REPORT NUMBER 74 OF THE UTM CAMPUS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2026
To the UTM Campus Council,
University of Toronto Mississauga,
Your UTM Campus Affairs Committee reports that it held a meeting in a virtual meeting room on January 26, 2026, with the following members present:
PRESENT: Robert Gerlai (in the Chair), Claudiu Gradinaru (Vice-Chair), Alexandra Gillespie (Vice-President &Principal), Alison Syme (Acting Vice-Principal Academic & Dean), Deborah Brown (Chief Administrative Officer), Tim Fricker (Interim Dean of Student Experience & Wellbeing), Heather Anderson, Emily Atkinson, Charleson Cao, Alice Chan, April Forbes, Melissa Gniadek, Adriana Grimaldi, Christina Kakaflikas, Samuel Kamalendran, Harleen Kaur, Peter Landry, Marc Laflamme, Carolyn Loos, Mai Lu, Rosalind Murray, Haze Schepmyer
REGRETS: Shakhriyor Bakhtiyorov, Mairi Cowan, William Gough, Rosa Hong, Aisha Mirzada, Ottavia Paluch, Joanna Szurmak, Jada Thomas, Kathleen Yu
NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Luke Barber (Executive Director, Digital and Physical Infrastructure), Christine Esteban (Executive Director, Budget, Planning & Finance), 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: Megan Evans (Assistant Director, Hospitality & Ancillary Services), Alysha Ferguson (Assistant Director, Campus and Community Engagement), Adam Fraser (Assistant Dean, OVPAD), Renu Kanga Fonseca (Registrar and Assistant Dean, Enrolment Management), Josh Haas (Coordinator, Student Policy Initiatives, Office of the Vice-Provost, Students), Faisal Halabeya (President, UTMAGS), Brian Hoppie (Operations Manager, Parking & Transportation), Slade Hudson (Assistant Director, Finance & Business Services, Student Housing & Residence Life), Erin Kraftcheck (Health Counseling Centre), Kristen Leal (Assistant Director, Residence Life), Antonia Lo (Budget, Planning & Finance), Felicity Morgan (Director, Career Centre), Peter Mumford (Recreation, Athletics & Wellness Centre), Nadia Rosemond (Executive Director, Office of the Vice-Provost, Students), Jennifer Skinner (Assistant Director, Residence Administration & Operations), Jessica Silver (Director, Student Engagement, CSE), Veronica Vasquez (International Education Centre)
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair welcomed members to the Committee’s third meeting and noted that the order of the agenda would be varied in order to move the Operating Plans: UTM Service Ancillaries for 2026-27 earlier in the agenda to accommodate a scheduling conflict. He then welcomed Melissa Gallo to the CAC as a non-voting assessor, in her new role as Interim Assistant Dean, Student Wellness, Support and Success.
The Chair noted that the nomination period for governance elections for Campus Council and its Standing Committees, including the Campus Affairs Committee, had concluded on January 22, 2026. He added that there had been strong interest across all constituencies and thanked members for encouraging participation and engagement in the governance process. He noted that the formal list of candidates would be available on the elections website on January 27, 2026. - Operating Plans: UTM Service Ancillaries for 2026-27
The Chair noted that the materials before the Committee included detailed management reports, operating plans, capital budgets, and rate proposals and invited Christine Esteban, Executive Director, Budget, Planning & Finance, to introduce the item, which was followed by a detailed presentation by the directors of the various ancillary budgets.
Ms. Esteban provided an overview of the framework overseeing service ancillaries, including the requirement that ancillaries operated without subsidy from the operating budget, provide for sustainable capital renewal and deferred maintenance, and maintained appropriate operating reserves. She noted that consultations had been undertaken with students, faculty, and staff as part of the development of the proposals.
Ms. Esteban then invited Antonia Lo, Director, Budget, Planning & Finance, Brian Cunha, Director, Student Housing & Residence Life, and Megan Evans, Assistant Director, Hospitality & Ancillary Services to provide detailed information about the budgets. Ms. Lo began the presentation on the operating and capital plans for student housing and residence life, hospitality services, and parking services, by discussing forecasted operating results for the current fiscal year, explanations for variances from budget, and the assumptions underlying the proposed capital budgets for 2026–27.
Mr. Cunha provided an overview of major capital renewal initiatives, including townhouse revitalization projects, renovations to residence facilities, and preparations for the opening of the new residence building. With respect to residence fees, he reported that proposed rate changes had been developed following a comprehensive review of housing demand, operating costs, capital renewal requirements, and benchmarking against peer institutions and comparable off-campus housing options. The presentation emphasized that demand for on-campus housing continued to exceed supply across multiple student groups and that the opening of a new residence building would further expand capacity. Proposed rate adjustments varied by residence type and room configuration and were intended to avoid uniform increases across all housing options. Members were advised that this approach was designed to preserve a range of price points, improve affordability for some lower-cost units, and align higher increases with residences experiencing stronger demand or higher operating and capital requirements. It was also noted that some residence categories, including family housing, were proposed to remain unchanged in order to support affordability.
