Report: UTM Campus Affairs Committee - September 12, 2024

1. Chair’s Remarks
   
   The Chair welcomed members to the Committee’s first meeting and introduced the presidential assessors and noted that their role was to bring items of business forward for the consideration of the Committee. The Chair explained that the Committee would oversee matters that directly related to the quality of student and campus life and provided an overview of the difference between the role of governance and administration and talked about the roles and responsibilities of members.  He referred members to the FAQ for members document and orientation video on the role of the Committee produced by the Secretariat, which was available in the resource section of the governance portal.  He encouraged members to review both resources in preparing to carry out their roles effectively.
2. Presidential Assessors Portfolio Overview and Priorities for 2024-25
   
   At the invitation of the Chair, Deborah Brown, Chief Administrative Officer, provided an update on the portfolio of the Office of the CAO, covering budget planning, facilities, hospitality, and IT services. Key achievements included progress on UTM's 10-year sustainability plan, earning a gold rating in the STARS sustainability system, and launching the Climate Positive Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Capital project updates highlighted the opening of the new science building, student services hub, and upcoming projects like the new student residence and central utilities plant.  Recent improvements included upgrades to campus parking, the commissary kitchen in the W. G. Davis Building, and classroom technology, along with campus-wide Wi-Fi enhancements. The CAO also reported on the development of a linear asset management plan for critical infrastructure and updates on the five-year balanced academic budget, which would be presented in governance later in the year.  Members had no questions.
   
   Mark Overton, Dean of Student Affairs & Assistant Principal, Student Services reflected on the hectic yet exciting return of students for the fall semester. He outlined the structure of Student Affairs and Services, which was organized into clusters overseeing student development and support. Key challenges and goals for the year included enhancing academic advising particularly for first-year, first-generation and undecided students, optimizing new Student Services Hub operations, launching the UTM Rec Zone project to promote outdoor engagement with recreation, athletic and wellness opportunities, and supporting students impacted by current events, regional conflicts and political turmoil.  Mr. Overton stressed the importance of ongoing improvements in wellness services and the positive impact of collaboration across departments to provide comprehensive student support. Finally, he praised the successful student orientation efforts, highlighting their commitment to student well-being and engagement.
   
   During the question period, Mr. Overton addressed the following:

• A member asked about the "Rethinking Academic Advising Project" and how recommendations would be implemented. Mr. Overton responded that the report was not yet finalized but expressed excitement for the anticipated changes, particularly for first-year and first-generation university students. He added that more details would follow from UTM’s senior team once the report was complete.
• Another member inquired about support for graduate students. Mr. Overton explained that while most services were commonly available to both undergraduate and graduate students, some tailored opportunities were also provided to meet graduate students' needs. He emphasized the importance of expanding these efforts locally while maintaining strong connections with central services at the St. George campus as well.
• A member asked about supporting students dealing with current events and political turmoil. Mr. Overton highlighted the variety of student support services available and provided an example of an international student facing multiple challenges and noted the importance of untangling complex issues to help students engage with available services effectively.

Professor Nicholas Rule, Vice-Principal Academic and Dean (OVPAD) began by welcoming everyone back to the academic year and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to update the Committee on the OVPAD. He outlined changes made to the vice and associate dean portfolios and discussed overarching initiatives and UTM's enrollment numbers. He first reviewed last year's organizational structure, noting the changes made to the vice and associate dean roles. As of July 1, 2024, there were four vice deans and two associate deans, whose roles were restructured to make workloads more manageable and services more logical.

Professor Rule also updated the committee on the academic plan, which was set to be submitted to governance later in the year. Additionally, the registrar was launching a Strategic Enrolment Management Plan task force to set metrics and goals for enrollment. He discussed efforts to expand support for graduate students and emphasized the office’s priority of strengthening partnerships with academic units. New program developments were highlighted, including a proposal to establish a new extra-departmental unit for forensic science.

