Report Number 60 Of The UTM Academic Affairs Committee
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 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 October 15, 2025 with the following members present:
PRESENT: Rosa Hong (in the Chair), Sheliza Ibrahim (Vice-Chair), Alexandra Gillespie (Vice-President & Principal), William Gough (Interim Vice-Principal, Academic & Dean), France Gagnon (VPRI), Ron Buliung (Interim Vice-Dean Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs), Margarida Duarte (Vice-Dean Undergraduate), Renu Kanga-Fonseca (Registrar and Assistant Dean, Enrolment Management), Barend Beekhuizen, Andreas Bendlin, Steven Bernstein, Ilia Binder, Kiara Blaic, Shauna Brail, Brett Beston, Laura Brown, Ron Buliung, Boris Chrubasik, Pierre Desrochers, Tanjim Hossain, Michelle Kraus, Catherine MacGregor, Michael Nixon, Andrew Petersen, Brian Price, Christoph Richter, Nasha Sethna, Holger Syme, Ron Wener, Ronald Wolthoff, Liye Xie.
REGRETS: Shakhriyor Bakhtiyorov, Liza Blake, Brett Caraway, Craig Chambers, Randy Besco, Aryaman Chopra, Michael DeBraga, Sarah Hillewaert, Hamza Faiyaz-Ul-Haque, Yeshoda Harry-Paul, Saad Hussain, Arsalan Kahnemuyipour, Robert McMillan, Andrew Miles, Josh Milstein, Andreas Park, David Pettinicchio, Gary Lee Pelletier, Ananth Prasad, Gurpreet Rattan, Dany Savard, Adriano Senatore, Andrew Sepielli, Jumi Shin, Meghan Sutherland, Jaimal Thind, Christopher Thompson, Anil Wasif, Otto Yung, Jack Zhang.
NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Bryan Stewart (Vice-Dean, Academic Programs), Martha Harris (Director of Academic Operations, Office of the VPA&D), Tim Fricker (Interim Dean of Student Experience and Wellbeing.
SECRETARIAT: Cindy Ferencz-Hammond (Assistant Secretary of the Governing Council), Samantha Frost (Governance and Projects Coordinator)
IN ATTENDANCE: Vivienne Luk (Interim Associate Dean, Academic Experience, OVPAD), Rena Banwait (Director, Experiential Education and Community Engagement), Dan Bowyer (College of Electors), Adam Fraser (Assistant Dean, OVPAD), Tatevik Nersisyan (Academic Change Specialist, OVPAD), Sean Park (Centre for Student Engagement), Ferzeen Sammy (Manager, Academic Programs, OVPAD)
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair, Professor Rosa Hong, welcomed members to the cycle two meeting. She also welcomed Michelle Kraus, recently elected administrative staff member to her first meeting of the Committee. - Major Modification: Theatre and Drama Studies Specialist – Arts
The Chair invited Bryan Stewart, Vice-Dean, Academic Programs, to present the item.
Professor Stewart began by expressing gratitude to several colleagues who played key roles in developing the proposal, including Professor Holger Syme, Acting Chair of the Department of English and Drama, who led the drafting process under tight timelines; members of the Program Curriculum Unit, who guided the proposal through governance; and colleagues from the Vice-Provost’s Office, who provided timely and valuable advice.
The proposal presented a major modification to the long-standing Specialist in Theatre and Drama Studies program at UTM, a flagship offering for over 30 years known for blending conservatory-level actor training with rigorous academic study. Graduates of the program had gone on to work with major theatre companies such as Stratford, Shaw, and Soulpepper, and many had become award-winning artists and leaders in the field.
The modification became necessary because Sheridan College, UTM’s long-time partner in jointly delivering the program, was withdrawing from its role due to financial constraints. The change aimed to ensure continuity by moving all program delivery to UTM while preserving the program’s distinctive features. Given the need to finalize modifications before the next round of auditions and the program’s planned start in September 2026, the process was undertaken with urgency. The transition was expected to be complete by 2028–29, with incoming students beginning the fully UTM-delivered version in 2026 while current students completed their studies under Sheridan’s remaining course offerings.
The modification primarily involved a change in the mode of delivery, with UTM assuming full responsibility for academic and studio components. To maintain professional-quality training, UTM planned to appoint three adjunct professors specializing in voice, movement, and acting—active theatre professionals who would sustain the program’s strong industry connections. The program’s structure and learning outcomes would remain intact, but four intensive studio courses in the first and second years would be reclassified from half to full credits to reflect actual workload, increasing total program credits from 12 to 14 without adding new work.
