REPORT NUMBER 76 OF THE UTM CAMPUS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
To the UTM Campus Council,
University of Toronto Mississauga,
Your UTM Campus Affairs Committee reports that it held a meeting on April 29, 2026 in the Council Chamber, Room 3130, W. G. Davis Building, with the following members present:
PRESENT: Robert Gerlai (in the Chair), Claudiu Gradinaru (Vice-Chair), Alexandra Gillespie (Vice-President & Principal), Tim Fricker (Interim Dean of Student Experience & Wellbeing), Heather Anderson, Emily Atkinson, Charleson Cao, Mairi Cowan, April Forbes, Melissa Gniadek, Adriana Grimaldi, Christina Kakaflikas, Marc Laflamme, Carolyn Loos, Mai Lu, Rosalind Murray, Haze Schepmyer, Joanna Szurmak, Jada Thomas, Kathleen Yu
REGRETS: William Gough, (Interim Vice-Principal Academic & Dean), Shakhriyor Bakhtiyorov, Alice Chan, Rosa Hong, Samuel Kamalendran, Harleen Kaur, Peter Landry, Aisha Mirzada, Ottavia Paluch
NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Luke Barber (Executive Director, Digital and Physical Infrastructure), Christine Esteban (Interim Executive Director, Budget, Finance and Business Services), Melissa Gallo (Interim Assistant Dean, Student Wellness, Support and Success), Chad Nuttall (Assistant Dean of Students and International Initiatives)
SECRETARIAT: Cindy Ferencz-Hammond, Samantha Frost
IN ATTENDANCE: Rabeeya Amjad (Director of Planning and Analysis), Francesca Del Prado (student leader and presenter), Megan Evans (Assistant Director, Hospitality & Ancillary Services), Eugenia Li (Budget, Planning & Finance), Peili Lui Budget, Planning & Finance), Peter Mumford (Director, Recreation, Athletics & Wellness Centre), Jessica Silver (Director, Centre for Student Engagement), Peter Wong (Budget, Planning & Finance), Sunny Zhang (Budget, Planning & Finance)
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair welcomed members to the last meeting of the Committee for the governance year. -
Strategic Presentation: Recreation, Athletics & Wellness on Campus
The Committee received a presentation from Melissa Gallo (Interim Assistant Dean, Student Support and Success), Peter Mumford (Director, Recreation and Well-being), and Francesca Del Prado (Student Leader).
Ms. Gallo introduced the presentation, noting her recent appointment and highlighting the Department of Recreation, Athletics & Wellness (DRAW) as a key component of the student well-being portfolio, alongside accessibility services and the Health and Counselling Centre. She emphasized the intentional and inclusive nature of DRAW programming, designed to engage a broad range of students, including those who may not traditionally participate in recreation.
Mr. Mumford provided an overview of DRAW operations, noting that the unit included 28 full-time staff and over 250 student staff and operated on a fully self-supported financial model through student fees and external revenue. He outlined the department’s five operational pillars and described eight key program areas, including sports, aquatics, fitness, community outreach, well-being programming, communications, and facilities management. Usage statistics demonstrated significant reach, with over 240,000 annual visits and approximately 13,000 unique users, including over half of the student population.
A strong emphasis was placed on inclusive programming, with over 30% of offerings targeted to equity-deserving groups. Mr. Mumford highlighted initiatives such as participation in Special Olympics unified sport programming, which fostered inclusion and community engagement.
Ms. Del Prado shared a student perspective, describing her experience with DRAW as transformative in fostering belonging, confidence, and leadership skills. She emphasized the importance of intentionally inclusive spaces for equity-deserving students and noted the role of recreation in supporting both personal and academic development.
Ms. Gallo concluded with future priorities, including the development of a comprehensive strategic plan aligned with institutional goals, implementation of a five-year operating and capital planning framework, enhanced facility lifecycle planning, the establishment of a student advisory committee, and exploration of expanded outdoor recreation space through the proposed “Rec Zone.”
