Report Number 70 Of The Utsc Campus Council
MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2025
To the Governing Council,
University of Toronto,
Your Campus Council reports that it held a meeting in the UTSC Council Chamber, Arts & Administration Building on October 6, 2025 with the following members present:
PRESENT: Grace Westcott (Chair), Aarthi Ashok (Vice-Chair), Linda Johnston (Vice-President & Principal), Sharleen Ahmed, Daniel Bowyer, Jason Glover*, Brian Harrington, Irmi Huftless, Paul Huyer, Imran Khan, Elaine Khoo, Gillian Mason, Faith Opoku Agyemang, Anisa Persaud, Silma Roddau*, Dorinda So, Rachel Sturge, Hoorik Yeghiazarian
*remote attendance
REGRETS: Syed Ahmed, Mariana Jardim, Mandy Liao, Sonja Nikkila, Shennel Simpson
NON-VOTING ASSESSORS: Andrew Arifuzzaman, Karin Ruhlandt, Tim Tang
SECRETARIAT: Miranda Edwards (Secretary), Amanda Grant (Governance Coordinator)
IN ATTENDANCE: Zahra, Bhanji, Jennifer Curry, Nusaiba Khan, Katie Larson
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair welcomed members and guests and then led an orientation session on the Council's mandate, function, and members’ responsibilities. - Report of the Vice-President and Principal
Professor Linda Johnston, Vice-President and Principal, UTSC began by inviting Professor Katie Larson, Vice-Dean, Teaching, Learning and Undergraduate Programs, to present key findings from the 2025 UTSC Curriculum Review Working Circle Milestone report.
Professor Larson informed the Council that the report was scheduled to be released later in the Fall. She noted that the report reflected the campus’ commitment to excellence in pedagogy and to indigenous, black, and racialized knowledge, and to an intersectional approach to curriculum development. The Working Circle was made up of faculty, librarians, students, staff, and community members. Its work was grounded in respect, care, and a commitment to learning.
Since the initial 2022 Report, which laid out 56 recommended actions, meaningful change had been implemented. Nearly half of the almost 400 new courses introduced since 2022 had links to the Report, with a notable rise in a cross-disciplinary approach as well as the incorporation of indigenous and black knowledges. Departments independently incorporated the Review’s priorities and recommendations into their course modules, mentorship, and professional development programs. Approximately $2.5 million was allocated in support of more than 250 campus initiatives to support the Review’s priorities via courses, professional retreats, experiential and land-based learning, community partnerships, student-led projects, art installations, and campus spaces.
Professor Larson noted that, although there had been tangible cultural and structural shifts, the Working Circle also heard feedback about challenges and the work that remained to be done. These challenges were identified as: uneven uptake across disciplines, building sustainability on project-based funding, siloed efforts, and tensions between inclusive pedagogical practices and academic expectations. Professor Larson further noted challenges regarding artificial intelligence, symbolic versus substantive change, and the need for leadership and systemic collaboration.
Members discussed the impacts of AI, the needs of international and racialized students, language barriers, and the emotional fatigue of advocacy. Professor Larson thanked members for their feedback and noted that a full and detailed report would be brought forward to governance shortly.
The Principal thanked Professor Larson for her presentation and resumed her report.
The Principal noted that the Office of the President had issued a memo the previous week about strengthening the in-person administrative staff presence across the three campuses. She stated that her office was currently in the process of gathering information and working to understand what this initiative would mean in practice for UTSC staff. Further details would be shared in the near future. She asked for members of the UTSC community to embrace the Culture of Care values and support each other during challenging and uncertain times.
In the coming weeks, a new Culture of Care webpage would be launched on the Principal’s Office website, which would serve as a foundation for a healthy, inclusive, and connected campus, demonstrating links to the Inspiring Inclusive Excellence plan and Healthy Campus goals. The page would also provide tools and evidence-based resources. The Principal said she had asked the UTSC executive team to identify actions and metrics for evaluating successes of the Culture of Care within their respective portfolios.
In other news, the Principal announced that her office would soon release the first video from the In their Words series. Further details were to follow. She also encouraged members to attend an upcoming conference – From Outreach to Relationship: Deepening Indigenous Engagement - being organized by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives on October 28, 2025. She noted that construction at Indigenous House was progressing well, with occupancy planned for mid to late October 2025. Further updates were to follow.
