WHO RUNS THISJOINT, ANYWAY?

University of Toronto Students’ Union, Local 98, Canadian Federation of Students, presents...

Your guide to governance at the University of Toronto

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction....................................................................................................................................

Central Administration Organisational Chart.............................................................................................. Chancellor, President, Vice-Presidents.......................................................... Provost, Vice-Provosts...........................................................................................

Governing Council Organisational Chart.............................................................................................. Academic Board..................................................................................................... University Affairs Board........................................................................................ Business Board....................................................................................................... Executive Committee............................................................................................. Committee on Honourary Degrees................................................................ Election Committee................................................................................................

Student Services CoSS............................................................................................................................ Student Life and Programs................................................................................ Hart House................................................................................................................ Athletics.......................................................................................................................

Governance Reform Student Representation........................................................................................ International Students............................................................................................ Unicameral vs. Bicameral Systems................................................................ Your Rights at a Governing Council Meeting............................................. Towards 2030........................................................................................................

Contacts........................................................................................................................................

Statement of Institutional Purpose......................................................................................

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INTRODUCTIONWelcome to the University of Toronto!

We at the University Affairs (UA) Commission of the University of Toronto Stu-dents’ Union would like to, firstly, congratulate you on making it thus far, and we hope you enjoy your four (or more!) years here.

This booklet is an informative guide to the systems and people that make the decisions that affect your university experience. These are names you are likely to hear and read about, and they are important to know. As such, we wanted to tell the story from a student’s point of view – to give you the information relevant to your experience and inform you about how we interact with the complex maze of systems that govern the U of T.

This guide will tell you who deals with student life, who decides which programs get offered and who is in charge of the budget. It will tell you who decides how much your tuition fees go up by every year, and how much you pay for your education. It will tell you how you got stuck with paying a flat fee for your courses and will introduce you to the people whose hands you will shake when you graduate from this institution.

What you are currently holding in your hands is the result of hours of research and writing, editing and formatting. It’s also the result of lots of discussion at the UA Commission, the U.T.S.U. offices and, naturally, over facebook and msn.

Lots of people were crucial to this process: Greg Calvin, Andrew Agnew-Iler and George Chiran helped us with the writing, and all of our students’ union executives helped us get this guide out in time.

We must admit that a secondary goal of ours in publishing this booklet was to help you to get involved with our university. Join a club, attend a special lecture, and go do fun things in between all the lectures and midterms!

We really hope you will join us at our Commission meetings and we are very excited to meet each of you!

Have a great year, and a great time at the U of T.

Sincerely,

Adam Awad, Vice-President, University Affairs Carol Rodrigues, Associate Vice-President, University Affairs

University Affairs Commission 2009-2010 University of Toronto Students’ UnionLocal 98, Canadian Federation of Students

INTRODUCTION

Vice-Provost, Rela-tions with Healthcare

InstitutionsCatherine Whiteside

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CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIONOrganisational Chart

PresidentDavid Naylor

Vice-President,Research

Paul Young

Vice-President,AdvancementDavid Palmer

Vice-President,University Relations

Judith Wolfson

Vice-President &Provost

Cheryl Misak

Assistant ProvostSheree Drummond

Director, StrategicInitiatives & Priorities

TBA

Director, Policy & Planning

Helen Lasthiotakis

Vice-Provost,Graduate Education

Brian Corman

Vice-Provost,Academic Programs

Cheryl Regehr

Chief Information Officer

Bob Cook

Associate Vice-ProvostLori Ferris

Assistant Vice-Provost, Health

Sciences Sector Leslie Bush

University RegistrarKarel Swift

ChancellorThe Honourable

David R. Peterson

Vice-Provost, Rela-tions with Healthcare

InstitutionsCatherine Whiteside

Vice-Provost,Students

Jill Matus

Director, Office of the Vice-Provost,

StudentsJim Delaney

Assistant Vice-Pres-ident, Student LifeLucy Fromowitz

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION

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CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIONOrganisational Chart

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION

PresidentDavid Naylor

Vice-President,HR & Equity

Angela Hildyard

Vice-President,Business Affairs

Catherine Riggall

Vice-President &Provost

Cheryl Misak

Principals, Deans, and Chief Librarian

(30)

Vice-Provost,Academic Programs

Cheryl Regehr

Vice-Provost, Aca-demic Operations

Scott Mabury

Vice-Provost, Fac-ulty & Academic Life

Edith Hillan

Acting Director, Hu-man ResourcesPaul McCann

Executive Director, Planning & Budget

Sally Garner

Assistant Vice-Pres-ident, Campus &

Facilities PlanningElizabeth Sisam

Chief Information Officer

Bob Cook

ChancellorThe Honourable

David R. Peterson

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Chancellor David R. Peterson

Mr. Peterson, former Premier of Ontario, is U of T’s 32nd Chancellor, and is currently serving his second term in the position. Mr. Peterson, a graduate of U of T’s Faculty of Law in 1967 and currently Chairman of the Toronto law firm of Cassels Brock and Blackwell LLP, officially began his second term on July 1, 2009. The Chancellor is elected for a three-year term by the alumni’s College of Electors, and is the ceremonial head of the University, presiding at convocations, conferring all University degrees and acting as ambassador to more than 400,000 graduates worldwide and to the wider community. The Chancellor also plays an essential role in advancing the University’s interests within the local, provincial, national and international arenas.

