Report: UTSC Campus Council - April 21, 2025 | The Office of the Governing Council, Secretariat

Mon, Apr 21 2025 at 4:10 pm - 6:30 pm

Council Chamber, Arts and Administration Building, Room 160

Report Number 68 Of The Utsc Campus Council

MONDAY, April 21, 2025

To the Governing Council, University of Toronto,

Your Campus Council reports that it held a meeting in the Council Chamber, Arts and Administration Building, on April 21, 2025 at 4:10 p.m. with the following members present:

PRESENT: Grace Westcott (Chair), Aarthi Ashok (Vice-Chair), Linda Johnston (Vice-President and Principal), Syed Ahmed*, Daniel Bowyer*, Jason Glover, Brian Harrington, Mandy Liao, Gillian Mason, Silma Roddau, Shennel Simpson*, Dorinda So, Arjun Singh Yanglem, Hoorik Yeghiazarian

NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Andrew Arifuzzaman, Tim Tang (Dean of Student Experience & Wellbeing)*

*remote attendance

REGRETS: Irmi Hutfless, Paul Huyer, Willow James, Mariana Jardim, Imran Khan, Elaine Khoo, Sonja Nikkila

SECRETARIAT: Miranda Edwards, Megann Davidson

IN ATTENDANCE: Kelly Hannah-Moffat (Vice-President, People, Strategy, Equity and Culture), Sarah Abdillahi (SCSU), Ramona Gonsalves, Marg Lacy, Lisa Lemon, Omar Mousa (SCSU)

OPEN SESSION

Chair’s Remarks

The Chair, Grace Westcott, welcomed members to the Cycle 5 meeting of the UTSC Campus Council. She congratulated the undergraduate student winners of the 2025 Campus Council elections, who will begin their terms on July 1, 2025: Shennel Simpson, Faith Opoku Agyemang, and Anisa Persaud. The Chair noted that there was a remaining vacant seat for a graduate student as there were no graduate students who had put their names forward. She told members that the Secretariat would be putting out a call for candidates and running a byelection in September for this seat in 2025.
Report of the Vice-President and Principal

Principal Linda Johnston began her report by noting recent significant events that had affected the campus community. First, she noted the appointment of President-designate Melanie Woodin on March 26, 2025. She also noted that a UTSC welcome reception was held for Professor Woodin the following day, which had significant turnout. The following week, on April 7, 2025, the Sam Ibrahim building was officially opened. Principal Johnston noted that the event had an exciting and positive atmosphere and was one of the best attended building opening events in campus history.

Principal Johnston provided an update to the Council on the “Culture of Care” initiative. She told members that she had introduced this topic during her recent installation address and was now working to introduce and integrate this concept into the campus culture. Principal Johnston noted there was a strong evidentiary basis for the value of joy in work. She noted that management behaviours, systems designs, and technological designs, could all contribute to low staff morale and burnout. She cited research that had proven that joy in a healthcare workplace could lead to improved job satisfaction, fewer errors and better health outcomes and stated she believed these were transferable to a campus workplace.

Principal Johnston stated that the campus should be striving for fair and equitable systems that met fundamental human needs, recognizing that when a workplace enhanced people's joy in work, it would create better experiences for those individuals and better institutional outcomes. She encouraged members to engage with colleagues to create space, actively listen, and to understand what matters to those around them. Principal Johnston noted that the “Culture of Care” initiative would build on the “Healthy Campus” initiative undertaken by former Principal Bruce Kidd. As next steps, her office would start work on developing resources to share with campus community members and developing metrics to measure success.

Principal Johnston concluded her report by stating that this year, for the first time, the Principal’s Service Excellence Awards would include a monetary award, to be funded out of the Principal’s office and trust funds. The awards were intended to acknowledge and honour those who embody the spirit of service to the campus.
Presentation: Process for Complaints and Concerns about Discrimination and Harassment

The Chair welcomed Professor Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture to present the process for handling complaints and concerns about discrimination and harassment. She noted that all University policies that address discrimination and harassment were grounded in a human rights-based approach and Ontario and Canadian law, including the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Canadian Criminal Code.