The Principal informed the Council that a review of the Community Partnerships and Engagement Office (CPE) was completed in April 2024 with three recommendations. One of these recommendations was for CPE to be moved from the Office of the CAO to the Office of the Vice-President and Principal. This transition had now been completed. In Fall-Winter 2025-26, her office was to begin a CPE Planning Process to act on another key recommendation: establishing clear strategic priorities and shared understanding of building and sustaining community partnerships. She concluded by noting that CPE’s Annual Report would be brought forward to the Campus Affairs Committee for information at its next meeting on October 15, 2025. - Update on the Review of the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment
The Chair introduced this item by noting for members that the draft proposed policy revisions were before he Council for information and feedback. She further noted that the final proposed policy revisions would come forward to governance for approval later this year.
The Chair invited Professor Sandy Welsh, Vice-Provost of Students, to present the item. Ms Angela Treglia, Executive Director, Sexual Violence Strategy, Prevention & Support, also attended to provide further information.
Professor Welsh told the Council that the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment came into effect in 2017 and was subject to a review and update every 3 years. This was in compliance with a provincial legislative requirement for all Ontario universities and colleges to have a sexual violence policy subject to regular review. The policy applied to all students, staff, faculty members, and librarians and outlined the University’s response to incidents of sexual violence involving members of the university community, as well as supports for those subjected to sexual violence.
Professor Welsh stated that extensive community consultations took place between January and March 2025, led by Professor Faye Mishna. The consultations team heard from over 200 students, faculty members, and librarians. The findings of those consultations were presented to Governing Council in June 2025. The policy was also subject to an external legal review. Professor Welsh outlined key feedback themes and noted that the findings of both the external legal expert as well as the community consultations were well aligned.
Professor Welsh listed and explained the proposed policy revisions, which included new and updated definitions, new commitments to reflect a trauma-informed approach, formalizing current administrative practices in confidentiality and privacy provisions, and new language regarding process timelines. She told the Council that the proposed new policy was available on a public webpage for community feedback from September 3 – October 8, 2025.
Professor Welsh concluded by noting that the new policy would be introduced alongside other planned administrative responses, such as enhanced online navigation tools, an internal process review, as well as a trauma-informed approach. She thanked the consultation participants and the members of the University administration who had contributed to this work.
Members discussed education and prevention resources, situations in which alumni or volunteers might be included in the policy’s jurisdiction, clarity for procedures used when complainants graduate or leave their position at the University while a case remains under investigation, clarity around procedures when someone external to the University community submits a complaint about a member of the University community, criteria for staff intervention in the absence of a formal complaint, mental health support systems, confidentiality and public disclosures, as well as sexual violence prevention in hiring practices – such as conducting background checks or requiring self-disclosures.
In response to discussion and questions, Professor Welsh told members that the University had signed on to the Association of American Universities (AAU) commitments in 2022 to review sexual harassment or sexual violence case histories of faculty candidates. Reference checks and queries about previous policy violations were current standard practice.
Ms Treglia told members that a team of 16 people across all 3 campuses, including a full-time office at UTSC, provided supports for individuals who were subject to sexual violence as well as prevention education. In the prior year, over 17,000 members of the University community were reached in prevention outreach initiatives that included topics such as healthy relationships, boundaries, communication, and consent. Consent and prevention education were also heavily present in first-year orientation materials and events. Resources were also provided to staff and faculty to help them address workplace sexual harassment and appropriate responses to sexual harassment disclosures. - Portfolio Overview and Priorities for 2025-26
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Andrew Arifuzzaman, Chief Administrative Officer
Mr. Arifuzzaman provided an overview of his administrative portfolio’s functions as well as the campus budget system. He noted that one recent change to his portfolio was that the Community Partnerships and Engagement (CPE) office had been moved to the Office of the Vice-President and Principal.
Mr. Arifuzzaman reviewed the 2025-26 budget breakdown and spending priorities, including capital projects and institutional partnerships. He highlighted three high-priority partnerships: the Toronto Zoo, the Environmental and Related Technologies Hub (EARTH), and the Golden Mile transformation. He also reviewed current major construction projects such as Indigenous House, Scarborough Academy of Integrated Health and Medicine (SAMIH), and the Parking Commons.
Mr. Arifuzzaman told members that the campus Strategic Plan was currently undergoing a refresh and a new metrics scorecard was in development. Further details would be shared later in the year.
In response to a member’s question, Mr. Arifuzzaman explained that student levies were implemented to help cover the costs of student services and facilities such as the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (TPASC) and that, if excess revenue was generated, those funds could be re-purposed for other services and facilities. An example of this, was the Field House capital project, scheduled to come forward for the Council’s approval later this year, and which was planned for construction using levy surplus funds without generating additional debt.
In response to a member’s question, Mr. Arifuzzaman stated that the goal of the campus’ academic partnerships was to spark economic development around green technologies, and create local jobs, with an eye to replicating something like the hospital and medical hub that existed around the St. George campus in downtown Toronto.