President David Naylor

Dr. Naylor is U of T’s 15th president. A graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine in 1978, he went on to study at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar in 1983, earning his D.Phil in the Faculty of Social and Administrative Studies. In 1988, Dr. Naylor joined the Department of Medicine here at U of T, and was promoted to full professorship by 1996. Before becoming the Dean of Medicine and Vice-Provost for Relations with Health Care Institutions in 1999, Mr. Naylor was the founding Chief Executive Office of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences from 1991 – 1998.

What does the president do? If the Chancellor is the equivalent of the Governor General, then the President is the equivalent of Prime Minister.

Why does the President matter to you? The President represents the academic and business interests of the University to the rest of the world. The President also sets the tone and direction of the University for the seven years that s/he is in office. With the drive of a strong President, U of T’s academic and research directions could change dramatically.

The job is hard work, but it does come with its perks: $380,100- annual salary with $49,948.80 in taxable benefits House in Rosedale $12,000 car allowanceOffice with private washroom and dining facilities Parking Spot (just kidding…)

Vice-President, Business Affairs Interim Vice-President: Catherine Riggal

In Business Affairs, you will find the financial services department of the University, headed by Ms. Riggall. Business Affairs is divided into three sub-departments, which are headed by the following: John Bisanti, Chief Capital Projects Officer; Ron Swail, Acting Assistant Vice-President; Facilities and Services; Sheila Brown, Acting Chief Financial Officer.

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION

07CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION

What does the Financial Services department, which is a division of Business Affairs, do? It’s services include: Ancillary Fees (non-academic services, ie. food services, parking, residences) Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable and Cashiers Capital Accounts Faculty & Staff Housing Loan Programme Credit Card Merchant Facility Student Accounts Trust & Investment Accounting

Why does Business Affairs matter to you? This department manages UofT’s operating budget on a day-to-day basis. The University’s operating budget is $1.4 billion (that’s a lot of money). In addition, the financial health of a university affects every aspect of the university – from the construction of new buildings, staffing, resources, and ultimately to students and the quality of our education. U of T has been carrying a significant amount of debt, and its financial management has an effect on us, the students – which is why this matters to you. This divison also contains U of T Asset Management, which just lost $1.3 billion in endowments due to the recession and risky investments in hedge funds and currency. This massive loss is one of the reasons the university decided to charge you flat fees.

Vice-President and Chief Advancement Officer David Palmer

This is the Division of University Advancement, which is composed of the Department of Alumni and Development and the Department of Public Affairs. The function of this office is to promote the interests of the university and its alumni locally and around the world.

So, in a nutshell, it is public relations (PR) and fund-raising. The Division of University Advancement manages the Alumni website and U of T Magazine Online, and it looks after all the ways potential donors can donate money to the university.

Check out http://www.giving.utoronto.ca and http://www.alumni.utoronto.ca.

Why does University Advancement matter to you? Obviously, U of T does not survive on your tuition fees alone. As government funding decreased dramatically over the last two decades, the University came to rely more and more on donors to maintain many of its research programs, build new buildings, departments, libraries, scholarships, and so on. Just as the University depends heavily on tuition fees to make up this lack, so too has a strong emphasis been placed on getting donations from both individuals and corporations. And as with any gift, there are often strings or expectations attached. Sometimes that means public recognition (maybe a tree in one’s honour), specific instructions on how the money is to be used (such as an endowed Chair), naming rights (such as, well, most of campus), or influence over research projects (as often happens in medicine, engineering, and pharmacy). These strings can pose a risk to our freedom of research and our right to a public campus.

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION

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CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION

Vice-President, Research Paul Young

As most of you may know, U of T is well known for its research – probably one of the reasons why you have chosen this university over others. U of T researchers publish more than all but two other universities in the world. This office builds bridges and connections with other universities worldwide to develop research programmes and partnerships. In other words, if it’s research-related, this department handles it.

Some Interesting Facts: U of T has a total of 2,670 research faculty. There are over 19 million holdings in the U of T library system. There are a total of 158 academic linkages between U of T and international institutions .

Why does Research matter to you? Well, if you’re a student and you have research in mind for your future plans, it’s nice to know that U of T is research-intensive. It’s also nice to know how much money has been allocated to research because it will most likely affect you when it comes to research grants, should you need one. Research is also important because it involves the people who are teaching you and running your classes - your professors and TAs. When they are all actively researching their own areas, they are improving the quality of your education. Robarts, one of the largest research libraries on the continent, is avaialble to undergrads to use because students came together the protested the original plan to limit access to graduate students.

Check out the Research website: http://www.rir.utoronto.ca

Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity Angela Hildyard

Human Resources is staffing, hiring faculty, temporary staff, job opportunities, staff salary, pensions, health benefits, and basically anything to do with employment at the University. However, it is worth mentioning the Equity aspect of this department. In addition to human resources, this department also deals with equity issues such as disabilities services, the First Nations House and other equity related office. Employment Equity is also part of this portfolio.

Why does Human Resources matter to you? If you want to work at the university later on, this is obviously important to you. If you require disability services, this is important to you as well. Are the buildings here on campus accessible? Are there ramps and elevators? These are important issues that you should care about and have the right to know about. Regarding salary and staffing issues, wouldn’t you like to know how much money goes towards paying for your professors’ and administrators’ salary and how much actually goes toward your academic programs? Check out the Human Resources website:

http://www.utoronto.ca/hrhome

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION

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Vice President, University Relations Judith Wolfson

University Relations stewards the University’s relationships and manages the impacts of a substantive breadth and depth of issues affecting university stakeholders – local, national and international. This portfolio integrates three key areas: Government, Institutional and Community Relations, International Relations and Strategic Communications.

