Friday, September 27, 2013

2nd Toronto International Students Festival 2013: September 28

The City of Toronto would like to invite you, your faculty members and students to the 2nd International Students Festival to be held on September 28th at David Pecaut Square, Toronto. This festival is organized to celebrate the presence of international students and to recognize their contribution in various fields. On this occasion, three students from the University of Toronto will also be presented an International Student Toronto Excellence Award. For more information about the event, please see the attached note and an event flyer. Promotional video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DnVfTcX5To

We hope you can attend and will appreciate if you can invite and encourage faculty members and students (both Canadian and international) to attend this exciting event in support of international students and their families.

Thank you for your consideration and support.

Kind regards,

Jagdish

 ----------------
Jagdish Yadav, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor, Education
Economic Development & Culture
City of Toronto
City Hall, 9th Floor, East Tower
100 Queen Street West, Toronto, M5H 2N2

Phone: (416) 397-4950
Fax: (416) 392-3374


____________

2nd Toronto International Students Festival 2013
September 28, 2013; 1:00 – 6:00 PM
David Pecaut Square, 55 John Street, Toronto
                                                        
The City of Toronto is partnering with academic institutions and the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to enhance the positive experiences of international students who come here to study and live. To kick off this annual initiative, from August 15th to September 8th, the City of Toronto hosted its Airport Welcome Program for all International students newly arriving at Toronto Pearson International Airport, providing them with all the information they needed to get settled in their new home.

The City is now preparing to celebrate those International Students who have chosen Toronto as their academic hub with its 2nd annual Toronto International Students Festival. With over 59,000 international students in Ontario, Toronto has emerged as the largest centre of foreign students in Canada.

 Last year’s 1st Toronto International Students Festival 2012 had over 1,500 people attend at Nathan Philips Square. At this year’s festival close to 3,000 international students, their families and friends, civic leaders, senior officials and staff of the partner universities and colleges and representatives of some top countries, which are the source of most of Toronto’s international students, will be attending.

The Festival will feature speeches, cultural performances, award presentations, arts display, agency display booths and prizes. Event will be a prime networking spot for students from different countries, universities and colleges will find networking and integration opportunities among themselves and with business and community groups, employers, government and foreign government representatives. One the main events at this year’s festival: Eight students from Jamaica, Russia, India, United States, China, Ukraine and Mexico will receive Toronto Excellence Awards in the categories of community services, entrepreneurship, Academic excellence, sports, arts & culture, and student services.

Come out and join in on the celebrations:

v  See diversity of nations on display (live performances, art & cultural exhibitions);
v  Meet Excellence Award Winner International Students and learn about their unique contributions to communities and businesses;
v  Meet representatives from universities and colleges from all over Ontario; foreign country representatives;
v  See local and provincial agencies coming together to welcome and support international students from around the world

Purpose of this event is to:
v  To celebrate international students and their achievements;
v  To directly listen to the views of civic, academic and student leaders;
v  To make international students feel welcome, supported and appreciated in Toronto;
v  To expose students to diverse cultural and entertainment activities and motivate them to participate and develop fond memories; and
v  To promote Toronto, Ontario and Canada as the global educational destinations.


Interviews and meetings with award winners, government and institutional representatives and others, can be facilitated via our media table. Please contact us in advance so interview times can be arranged.

Promotional video via Youtube link is: http://youtu.be/9DnVfTcX5To

More information about programs at: toronto.ca/international-students

For more information and to set up interviews:
Contact: Jagdish Yadav, Senior Advisor Education Sector, Economic Development & Culture Division, City of Toronto at: jyadav@toronto.ca

Invitation to the Installation of Meric S. Gertler as 16th President of the University of Toronto

September 23, 2013
To:                   Principals, Deans, Academic Directors, & Chairs
From:               Bryn MacPherson,
 Executive Director, Office of the President

Re:                   Invitation to the Installation of Meric S. Gertler as
16th President of the University of Toronto
___________________________________________________________________
Kindly distribute this invitation to Faculty in your department, including Professors emeriti:

The Governing Council of the University of Toronto
requests the honour of your presence at
the Installation of Meric S. Gertler as
the 16th President of the University of Toronto

Thursday, November 7, 2013 at 3:00 p.m.
Convocation Hall  (31 King’s College Circle)


To join the Academic Procession
or to attend as a Guest
kindly RSVP by October 21st by following this link:

Friday, September 20, 2013

University of Victoria: Faculty Position in Civil & Environmental Engineering

UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA
FACULTY POSITIONS IN CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

The Faculty of Engineering, at the University of Victoria, invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant or Associate Professor levels in all areas of Civil or Environmental Engineering. Applicants with research interests in the areas of Environmental Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Project and Construction Management and Building Science are particularly encouraged to apply. Candidates applying for the position must have a PhD in Civil Engineering or a related field, and have a demonstrated ability or potential for excellence in teaching, research, graduate student supervision, verbal and written communication, and collaboration with colleagues with engineering and non-engineering backgrounds. Candidates must be registered as a professional engineer or be eligible for and committed to registration. The successful applicant will be expected to teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels, supervise graduate students, establish an active research program, and participate in the academic affairs of the university. The successful applicant will contribute to the development and growth of an innovative new Civil and Environmental Engineering program that will emphasize sustainability and include program wide problem based learning. The program will initially be part of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

At present, the Department offers B.Eng. M.Eng., M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering, as well as B.Eng. degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering. The new M.Eng., M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering is under development.

The Department has 24 faculty members including three Canada Research Chairs, and about 120 graduate students. The Department is known for its strong research programs in broad areas with superb research funding, and a large number of research personnel and visiting researchers. With an excellent collegial atmosphere and active research, the Department attracts outstanding faculty and staff, as well as first-rate graduate and undergraduate students. Further information on the Department can be found at http://www.me.uvic.ca/.

The University of Victoria (http://www.uvic.ca/) is situated in the City of Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, at the southeast tip of Vancouver Island. Founded in 1963, the University is ranked as one of the leading universities in Canada with a reputation for excellence in research and teaching. Victoria is one of the most scenic locales in Canada with a pleasant climate year round.

Applications should include curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching and research objectives and interests, and the names, addresses, telephone number, and email addresses of at least four referees. Applications can be sent electronically by November 15, 2013 in PDF or MS Word formats to: mecee@uvic.ca, addressed to:

Dr. Caterina Valeo
Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering Appointment Committee
University of Victoria
PO Box 1700
Victoria, BC, Canada V8W 2Y2

The University of Victoria is an equity employer and encourages applications from women, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, Aboriginal Peoples, people of all sexual orientations and genders, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of the university. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Turnitin.com license Update

PDAD&C #17 2013-14

To:   PDAD&C
From:       Jill Matus, Vice-Provost, Students & First-Entry Divisions
Date: September 10, 2013
RE:   Update on the University of Toronto’s Turnitin.com license

Overview
Turnitin.com is an electronic resource that assists in the detection and deterrence of plagiarism. It is widely used by universities in the United States and Canada, and by over 1 million active instructors across 10,000 educational institutions from 126 countries.  Each submitted paper is checked for textual similarity against 24 billion pages on the Internet and 300+ million papers previously submitted to Turnitin (including paper mill essays), as well as 110,000 journals, periodicals, and books. Turnitin Originality Reports, which are generated for instructors within minutes, highlight questionable areas and can potentially save instructors time as they investigate the originality of student work and verify citations. Using the information from the Reports, as well as any other relevant information, individual instructors need to exercise their independent professional judgment about whether these highlighted passages represent plagiarism.

Turnitin.com and Learning Portal Integration Since September 2002, the University of Toronto has been licensing the plagiarism detection and deterrence tools offered through Turnitin.com for use by instructors in courses. As of 1 September 2013, Turnitin will be integrated with the University’s Learning Portal.  This integration allows for the creation of Turnitin Assignments directly in Portal Courses. Instructors set up “Turnitin Assignments” through their course site in the Learning Portal and students submit their work to the site.  Turnitin Assignments are also integrated into the Blackboard Grade Center in the Learning Portal, allowing for easier management of submissions.  All interaction with Turnitin reports and submitted files is directly through each Portal Course.  Every student in a Portal Course will automatically have access to any Turnitin Assignments created within it, which will do away with the class IDs and enrolment passwords required by the Turnitin website.