Members expressed strong support for the presentation and commended the presenters on the inclusive and student-centered approach to programming. A member shared a personal example of the positive impact of unified sports programming on participants and their families, noting its contribution to mental health and belonging. A question was raised regarding access to programming for faculty and staff. Ms. Gallo confirmed that programs were available to the broader campus community and acknowledged opportunities to further encourage participation among staff, including potential engagement initiatives. -
Annual Report: Recognized Student Groups
The Committee received the annual report on recognized student groups, presented by Tim Fricker (Interim Dean, Student Experience and Wellbeing).
Dean Fricker explained that the report fulfilled policy requirements by outlining administrative decisions related to the recognition of student groups. He reported that no student groups were denied recognition or had recognition withdrawn during the reporting period.
He highlighted the robust governance framework supporting student group recognition, including requirements related to democratic governance, open membership, and accountability. Recognition enabled access to institutional resources such as space, funding, and administrative support. The report noted continued growth in student engagement, with 254 recognized student groups (up from 213 the previous year) and over 300 applications received. Collectively, these groups engaged more than 16,000 students. Dean Fricker emphasized the critical role of student groups in fostering leadership development, community building, and co-curricular engagement, including recognition through the Co-Curricular Record.
He also noted the inclusion of additional categories such as academic societies and student affiliates, to provide a comprehensive overview of student activity, and acknowledged the significant administrative effort required to support this portfolio, led by the Centre for Student Engagement.
Members sought clarification regarding the funding model for student groups. Responses were provided by Chad Nuttall (Assistant Dean of Students and International Initiatives) and Jessica Silver (Director, Centre for Student Engagement), who explained that most recognized student groups did not collect fees but instead accessed funding through sources such as the Ian Orchard Fund and student service fees. Certain affiliated or levy-based groups did collect fees to support specific services. Questions were also raised regarding the presence of external individuals in student group activities and the existence of multiple groups with similar mandates. It was noted that many groups collaborated extensively and that multiple groups could enhance leadership opportunities without significant additional cost. A concern was raised regarding the role of faculty validators and administrative requirements. The administration acknowledged these concerns and indicated that processes were under review, including ongoing work related to the Co-Curricular Record to improve tracking and validation. -
Annual Report: UTM Campus Safety
The Committee received the annual campus safety report presented by Deborah Fritz (Director, Campus Safety). Ms. Fritz outlined campus safety operations, emphasizing a collaborative and community-based approach focused on prevention, preparedness, and partnership. The campus safety team, consisting of 16 special constables and supporting staff, provided 24/7 coverage and worked closely with Peel Regional Police.
The report indicated that total incidents increased to 208 in 2025, largely reflecting campus growth and expanded facilities. Notably, decreases were observed in serious categories such as criminal harassment and sexual assault, suggesting a positive impact of awareness and education initiatives.
An increase in minor thefts, particularly in the library and recreation facilities, was identified as a key trend. Targeted campaigns, such as “Lock It or Lose It,” were implemented to address these issues.
A significant development was the introduction of the Safety and Crisis Response Coordinator role, which provided trauma-informed, mental health-focused support and reduced reliance on enforcement-based responses. Additional initiatives included community engagement events, safety programs, and expanded training in de-escalation and equity-informed practices.
Members requested clarification regarding the “other offenses” category. Ms. Fritz explained that this category included provincial offenses such as trespass and liquor violations, often involving non-community members. Questions were raised regarding the impact of increased filming activity on campus safety; no direct correlation with incidents was identified, and it was noted that appropriate security measures were in place during filming. Members also inquired about data collection related to offender demographics and potential targeting of marginalized groups. Ms. Fritz noted that such data was only collected in specific cases (e.g., hate crimes); the Vice-President & Principal added that broader data collection was limited by privacy legislation. Suggestions to explore enhanced data collection were acknowledged. -
Capital Projects Update (for information)
The Committee received an update on capital projects and infrastructure from Luke Barber (Executive Director, Digital and Physical Infrastructure).