Government, Institutional, and Community Relations is responsible for building and maintaining positive and constructive relationships with government, other public sector institutions, the private sector and community partners. International Relations is responsible for developing a coherent university approach across a range of international activities at the University, and Strategic Communications focuses on building and supporting relations with stake-holders - both inside and outside the University - through mass communications strategies.

There are certainly benefits of maintaining a good working relationship between U of T and the Ontario government, especially considering the following facts: UofT has more than 100 spin-off companies with more than 3000 employees U of T generates $1.16 for every dollar of federal and provincial governments U of T is the 6th largest employer in the GTA

Clearly, U of T has a significant impact on the Ontario economy. Just think about how many people work for the university! And that’s only one part of it – the university’s graduates go out and contribute to the Ontario economy when they get jobs. They found companies, they pay taxes, they employ and manage people. The university itself also contributes to Ontario and Canadian society in all the research it undertakes and publishes.

Why does University Relations matter to you? You are part of the University of Toronto and you are also living in Ontario. By being a part of this institution, you are also a part of the Toronto, Ontario, and Canada communities. What’s more, the more funding the Ontario government provides to UofT, the better it is for you. How much funding we get from the provincial government is directly correlated to our tuition fee levels. As a public institution, UofT is also deeply connected to the Ontario government in more ways than just funding. This, therefore, deeply affects your time here.

Check out the University Relations website athttp://www.universityrelations.utoronto.ca

Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Misak

This is a big portfolio and an important one as well. The Provost’s office deals with all matters related to academics inside a university. This includes diverse areas such as student issues, student services, buildings, classrooms, campus space, budget, academic programs, and the budget, just to name a few. This portfolio also recently underwent a substantial restructuring, which took effect on July 1st, 2009. In the grand scheme of things, Vice-President, Prof. Misak is second in command to President Naylor.

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION

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CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION

Naturally, this department is further divided into smaller branches:

Assistant Provost: Sheree Drummond Vice-Provost, Students: Jill Matus Vice-Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions: Catharine Whiteside Vice-Provost, Graduate Education: Brian Corman Vice-Provost, Academic Programs: Cheryl Regehr Vice-Provost, Academic Operations: Scott Mabury Vice-Provost, Faculty and Academic Life: Edith Hillan

The Provost’s website is at: http://www.provost.utoronto.ca

Why does the Provost’s Office matter to you? Academics is the heart and soul of a university. Since this office manages the academic affairs of the university, its importance is fairly obvious. Setting the annual operating budget of $1.4 billion, allocating classrooms and lecture halls, organising student life and recruitment, implementing academic programs and policies, planning for the future of the university’s infrastructure, research, and financial well-being – all of these are academic matters dealt with by the Provost’s office, and much of the funding to make it happen comes from your fees.

Vice-Provost, Relations With Health Care Institutions Catherine Whiteside

The responsibilities of Dr. Whiteside include relations with affiliated teaching hospitals and other health care institutions. She reports to the President on inter-institutional issues and to the Provost on academic matters affecting the health sciences divisions and their relations with hospitals and other health service organizations. Dr. Whiteside is also the Dean of Medicine. Her predecessor was David Naylor.

Vice-Provost, Faculty and Academic Life Edith Hillan

This office was restructured in July 2009, prior to which Ms. Hillan was the Vice-Provost, Acadmic. Under the new structure, Ms. Hillan is responsible for faculty appointments, tenure, promotion, grievances, policy development, and liaison with the University of Toronto Faculty Association, as well as matters relating to the delivery of the academic mission as it relates to librarians, research associates, sessional lecturers, and postdoctoral fellows. Prior to joining the Provost’s office in 2004, Professor Hillan served as Associate Dean (academic programmes) in the Faculty of Nursing.

Vice-Provost, Academic Programs Cheryl Regehr.

This is a brand new office, created under the recent restructuring and functioning from July 2009. Ms. Regehr, formerly serving as Dean of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, now takes this new position responsible for the area of quality assurance and standards. Regehr serves as the point person for the academic planning process and cross-faculty interdisciplinary initiatives, as well as university-wide policy matters such as academic integrity.

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION

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Vice-Provost, Academic Operations Scott Mabury

Mr. Mabury was, until July 2009, the chair of the Department of Chemistry. This office is the third position created by the Provostial restructuring. Mr. Mabury’s new responsibilities include overseeing university-wide budget, space and information technology matters, focusing on high-level policy, and strategy in these areas from a tri-campus perspective. The Executive Director of Planning and Budget, the Assistant Vice-President, Campus and Facilities Planning, and the Chief Information Officer will report to him.

Check out the planning and budgeting website at http://www.utoronto.ca/planning/

Incidentally, Prof. Mabury was the chair of the Program Fee Implementation Committee which was tasked to study the effect of flat fees. The Committee, which had recognised the flaws with the proposal and that flat fes had been considered for well over a decade, decided that this year would not be appropriate to introduce flat fees. Nonetheless, Prof. Mabury overruled his committee and took the decision to the Faculty of Arts and Science Council, which approved the proposal. Soon after this, Prof. Mabury was promoted to the Provost’s office.

