Report: UTM Campus Council - April 22, 2025

To the Governing Council,
University of Toronto,

Your UTM Campus Council reports that it held a meeting in the Council Chamber, Room 3130, W. G. Davis building on April 22, 2025, with the following members present:

PRESENT: Ann Curran (Chair), Andrew Petersen (Vice-Chair), Alexandra Gillespie (Vice-President & Principal), Heather Anderson, Elliot Fabian-Fine, Robert Gerlai, David Jacobs, Ehab James, Karen Kwan Anderson, John Paul Lotesto, Latonya Ludford, Haze Schepmyer, Asif Mohammed, Eha Naylor, Hana Tariq, Laura Taylor, Ron Wener, Daniel Wright

NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Deborah Brown (Chief Administrative Officer), William A. Gough (Interim Vice-Principal, Academic & Dean), Mark Overton (Assistant Dean, Student Services and Dean of Student Affairs)

REGRETS: Jan Durkiewicz, Rosa Hong, Claudiu Gradinaru, Nasha Sethna, Joanna Szurmak, Anil Wasif

SECRETARIAT: Cindy Ferencz-Hammond

IN ATTENDANCE: Kelly Hannah-Moffat (Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture), Sidra Ahsan (VP University Affairs, UTMSU), Rabeeya Amjad (Director, Planning and Analysis, Budget Planning and Finance), Philipe Anyang (UTMSU), Cherry Cai (Coordinator, UTMSU), Ronny Chen (VP Internal, UTMSU), Marc Dryer (Vice-Chair, Forensic Sciences Program), Christine Esteban (ED, Budget, Planning & Finance), Megan Evans (Assistant Director, Hospitality Operations, HAS), Adam Fraser (Assistant Dean, Office of the Vice-Principal Academic & Dean), Tim Fricker (Assistant Dean, Student Wellness, Support & Success), Sumyia Hashmi (Member Services Coordinator, UTMSU), Vicky Jezierski (ED, Hospitality and Ancillary Services), Renu Kanga Fonseca (Registrar & Asst Dean Enrolment Management), Kristen Leal (Assistant Director, Residence Life), Antonia Lo (Director, Student Services and Ancillaries), Chad Nuttall (Asst Dean of Students & International Initiatives), Amanda Pautler (Interim Executive Director of Public Affairs), Daniel Ripoll (VP External, UTMSU), Anuar Rodrigues (Executive Director, Strategy), Joelle Salsa (President, UTMSU), Kiara Senanayake (Programs and Research Coordinator, UTMSU), Bryan Stewart (Vice-Dean, Academic Programs)

OPEN SESSION

1. Chair’s Remarks
   
   
   The Chair welcomed members to the Cycle five meeting of Campus Council.

2. Process for Complaints & Concerns about Discrimination & Harassment 
   
   
   The Chair welcomed Professor Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture and invited her to present the process for handling complaints and concerns about discrimination and harassment.
   
   Professor Hannah-Moffat’s presentation focused on initiatives and policies addressing discrimination and harassment, grounded in legal frameworks like the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Criminal Code, and the Occupational Health and Safety Act. She highlighted Bill 166, which expanded requirements for post-secondary institutions to combat racism and hate and mandated annual public reports on complaints starting in January 2026.
   
   Prof. Hannah-Moffat then discussed three initiatives launched earlier that year. First, a tri-campus data collection from July 1, 2022, to December 31, 2024, resulted in an interim report on 621 formal complaints, with outcomes including 272 remedial actions, 77 ongoing processes, 69 alternative resolutions, 99 referrals, and 74 discontinuations. The complaints primarily involved race (44%), disability (19%), ethnic origin (16%), gender identity/expression (16%), and creed (5%). This revealed decentralized data and complex complaint processes. Second, a new website (uoft.me/complaints) was launched to guide community members through filing complaints based on respondent type (student, faculty, staff). Third, a review of the 1994 Statement on Prohibited Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment was initiated to update it to reflect current structures, legal requirements, and clearer complaint pathways.
   