In response to a member’s question, Mr. Arifuzzaman noted that the Strategic Plan was in its fifth year and due for a refresh that would reflect current industry conditions as well as the new institutional vision to be laid out in President Melanie Woodin’s installation address on October 17, 2025.
In response to a member’s question, Mr. Arifuzzaman informed the Council that there were currently about 650 geothermal wells on campus with 3 distinct geothermal fields. The Campus was looking to expand the number of campus facilities connected to geothermal energy. He noted he would be presenting an expansion strategy to governance later this year. He further noted that the façade of the SAMIH building was entirely made of solar panels so that the building could generate its own electricity, and the same building system would be applied to the Parking Commons.
In response to a member’s question about UTSC classes taking place at the Toronto Zoo, Mr. Arifuzzaman told members that his office was in talks with the TTC regarding potential transit routes for students and teaching staff travelling between UTSC campus and the Zoo. A charter bus might be required as an interim solution. He also confirmed that all UTSC students would be given free Toronto Zoo memberships.
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Tim Tang, Dean of Student Experience and Wellbeing
Dean Tang introduced himself and provided an overview of his portfolio’s role and functions. He noted that the Office of Student Experience and Welbeing (OSEW) was primarily funded by student fees. Its mission was to support students through every aspect of their educational journey, including academics, wellness, career development, residence life, and creating a sense of community and belonging on campus. Broad themes of his portfolio’s activities were preventative mental health, accessibility, health campus, and the culture of care. His office’s overall goal was to create the foundation for all students to thrive.
Dean Tang reviewed some of the broad range of programs, services, and events administered by OSEW including student orientation, career services, work study and mentorship programs, and accessibility services. He noted that all of these programs were designed with students as co-creators and partners.
In response to a member’s question, Dean Tang confirmed the increased student demand for accessibility services and noted that student advisory committees helped co-design accessibility services and was crucial to the peer-to-peer communications model which encouraged early student registration for accessibility services.
In response to a member’s question, Dean Tang confirmed there had been an institution-wide reduction in work-study funding across the tri-campus and that UTSC was currently working through the challenges of navigating the impacts of that reduction. The reasons for this reduction were multi-factor and included post-pandemic shifts in work-study trends. He noted that work study was only one component of the student employment framework and this reduction did not impact student casual positions, co-op, or internships. He stated there were a multitude of campus employment opportunities available to students.
In response to a member’s question, Dean Tang noted that about 1,500 students currently lived in residence on UTSC’s campus. The campus was able to meet its first-year housing guaranteed plus accommodate about 200 upper-year students. About half of campus residence occupants were international students. He noted that the opening of Harmony Commons in the prior year was crucial to the campus being able to comfortably meet student demand.
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Prof. Karin Ruhlandt, Vice-Principal, Academic & Dean
Dean Ruhlandt provided an overview of her portfolio’s roles and functions, including her oversight of 16 academic departments. She explained her office’s pedagogical review process, academic reviews, and strategic enrolment priorities. She noted that one of her office’s top priorities was creating innovations in exam invigilation to counter-act new technologies used for cheating.
Other priorities included further strengthening of cross-departmental collaboration, growth of the health sciences certificate and complementary programs, and promotion of the humanities and social sciences as those programs faced declining enrolment. Dean Ruhlandt further noted that her office was currently facilitating an external review on experiential learning, with further updates on this review to follow.
Dean Ruhlandt told the Council that her office would be bringing forward to governance a proposal for a new PhD program in applied and interdisciplinary biology for entry in Fall 2026., which would align with the opening of the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated health.
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CONSENT AGENDA
On motion duly moved, seconded, and carried,
YOUR COMMITTEE APPROVED
THAT the consent agenda be adopted and that Item 5 be approved.
- Report of the Previous Meeting: Report Number 69 – May 26, 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 following reports were received for information:- Report Number 70 of the UTSC Agenda Committee (September 25, 2025)
- Report Number 80 of the UTSC Academic Affairs Committee (September 11, 2025)
- Report Number 64 of the UTSC Campus Affairs Committee (September 10, 2025)
- Report Number 79 of the UTSC Academic Affairs Committee (May 20, 2025)
- Report Number 78 of the UTSC Academic Affairs Committee (May 7, 2025)
- Date of Next Meeting – Tuesday, November 11, 2025
The Chair confirmed that the next meeting would take place on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. - Question Period
Members had no questions. - Other Business
Member Imran Khan recognized and congratulated member Daniel Bowyer, for his recent receipt of the University’s Arbor Award, bestowed on alumni and friends of the University who have contributed notable volunteer work on behalf of the institution.
The meeting adjourned at 3:15 p.m.
October 7, 2025