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION

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GOVERNING COUNCILOrganisational Chart

GOVERNING COUNCIL

Governing CouncilChair: John F. (Jack) Petch

Executive CommitteeChair: John F. (Jack) Petch

Committee on Namings

Chair: John F. (Jack) Petch

Academic BoardChair: Elizabeth

Vosburgh

Committee on Academic Policy and

Programs

Planning and Budget Committee

Academic Appeals Committee

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GOVERNING COUNCILOrganisational Chart

GOVERNING COUNCIL

Committee for Honorary Degrees

Chair: David Peterson

Business BoardChair: Richard

Nunn

University Affairs Board

Chair: Claude Davis

Elections CommitteeSenior Appointments and Compensation

CommitteeAudit Committee

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GOVERNING COUNCIL

While the Central Administration is the executive branch (dealing with day-to-day matters) of governance at U of T, the Governing Council acts as the legislative branch (setting the direction of the central administration and ensuring oversight). As such, the Governing Council is the highest decision-making body at the university and has to approve any and all decisions related to the university’s academic, institutional, and business affairs. The level of tuition fees, for example, gets approved at GC, along with the construction of any new buildings, the creation or dismantling of programmes and departments, and the hiring of professors, along with any other major decision that affects the University as a whole.

As a public university, (i.e. partly funded by the government), the mandate and structure of Governing Council have been set by legislation passed by the Government of Ontario. The university and its governance structure exist because of an Act of Parliament called the University of Toronto Act. The last time the Act was opened was in 1971, when the structure of GC was changed to what we have today. Minor amendments were then passed in 1973, and it has remained unchanged ever since. The U of T administration, however, is considering re-opening the Act in the next couple of years in order to set President Naylor’s Towards 2030 plan into the mandate of the university.

Governing Council is composed of 50 members, 25 of which are chosen from within the university:

• 12 teaching staff • 8 students, of which: • 2 are Full-time undergraduate Arts and Science students. • 2 are Full-time undergraduate students from a Professional faculty • 2 are Part-time undergraduate students • 2 are Graduate students • 2 administrative staff • The President (Ex-officio) and 2 senior officers appointed by the president. This is usually the Provost and one other appointee. For 2009-2010, the presidential appointees are Prof. Cheryl Misak (Vice-President and Provost) and Prof. Ian Orchard (vice-President and Principal, UofT at Mississauga)

The other 25 are chosen from outside the U of T community:

•16 appointees of the Provincial government (Lieutenant- Governors in Council) • 8 alumni, elected by alumni • The Chancellor (Ex-officio), elected by alumni

Contact information for your student representatives on GC can be found in the Contacts section of this booklet.

As a student, you are eligible to run in the annual election for one of the 8 student seats, depending on your constituency.

Election information as well as other information about Governing Council can be found at www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca.

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Much of the work of GC is delegated to three main bodies: the Academic Board, University Affairs Board, and Business Board. There are also a number of other committees.

Academic Board

The Academic Board is responsible for all of the many elements of academic life at U of T, notably: admissions, curricula, budget plans, research, new academic programs, and academic appeals. The Academic Board has 117 members:

• 75 teaching staff from every faculty and college • 6 teaching staff from the Governing Council • the Vice President and Provost • the Director of the School of Continuing Studies • the Director of the Transitional Year Program • 3 librarians • the Master of Massey College • 4 students elected from the Governing Council • 12 students appointed from the student body • 4 administrative staff • 3 alumni • 3 appointees of the Provincial Government • 3 appointees of the President

Because of the size of this committee and the breadth of its responsibilities, some of its functions are performed by three standing sub-committees: the Academic Appeals Committee, the Planning and Budget Committee, and the Committee on Academic Policy and Programs.

Academic Appeals Committee The Academic Appeals Committee exists as the final place for students to appeal the decisions of teaching staff. It also sets the terms of reference for appeals at the college or faculty level. It is composed of:

• at least 7 teaching staff members • at least 3 students • at least 2 lay members (drawn from amongst the government appointee, alumni and administrative staff members of the Governing Council) • at least five appointed Chairs, all of whom shall be legally qualified, and one of whom shall be designated Senior Chair

Planning and Budget Committee This committee not only plans and budgets for such things as space, staff, land, and facilities, it’s also responsible for the long-term planning of the University and its constituent faculties and colleges. Its decisions are submitted to the Academic Board for approval.

It is made up of about 26 people, including 3 students, 12 teaching staff, 1 administrative staff member, 3 presidential appointees, 2 additional members of the Governing Council and the Chair of the Committee on Academic Policy and Programs.

GOVERNING COUNCIL

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GOVERNING COUNCIL

Committee on Academic Policy and Programs In general, the Committee on Academic Policy and Programs is responsible for the quality of education and research at the University of Toronto. Any changes made to curriculum, evaluation, or degree requirements are reviewed by this Committee and submitted to the Academic Board. It has 31 members:

• 6 students • 16 teaching staff • the President and 2 presidential appointees • the Chancellor • the Chair and Vice-Chair of Governing Council • one alumnus • one government appointee • one administrative staff member

University Affairs Board

The University Affairs Board is responsible for “all policy of a non academic nature and those that directly concern the quality of student and campus life.” It is responsible for the quality and cost of non-academic services (Hart House, Athletic Centre, etc.), campus security, Governing Council elections, and equity issues, among many other things.