   She encouraged community feedback through consultations led by Brenda Cossman, Professor of Law and Associate Dean of Research for the Faculty of Law, and Professor Caroline Rabbat, former Director of High Risk, Faculty Support & Mental Health for the Faculty of Arts & Science, who are co-chairing the consultation phase of the review process.  Feedback could be provided anonymously via uoft.me/statementreview. Prof. Hannah-Moffat also mentioned parallel efforts, including a Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian discrimination working group and reports on anti-Semitism, anti-Black racism, anti-Asian racism, and Truth and Reconciliation, with ongoing actions listed on the Institutional Equity Office website.
   
   Following the presentation, a member thanked Professor Hannah-Moffat for the important presentation and suggested improving the accessibility of the complaints website by using plain language, simplifying organization, and making the complaint filing process clearer to avoid deterring users. She noted the wealth of information but emphasized the need for better communication strategies. Prof. Hannah-Moffat agreed, acknowledging the need for user guides and more accessible formats. She mentioned that the website had been reviewed to meet legal requirements but was working on recommendations to enhance its communication strategy, and she welcomed further input.
   
   Referencing his experience on the Anti-Black Racism Task Force, a member noted that staff and faculty, as figures of power, could also face harassment and discrimination, and asked about the sources of complaints—whether they came solely from students or also from faculty and staff. Prof. Hannah-Moffat clarified that students were the largest group of complainants, primarily against faculty, but faculty also filed complaints against other faculty. Staff complaints were notable, often peer-to-peer or involving management, with about a third filed against faculty. She explained that staff and faculty data were easier to track through workplace investigations and the Vice-Provost’s office, while student data, dispersed across divisions, was harder to consolidate due to potential double-counting.
3. Report of the Vice-President & Principal
   
   
   The Vice President and Principal Gillespie presented a brief report, focusing on the yield strategy of the campus to encourage admitted students to accept their offers. She highlighted that UTM had implemented or was working on over 30 new or improved initiatives across recruitment portfolios, as overseen by Vice-Principal Academic & Dean, Bill Gough, and Registrar, Renu Kanga Fonseca.
   
   Professor Gillespie then highlighted UTM’s recent March Open House, which, despite harsh weather, saw a 10% increase in student attendees and 15% more total participants compared to the previous year. The event featured tours, laboratory demonstrations, Q&A sessions, and a new reception for offer holders, scholarship winners, and their families to connect with the UTM community. Additionally, a conversation event with Nobel Laureate Geoffrey Hinton, chaired by President-Designate Wooden, drew nearly 300 UTM offer holders.   She reported that UTM also launched a mentorship program pairing international offer holders with current international students, informed by peer-reviewed research showing that pre-arrival connections improved acceptance rates and student success. New webinars for parents of international students emphasized UTM’s support services, and enhanced communications, including postcards, social media, videos, and websites, focused on addressing perceptions that other universities were friendlier or academically stronger. These efforts were informed by surveys of past offer holders and market research. She noted that the impact of these initiatives was to be assessed after the May acceptance deadline, with successful strategies to be integrated into a long-term enrollment plan for discussion in the next year’s governance meetings.
   
   Members had no questions.
4. Establishment of an Extradepartmental Unit B (EDU: B) - Institute of Forensic Science, (IFS)
   
   
   At the invitation of the Chair, Professor Bryan Stewart, Vice Dean of Academic Programs, presented the item.  He explained that the forensic science program was established in 1995 in response to societal needs for professionals who could apply scientific knowledge in legal contexts. It became one of UTM's most well-known and unique programs, offering a major, a minor, and four specialist programs, with enrollment varying between 400 and 500 students annually. Since 2006, the program has been administered as part of the Department of Anthropology, though it operated as a functionally autonomous subgroup with its own admissions category, curriculum, course codes, budget, technical staff, and administrative support. Professor Stewart introduced the current Vice Chair of the program, Professor Marc Dryer, who was present at the meeting
   
   He then explained the rationale for establishing the Institute of Forensic Sciences (IFS). Over the years, forensics has matured into a distinct and self-contained field of study, with most specialties falling outside the scope of traditional anthropology disciplines. Two separate external reviews had recommended that the forensic science program be established as a separate academic unit, reflecting long-standing aspirations among forensic scientists. Given its multidisciplinary nature—encompassing forensic biology, psychology, chemistry and anthropology—the program aligned well with the model of an EDU:B.
   
