland, Ewen Wilton, Otto Yung, Ava Zdrava
NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Bryan Stewart (Vice-Dean, Academic Programs), Martha Harris (Director of Academic Operations, Office of the VPA&D), Mark Overton (Dean of Student Affairs)
SECRETARIAT: Cindy Ferencz-Hammond, Joanne Chou
IN ATTENDANCE: Jeff Espie (Office of the Vice-President & Principal), Anuar Rodrigues (Office of the Vice-President & Principal)
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair welcomed members to the cycle three meeting of the Committee and noted that the nomination period for the governance elections, including for available positions on the Academic Affairs Committee had opened and nominations would be open until January 16, 2025. The Chair encouraged those interested to participate in the governance elections.
The Chair also welcomed and introduced Professor France Gagnon, Vice-Principal Research and Innovation, and Professor William Gough, Vice-Principal Academic & Dean to their first meeting of the committee. - Enrolment Report
The Chair invited Renu Kanga Fonseca, Registrar and Assistant Dean, to give a presentation on enrolment.
Ms Kanga Fonseca provided a comprehensive overview of enrolment trends from 2018 to 2024. The total full-time headcount fluctuated, peaking at 15,820 in 2021 and settling at 15,000 in 2024. The proportion of international students increased from 24% in 2018 to 31% in 2021, before declining to 26% in 2024. New intake numbers varied, with a notable increase in 2021 and a subsequent decrease in 2024. With respect to year over year new student intake, Ms Kanga Fonseca noted that for fall 2024, significant changes to international study permits were announced, impacting Canada's post-secondary sector. In 2024, anticipating a shortfall in international admissions, approval was sought and granted to exceed the domestic admission target. Consequently, 941 new international students and 3,033 domestic students were admitted, totaling 3,974 students, which was nearly on target at 3,942. Demand for domestic admissions remained strong, reflecting positively on UTM's appeal for fall 2024.
The top countries of citizenship for new international students in 2024 included China, India, and Pakistan. Ontario high school admission averages rose from 84.9% in 2018 to 89.0% in 2022, then slightly decreased to 87.0% in 2024. Entrance award recipients were categorized based on their admission averages, with awards ranging from $2,000 to $45,000. The most popular admission categories in 2024 were Social Sciences, Computer Science, Mathematics & Statistics, and Commerce. Additionally, 51.61% of students were enrolled in regulated programs, while 28.95% were not yet registered for a program of study. Graduation rates showed that 73.4% of students from the 2011-2017 entry cohorts graduated within seven years.
During the question-and-answer period, the following issues were discussed:
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Regarding International Admissions Trends, a member asked about how the declines in international admissions and applications, and their effect on the campus operating budget were being managed. In the response, it was noted that international applications for Fall 2025 were down slightly as of the latest data, although at this point in the cycle the application deadline had not passed. There were declines from India (down approximately 40% last year and further this year). U.S. applications saw a slight increase. Challenges included study permit changes and shifts in Canada’s international appeal. Efforts focused on recruiting students already in Canada. Budget adjustments included delaying building projects and re-evaluating initiatives through the annual planning process. Despite these challenges, the university maintained a balanced budget and prioritized its academic mission, acknowledging a new era of financial constraints.
- On the topic of the difference between regulated and deregulated fees, it was explained that most UTM programs had provincially regulated fees, while a few (e.g., Commerce, Computer Science) had deregulated fees, allowing higher charges.
- Regarding the reason about a dip in entrance award recipients, it was noted that the decrease was linked to a smaller overall student pool and variability in academic averages. International awards were affected by fewer offers, visa delays, and shifts in student choices.
- Regarding tracking application-to-registration metrics, Ms Kanga Fonseca explained that the data was not included in the presentation but would be shared in future Chairs & Directors meetings.
- Program Closure: Major in Exceptionality in Human Learning (EHL)
At the invitation of the Chair, Bryan Stewart, Vice Dean of Academic Programs, explained that program closures were a standard part of the academic cycle. The decision to close the EHL major followed declining enrollments and a suspension of admissions in 2019. Currently, there were no active students in the program. The EHL major overlapped significantly with the Psychology major, with minimal distinction. However, the EHL Specialist program, offering a more intensive focus, would continue to ensure coverage of the subject area.
Professor Stewart explained that there were four inactive students who had not been registered at U of T for 4-12 years. The department was committed to keeping all required courses available should these students return to complete their studies. Broad consultations with faculty, departments, and divisional curriculum committees supported the closure, aligning it with the department's strategic goals of enhancing clarity, specialization, and resource efficiency.
Members had no questions.
On motion duly made, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED,
THAT the Closure of the Major in Exceptionality in Human Learning, UTM, as detailed in the proposal dated November 28, 2024, be approved, effective May 1, 2025. - Minor Modification: Combined Degree Program: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) (HBSc-MT, HBA-MT)
Professor Margarida Duarte, Vice-Dean Undergraduate, presented a proposal from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) to streamline admission requirements for combined degree programs linked to OISE's Master of Teaching. The changes included aligning grade requirements with the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) standards (lowering from B+ to B) and streamlining prerequisite courses. These adjustments were intended to broaden the applicant pool and apply to all tri-campus combined programs, effective September 1, 2025.
During the discussion, a member raised concerns about lowering academic standards, questioning whether this was due to constraints in filling program spots. He expressed discomfort with lowering the grade threshold and emphasized the importance of maintaining high standards at U of T, noting his own experience in graduate admissions where A-average students were typically admitted. In response, Professor Gough noted that the change aligned with SGS admission requirements and was consistent with standards for professional programs like the Master of Teaching, which was distinct from research-focused programs. The rationale was partly historical, as OISE had transitioned from offering Bachelor of Education programs to Master-level professional programs, due to certain provincial government mandates.
On motion duly made, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COMMITTEE RESOLVED,
THAT the proposed combined degree program with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) (HBSc-MT, HBA-MT), as detailed in the proposal dated September 23, 2024, be approved, effective September 1, 2025. - Reports of the Presidential Assessors
The Chair invited the Interim Vice-Principal Academic & Dean to provide an introduction and a report. Professor Gough thanked the committee for its essential role in upholding the academic mission, providing checks and balances within U of T, and connecting university activities to societal needs. He shared his background, including nine years as Dean and Vice-Dean at U of T Scarborough (UTSC), extensive involvement in governance, and experience with collective bargaining on behalf of the university.
Professor Gough briefed the committee that negotiations with CUPE 3902 Unit 3, which represented sessional lecturers, would begin shortly.
Looking ahead, Professor Gough outlined initiatives the Dean's office planned to bring to the committee. These included a new minor in logic, major modifications to the Master of Management and Professional Accounting (MMPA) program and the creation of a new extra-departmental unit for Forensic Sciences. He also mentioned plans for program closures, such as environmental geosciences, and updates on departmental reviews for English & Drama, Language Studies, Visual Studies, Management, and Mathematical and Computational Sciences. In closing, he acknowledged a backlog of reviews due to pandemic-related delays and the need to catch up on these processes.
CONSENT AGENDA
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Items 6 (Minor Modification: Undergraduate Curriculum Changes) and 7 (the Report of the Previous Meeting), be approved.
- Minor Modification: Undergraduate Curriculum Changes, UTM
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the proposed Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences undergraduate curriculum changes at UTM, as detailed in the respective curriculum reports, be approved, effective September 1, 2025. - Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 55 – September 10, 2024
- Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting
- Date of the Next Meeting – Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at 3:10 p.m.
- Other Business
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 3:50 p.m.
January 10, 2025