There are normally 25-26 members on this Board. Teaching staff, administrative staff, and students represent at least half. Of that half, 7 are students. Governing Council also represents at least half (there’s some overlap). In addition, the President, Chancellor, Warden of Hart House, and Dean of Physical Education and Health all sit on the Board automatically.

Business Board The Business Board controls how all the university’s money is made, stored, and spent. This includes things like staff relations, external relations, and tuition fee policy. It is made up of 31 members, including:

• 2 students • 7 appointees of the provincial government • 5 alumni • the Chancellor • the President

Audit Committee The Audit Committee is the only standing sub-committee of the Business Board. Its job is to review the budgetary decisions of the Board, review financial risks taken by the university, and make recommendations to the Business Board and Governing Council. Unlike the other sub-committees of the Governing Council, the Audit Committee is not designed to represent the various elements of the University of Toronto community. Rather, it must draw at least two thirds of its members from outside that community. Members are chosen for their financial and legal expertise. There are only nine members apart from the President, Chancellor, Chairperson, and Vice-Chairperson of the Governing Council. Of those, at least five are drawn from the Business Board or Governing Council.

17GOVERNING COUNCIL

Executive Committee The Executive Committee is made up of 14 members elected by and from the Governing Council:

• 2 alumni • 4 government appointees • 3 teaching staff • 2 students • either a presidential appointee or an administrative staff member • the President of the University • the Chairperson of the Governing Council

The Executive Committee is responsible for setting the agenda for the Council and its sub-committees. The Executive Committee deals with the issues before the Governing Council, but does not make decisions on behalf of the Council. The Executive Committee also deals with matters of immediate importance between Governing Council meetings, and is a discussion forum of matters relating to the administration of the university.

Committee for Honorary Degrees

This committee is struck by the Governing Council on the recommendation of the Academic Board and is made up of 17 members (2 students). As the name implies, its exclusive function is to choose members of the community to receive honorary degrees.

Elections Committe

The Elections Committee is the only standing sub-committee of the University Affairs Board. It develops policy for, and oversees, the election of teaching staff, administrative staff, and students to the Governing Council, as well as teaching staff and librarians to the Academic Board. It has 9 members:

• one administrative staff member • one teaching staff member • one government appointee • one student • the Chancellor • the President • the Chairperson of the Governing Council • the Vice-Chairperson of the Governing Council

For all the student seats in the above listed Boards and Committees, students may apply to sit on any of them through a process called co-option. This means that you apply and a committee (called the Striking Committee) chooses who gets to sit on it. The co-option process usually happens around March or April and the call for nominations is published in the major campus papers.

For more information about co-option and how it works, check out the Governing Council website at www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca

GOVERNING COUNCIL

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STUDENT SERVICES

STUDENT SERVICES

This section talks about who makes the decisions that affect your student ex-perience outside the classroom – who decided your level of ancillary fees, who manages athletics and recreation, who manages Hart House etc.

Council on Student Services (CoSS)

In 1994, the Ontario Government decided that students should have a say in how fees are collected for compulsory student services – the ones that all stu-dents must pay for. The reason was simple – if students were paying for the service they should have a say in how the money gets spent and what amount gets collected. And surely raising student service fees should not be a backdoor way by which the university could raise more money for itself! In 1996, after two years of negotiations, the Students’ Administrative Coun-cil (SAC, now the University of Toronto Students’ Union), the Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students (APUS), and the Graduate Students’ Union (GSU) signed an agreement with the University on how this student consultative process on fees would be implemented at U of T, giving birth to CoSS and its process. This agreement became known as the Long-Term Protocol on the increase or introduction of compulsory non-tuition-related fees and the text of it can be found at: http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/policies/stufees.htm. The Protocol designated that a committee (CoSS) would be formed that would consist of members of U.T.S.U. (SAC), APUS, and the GSU as well as representatives from the administration, UTSC, and UTM to determine how fees would be increased or introduced at U of T. CoSS was also given the mandate of discussing student life initiatives at U of T, and how to get the different student services working together to improve services and student life.

The membership of CoSS is as follows:• the President of the University or a representative delegated by the President (this is usually the Vice-Provost, Students)• 2 part-time undergraduate students, appointed by the Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students• 2 graduate students, appointed by the Graduate Students’ Union• 4 full-time undergraduate students, appointed by the University of Toronto Students’ Union• one full-time or part-time student, chosed by the Erindale College council on student services (QSS)• one full-time or part-time student, chosen by the Scarborough College council on student services (CSS)• 6 other persons appointed by the President of the University of Toronto (these are usually the directors of the 4 major student services plus the student affairs directors from UTM and UTSC)

19STUDENT SERVICES

According to the Protocol, a majority of the student members on CoSS must vote in favour of a permanent fee increase or the introduction of a new fee (for example, to pay for construction of a new student building) or a campus-wide referendum must be passed before it can be approved by the university. Note that the fees MUST be permanent.