   Professor Stewart elaborated on EDUs at the University of Toronto, which were defined as multidisciplinary entities organized around emerging research and teaching areas spanning multiple disciplines. He noted that there were four designations of EDUs (A to D), with A-level units having the most autonomy, comparable to a department. At UTM, there were three EDUAs: the Institute for Management of Innovation, the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information, and Technology, and the Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy. An EDU:B, with which the forensic science program fit well, was defined as a multidisciplinary unit fostering research and teaching in specialized academic areas. An EDU:B can offer degree programs, administer research funds, and would have a director appointed under university policy. However, faculty in an EDU:B could not hold primary appointments within it. Under the proposed structure, faculty would be appointed up to 49% to the new Institute of Forensic Sciences and 51% to the Department of Anthropology. A new director would be appointed, while forensic science faculty would continue teaching the program’s courses. Administrative arrangements with anthropology would remain intact, with the department’s full support.
   
   Professor Stewart highlighted several benefits of creating the institute, emphasizing the disentangling of the research and teaching of forensic sciences from anthropology to make the activities of both more transparent. He paraphrased Professor Todd Sanders, the interim chair of the Department of Anthropology, who spoke at the recent Academic Affairs Committee meeting and described the current arrangement as collegial but sometimes confusing. Establishing the institute would relieve this confusion. In conclusion, Professor Stewart stated that the establishment of the IFS recognized the accomplishments and potential of the forensic science program. It would provide a foundation to support the current and future needs for academic excellence, research innovation, and societal impact for the program’s students and faculty, while promoting forensics within UTM and fostering future growth and excellence.
   
   Following the presentation, the Chairs of the AAC and CAC summarized the discussion that occurred at those bodies.
   
   During discussion, a member asked how UTM’s forensic sciences unit compared to other institutions and whether it aimed to become a department, noting its current placement within anthropology. Professor Stewart explained that forensic sciences would likely remain an extra-departmental unit due to its multidisciplinary nature, potentially progressing to an EDU:A, which would allow full faculty appointments. Professor Dryer added that external reviews had recommended this path, citing Trent University’s full forensic science department as an example. A member sought clarification on whether all faculty budgetary appointments would be 51% in anthropology, given the possibility of other disciplines like chemistry or psychology. Professor Stewart confirmed that current faculty were 51% in anthropology, but future hires could differ. Professor Dryer noted that two ongoing faculty searches were structured for 51% anthropology due to the EDU:B’s pending status.  Professor Stewart also addressed a submitted question about the unit’s leadership and stability following the loss of an associate professor, given its young, pre-promotion, and teaching-heavy faculty. Dean Gough responded, acknowledging the resignation but affirming two ongoing searches for associate or full professors, with plans to replace the departed faculty member the following year. He had met informally with forensic science faculty to discuss leadership and planned a one-year interim director position once the EDU:B was approved, allowing new hires to contribute to long-term leadership decisions.
   
   On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
   
   YOUR COUNCIL RECOMMENDED
   
   THAT the proposal to establish the Extradepartmental Unit B (EDU:B) – Institute of Forensic Sciences at the University of Toronto Mississauga, as described in the Proposal for the Establishment of an EDU:B, Institute of Forensic Sciences, UTM dated February 21, 2025, be approved, effective July 1, 2025.
5. Compulsory Non-Academic Incidental Fees: UTM Student Societies (UTMSU) – Proposals for Fee Increases
   
   
   The Chair noted that student society fees were subject to the terms and conditions of the Policy on Ancillary Fees and the Policy for Compulsory Non-Academic Incidental Fees.
   
   At the invitation of the Chair, Mr. Overton advised members that the UTM Student Union (UTMSU), was an independently incorporated non-profit student government representing all UTM undergraduate students, and fulfilled its responsibilities through its governance structures. These included adhering to its constitution, bylaws, and policies, being accountable to members via referenda and elections (including those for proposed fee increases), hosting open meetings such as the Annual General Meeting, and reporting on annual external audits to members and the university.  He noted that the role of the UTM Campus Council’s was not to manage or critique UTMSU’s budget but to ensure UTMSU met the university’s reporting requirements and standards, as verified by the Office of the Vice-Provost Students (OVPS), which oversaw all U of T student governments. Mr. Overton confirmed that UTMSU had satisfied these requirements.
   
