REPORT NUMBER 77 OF THE
UTSC ACADEMIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2025
To the UTSC Campus Council,
University of Toronto,
Your Committee reports that it held a meeting in the UTSC Council Chamber, Arts & Administration Building, on March 26, 2025 with the following members present:
PRESENT: Rachel Sturge (Vice-Chair), Linda Johnston (Vice-President & Principal), Corinne Beauquis*, Daniel Bowyer, James Bremer, Shelley Brunt, Jonathan Cant*, Andrea Charise*, Mariana Jardim*, Rene Harrison, Lisa Harvey, Katherine Larson, Ainsley Lawson, Randy Lundy*, Gillian Mason*, Sophia Mastrella, Alice Maurice, Karen McCrindle, William Nelson*, Elizabeth O’Brien*, Karin Ruhlandt, Michelle Silver, Shelby Verboven, Arjun Singh Yanglem
*remote attendance
REGRETS: Elaine Khoo (Chair), Alison Mountz (Interim Vice-Principal Research & Innovation), Sandhya Anand, George Arhonditsis, Iris Au, Sandra Bamford, Joshua Barker, Abhay Chawla, Christopher Cochrane, Keith Colaco, Sebastien Drouin, Suzanne Erb, Angela Hamilton, John Hannigan, Joseph Hermer, Leonard Hu, Thembela Keep, Sharlene Mollett, Julia Nefsky, Sonja Nikkila, Naureen Nizam, Kamini Persaud, Thy Phu, Jasmine Rault, Hadiya Roderique, Anthony Ruocco, Mahinda Samarakoon, Suzanne Sicchia, Shennel Simpson, Emmanuel Taiwo, Judith Teichman, Mauricio Terebiznik, Phil Triadafilopoulos, Jessica Wilson, Trevor Young, Marco Zimmer-De Iuliis, Niyonta Zulfiquar, David Zweig
NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Kevin Mak, Varsha Patel
SECRETARIAT: Miranda Edwards (Secretary)
IN ATTENDANCE: Lee Bazely, Sarah Chaudhry
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
The Vice-Chair, Rachel Sturge, welcomed members to the Cycle 5 meeting and explained that she would serve as Acting Chair for the meeting as Elaine Khoo was unable to attend. - Presentation: Assessing the Impact of the UTSC Campus Curriculum Review
Professor Katie Larson, Vice-Dean Teaching, Learning, and Undergraduate Programs, provided an update on the work of the Curriculum Review Working Circle. The Working Circle is made up of students, faculty, librarians, staff, and community members. Its goal was to ensure that academic programs and pedagogical approaches reflected the diversity of students and the histories, epistemologies, and pedagogies that have been devalued and in some cases violently erased by systemic injustices. Professor Larson explained that the Circle’s work had been named as a key priority in UTSC’s strategic plan, supporting the goals of inclusive excellence and curricular innovation. The Circle focused on Indigenous knowledge, black knowledge, racialized perspectives, and international and intercultural perspectives. The Working Circle undertook an intersectional approach, recognizing the multiple identities of individuals that shape their experiences of oppression, including gender, sexuality, and disability. The review responded directly to student feedback and advocacy about pedagogical experiences at UTSC.
The Circle’s first report was released in the spring of 2022 and outlined 56 recommended actions across seven main areas. It called for a collective campus response from each department. The Circle has now reached a milestone year as 2025 was named in the report as a year of accountability for the campus in answering the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's calls to action. It also aligned with the concluding year of the United Nations International Decade for Peoples of African descent. The Circle was now tasked with assessing actions taken over the last three years as well as aiming to build on the foundations and the strengths of the initial report as it continued its work.
The Working Circle was currently in an outreach phase focused on listening and data gathering. The Circle was focused on gathering information in three main areas: successes, challenges and barriers, and future recommendations. Professor Larson outlined various engagement initiatives, including discussions within departmental meetings for faculty and staff, presentations at administrative and leadership tables, targeted student outreach, and tabling in high-traffic areas. The Community Partnerships and Engagement Office also planned to lead outreach with existing partnership networks. An anonymous survey was currently open with a closing date at the end of April 2025. Following consultations, the next phase would focus on analyzing the collected information, followed by working on the report itself over the summer with anticipated publication in Fall 2025.
Professor Larson concluded her report by thanking the Working Circle members for their contributions over the past five years and expressing her appreciation for the Committee’s support and engagement.
Members discussed the report in the context of current geopolitics as well as the political tensions surrounding EDI, particularly in the higher education sector in the United States, as well as in the context of the strengths if inclusive excellence reflected on the UTSC campus.