The recent introduction of Bill 166 implemented a requirement, as of 2026, for universities to publicly share annual reports on the number and types of complaints filed by university community members as well as what actions were taken to address those complaints.

In response, the University undertook two major initiatives. The first, was to collect data on complaints in order to create an interim report. The second was to launch a centralized website (uoft.me/complaints) to submit complaints and concerns about discrimination and harassment. The website was launched on April 15, 2025 and also included resources for university community members about discrimination and harassment.

Regarding the interim report, Professor Hannah-Moffat said that her office collected data from campuses, faculties, divisions, HR offices, and institutional offices such as the Office of Workplace Investigations, and the Anti-racism and Cultural Diversity Office. Data was collected on complaints that occurred between July 1, 2022 and December 31, 2024. During this period, 621 complaints were submitted 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%). Professor Hannah-Moffat noted that, as this was an interim report, her office would continue to work on analyzing the data and improving ways in which data was collected going forward.

Professor Hannah-Moffat told the Council that the University had launched a review of the 1994 Statement on Prohibited Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment. The goal of the review was to update the Statement to reflect current structures, legal requirements, and to create clearer, simpler complaint procedures. Professor Hannah-Moffat encouraged members to participate in the consultation phase of the review.

In response to a member’s question about the consequences of non-compliance with Bill 166, Professor Hannah-Moffat noted that the University had the talent, resources, and policy frameworks in place for effective compliance and emphasized the University’s support for initiatives that would help lead to more accessible complaints procedures and equitable outcomes. She noted that one of the challenges the University faced was the ability to process anonymous complaints effectively due to the fact that anonymity could often hinder due process and fulsome investigations. She further noted that the University’s large size and decentralization posed a challenge to effectively tracking complaints across the institution.

In response to a member’s question regarding data trends, Professor Hannah-Moffat noted that her office was still studying the data but stated that, for the most part, the complaints received in certain time periods and in certain categories was largely consistent. She noted there was a temporary increase in complaints received during the period of the encampment in 2024.
Annual Impact Report: Development & Alumni Relations Office (2024-25)

Ms Lisa Fenton Lemon told the Council that the goal of the Annual Impact Report was to give recognition to donors and volunteers and to demonstrate the impact of their contributions, with the hope of inspiring new and continuing giving.

The report included the following highlights:

In the past year, UTSC had 176 faculty and staff donors
Donors funded 22 new student awards, the highest number of student awards ever created in one year
An Inclusive Excellence Award in Biological Science was funded for black and Indigenous students in the sciences who were underrepresented in their departments
UTSC received over $2.3 million in art gifts
54 alumni volunteered in UTSC engagements
UTSC was granted its second $25 million gift for the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health
UTSC was granted a capital gift from BMO for Indigenous House that would support the future commissioning and installation of Indigenous art

Ms Fenton Lemon told members that her office prioritized the de-stigmatization of legacy and estate planning conversations. She also noted that her office was proud to support a joint initiative between development, alumni relations, academic advising and career services, a program which paired alumni mentors with student mentees.

In response to a member’s question, Ms Fenton Lemon stated that her office was in the midst of goal-setting for the coming year. At the beginning of the Defy Gravity campaign, UTSC had a goal of $75 million. UTSC had now surpassed that goal and had reached $77 million. Its planned goal was to raise an additional $100-125 million and to reach 1,500 newly engaged alumni.

Debt Financing for Deferred Maintenance Program

Mr. Arifuzzaman reported to the Council that the University’s deferred maintenance program consisted of major campus infrastructure renewals and upgrades that were delayed due to budget or resource constraints. The deferred maintenance backlog continued to grow as buildings aged, construction costs increased, and budget constraints intensified. Mr. Arifuzzaman also pointed out that much of UTSC’s campus infrastructure was built in the late 1960s/early 1970s. The current total costs of all deferred maintenance projects was approximately $1.2 billion. For UTSC, there were 141 backlogged high-priority projects with a total cost of $47.7 million.

