REPORT NUMBER 79 OF THE
UTSC ACADEMIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
TUESDAY, May 20, 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 May 20, 2025 with the following members present:
PRESENT: Elaine Khoo (Chair), Rachel Sturge (Vice-Chair), Linda Johnston (Vice-President & Principal), Alison Mountz (Interim Vice-Principal Research & Innovation), Katherine Larson (Vice-Dean, Teaching, Learning and Undergraduate Programs, UTSC), George Arhonditsis*, Corinne Beauquis*, Daniel Bowyer, Andrea Charise*, Christopher Cochrane, Angela Hamilton, Rene Harrison, Lisa Harvey, Mariana Jardim*, Ainsley Lawson, Randy Lundy*, William Nelson*, Kamini Persaud, Hadiya Roderique, Mahinda Samarakoon, Shennel Simpson*, Judith Teichman*, Shelby Verboven
REGRETS: Sandhya Anand, Iris Au, Sandra Bamford, Joshua Barker, James Bremer, Shelley Brunt, Jonathan Cant, Abhay Chawla, Keith Colaco, Sebastien Drouin, Suzanne Erb, John Hannigan, Joseph Hermer, Leonard Hu, Thembela Keep, Gillian Mason, Sophia Mastrella, Alice Maurice, Karen McCrindle, Sharlene Mollett, Julia Nefsky, Sonja Nikkila, Elizabeth O’Brien, Thy Phu, Jasmine Rault, Anthony Ruocco, Michelle Silver, Emmanuel Taiwo, Mauricio Terebiznik, Phil Triadafilopoulos, Jessica Wilson, Arjun Singh Yanglem, Trevor Young, Marco Zimmer-De Iuliis, Niyonta Zulfiquar, David Zweig
NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Kevin Mak, Naureen Nizam, Suzanne Sicchia*
SECRETARIAT: Miranda Edwards (Secretary)
IN ATTENDANCE: Lee Bazely
*remote attendance
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair welcomed members to the final meeting of the 2024–25 academic year and expressed appreciation for their engagement throughout the year.
The Chair also acknowledged the contributions of outgoing members and thanked the Vice-Chair, Professor Rachel Sturge, and Committee Secretary Miranda Edwards for their exceptional support. - Minor Modifications: Undergraduate Curriculum Changes, Fall 2025 Out-of-Cycle Courses UTSC
The Committee considered a proposal for minor modifications from the Department of Historical and Cultural Studies, presented by Professor Katie Larson, Vice-Dean, Teaching, Learning & Undergraduate Programs.
Highlights included the addition of four new courses proposed for implementation in the 2025–26 academic year:
GASB12H3: South Asian Kinship: Mapping, Love, Marriage, Sexuality in Global South Asia
GASC13H3: Where is Home? The Past, Present and Future of Tamil Diasporic Belonging
HISB43H3: Slavery in Canada: 1629–1834
HISD21H3: Black Women in Canadian History
Professor Larson noted that the courses in Global Asia Studies deepen the program’s attention to kinship, migration, and diasporic belonging, while the new History offerings address longstanding curricular gaps in Black Canadian history and the legacy of slavery.
She concluded her remarks noting that these proposals were submitted out-of-cycle due to administrative turnover and delays in the regular curriculum process.
There were no questions from members.
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the proposed Fall 2025 out-of-cycle undergraduate curriculum changes for the 2025–26 academic year, as detailed in the respective curriculum report, be approved effective September 1, 2025.
- Minor Modifications: Undergraduate Curriculum Changes, Sciences, UTSC
The Committee considered proposed curriculum modifications from the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, presented by Professor Larson.
The following five new courses in Food Studies were proposed to be added for the 2025-26 academic year:
FSTA03H3: Wines of the World
FSTC13H3: Food Policy and Nutritional Health
FSTC15H3: Food Justice
FSTC29H3: Global Foods, Local Seeds
FSTD16H3: Field Course in Food Studies
Professor Larson explained that the Food Studies courses reflect the program’s recent move to the sciences division and support UTSC’s goals around sustainability, public health, and experiential learning.