We ask that you remind instructors in your unit about the Conditions of Use (see below) pertaining to Turnitin use at UofT. While the use of Turnitin.com is completely voluntary, when Turnitin is used, instructors must adhere to the University of Toronto’s Conditions of Use. Instructors are responsible for reviewing the Conditions of Use prior to using Turnitin in their courses. 

Conditions of Use at the University of Toronto
      1.    Turnitin.com is a tool that will assist in detecting textual similarities between compared works. Instructors must exercise their independent professional judgment in, and assume responsibility for, determining whether a text has been plagiarized or not.

      2.    Students must be informed at the start of the course that the instructor will be using Turnitin.com.
The course syllabus must include the following statement:
“Normally, students will be required to submit their course essays to Turnitin.com for a review of textual similarity and detection of possible plagiarism. In doing so, students will allow their essays to be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database, where they will be used solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. The terms that apply to the University's use of the Turnitin.com service are described on the Turnitin.com website”.

            Please note: this statement cannot be altered in any way.
      3.    Turnitin.com is most effective when it is used by all students in a particular course; however, if and when students object to its use on principle, a reasonable offline alternative must be offered. A wide variety of non-electronic methods can be used to deter and detect plagiarism; for example, the requirement that all rough work be handed in with the assignment or that the student include an annotated bibliography. Instructors may wish to consult with the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI) when establishing these alternatives.

For more information on Turnitin or for support, please visit the website for the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation at:



Copyright Compliance at the University of Toronto Update

PDAD&C #15, 2013-14

To:       PDAD&C
From:  Cheryl Regehr, Vice President and Provost
Date:  September 5, 2013
Re:       Update on Copyright Compliance at the University of Toronto

PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY TO FACULTY MEMBERS AND STAFF.

With a new term commencing, it is a good time to provide you with an update on copyright compliance at the University of Toronto and on the options for faculty to make “in copyright” materials available to students.

The University takes its copyright obligations seriously. As such, we are committed to providing faculty, staff, and students with accurate and up to date copyright information.  The copyright landscape in Canada has changed significantly in the last few years.   In 2012, the Copyright Act was significantly amended, including among other things a broadening of educational use provisions.  Also in 2012, the Supreme Court of Canada released a series of decisions that point to a broader and more generous interpretation of “user rights,” including fair dealing.  There have been developments in the area of Open Access, and the expectations regarding copyright in the scholarly publishing world are evolving. Technology continues to change rapidly. The expectations of content creators and content users are being tested in a variety of ways, including in litigation.

Attached to this memo are links to a suite of resources that will assist you, as a faculty member or staff member, as you navigate these rapidly changing waters.

•          Copyright Basics and Copyright FAQs:  This is a new, updated document that presents detailed information on your rights and obligations under Canadian Copyright Law and our license with Access Copyright.

•          Copyright Roadmap (attached):  This document lays out a brief set of steps to consider as you analyze a copyright issue.

•          Fair Dealing Guidelines:  Published in 2012, these guidelines remain a very important tool in assessing fair dealing.

•          List of copy shops licensed by Access Copyright for printing and sale of course packs:  Faculty should only use these licensed copy shops or the University of Toronto Bookstore operated by the University of Toronto Press for paper coursepack printing and distribution.  It is important to note that the University continues to work closely with the University of Toronto Bookstore to provide course materials to students.  To produce a paper coursepack, faculty members can contact their usual textbook coordinator at the Bookstore who can explain the process or contact CSPI directly at 416-929-2774 or email info@coursepack.ca.  Please note that when paper coursepacks are not pedagogically necessary, you will be able to save students money by linking in Blackboard directly to resources licensed by the library or by scanning a document directly into Blackboard as permitted under the Fair Dealing Guidelines or our Access Copyright license.  Please refer to the Copyright Basics and Copyright FAQs site for more detailed information.