The Governing Council recently approved a proposal to allow the University to increase its debt capacity to undertake deferred maintenance projects. UTSC was approved to take on $25 million in debt capacity. The campus’ annual deferred maintenance budget would be used to pay down this debt over time. This new program would allow the University to undertake projects at a more cost-effective scale, improve campus spaces, and create more energy-efficient building systems, such as through geothermal heat pump systems and energy-efficient window glazing, which would support the University’s sustainability goals as well as save UTSC significant utility costs.

Members had no questions.
Overview of the UTSC Campus Operating Budget, UTSC (2025-26)

Mr Arifuzzaman reported that UTSC had a balanced budget of $3.62 billion, with 66% derived from tuition fees, 20% derived from operating grants, and 14% derived from other revenues. The budget was primarily spent on faculty and staff compensation, student aid, capital and equipment costs, occupancy costs, pension contingency, with 11% spent on “other expenditures.” The budget was managed in alignment with the campus’ Inclusive Excellence Strategic Plan, which included five priorities: innovative undergraduate and graduate experiences, scholarly prominence, inclusion, accountability, deep and enduring local, national, and global partnerships, participative decision-making, and supportive administrative capacity.

Mr Arifuzzaman noted that the provincial tuition freeze that had been in place since 2018 had had a significant impact on the campus budget as costs had increased and revenues flattened. UTSC planned to continue diversification of its revenue sources and prioritize strategic enrolment management to mitigate financial risk. However, Mr. Arifuzzaman noted that new revenue growth was expected in the future due to the growing life sciences program.

Regarding applications and enrolment, Mr Arifuzzaman noted that UTSC’s application data had flattened from its peak of 2014; however, he noted that applications from domestic students for the current year were up 8%, and the number of students selecting UTSC as their first choice of school was up 11%. He further noted that much of the recent flattening in application numbers was attributable to a decline in international student applications caused by changes to the Canadian student visa program and geopolitics. The University planned to continue to diversify its source countries of international students in order to stabilize the international student population numbers.
Compulsory Non-Academic Incidental Fees: SCSU Student Societies Fees, UTSC

Tim Tang, Dean of Student Experience and Wellbeing presented a proposal for increases to the UTSC Student Society Fees that had been recommended by the Campus Affairs Committee. Dean Tang told the Council that the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students had reviewed and recommended approval for the fee increase request from the UTSC student societies, which were based on cost of living increases. The Office did not receive notice of any concerns regarding the increases and confirmed that all increases were in alignment with the relevant policies.

Members had no questions.

Be It Resolved

That Subject to Confirmation by the Executive Committee,

THAT, beginning in the Fall 2025 session, the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) fee be modified as follows:
1. an increase of $0.55 per session in the society portion of the fee ($0.03 for part-time students);
2. an increase of $0.82 per session in the Student Centre portion of the fee ($0.24 for part-time students);
3. an increase of $0.17 per session in the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) portion of the fee (full-time only); and
4. continuation of the WUSC Program portion of the fee through the 2025-26 academic period.

THAT, subject to confirmation of approval of the following fee change proposals by the SCSU Board of Directors, beginning in the Fall 2025 session, the SCSU fee be modified as follows:

an increase of up to $10.36 per fall and winter sessions in the Health Plan portion of the fee (full-time only);
an increase of up to $13.09 per fall and winter sessions in the Dental Plan portion of the fee (full-time only).

CONSENT AGENDA

On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried,

YOUR COUNCIL APPROVED,

THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 8, the Report of the Previous Meeting, be approved.

Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 67 – March 4, 2025

The report of the previous meeting was approved.
Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting

There was no business arising from the report of the previous meeting.

Reports for Information

The Council received the following reports for information:
Date of Next Meeting – May 26, 2025, 4:10 p.m.

The Chair confirmed that the Council would next meet on May 26, 2025 at 4:10 p.m.
Other Business

Members had no other business.

The meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m.

May 5, 2025