The hospitality services presentation outlined revenue trends, including retail food sales, meal plans, catering, and conference activity, as well as expenditure pressures related to staffing, technology, and infrastructure. Planned operational enhancements included upgrades to food service facilities and systems, investments in technology, and preparations to support increased residence occupancy and meal plan participation. Proposed increases to food-related fees and meal plans reflected inflationary pressures, increased labour and food costs, and planned operational enhancements. The minimum required meal plans were proposed to increase modestly, while optional meal plans reflected slightly higher percentage increases. The additional growth in resident students was expected to increase meal plan revenue by approximately 400 new plans, while non-meal plan/retail food revenue was projected to grow in line with inflation.
Ms. Evans noted that proposed parking fee increases were aligned with inflationary cost pressures and long-term infrastructure maintenance requirements. Proposed increases varied by permit type, with no increases proposed for hourly or daily parking rates. The presentation emphasized that recent and ongoing investments in parking infrastructure, including garage rehabilitation and waterproofing projects, were necessary to maintain the safety and availability of parking facilities and that proposed rate adjustments were intended to support these capital needs while remaining competitive with comparable parking options.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED
THAT, the proposed 2026-27 Operating Plans and Budgets for the UTM Service Ancillaries, as summarized in Schedule 1, the service ancillary capital budgets as summarized in Schedule 5, and the rates and fees in Schedule 6, as detailed in the proposal dated December 5, 2025, be approved, effective May 1, 2026. - Enrolment Report
The Chair welcomed Renu Kanga Fonseca, Registrar and Assistant Dean, Enrolment Management to present the item. The Committee received the annual enrolment update for UTM. Ms. Kanga Fonseca reviewed longitudinal data on undergraduate enrolment, including total headcount over multiple years and breakdowns by domestic and international legal status.
The data showed continued overall stability in total undergraduate headcount, with growth patterns reflecting both external policy changes and internal enrolment management strategies.
A key trend highlighted was the changing balance between domestic and international student enrolment. Ms. Kanga Fonseca reported that recent federal policy changes affecting international study permits had resulted in lower-than-target international enrolment in Fall 2025. In response, approval had been sought and obtained to exceed domestic enrolment targets, resulting in a higher proportion of domestic students in the incoming cohort. Despite these shifts, overall enrolment objectives were met, and strong domestic demand was noted.
She noted that international students continued to represent a significant portion of the student population, though at a lower percentage than in previous years. Data on country of citizenship indicated relative stability among the top source countries, with some year-over-year variation. The presentation noted the re-emergence of certain countries among the top contributors and modest shifts reflecting broader global mobility patterns.
Admission average data for students entering from Ontario secondary schools showed consistency with recent years, with averages remaining in the high-80 percent range. This stability reflected sustained applicant quality and continued competitiveness of UTM programs.
Ms. Kanga Fonseca also highlighted trends in admission categories. The data showed that Computer Science, Mathematics and Statistics had become the largest admission category for Fall 2025, followed by Social Sciences and Life Sciences. This represented a shift from the previous year, when Social Sciences had the largest intake. These changes aligned with broader applicant interest patterns and labour-market-driven demand.
The presentation also addressed the distribution of students across regulated and deregulated fee programs. The majority of students remained enrolled in regulated fee programs, with a relatively small proportion enrolled in fully deregulated programs and a larger group not yet registered in a program of study due to first-year credit requirements.
With respect to student success outcomes, graduation rate data showed modest year-over-year improvement across several time horizons. Approximately seven in ten students were graduating within six years, a figure comparable to national averages, though slightly below some comparator divisions within the University. This remained an area of strategic focus, and initiatives such as proactive academic advising pilots and targeted support for students at academic risk had been introduced to improve retention and progression.
Finally, members were provided with early indicators for Fall 2026 admissions. Application data available at the time of the meeting showed an increase in total applications relative to the same point in the previous year, with particularly strong growth in international applications. First-choice applications were also reported to be higher for both domestic and international applicants, suggesting continued interest in UTM despite broader sector uncertainty. - Compulsory Non-Academic Incidental Fees – Report and Analysis: 2024-25
The Chair invited Nadia Rosemond, Executive Director, Office of the Vice-Provost, Students to present the item. The Chair reminded members that oversight of these fees was within the Committee’s Terms of Reference and that the report was intended to provide context for the consideration of fee proposals later in the meeting and in subsequent cycles.
The report outlined the policy framework governing compulsory non-academic incidental fees, including distinctions between campus service fees and student society fees, and the conditions under which referenda or other approvals were required. Detailed schedules showing the fees charged to undergraduate and graduate students at UTM, were presented, including variations by enrolment status and program.