Consultation with students, faculty, Sheridan representatives, and industry leaders demonstrated broad support for the change. Students expressed excitement about having the full program at UTM, and theatre professionals believed the transition would strengthen ties between academic study and professional practice, enhancing the program’s distinction among Ontario acting programs. Consolidating all classes at UTM would eliminate the need to commute between campuses, provide greater curricular coherence, and support close mentorship. Financially, the shift would allow UTM to retain both tuition and provincial grants previously allocated to Sheridan, which would help cover new program costs.
During discussion, Professor Stewart addressed several written questions, with support from Professor Holger Syme and Dean Bill Gough. The first question concerned the program’s increase by two credits to reflect the workload of actor training. It was explained that the change simply formalized work already being done and that, unlike before, students would now receive only a U of T degree rather than both a degree and a Sheridan diploma.
A second question asked whether the costs of hiring adjunct faculty, increasing credit hours, and employing directors could be covered by revenue retained by UTM. The presenter confirmed that these expenses would be fully funded through tuition and grants previously directed to Sheridan.
A third question raised concerns about relying on adjunct instructors. The presenter noted that UTM’s strong ties to the theatre community would ensure stability and that this model mirrored successful practices at the National Theatre School in Montreal. The final question related to workload implications for UTM faculty, which the presenter clarified would be managed by the department chair as usual. No further questions followed.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the proposed changes to the Specialist in Theatre and Drama Studies, as described in the proposal dated September 22, 2025, be approved effective September 1, 2026. - Academic Change Processes at UTM
Professor Stewart began the presentation by highlighting that extensive preparatory work was done for all academic change proposals prior to them being submitted for consideration by the UTM Academic Affairs Committee (UTM AAC) . Minor modifications, like course title or description changes, followed a set timeline managed by Vice-Dean Undergraduate, Professor Margarida Duarte, involving departmental planning, course management system submission, program curriculum unit review, and AAC approval.
Substantial proposals underwent a more complex process, starting with a January/February call for expressions of interest at UTM, followed by prioritization and consultation. Proposals were developed using templates, reviewed multiple times by the program curriculum unit and the Vice Provost’s Office, and subsequently approved by the Vice-Principal Academic & Dean before reaching the UTM AAC and other governance bodies for consideration. Implementation followed, typically within one academic year.
Professor Stewart noted that the UTMAAC was the sole governance step for proposals that included modifications of existing programs, program streams, focuses, and category 2 certificates. For complex proposals, such as new degrees or academic units (e.g., a new Bachelor of Computer Science), the UTMAAC approval was the first step in governance, followed the Committee on Academic Policy & Programs, Academic Board, and Executive Committee. These also underwent Provostial Advisory Group reviews, external reviews, and Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance oversight. Professor Stewart emphasized UTMAAC’s pivotal role for academic change items.
A member sought clarification on what distinguishes a new major within an existing major or specialist from a new program. Professor Stewart explained that early consultations determined this: modifying an existing program (e.g., adding a specialist or minor) was simpler, while a distinct topic, like a new AI major in a computer science department with another major, counted as a new program with a longer approval process. The member also asked about the timeline for complex proposals with additional approvals and Professor Stewart noted these could take two to three years, including a four-month external review process. - Experiential Education at UTM
Professor Vivienne Luk, Interim Associate Dean, Academic Experience, and Rena Banwait, Director of Experiential Education and Community Engagement, delivered a comprehensive presentation on Experiential Learning (EL) at UTM. They described EL as learning beyond the classroom and emphasized the university’s commitment to creating meaningful, applied learning opportunities through close collaboration among academic units and the Experiential Education Unit.
They explained that UTM offered three primary types of curricular experiential learning opportunities for students:- Research Opportunity Program (ROP) – Students worked closely with faculty members on research projects, developing foundational research and analytical skills. This program particularly supported students interested in graduate studies or research careers.
- Academic Internships – These placements integrated academic theory with practical work experience in external organizations. Students applied their classroom learning in real-world contexts while developing professional skills through reflection and practice.
- Co-op Internship Program (UTMCIP) – This structured program offered paid, full-time work terms in industry settings, enhancing career readiness, networking, and employability.
Research Opportunity Program (ROP)
Professor Luk explained that ROPs dated back to the 1990s, evolving from informal arrangements made for high-achieving students in their third year who wanted to participate in research. As interest grew, these opportunities were formalized across academic units. Faculty mentors played a central role, guiding students through the research process and helping them build critical thinking and technical research skills. ROPs benefited both students—who gained hands-on research experience and faculty connections—and faculty members—who could identify promising future researchers. In 2024–25, there were 427 students enrolled in 231 ROP projects across UTM. ROPs were offered in summer, fall, winter, and full-year formats to provide scheduling flexibility.