The Protocol allows for two major instances when the student majority on CoSS or the referendum is not necessary for the university to change a fee: when the fee is less than or equal to the Consumer Price Index (the CPI is a measure of inflation), or if the fee raised is a temporary one that lasts for no longer than three years and is limited to the greater of CPI and UTI (the University of Toronto Index, essentially a measure of inflation on campus; the method for calculating this is described in the Protocol). It should be pretty clear by now how CoSS fits into the grand scheme of things. CoSS evaluates the budgets set by Hart House, the Athletic Centre, the Office of Student Life and Programs, or any new mandatory fee to be introduced. Since these fees are mandatory for all students, CoSS must approve through a majority of its student members any permanent fee increase/decrease in the budgets of these services or any new fees, notwithstanding those exceptions mentioned above, which don’t need CoSS’s blessing to be approved by the University. The only other way that a new fee can be introduced, or fees for these services can be changed without CoSS approval (again notwithstand-ing the exceptions mentioned) is through a campus-wide student referendum. If the referendum is in the affirmative, the fee change then by-passes CoSS and moves to the University Affairs Board where it is usually approved and the University adds the fee to students’ tuition bills in the fall. On top of all this, CoSS discusses student life issues as related to the different student services and can ask that certain services make changes to their programming to better serve students, and collaborate with one of the other services.

What does CoSS mean for students?In practice, very rarely has the referendum clause been used (mainly due to the expense of mailing paper ballots to every student) and CoSS has approved and rejected fee changes in the past, decisions which the university has re-spected (though the notwithstanding clauses have been invoked on several occasions). Of course, as the university grows, CoSS will expect to see more requests to increase fees.

Didn’t know that students at U of T had so much power to affect changes, eh? Well we don’t blame you – CoSS is a committee that is not generally well known on campus outside of the students’ unions. Its membership is also limited, and though its mandate is powerful, it is limited by the aforementioned notwithstanding clauses in the Protocol. Full-time students do pay over $450 a year in student service fees so one should probably perk up when CoSS is mentioned in campus newspapers and should probably come by the U.T.S.U. to let us know your thoughts and questions about CoSS.

Finally, note that CoSS doesn’t deal with the litany of mandatory fees that are charged by individual Colleges, or mandatory academic-related fees. CoSS is strictly for campus-wide compulsory non-academic student services. Voluntary services such as food, residence, and parking don’t fall into its purview.

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So who are the CoSS reps that the U.T.S.U. sends and how are they se-lected? The U.T.S.U. Board of Directors approves the U.T.S.U. representatives to CoSS.

The 2009-2010 U.T.S.U. representatives are:Sandy Hudson, President (president@utsu.ca)Adam Awad, VP University Affairs (vpua@utsu.ca)Adnan Najmi, VP Internal and Services (vpis@utsu.ca)Hadia Akhtar, VP External (vpexternal@utsu.ca)

Student Life and Programs

Student Life Programs and Services evolved from what used to be the two separate divisions of Student Affairs and Student Services. The new division, headed by the Assistant Vice-President, Student Life, Lucy Fromowitz, “pro-vides the support, opportunities and infrastructure you need to reach your full potential.” It includes the Academic Success Centre, Accessibility Services, Ca-reer Centre, Centre for Community Partnerships, Counselling and Psychological Services, First Nations House, Hart House, Health Services, International Stu-dent Centre, Multi-Faith Centre, Student Housing Service, and Student Life Pro-grams, among others. Most of these services are located at the Koffler Student Services building at the south end of campus, but a number of them, like the International Students Centre, have their own offices or buildings elsewhere.

Student Life Programs and Services also manages Ulife (https://ulife.utoronto.ca), which is a directory of all the student clubs and associations on campus. The division offers club recognition, services for clubs, and audits all student associations on campus, including college councils. They help plan and co-ordinate orientation activities between the divisions, to make sure that everything is running smoothly so that new students get the information they need. There is a whole host of other things that Student Life is involved in, from training the Residence Life Staff that you will find at U of T’s residences, to organizing lead-ership and training conferences on campus.

Chances are high that you will use at least some of the services that Student Life helps provide, so you might as well know who’s behind all of the services and programs available to you. Chances are also high that there is a perfect opportunity for you to get involved that you just havent found yet, or a perfect service that you will come to need during your time here. So go on and check out http://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca to find your niche.

Hart House

Hart House is located at 7 Hart House Circle and is the university’s oldest building entirely dedicated to student life. Built in 1919, Hart House offers a variety of programs including Hart House clubs (like Bridge, Chess, Rifle, Orchestra, Film, Camera, and Archery), athletics (there are extensive gym facilities and a pool), music groups, eclectic food services at the Arbor Room and Gallery Grill, formals at the Great Hall, the Hart House Theatre (which can be rented out), spaces to chill and study (like the Library and East Common Room) and their famous Summer Pubs in the courtyard. Almost all of the Hart House rooms can

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be booked for events (student groups can usually book for free) and Hart House offers some of the best catering at U of T. Governance of Hart House largely falls to the Hart House Board of Stewards, which oversees the governance and management of the House and its diverse facilities and services. Students comprise roughly two-thirds of the Board of Stewards, which includes the following members;

The President of the University (ex officio) or his or her designateThe Warden of Hart House (ex officio)An appointee of the Governing CouncilTwo appointees of the President of the UniversityThe Chair of the Alumni Committee (ex officio)An appointee of the Association of Part Time Undergraduate Students (APUS)An appointee of the Graduate Students’ Union (GSU)An appointee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) (This is usually the Vice-President University Affairs i.e. Adam Awad for 2009-2010)A student member of the Finance Committee (to be chosen by said committee)The Student Secretaries (ex-officio) of the Art, Debates, Farm, House, Literary & Library, Music, Recreational Athletics, Theatre and Social Justice Committees, and any other Standing Committees as may be constituted by the Board of Stewards (to be elected by and from the membership of their respective committees)A student representative of the Scarborough CampusA student representative of the Mississauga CampusA Senior Member (to be elected by and from the membership of the Recreational Athletics Committee)

Each of the Standing Committees mentioned above (Art, Debates, Farm etc.) deals with a particular aspect of Hart House and are pretty self explanatory. Of special note about the governance of Hart House is that the Standing Com-mittees and the Board of Stewards are all majority student members, and any student that pays for the use of Hart House (i.e. everyone) is eligible to run in general elections to sit on the Standing Committees. Calls for nominations usu-ally go up in campus newspapers and on the website in February or March, so watch out for those. For more information about Hart House, and especially about its athletic facilities, which really are fabulous, check out www.harthouse.ca.