Comparative information was presented illustrating the range of compulsory non-academic incidental fees across divisions of the University. Members were advised of factors contributing to differences in fee levels, including local service offerings and transit programs specific to the UTM campus. -
Operating Plans and Fees: UTM Student Affairs and Services for 2026-27
The Chair invited Tim Fricker, Interim Dean, Student Experience and Wellbeing, as well as Chad Nuttall, Assistant Dean of Students and International Initiatives to present the item. The Chair of Quality Service to Students (QSS), Samuel Kamalendran, was also invited to provide feedback on behalf of QSS.
Mr. Fricker began the presentation by noting that the proposals had been developed through an established governance and consultative process and were supported by detailed management reports and budget documentation. He provided an overview of the consultative process undertaken through QSS and noted that campus service leaders had presented their proposed operating plans and budgets to QSS on multiple occasions during the fall term, allowing for detailed review, questions, and discussion.
Mr. Nuttall continued the presentation and advised that QSS had met in January to consider the proposed fee changes for the 2026–27 academic year. At that meeting, QSS endorsed the proposed Health Services Fee and the proposed Student Services Fee bundle. The proposed Recreation & Athletics Fee was not endorsed. Members were informed that no votes were cast against the Recreation & Athletics proposal; however, several student members abstained. It was reported that concerns raised during the QSS discussion related to the appropriateness of funding certain capital and infrastructure-related costs through compulsory student fees, rather than through central university funding. He noted that QSS was a consultative body composed primarily of student representatives and that its role was to provide advice and feedback to the CAC for information a context, rather than formal approval.
Mr. Nuttall then provided highlights of the proposed operating plans and service priorities for the coming year. For Health Services, planned initiatives included enhancements to clinical access, expansion of wellness and prevention programming, and continued focus on supporting international students and students with complex needs. For Recreation, Athletics & Wellness, priorities included maintaining and upgrading facilities, completing critical infrastructure repairs, and sustaining a broad range of recreational, fitness, and intramural programming in response to high levels of student usage. For services funded through the Student Services Fee, members were advised of planned activities across multiple units, including career advising, student engagement and leadership development, international education and global learning opportunities, campus transportation services, and childcare support. Members were also provided with benchmarking information comparing UTM’s proposed fees with those at other campuses, noting areas where fees were higher or lower and the factors contributing to those differences, including campus-specific services such as transportation offerings.
During the discussion, a member asked for clarification regarding the outcome of the QSS deliberations, specifically why the Recreation & Athletics Fee proposal had not been endorsed despite reported support for the services and programming provided. In response, it was explained that student members had expressed concern about the inclusion of capital and infrastructure-related costs within compulsory student fees, indicating a view that such costs should be funded centrally by the University rather than through student fees. It was noted that no student members voted against the proposal, but that several abstained on this basis.
The member then asked whether this feedback had resulted in changes to the proposed budgets or fee levels. It was explained that, while the consultation feedback was carefully considered, the proposed operating plans and fees had not been reduced, as certain capital and infrastructure investments, such as critical facility repairs, were necessary to sustain safe and functional services and could not be deferred or funded through alternative sources.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED
THAT the 2026-27 operating plans and budgets for the UTM Health & Counselling Centre; the UTM Department of Recreation, Athletics & Wellness; and the UTM Student Services under the Student Services Fee, recommended by the Interim Dean of Student Experience and Wellbeing, Tim Fricker, and described in the attached proposals, be approved; and
THAT the sessional Health Services Fee for a UTM-registered or UTM-affiliated full-time student be increased from $79.95 ($15.99 for part-time students) to $85.81 ($17.16 for part-time students) or 7.33%.
THAT the sessional Recreation & Athletics Fee for a UTM-registered or UTM-affiliated full-time student be increased from $223.01 ($44.60 for part-time students) to $234.16 ($46.83 for part-time students) or 5.00%; (resulting from a permanent increase of 2.00% and a temporary increase of 3.00%).
THAT the sessional Student Services Fee for a UTM-registered or UTM-affiliated full-time student be increased from $307.70 ($61.54 for part-time students) to $320.48 ($64.10 for part-time students) or 4.15%. - Compulsory Non-Academic Incidental Fees: UTM Student Societies (UTMAGS) – Proposals for Fee Increases
Mr. Fricker reported that the proposed fees reflected inflationary increases related to transit pass costs and that the administration had reviewed the proposals to confirm compliance with applicable policies. At the invitation of the Chair, Mr. Faisal Halabeya, President of the UTM Graduate Students Association, confirmed that the increases were due to U-Pass.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED
THAT, beginning in the Summer 2026 session, the University of Toronto Mississauga Association of Graduate Students (UTMAGS) fee be modified as follows:- an increase of $4.87 per fall and winter session (full-time and part-time) in the MiWay U-Pass portion of the fee; and
- an increase of $2.44 per fall session and $2.43 per winter session (full-time and part-time) in the MiWay Summer U-Pass portion of the fee.
CONSENT AGENDA
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 7, report of the previous meeting, be approved.
- Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 73 – October 16, 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 Tuesday, March 10, 2026. - Other Business
There was no other business.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:49 p.m.
February 2, 2026