- Minor Modifications: Undergraduate Double Degree Programs, UTSC
Professor Larson presented a request for approval of minor modifications to the following programs:
- Double Degree: BBA, Specialist (Co-Operative) Program in Management and Finance / Honours BSc, Specialist (Cooperative) Program in Statistics, Quantitative Finance Stream
- Double Degree: BBA, Specialist Program in Management and Finance / Honours BSc, Specialist Program in Statistics, Quantitative Finance Stream
- Double Degree: Honours BA, Specialist Program in English / Honours BSc, Specialist Program in Psychology
Members had no questions.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED,
THAT the proposed undergraduate Double Degree program curriculum changes for the 2025-26 academic year, as detailed in the respective curriculum report, be approved.
- Minor Modifications: Undergraduate Curriculum Changes, Humanities UTSC
Professor Larson presented a request for approval of the following changes:
Department of Historical and Cultural Studies- 9 New Courses:
- HCSB01H3: Public Memory: Power, Knowledge and Community
- HCSB02H3: Every Thing Tells a Story: Interpreting Material Evidence
- HCSB03H3: Ready for Research: HCS Skills Lab
- HCSB04H3: Research Practicum in Historical and Cultural Studies
- HISA01H3: Drugs: A History
- HISB48H3: Animals, Science, and Society
- HISC76H3: Dirt and Disease in the Global City
- HISD49H3: Environments and People in African History
- WSTB23H3: Black Radical Thought
- 9 New Courses:
Department of Language Studies
- 1 New Course:
- FREC04H3: French in Action II: Creative Writing in French
- 1 Course Modification:
- FREC03H3: French in Action I: Practical Workshop in Theatre
A member asked if the Department of Language Studies (DLS) had coordinated with the Chair of the Department of English, which houses the Creative Writing Program, to discuss potential cross-over as well as the potential for the new “Creative Writing in French” course to be counted as a credit towards the creative writing major or minor. The Chair of the Department of English was present and confirmed an openness to discuss this possibility.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED,
THAT the proposed Humanities undergraduate curriculum changes for the 2025-26 academic year, as detailed in the respective curriculum report, be approved.
- Minor Modifications: Undergraduate Curriculum Changes, Management UTSC
Professor Larson presented a request for approval for the addition of a new course: MGHC55H3: International Management OBHR Field Course.
Members had no questions.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED,
THAT the proposed Management undergraduate curriculum changes for the 2025-26 academic year, as detailed in the respective curriculum report, be approved. - Minor Modifications: Undergraduate Curriculum Changes, Social Sciences UTSC
Professor Larson presented a request for approval of the following changes:
Department of Health and Society
- 5 Program Modifications:
- SCCER1110: CERTIFICATE IN PATHWAYS TO HEALTH PROFESSIONS
- SCMAJ2085G: MAJOR PROGRAM IN HEALTH STUDIES - HEALTH POLICY (ARTS)
- SCMAJ2085J: MAJOR (CO-OPERATIVE) PROGRAM IN HEALTH STUDIES - HEALTH POLICY (ARTS)
- SCMAJ2085H: MAJOR PROGRAM IN HEALTH STUDIES - POPULATION HEALTH (SCIENCE)
- SCMAJ2085K: MAJOR (CO-OPERATIVE) PROGRAM IN HEALTH STUDIES - POPULATION HEALTH (SCIENCE)
- 2 New Courses:
- HLTB80H3: Paramedicine as a Community Based Health and Social Service
- HLTC31H3: Pick Your Poison: Toxicology and Risk Assessment
- 2 Course Modifications:
- HLTC04H3: Qualitative Research in Action
- HLTD44H3: Environmental Contaminants, Vulnerability, and Toxicity
Members had no questions.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED,
THAT the proposed Social Sciences undergraduate curriculum changes for the 2025-26 academic year, as detailed in the respective curriculum report, be approved.