•          Please do not hesitate to contact Bobby Glushko, the Scholarly Communications and Copyright Librarian, at copyright@library.utoronto.ca with any copyright related questions.


We hope that these resources are of assistance.  

Undergraduate Student Societies Summit Update

PDAD&C #19 2013-2014

To: PDAD&C
From: Cheryl Regehr, Vice-President & Provost
Date: September 12, 2013
RE: Update on Undergraduate Student Societies Summit

At its meeting on June 17th, the Executive Committee of Governing Council determined that, in light of disputes between divisional student societies and student governments regarding the distribution of student fees and democratic reform, the proposed Student Commons Agreement and the Report of the Project Planning Committee for the Student Commons would be deferred for consideration by Governing Council in a future cycle. For background on those disputes, please see the attached memo.

In order to resolve those outstanding disputes, and make it possible to take the Student Commons motions forward to Governing Council, former Provost Cheryl Misak last month set up an Undergraduate Student Societies Summit. The Summit, including experts in democratic theory and practice and student group representatives, will consider the issues and facilitate both discussion between the student groups and a satisfactory outcome on which we can proceed.

The Summit participants are asked to consider the following:

* In a Policy environment in which there are currently four representative student governments (UTSU, SCSU, GSU, APUS) recognized by Governing Council and supported by mandatory fee deductions from students in the relevant constituencies, how can the sometimes distinct interests of divisional societies be supported and respected in a democratic manner?
* What are the implications of these answers on the evolution of the democratic structures of the student governments or on fee support for the activities of the divisional societies?

These questions will be explored in the context of the issues raised by recent fee diversion referenda but are not limited to the fee diversion issue alone. Although the Summit cannot effect policy changes (only the Governing Council can do that), if it concludes that further analysis should be undertaken, it may suggest issues that could be considered as part of a policy review. The Summit is intended to be a substantial, principled, and facilitated conversation.

In order to broaden the group of student leaders providing input into the discussion, UTSU and all the divisional/collegiate societies represented by UTSU will be able to send members to the Summit. We have extended the original (September 1) deadline until the end of this week and have invited each of the following groups to name up to two members to participate:

* University of Toronto Students' Union (UTSU)
* UTM Students' Union (UTMSU)
* Arts & Science Student Union (ASSU)
* Dental Students' Society
* Engineering Society (EngSoc)
* Faculty of Music Undergraduate Association
* Innis College Student Society
* Medical Society
* New College Student Council
* Nursing Undergraduate Society
* Physical Health & Education Undergraduate Association
* St. Michael's College Students Union
* Student Teachers' Union
* Students' Law Society
* Transitional Year Program Student Association
* Trinity College Meeting
* Undergraduate Pharmacy Society
* University College Literary & Athletic Society (UCLit)
* Victoria University Students' Administrative Council (VUSAC)
* Woodsworth College Students' Association

Other student groups including the Scarborough Campus Student Union (SCSU), the Graduate Students' Union (GSU), and the Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students (APUS), student clubs, and other members of the University community are invited to make written submissions, and the Summit members might invite in-person submissions as well. Please send written submissions to David Newman, Director, Student Life (dl.newman@utoronto.ca) by October 1, 2013.

The faculty Summit members will be:

* Professor Donald Ainslie (Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts & Science, and Principal, University College)
* Professor Joe Desloges (Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Arts & Science, and Principal, Woodsworth College)
* Professor Graham White (Department of Political Science, University of Toronto Mississauga)
* Professor Linda White (Department of Political Science, Faculty of Arts & Science)

Professor Jill Matus, Vice-Provost, Students & First Entry Divisions, Professor Mark McGowan, Special Advisor to the Vice-Provost Students, and Mr. David Newman, Director, Student Life, will provide support from the Administration. Professor Desloges will act as Chair of the Summit meetings.

We will begin next week to schedule the first meeting of what is likely to be a multi-meeting process. The Summit may call on Professor Brian Langille, from the Faculty of Law, to facilitate the discussions and/or the outcome. The Summit will meet as necessary through the Fall 2013 term. It will give updates and report its conclusions to both Governing Council and the Provost.