Athletics

In addition to the athletic facilities at Hart House, students also have access to the Athletic Centre, located at the corner of Harbord and Spadina. The AC is an expansive multi-storey facility that provides specialized athletic services for all students including gym and training facilities, a pool, strength, conditioning and fitness services, a sports medicine clinic, and athletics and recreational classes. While some of the registered classes require a fee, there are a number of free drop-in classes and use of the facilities itself is free to all students. (Technically, the cost of your membership is included in the incidental and ancillary fees you pay.)

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Since the opening of the Varsity Centre at 299 Bloor St. West, students also have access to the facilities located there, including a 5,000-seat stadium, 400m eight-lane track, state-of-the-art artificial turf field and a dome for winter use. The Varsity Centre is used extensively by our Varsity Blues athletes and our intramural teams. (Check with your divisional student council for information on the intramural sports offered). Governance at the AC goes through a committee called the Council of Athletics and Recreation (CAR). CAR is comprised of both students and non- students, setting the user fees for AC programs, the direction for intramurals and sports teams, the policies and direction for the AC, and manages all aspects of the AC and athletics programs at U of T (with the notable exception of Hart House athletics). Like all the other services, CAR reports an annual budget to CoSS that outlines the services offered, salaries paid, and sets the user fees and membership fees that it will charge to all students, as well as outside members. CAR also has several standing committees that are delegated specific aspects of the AC, Varsity Centre, and athletics that report back to CAR with recommendations. Like at Hart House, there are CAR seats that are open to the student body through general elections.

For more information about athletics, the AC and Varsity Centre, check out www.ac-fpeh.com.

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GOVERNANCE REFORM

GOVERNANCE REFORM

The Governing Council, as the highest decision-making body of the University, should be a place where students can engage with the issues that affect our lives. Whether with flat fees, environmental policy and practice, admission re-quirements, or the creation of a new programme, everything that the Governing Council decides is related to us. Unfortunately, the Council is not, and has not been for a long time, a place that is friendly to student participation. Because of this, the debate that takes place (when it takes place) lacks a broad range of input from those it will affect and whose perspectives add valuable analysis of issues. We believe that this is a major discrepancy that needs to be addressed and so are launching a campaign for Governing Council reform. There are three main aspects of governance which must be addressed in order for students to have a meaningful role to play in decision-making.

Student Representation:As it stands, there are only 8 students on a council of 50 people and these students are supposed to represent all 70 000 students at the university. Combined with a history of absenteeism on the part of the students who sit on the councils, students’ voices are being heard less and less. Universities ex-ist because of students, and it is our right to have a say in the decisions that affect our lives and our education. By having significantly more students sit on each board and council, we will be able to increase the number and variety of people who actively participate in the decision-making process. When more of our voices are heard, we can increase accountability, responsiveness, and relevance of these bodies. It is through greater participation that we will be able to build a university that works for us and exists to serve our needs.

International Students:International students have no representation on the governing bodies of the University, as it is required for all members to be Canadian citizens. This is prob-lematic because these boards and councils make decisions that directly affect international students, such as increases in tuition fees of at least $1 000 each year. Just as full-time students in the Professional Faculties and Arts and Sci-ence, part-time students, and graduate students all have unique circumstances and needs from the university, so too do international students. In order to make decisions effectively, these students must have a voice at the table.

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Unicameral vs. Bicameral Systems:The University of Toronto is one of the only schools in the entire country to have a unicameral governance system. That means that we have only one top governing body, the Governing Council. Nearly all of the other schools in the country have a bicameral governance system, meaning that they have both a Senate and a Board of Governors. While the Governing Council combines students, staff, faculty, senior administrators, alumni, and government appointees (most of whom are tied to a variety of large corporations) to deal with all of the business of the University, bicameral systems divide the work between the two bodies. In that system, the Senate is made up of students, faculty, and staff and makes all of the academic decisions, from admissions requirements to the establishment of departments, from curriculum changes to granting academic amnesty. The Board of Governors, on the other hand, takes care of the financial decisions and the business side of things and is made up of a wider range of people, including those with business and financial experience and expertise. The bicameral system allows those with the most knowledge of an area to discuss issues in depth and to ensure that the decisions they make are the best for the university. On the other hand, the unicameral system brings together people who do not have knowledge or experience of all of the issues and so must rely on trust to make decisions. This has led to a severe lack in debate over issues brought to the boards as well as a general tendency to approve all items presented. The unicameral system has proven, over the last 40 years, to be ineffective and mostly useless.