Mr. Barber provided a comprehensive overview of capital activity across the campus, including both Level 1 projects (valued between $100,000 and $10 million) and major Level 2 and 3 projects exceeding $10 million. He began by outlining the scope of capital work, noting that projects included new construction, renovations, infrastructure upgrades, and long-term planning aligned with institutional priorities.
At the Level 1 scale, Mr. Barber reported that nearly 60 projects were underway or recently completed, spanning both newly renovated spaces and deferred maintenance initiatives. Examples of completed or near-complete projects included specialized research facilities such as a bat research laboratory equipped with acoustic monitoring systems and animal care infrastructure, a newly developed Indigenous Creation Studio supporting performance, teaching, and research, and a fully outfitted academic workshop for the Geography, Geomatics and Environment department. Additional upgrades included improvements to student housing facilities, such as renovations to the Oscar Peterson Hall administrative and service areas to support expanded residence operations. A new pre-engineered building on Principal's Road was also highlighted, designed to support robotics, unmanned vehicle research, and forensic science teaching, addressing a gap in flexible, hands-on research space on campus.
Mr. Barber also provided an update on deferred maintenance and infrastructure investments, noting that the campus continued to perform well compared to benchmarks, with a favourable Facilities Condition Index (FCI). He explained that deferred maintenance projects focused on critical building systems beyond their useful life, including air handling systems, roofing, parking structures, and underground servicing. Recent work included restoration of major parking facilities, replacement of large air handling units in the Davis Building to improve air quality and energy efficiency, upgrades to underground water and storm infrastructure to support long-term growth and climate resilience, and installation of building-level uninterrupted power supply systems to support research continuity. Significant progress was also made on the campus fiber network, improving connectivity, bandwidth, and redundancy while supporting future development.
Turning to major capital projects, Mr. Barber provided updates on three key initiatives. The new student residence, a six-storey, 400-bed facility, was reported to be approximately 75% complete, with efforts underway to accelerate construction toward a planned Fall 2026 opening. The Campus Heart and Indigenous build project was described as a multi-phase initiative currently in design, featuring a major public space informed by Indigenous principles and a dedicated Indigenous building, with a projected completion timeline of 2029. The Central Utility Plant II project was also highlighted as a critical component of the campus’s long-term energy strategy, incorporating geothermal infrastructure to support decarbonization goals, improve system resilience, and enable future campus expansion.
Members raised questions regarding communication of infrastructure upgrades to faculty and researchers, particularly with respect to systems such as uninterrupted power supply installations. It was suggested that improved communication could help ensure that academic users were aware of available infrastructure and could better plan their research activities. Members also inquired about the cost and accessibility of adding data infrastructure, such as network ports, in laboratory spaces. Mr. Barber noted that while broader improvements to campus network capacity were underway, the cost of installing building-level connections remained significant due to the need for physical installation from communications rooms. It was noted that alternative funding mechanisms through academic units may be available to support such needs.
CONSENT AGENDA
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 6, report of the previous meeting, be approved.
- Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 75 – March 10, 2026
- Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting
- Date of the Next Meeting
The Chair reminded members that the next meeting would be on September 15, 2026. -
Other Business
The chair expressed gratitude to all members for their active participation and engagement throughout the year. Special thanks were extended to both voting and non-voting presidential assessors, for their regular contributions. The chair also recognized outgoing committee members.
The Chair then yielded the floor to the Secretary. Ms Ferencz-Hammond then announced that the meeting marked Professor Robert Gerlai’s final session as chair. She highlighted Professor Gerlai’s outstanding leadership and significant time commitment to chairing meetings, agenda planning, and serving on the nominating committee. As per tradition, the Office of the Governing Council planned to present Professor Gerlai with a physical chair, on which the plaque inscription would recognize his exemplary service as CAC vice-chair (2018–2021) and chair (2021–2026). The Vice-President & Principal added remarks, expressing deep gratitude for the Chair’s principled, engaged, and community-focused leadership.
The Committee adjourned at 4:23 p.m.
May 5, 2026