_________

Attachment:

To: Governing Council
Members of the University Affairs Board
Mr. Ben Crase, Trinity College Meeting
Mr. Mauricio Curbelo, U of T Engineering Society
Mr. Munib Sajjad, UTSU
CC: The Varsity
From: Cheryl Misak, Vice-President & Provost
Date: May 24, 2013

RE: Fee Diversion Referenda: Governance and Policy Context

Please distribute widely.

We have seen over the last year an ongoing series of complaints and frustrations on the part of some divisional student societies towards the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU). Trinity College Meeting (Trinity) and the Engineering Society (EngSoc) have recently held referenda requesting diversion of fees collected by the University on behalf of UTSU.

The response of the Office of the Provost during these debates between student societies has been to encourage electoral and representational reforms on UTSU’s part and to note to the divisional societies that the Office of the Provost cannot simply divert fees from UTSU to them. I write now to amplify and provide more contextual information after the vigorous debate at the May 23, 2013 meeting of Governing Council.

Governance and Policy Context

The University of Toronto Act, 1971 sets out the powers of Governing Council, which include those granted under the University of Toronto Act, 1947. Among the powers in the latter Act is the power to recognize “committees” representative of the students, now called “student societies.”

Governing Council has chosen to recognize various student societies for specified purposes. UTSU is one such society. Governing Council has also enacted the Policy for Compulsory Non-Academic Incidental Fees to deal with, among other things, the collection of fees on behalf of such student societies. The Policy states that a student society is an organization “on whose behalf the University collects a compulsory non-academic incidental fee, in which membership is automatic and determined by registration and status in a particular division or program, or in one of a number of divisions or programs of the University of Toronto”.

Undergraduate students in Arts and Science at Trinity College, and in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, are among the many members of UTSU, which automatically represents full-time undergraduate students, as defined by division of registration, registered in a faculty on the St. George campus in a program leading to a degree, diploma or certificate.

It is important to note that the Governing Council itself, by policy, has both recognized UTSU as a student society, and has committed itself to collecting fees to support its activities. It is also important to note that there is no current provision in policy for the administration, acting on behalf of Governing Council, to divert compulsory fees from UTSU to local divisional societies such as Trinity or EngSoc. Diversion of compulsory student society fees to local or divisional societies would require a policy change, since Governing Council has not chosen to enact policy providing for such action, nor has it given the Provost authority to do so.

A significant feature of the Governing Council’s recognition of student societies is the autonomy they receive, subject to the requirement expressed in the Policy for Compulsory Non-Academic Incidental Fees that such societies operate in “an open, accessible and democratic fashion, following the terms of their constitutions” and subject to the need for financial transparency for audited financial statements and other financial provisions.

Governing Council has given the Provost a role in ensuring that these standards are met. The same policy states that where the Provost has reason to believe that a society is not operating in an open, accessible and democratic fashion, the Provost can take various steps which ultimately may lead to the withholding of the fees the University collects on behalf of the society, subject to an appeal to the University Affairs Board of Governing Council.

I have had cause to withhold fees once during my term as Provost, with respect to a divisional student society. When the democratic issue was resolved, the fees that had been withheld were flowed to the student society in question. I do not have the authority to divert fees. That is, I do not have the authority to withhold fees and then redistribute them to other student societies.

Where does the University Affairs Board (UAB) fit into this picture?

The terms of reference of the UAB state in section 5.2 that with respect to compulsory non-academic incidental fees, such fees are approved by the Board. Changes to those fees must of course be consistent with the policies of Governing Council. The diversion of fees is not permitted in those policies. At the meeting of Governing Council on May 23, the Secretary of the Governing Council commented on the interrelationship of the Governing Council’s own policy and the terms of reference of the UAB. There is no conflict between the two.

At the University of Toronto, policy creation falls within the authority of Governing Council, which has chosen to exercise this authority in a way that is typical of governance boards – by looking to administration to develop, consult, and eventually put forward proposed policies for Governing Council’s consideration. Governing Council looks at the big picture and the interests of the University as a whole. Through its meetings and other work, Governing Council engages its members, representing various estates including students, in arriving at conclusions as to how it wants its powers to be exercised via policy, as it has done in the case of the Policy on Compulsory Non-Academic Incidental Fees.