   Joelle Salsa, UTMSU President, was introduced to provide background on the item.  She described UTMSU as a democratically elected, autonomous non-profit under Ontario’s Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, representing over 15,000 UTM undergraduate students. Governed by a constitution, bylaws, and policies aligned with the Vice-Provost’s office, UTMSU served as a hub for student advocacy, support, and community. It provided services like the food bank, universal transit pass, bursaries, health and dental plans, the Blind Duck pub, and academic integrity support, while campaigning for affordable education, transit, and equity based on student concerns.  UTMSU’s decision-making involved students through referenda, elections, the Annual General Meeting (AGM), board of directors, and open forums. Elections occurred to select the board (six executives, 14 student directors), which reviewed expenses, policies, and services at open meetings. The AGM, held each November, allowed all undergraduates to vote on financial statements, auditors, and bylaw changes. Ms Salsa highlighted key fees: the food bank fee, supporting over 400 weekly users amid rising grocery costs; the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) fee, which funded an incoming UTM student from a UNHCR refugee camp each year; and the health and dental supplementary insurance plan, covering mental health, prescriptions, and more, with fees adjusted for affordability. The proposed increases, largely tied to inflation, aimed to sustain essential services like food security and health coverage, reflecting student priorities and ensuring UTMSU’s commitment to student success and well-being.
   
   The Chair of the Campus Affairs Committee then summarized the discussion that had occurred at that Committee on this item.
   
   During the discussion at the UTM Campus Council regarding the UTMSU fee increase proposal, a member raised concerns about mandatory fees, citing political activities at other universities and asking if students could opt out of fees for such initiatives, if they opposed them. Representatives from UTMSU clarified that most fees, such as those for the food bank, World University Service of Canada, and certain levy groups were generally required, with opt-out options for some specified fees like the pub and health and dental supplementary insurance fees upon proof of similar coverage externally. The member suggested that students be given more choice for opting out of politicized initiatives, which UTMSU agreed to consider.
   
   A member expressed concerns about the fee increase’s financial burden on students, urging transparency, accountability, and alternative funding options. UTMSU representatives responded that adjustments were primarily inflation-driven, highlighted strong student engagement via elections, and noted the union’s $2 million budget was audited and publicly presented at the AGM. Another member questioned the rationale for fee increases, suggesting declining service standards, citing the Sexual Education Centre’s relocation to a less accessible site, fewer pub nights, and lessened support for marginalized communities. He urged council to reject the proposal. Mr. Overton noted that UTMSU’s fee increases were not out of line with rising costs of living, and the President of UTMSU, Ms, Salsa, defended the Sexual Education Centre’s relocation within the Student Centre, stating a motion to retain its existing space was defeated democratically at a board meeting after the Annual General Meeting (AGM) ran out of time.
   
   A student member expressed strong concerns about UTMSU’s direction.  He challenged Ms Salsa’s claim of a democratic process for the Sexual Education Centre, alleging the vote was limited to the board, not students at the AGM, due to time constraints and lack of due notice. He also questioned UTMSU’s reported $2 million revenue, doubting its accuracy based on his tuition invoice, and argued that approving the proposed fee increases was irresponsible given declining service quality. Ms Salsa clarified that the AGM ran over time, and the motion was moved to a board meeting as per UTMSU’s rules of procedure, with the centre given speaking rights despite a late submission.
   
   In response to another member’s question, Ms Salsa then confirmed that fee increases generally aligned with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to cover rising costs and to maintain operations and programs.
   
   On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
   
   YOUR COUNCIL RESOLVED
   
   THAT Subject to Confirmation by the Executive Committee,
   
   THAT, beginning in the Fall 2025 session, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU; legally, Erindale College Students’ Union) fee be modified as follows:

On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried

YOUR COUNCIL APPROVED

THAT the consent agenda be adopted.

10. Reports for Information
    1. Report Number 70 of the Campus Affairs Committee – March 26, 2025
    2. Report Number 57 of the Academic Affairs Committee – March 24, 2025
    3. Report Number 71 of the Agenda Committee – April 10, 2025

11. Date of the Next Meeting – Tuesday, May 27, 2025
    
    The chair reminded members that the next meeting would take place on May 27, 2025.
12. Other Business
    
    
    There was no other business.

IN CAMERA SESSION