Your Rights at a Governing Council Meeting:

As a member of the University community, you have the right to attend all meetings of the Governing Council. These meetings are, by law, open and public. The meetings follow Bourinot’s rules, a system of rules that dictate meeting proceedings. You also have the right to request to speak on any item of an agenda or on an item of your choice, even if it is not on the agenda, for any meeting. If you make a request to speak at least 8 days before a meeting, you may also submit written documents that will be distributed to members of the Council. Above all of this, though, you have the right to demand accountability and representation from the Council. Be sure to check up on what the Council is discussing, contact your student reps, go to meetings, and make sure that your voice is being heard.

Towards 2030: The Wrong Kind of Vision

Every decade, the President of the University produces his vision of where the University should go over the next 20 years. In 2008, President Naylor put forward his report, titled “Towards 2030: Planning for a Third Century of Excellence at the University of Toronto,” to much controversy. The document plans for several major changes, including making the St. George campus primarily for graduate students, shifting undergraduate teaching to the Scarborough and Mississauga campuses, and increasing the role of private corporations in research and development. It was the Governing Council, however, that approved this plan and agreed with the direction that the President set.

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2030: Whose Voices?One of the main problems with this whole process is the lack of input from the broader University community. In the end, this select group of 50 people made the decision, on behalf of over 80 000 students, staff, and faculty, to follow an American model of elite education. Moreover, the Task Force for each aspect of the proposal was made up of members of the Governing Council, which means that they voted on their own recommendations. Highly undemocratic, to say the least.

In response to this, the students’ union ran a vote to poll students, faculty, and staff to gauge opinion on one central tenet of the document: the push to de-regulate tuition fees. If we weren’t going to be heard at the Council, we would be heard throughout the rest of campus. An overwhelming 93% of people disagreed with this and took the chance to make their voices heard. Unsurprisingly, the Council voted to support Towards 2030.

2030: Private Education?Beyond the issues mentioned above, one of the most disturbing aspects of the document is the influence of Council members’ perspectives on education. The visioning document calls not only for de-regulated tuition fees but also the selling of graduate research to the desires of private corporations, the continued suppression of student involvement in the governance process, and further exploitation of international students as a source of funding to make up for the shortfall in public funding. The document continues the current Governing Council culture of thinking of students as Basic Income Units (BIUs) and as objects from which to get money, rather than as the reason for the University’s existence. Through this undemocratic process, the voices and concerns of both students and faculty have been ignored in spite of the impact that this will have on the experience of both groups and on the quality of education over the next 20 years. By having adequate representation and influence in the governance process, we will be able to build a better university that works to serve students and ensure that a high-quality, accessible education remains its top priority.

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CONTACTS

CONTACTS

Now that you know how U of T works, we wanted to give you information about how to involve yourself in the process. We, as students, are why this university exists, and the system works best if we get involved.

If you want to know more about the University, are interested in or concerned about student issues or just want to check out the Commission and meet people, come out to our meetings. The meeting schedule is in your agenda/ handbook that is published by the University of Toronto Students’ Union, or you can email Adam at vpua@utsu.ca. All you have to do to join the commission is attend a meeting!

Your student representatives on Governing Council are:

Full-time Undergraduate Students:Andrew Agnew-Iler andrew.agnew.iler@utoronto.caRyan Campbell ryan.campbell@utoronto.caAdam Heller governing.council@utoronto.caMin-Hee (Margaret) Kim margaretm.kim@utoronto.ca

Part-time Undergraduate Students:Ken Davy kenneth.davy@utoronto.caJoeita Gupta joeita_gupta@hotmail.com

You can also email gc@utsu.ca to reach all members of Governing Council.

To get in touch with us:

Adam Awad, Vice-President, University Affairsvpua@utsu.caPhone: 416-978-4911 ext. 230

Carol Rodrigues, Associate Vice-President, University Affairscarol@utsu.ca

Clara Ho, Associate Vice-President, University Affairsclara@utsu.ca

Or, just stop by the U.T.S.U. offices at 12 Hart House Circle, and visit www.utsu.ca to find out more about your students’ union and the work that we do.

This guide is only one of many publications we have at the U.T.S.U. offices, and contains just some of the information that some of our members have in their heads. Adam, for example, is a walking encyclopaedia of UofT history. So please stop by our offices any time – we would love to talk with you!

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STATEMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL

PURPOSE

THE PURPOSE OF THE UNIVERSITY

“The University of Toronto is dedicated to fostering an academic community in which the learning and scholarship of every member may flourish, with vigilant protection for individual human rights, and a resolute commitment to the principles of equal

opportunity, equity and justice.

Within the unique university context, the most crucial of all human rights are the rights of freedom of speech, academic freedom, and freedom of research. And we affirm that these rights are meaningless unless they entail the right to raise deeply disturbing questions and provocative challenges to the cherished beliefs of society at large and of

the university itself.

It is this human right to radical, critical teaching and research with which the University has a duty above all to be concerned; for there is no one else, no other institution and no other office, in our modern liberal democracy, which is the custodian of this most precious and vulnerable right of the

liberated human spirit.”

Tired of not having a say in what happens on campus?

Think that students should be more involved in making the decisions that affect our lives?

Feel like you’re just another number in a huge university?

We feel the same.

Join the campaign to change decision-making at U of T and make sure that your voice is heard. After all, if you’re not getting what you need, what’s the point of being here? It’s time for students to have a say.

It’s time for us to be involved. This is our time.to get involved, send an e-mail to gcreform@utsu.ca or check us out on facebook.