The Provost’s Role in Ensuring Open, Accessible and Democratic Operation

It is not necessary for me to get into the background details, but it suffices to say that for several years concerns have been brought forward by students about whether UTSU has been operating in an open, accessible and democratic manner, particularly with respect to elections issues. The persistence of these concerns has led to my Office becoming involved on several occasions. I have highlighted the importance of electoral reform, and, most recently, have indicated clearly that in the complex University of Toronto context, on-line elections are an essential feature of open, accessible and democratic operation. I have indicated to UTSU, in writing, that on-line voting must be available for the 2014 elections. If that is not the case, the clause in the Policy with respect to the withholding of fees will be applied. I have also indicated my expectations regarding electoral reforms, including the redundancy of proxy voting in an on-line voting environment. I am pleased that UTSU has committed, in writing, to making on-line voting available and has instituted various electoral reforms. I and my office will continue to monitor UTSU’s progress in meeting these expectations.

But electoral reform is not the whole of the picture. It is clear that some divisional societies have become so dissatisfied with UTSU that they are seeking to have fees, that would otherwise go to UTSU, diverted to their own organizations for similar purposes but under local administration. Trinity and EngSoc have gone so far as to conduct referenda, indicating overwhelming support for fee diversion. Trinity and EngSoc have asked that this issue be placed on the UAB agenda. I have recommended to the Chair of the UAB – and she has agreed – that such a motion not be placed on the agenda since it is not consistent with Governing Council policy, as stated above.

What are the next steps?

First, consistent with the concept of autonomy of student societies, the issues that are being raised are ones that the students themselves ideally should agree upon. But, given the importance of enhancing the student experience through activities supported by student societies, we are not prepared to let such significant points of dissent among the students be ignored. Accordingly, I am arranging for meetings between UTSU, Trinity and EngSoc to take place to discuss the matters that have sparked the fee diversion referenda on May 30 and June 6. I have indicated that it is best for the parties to meet on their own initially – this is, after all, an issue for the students themselves – but thereafter my Office would be pleased to arrange a facilitator. I have consulted with both the Dean of Arts and Science and the Dean of Law regarding a suitable expert to assist, and I hope to have someone available soon.

Second, while it is of course possible that Governing Council will decide to change its Policy so that fee diversion is allowed, the case for fee diversion will need to take into consideration demarcation issues, possibilities for fragmentation, the impact on students as a whole, and so on. Any such proposal for policy change, that is, would require a careful process.

In sum, the Provost’s Office takes these issues very seriously and we are working actively to assist in productive change. There is real prospect for a resolution when electoral reform, on-line voting, and facilitated discussion are combined with what I hope will be a spirit of collegiality among the students, recognizing that coherent sub-groups among them have some unique interests that the body as a whole needs to consider.

So as not to prejudice the dialogue, I will be limiting my public statements on this matter. But I will be reporting to governance at appropriate times as the issues move forward. This will include an information session involving governors and student leaders. As matters currently stand, I do not believe that this issue should be placed on the agenda for the next UAB meeting.

I remain optimistic that the upshot of the ongoing conversation will be a strengthening of democracy in our student governments and a fair and responsive use of student fees that balances campus-wide and divisional interests.

Change to Employment Status for Post-Doctoral Fellows in CUPE bargaining unit

PDAD&C #16, 2013-14

To:         PDAD&C
From:       Brian Corman, Dean, School of Graduate Studies
            Angela Hildyard, Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity
Date:       September 6, 2013
Re:         Change to Employment Status for Post-Doctoral Fellows in CUPE bargaining unit

You may recall (see PDAD&C#53 and 55) that a secret ballot vote was to be conducted to assess whether a majority of Post-Doctoral Fellows ("PDFs") in the bargaining unit proposed by CUPE wished to be represented by CUPE as their exclusive bargaining agent in dealing with the University.  A majority of those casting ballots voted in favour of unionization. The Ontario Labour Relations Board ("OLRB") has now issued the Certificate confirming that CUPE has exclusive bargaining rights with respect to employees in the following bargaining unit:

All persons employed as Postdoctoral Fellows by the University of Toronto in the City of Toronto and the City of Mississauga and registered as Postdoctoral Fellows with the School of Graduate Studies save and except:
1)    persons who exercise managerial functions or who are employed in a confidential capacity in matters related to labour relations;
2)    persons for whom any other trade union holds bargaining rights under the Labour Relations Act; and
3)    Postdoctoral Fellows who apply for and are awarded funding from any source other than the University of Toronto including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR, or foundations such as the Mellon Foundation.

NOTE 1:  Postdoctoral Fellows who receive their stipends through a hospital are not included in the bargaining unit.
NOTE 2:  Postdoctoral Fellows are included in the bargaining unit notwithstanding the exclusion in (3) above where:
(a)   at the time after they first commence employment with the University of Toronto as a Postdoctoral Fellow, they are receiving funding solely from the University of Toronto so as to be in the bargaining unit;
(b)   they subsequently apply for and are awarded additional funding from any source other than the University of Toronto; and
(c)   the additional funding in (b) above is less than the funding that the Postdoctoral Fellow is continuing to receive from the University of Toronto.

The OLRB had ruled on January 20, 2012 that PDFs in this kind of bargaining unit could be considered employees for the purposes of the Labour Relations Act.

Since the subset of PDFs in question have clearly indicated their intention to be represented by CUPE and no longer to be treated as independent academic trainees, the University is taking steps to ensure that PDFs who would fall within the bargaining unit will be treated as employees when they are hired and offer letters are being amended for this purpose.  With respect to existing PDFs within the bargaining unit, communication is going to all relevant Post-Doctoral Fellows to advise them of the change. 

Those PDFs who will be included within the CUPE bargaining unit must be treated as employees for the purpose of statutory deductions for Income Tax, CPP and EI.  These deductions will be made automatically from the stipend payments to PDFs in the bargaining unit, in the same manner that occurs for other employees. The University has advised CUPE that it intends to proceed to implement such required deductions very shortly.

Once CUPE has provided notice to bargain, the University will bargain in good faith and will endeavour to agree upon a first collective agreement which will set out the detailed terms and conditions of employment.  Before bargaining commences, an expert bargaining committee will be formed to represent the interests of the University, and there will be opportunities for input into the development of the bargaining mandate, as occurs with all collective bargaining at the University. It is important to keep in mind that Employment Standards Legislation does outline minimum expectations with respect to vacation entitlements, hours of work, leaves (e.g. maternity leave).

There will doubtless be questions that will arise from PDFs, PIs and others, as to the detailed implication of the changes necessitated by the choice of this group of PDFs to unionize.  SGS, HR, and Labour Relations will all be working together to provide additional information in the coming months.  In the interim, questions should be directed to the SGS Post-Doctoral Fellowship Office and they will be answered as soon as possible on a coordinated basis.

Contacts:
Lisa Haley, SGS Post Doctoral Fellowship Office (postdoctoral@sgs.utoronto.ca) Mikael Swayze, Labour Relations (mikael.swayze@utoronto.ca)


Advisory Committee for the Appointment of a Dean, School of Graduate Studies

PDAD&C#20, 2013-14

To:   School of Graduate Studies
      Principals, Deans, Academic Directors and Chairs
      Members of the Graduate Students' Union

From: Cheryl Regehr, Vice-President and Provost

Re:   Advisory Committee for the Appointment of a Dean, School of Graduate Studies

CC:   President David Naylor
      The Bulletin

As announced in PDAD&C #71 on June 28, 2013, Professor Brian Corman will complete his first term as Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost, Graduate Education on June 30, 2014.  Professor Corman has indicated he will not be seeking reappointment.