Finally, Professor Rule provided a breakdown of enrollment data and noted that final numbers were still pending, with the numbers in the presentation dated September 3, 2024. He stated that overall undergraduate enrollment was at 16,187. The number of new students had slightly decreased, with 4,239 new students compared to 4,412 in the prior year. New international students totaled 1030, compared to 1207 at this time in the previous year. Graduate numbers specific to professional master’s programs showed an overall increase compared to last year, because the tuition payment deadline was later in September, and the current figures included both registered and invited students. As of the meeting, there were 243 newly admitted graduate students, down from 253 the previous year. This decrease was attributed to approximately 20 more domestic students and approximately 30 fewer international students. Professor Rule noted that geopolitical factors were believed to have contributed to this dip. Despite this, the total number of graduate students had increased to 474, up from 433 in the prior year.

A member asked about the possibility of new hires for the proposed EDU:A Institute for Forensic Science, given that Professor Vivienne Luk had a new appointment in the OVPAD. Professor Rule confirmed that Professor Luk was serving as Interim Associate Dean for Academic Experience for one year and noted that she might return to teaching by the time the proposed institute was established. He also reported that a search was already underway within the Department of Anthropology, where the forensic science program resided, to find a specialist relevant to the proposed institute.

3. Calendar of Business, 2024-25
   
   The Chair reminded members that the Committee’s Calendar of Business, which represented the expected items of business for governance consideration for the year and noted that it would be updated regularly on the Committee’s website.
4. Reports of the Presidential Assessors
   
   Mark Overton provided a brief report on UTM’s orientation activities, highlighting that over 120 events took place across eight days, with nearly every UTM department contributing to its success. Around 2,600 new students used the schedule builder to plan their orientation activities, reflecting a high level of engagement and participation. He remarked that there had been a different feeling, and more highly engaged new students compared to previous years.
   
   He also mentioned the success of the new Student Services Hub, which handled many hundreds of student inquiries daily. Mr. Overton emphasized the importance of helping students find the right services and resources when they were seeking them to better ensure their success.  Recreational activities, including drop-in sport and recreation examples like yoga, pickleball, and a 2SLGBTQ+ solidarity swim, were well-received, fostering community engagement. The level of participation exceeded pre-COVID levels, and there was hope that it would continue throughout the year.
   
   Lastly, Mr. Overton shared a new Mississauga Transit express bus route (Route 126) connecting UTM to the Kipling subway station, which was a result of successful student lobbying.  He acknowledged the work of Ehab James, an undergraduate student member of the CAC as well as Campus Council and others in this regard.  He encouraged those living in downtown Toronto to take advantage of this convenient transit option.
   
   During the question-and-answer period, the following discussion occurred:

• A member inquired about the orientation activities on Saturday, September 7th, specifically regarding participation and the incorporation of Humanities and Social Sciences into the academic fair. Chad Nuttall responded, explaining that while engagement at the academic fair was high, attendance at the individual academic department sessions was lower than hoped, likely due to the event being held on a Saturday. Future iterations of this event would be adjusted based on feedback from this year.
• In response to a member’s question about the increased engagement seen this year and factors that may have contributed, Mr. Overton noted that it was likely due to both intentional programming and students' return to normalcy after COVID-19, in addition to a focus on community-building activities.
• Mr. Nutall further explained that the orientation framework aimed to foster a welcoming environment with fewer formal sessions and more opportunities for students to connect. He highlighted the success of the two-day student organization fair and ongoing community engagement opportunities.
• A member commented that there was a need to advocate for better communication about transit services and proposed utilizing campus fields for activities more frequently. Mr. Overton noted work on a proposal to convert a natural turf field to artificial turf as one way to extend the availability of fields across more weeks of the year, which also allowed for further diversification of sport and recreation opportunities.
• Finally, a member suggested holding discipline-specific orientation town hall sessions, sharing a successful example from the Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, which helped connect first-year students with upper-year students and faculty in particularly meaningful ways.

CONSENT AGENDA
 

On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED

THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 5, report of the previous meeting, be approved.

5. Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 65 – May 7, 2024
6. Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting
7. Date of the Next Meeting – October 15, 2024

8. Other Business

   
   There was no other business.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:10 p.m.

September 16, 2024