- Minor Modifications: Undergraduate Curriculum Changes, Sciences UTSC
Professor Larson presented a request for approval of the following changes:
Department of Biological Sciences
- 4 New Courses:
- BIOC18H3: Looking Inside Cells: Current Methods in Cell Biology
- BIOC30H3: From Genetic Codes to Fantastic Creatures
- BIOD18H3: Practical Approaches in Infection and Immunity
- BIOD36H3: Advanced Topics in Molecular Parasitology
- 2 Course Modifications:
- BIOB90H3: Integrative Research Poster Project
- BIOC90H3: Integrative Multimedia Documentary Project
- 1 Course Revision:
- BIOA12H3: General Biology: Concepts and Processes of Biological Systems
Department of Computer Sciences
- 2 Program Modifications:
- SCMIN2295: MINOR PROGRAM IN APPLIED STATISTICS (SCIENCE)
- SCMIN2289: MINOR PROGRAM IN STATISTICS (SCIENCE)
- 1 New Course:
- CSCD21H3: Blockchains and Decentralized Applications
Members had no questions.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED,
THAT the proposed Sciences undergraduate curriculum changes for the 2025-26 academic year, as detailed in the respective curriculum report, be approved.
- Minor Modifications: Graduate Curriculum Changes, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences (Graduate Unit)
Professor Rene Harrison, Vice-Dean Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, presented a request for approval of a course modification to: EES1100H: Internship and Research Preparedness – Advanced Seminar in Environmental Science.
Members had no questions.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED,
THAT the proposed graduate curriculum changes for the 2025-26 academic year, as detailed in the respective curriculum report, be approved. -
New Program Proposal: Major in Film Studies
Professor Larson presented a request for approval of a new Major in Film Studies program to be offered by the Department of English. This program was designed in direct response to student demand for more film studies courses and builds on the current Minor in Film Studies program.The program would offer students an introduction to the critical study of film, the global history of cinema, and the broader cultural contexts of cinematic and literary production through A and B-level courses. Students would then explore various genres, traditions, and methodologies in film studies through B and C-level courses before engaging in in-depth studies of practical and theoretical approaches in D-level courses.
The program was developed in alignment with the Department's commitment to the goals of the UTSC Strategic Plan, Inspiring Inclusive Excellence, the recommendations of the Campus Curriculum Review Working Circle and the University’s response to the Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Within those lenses, the program would address areas such as migration studies and cinema of the global south.
External reviewers of the proposal commended the Department's efforts to remove barriers for students and recognized the significant role of existing cinema and media courses in supporting the new curriculum. The reviewers also encouraged exploring further opportunities in experiential learning and intra-campus collaboration.
Members discussed the intersection of this new program with existing programs, such as courses in historical and cultural studies, women’s studies, and French cinema. Professor Alice Maurice, Chair of the English Department noted that some courses in other departments would count as electives towards the new Major but expected that over the coming year, additional courses would be added to that list.
Members also discussed opportunities for experiential learning, including the potential participation of students at local film festivals and on the many film shoots that take place on campus.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED,
THAT the new Major in Film Studies, which will confer the existing HBA degree, in the Department of English, UTSC as described in the attached proposal, be approved effective September 1, 2025. - Reports of the Presidential Assessors
Professor Karin Ruhlandt, Vice-Principal, Academic & Dean
Professor Karin Ruhlandt reported that her office was currently conducting extensive work on curriculum improvements and the introduction of new degree programs, which she believed would be an integral component of reaching admissions goals. In addition to the new Major in Film Studies program that the Committee had just approved, Professor Ruhlandt noted the new undergraduate degree in climate studies which was expected to launch in Fall 2025.
Regarding admissions, Professor Ruhlandt reported that the admissions office was currently making offers. She noted that domestic applications had increased by about 8% and the number of students who chose UTSC as their first choice had increased by about 11%. International admissions were down by about 5%, which had been expected. There was particularly strong interest in life sciences programs. Professor Ruhlandt stated she was confident that UTSC would reach its domestic admissions goals for the first time this year, which would be a major milestone for the campus. She commended the admissions team for their excellent work.
Professor Ruhlandt noted that, at the last meeting, she had mentioned that SAMIH programs would be opened up to international students for the 2025-26 academic year. However, the interest of international students was below expectations, as the change was made late, and was not represented in the viewbook sent to interested students.
CONSENT AGENDA
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 12, the Report of the Previous Meeting, be approved. Before the vote, the Chair noted for members that one line of the report would be edited for clarification at a member’s request. Members made no objections to this change.
- Minor Modifications: Undergraduate Curriculum Changes, UTSC
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the Report – Undergraduate Minor Curriculum Modifications for Consent Agenda changes for the 2025-26 academic year, as detailed in the respective curriculum report, be approved. - Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 76 – February 6, 2025
- Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting
- Date of Next Meeting – May 7, 2025, 3:10 p.m.
- Other Business
Professor Maurice thanked Committee members for their support during the long process of developing the Major in Film Studies, and particularly thanked Professor Larson, Professor Ruhlandt and Shelby Verboven, Registrar, for their work.
The meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m.
April 14, 2025