In accordance with Section 61 of the Policy on Appointment of Academic Administrators, President David Naylor has appointed an advisory committee to recommend the appointment of a Dean of the School. The composition of the committee is as follows:

*     Professor Cheryl Regehr, Vice-President and Provost (Chair)
*     Mr. Larry Alford, Chief Librarian
*     Ms. Alexis Archbold, Assistant Dean Students, Faculty of Law
*     Professor Katherine Berg, Chair, Department of Physical Therapy and Executive Chair, Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine
*     Professor Markus Bussmann, Vice-Dean Graduate Studies, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
*     Professor Sven Dickinson, Chair, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Arts & Science
*     Mr. Christopher Fraser, Graduate Student, Dalla Lana School of Public Health
*     Professor Roberta Fulthorpe, Graduate Chair, Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences, UTSC
*     Professor Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice Dean, Undergraduate UTM and Director of the Centre of Criminology and Sociolegal Studies, Faculty of Arts and Science
*     Professor Alison Keith, Department of Classics, Faculty of Arts & Science
*     Professor Don McLean, Dean, Faculty of Music
*     Ms. Lara Popic, Graduate Student, Faculty of Arts & Science
*     Mr. Chirag Variawa, Graduate Student, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
*     Professor Sandy Welsh, Vice-Dean, Graduate Education & Program Reviews, Faculty of Arts & Science


As part of its work, the Committee will be reviewing the School of Graduate Studies. The Committee welcomes comments and suggestions, which should be sent to sgs.review@utoronto.ca, or to the attention of Assistant Provost Archana Sridhar at Simcoe Hall, Room 225, 27 King's College Circle.

Nominations for the Advisory Search Committee for Dean of the Faculty of Medicine

PDAD&C #14, 2013-14

To:   Faculty, Staff and Students, Faculty of Medicine
      PDAD&C
From: Cheryl Regehr, Vice-President and Provost
Re:   Nominations for the Advisory Search Committee for Dean of the Faculty of Medicine
CC:   President David Naylor
      The Bulletin

On December 31, 2014, Professor Catharine Whiteside will complete her second term as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Vice-Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions.

In accordance with Section 60 of the Policy on Appointment of Academic Administrators, I am calling for nominations for the advisory committee that will advise the President on the appointment of a new Dean.  The Policy mandates the potential composition of the advisory committee as follows:

*     The Vice-President and Provost (Chair);
*     Three to five members of the teaching staff of the Faculty;
*     One to three students of the Faculty;
*     The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies or representative;
*     A librarian, where appropriate;
*     Two or three other qualified scholars from within or outside this University, but outside the Faculty;
*     In addition, the committee may include an alumnus/a, a member of the administrative staff, and a senior member of the appropriate professional community.

Nominations for the committee should be submitted by October 4, via the Vice-President and Provost's web site online form at http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/committees/advisory/Medicine.htm.


Questions should be directed to Assistant Provost Archana Sridhar at archana.sridhar@utoronto.ca

New Director for Environmental Health & Safety: Marc Drouin

To:      PDAD&C; Professional & Managerial Staff
Cc:      HR Divisional Offices
From:  Angela Hildyard, Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity

Re:      Staff Announcement – New Director for Environmental Health & Safety

I am very pleased to announce that Marc Drouin has accepted the position of Director of Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S), effective September 23, 2013. 

Marc is currently the Director of the Environmental Health and Safety division – Facilities for the Université de Sherbrooke and its three campuses. In this role he has been responsible for the strategic development and successful implementation of Sherbrooke’s health and safety program. 

Marc comes to the position with a commitment to the development of a culture of safety within the academic environment and an in-depth understanding of safety issues in science and research performance requirements for universities. He believes in a collaborative, problem-solving approach and will work in partnership with our community to ensure that the University's Environmental Health & Safety practices and procedures are exemplary.

Marc holds a Masters of Science in Chemistry from McGill University and a Masters of Business and Administration from the Université de Sherbrooke.

I am confident that under the leadership of Marc and the EH&S Associate Director, Gina Trubiani, this unit will continue to develop into a leading edge group of EH&S professionals.

Please join me in welcoming Marc to the University of Toronto.

Welcome to the CIV-MIN Blog

This is where we compile all the announcements, postings and non-urgent alerts that used to clog up your email inbox. Feel free to scroll through the latest postings organized by date below, or check our categorized listings on the right for the information you want.