There were no questions from members.
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 effective September 1, 2025.
- Reports of the Presidential Assessors
The Committee received reports from Professor Karin Ruhlandt, Vice-Principal, Academic and Dean, and Professor Alison Mountz, Interim Vice-Principal, Research & Innovation.- Prof. Karin Ruhlandt, Vice-Principal, Academic and Dean
Dean Ruhlandt told the Committee that she had completed her first full year in the role, during which she oversaw 16 academic departments and six non-academic units. She expressed appreciation for the opportunity to engage with faculty, staff, and students across the campus.
Dean Ruhlandt also reported that UTSC continued to strengthen international recruitment through the Green Path program. This year, ten new partner schools were added, and a new 8-week transition stream was launched to complement the existing 12-week offering.
Domestic applications for Fall 2025 increased by 8 percent and it was anticipated that UTSC would meet its expanded domestic enrolment target. Summer enrolment had reached over 8,900 students across 124 courses, a significant increase from the previous year’s 87 courses.
Work continued on the Campus Curriculum Working Circle initiative, including through preparation of a 2025 milestone report to track institutional impact. Recent faculty appointments through the Pathways to Inclusive Excellence program included one Indigenous and four Black faculty members, all expected to begin in Summer 2025. Several new student support initiatives were implemented, including the launch of the Pathway to Health Professions Certificate, centralized invigilation services, and the transition of Green Path instruction to UTSC’s Centre for Teaching and Learning.
In response to a question regarding whether the Black Faculty Fund, which had previously supported pathway hires, had been re-established, Professor Ruhlandt responded that while no decision had yet been made to reinstate the specific fund, there were multiple mechanisms in place to support Black and racialized faculty. These included reduced teaching loads for new hires, an active affinity group for Black faculty, and coordination through the Office of the Vice-Dean, Faculty.
- Professor Alison Mountz, Interim Vice-Principal Research & Innovation
Professor Alison Mountz reported to the Committee that, in the 2024-25 academic year, UTSC researchers secured over $22 million in external funding, an increase of more than $2 million from the previous year. Two new Canada Research Chairs were awarded to UTSC faculty, with an additional three CRC appointments in development.
Professor Mountz also reported that the Office of the Vice-Principal, Research & Innovation completed a structural reorganization and began a renewed outreach initiative, conducting departmental visits to 14 academic units. The remaining departments would be visited in Fall 2025. Internal funding programs and supports for core facilities were restructured to improve transparency, access, and equity. Professor Mountz’s office also planned new initiatives to build on the tri-campus Critical Digital Humanities Initiative (CDHI), with Professor Andrea Charise in a critical lead role on this project.
Student research development remained a high priority. The office continued to explore new ways to support undergraduate research, experiential learning, and community partnerships. In response to a question regarding whether OVPRI’s departmental consultations would be extended to students, Professor Mountz explained that support for undergraduate student researchers was an emerging priority and that her office was actively exploring mechanisms to support these students more directly. She emphasized OVPRI’s ongoing commitment to student engagement, equitable research development and collaboration across disciplines and communities.
- Prof. Karin Ruhlandt, Vice-Principal, Academic and Dean
CONSENT AGENDA
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that item 5 be approved.
The Chair noted that the Report of the Previous Meeting (for Cycle 6A) would be brought forward for approval at the Committee’s next meeting.
- Minor Modifications: Undergraduate Curriculum Changes, UTSC
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that the changes for the 2025–26 academic year, as detailed in the Report – Undergraduate Minor Curriculum Modifications, be approved effective September 1, 2025.
- Date of Next Meeting – September 11, 2025, 3:10 p.m.
The Chair confirmed that the Committee would next meet on September 11, 2025, at 3:10 p.m. - Other Business
No items of other business were raised.
The meeting adjourned at 4:10 p.m.
May 21, 2025