Academic Internships
Ms Banwait described academic internships as a long-standing and highly valued component of UTM’s EL programming. These internships allowed senior-level students to dedicate one day per week, typically over four or eight months, to a placement aligned with their field of study. The Experiential Education Unit supported faculty leads by facilitating administrative processes, coordinating placements, and ensuring alignment between coursework and work experience. Internships spanned a wide range of disciplines, including Humanities, Sciences, and Social Sciences, with departments such as Visual Studies, Language Studies, Biology, Forensic Science, and Economics offering active internship courses.
In addition to local placements, UTM also supported international experiential learning opportunities - both in-person and remote - where students worked with global partners in countries such as France, Brazil, China, and Taiwan.
University of Toronto Mississauga Co-op Internship Program (UTMCIP)
The UTMCIP represented UTM’s newest experiential learning initiative. It was a five-year structured program integrating academic study with paid work experience. Students applied after their first year and completed asynchronous work-readiness modules in their second and third years, followed by a 12- to 16-month work term in their fourth year before returning for their final year of study. The program officially launched in Fall 2024 as a two-year pilot. It initially involved students from the Departments of Biology, Chemical and Physical Sciences (CPS), Economics, Management and Communication, Culture, and Information Technology (MCS), and ICCIT.
The creation of UTMCIP was driven by strong student demand and modeled after successful co-op programs at the St. George (Arts & Science) and Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering (PEY Co-op) campuses. During the pilot year, the program enrolled 215 students from MCS, 10 each from CPS, Economics, and ICCIT, and 2 from Biology. UTM planned to gradually expand participation, with the Department of Management joining in Fall 2025.
With respect to future growth, it was highlighted that UTMCIP was designed for strategic, sustainable growth. The program aimed to add 50 new students per year, tripling the entering cohort from 247 in 2024-25 to 770 by 2034-35. To support this expansion, UTM planned to invest in infrastructure and staffing to maintain program quality and ensure strong partnerships with employers. Special acknowledgments were given to Vice-President & Principal Gillespie, Dean Gough, the CAO, Deborah Brown, and their teams for their ongoing advocacy and support of work-integrated learning.
During the question-and-answer period, members asked about student involvement with startups through the SpinUp accelerator, the structure of co-op work terms, departmental participation, and internship availability. The presenters explained that while startups had previously hosted Arts and Science internship students, UTM had recently offered an information session to the SpinUp group, and there was growing interest in hosting Research Opportunity Program (ROP), academic internship, and co-op students. When asked about the possibility of shorter or multiple placements within the 12-month co-op term, the presenters noted that the current two-year pilot limited students to a single 12- or 16-month placement with one employer to allow for more meaningful engagement and proper assessment through reflection and final reports. They indicated that shorter terms might be considered in the future as the program evolved.
In response to questions about expanding departmental participation, they clarified that adding new streams would constitute a major academic modification requiring coordination with the Dean’s Office and academic governance. Departments could begin discussions immediately, with steps such as labor market research and partnership reviews typically taking place over the summer.
Regarding internship availability, the presenters confirmed that UTM was part of the tri-campus U of T Co-op Community, giving students access to thousands of job postings across disciplines. They expressed confidence that sufficient 12- to 16-month positions were available but emphasized that placement was competitive and depended on student performance during recruitment. Concrete outcome data would be available by August 2026.
Finally, a member commended the Experiential Education Unit for its positive impact on students’ confidence and career development.
- Report of the Presidential Assessors
Professor Gough provided a report. He began by thanking both Professor Luk and Ms Banwait for their clear presentation on experiential learning, noting that it provided a strong overview of current initiatives and future directions. He emphasized that experiential learning was central to the university’s strategic mandate, with co-op programs playing a key role, while also stressing the importance of research and international experiences, which fell outside government metrics.
He commended the Department of English and Drama, particularly Acting Chair Holger Syme, for quickly advancing the modified Theatre and Drama Studies proposal and expressed understanding toward Sheridan College’s financial difficulties, which prompted the program change.
Professor Gough also reflected on broader challenges facing universities, referencing recent financial crises in the sector and urging recognition of the academy’s essential role in upholding academic freedom and inquiry.
Members had no questions.
CONSENT AGENDA
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 6, the Report of the Previous Meeting, be approved.
- Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 59 – September 10, 2025
- Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting
- Date of the Next Meeting – January 27, 2026, at 3:10 p.m.
- Other Business
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 2:12 p.m.
October 20, 2025