By Jake MacAndrew and Gabriela Silva Ponte
A motion to amend Bylaw 1 of Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) general bylaws, which would reflect the new legal name of the university, was passed at the first Board of Governors (BoG) meeting of the year on Jan. 30.
All mentions of “Ryerson University” were moved to be replaced with “Toronto Metropolitan University.”
The new name came into effect after the legal name change was approved by the provincial government in December 2022.
Here’s what else you missed at the January Board of Governors meeting:
Lincoln Alexander School of Law adds Masters of Law and PhD degrees
The Lincoln Alexander School of Law will be moving forward with a graduate program providing a Masters of Law and PhD degrees, said interim provost and vice-president academic Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano.
According to a TorontoMet Today news release, the program will provide graduates of the Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Laws degrees options for further education.
Iannacito-Provenzano said the Board invited the community to give input on the proposed graduate program by Jan. 27 through a letter on intent. She added they will be moving forward with the proposal.
The meeting materials said the graduate program will focus on legal theory and its application into “racial justice, the incorporation of Indigenous legal frameworks, the uses of technology in law and the analysis of new policy frameworks to ensure individual privacy and security in the digital world.”
School of Medicine recruiting roles ahead of proposed opening date
The School of Medicine is prioritizing recruitment of certain job positions ahead of the new school’s proposed opening date in 2025, according to Iannacito-Provenzano.
“The School of Medicine team is actively recruiting for a number of roles, including for a Black health lead and an Indigenous health lead,” said Iannacito-Provenzano.
She said these priority hires emphasize the importance of equity, diversity, inclusivity and accessibility.
As previously reported by The Eyeopener, the School of Medicine will be located in the Bramalea Civic Centre in Brampton, Ont.
Leadership Lab and Brookfield Institute merger
TMU president Mohamed Lachemi updated the board about the Leadership Lab and Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship merger.
Executive director of the Leadership Lab, Karim Bardeesy, will be the new executive director of the venture.
Lachemi mentioned that over the next few months, Bardeesy will lead his team through the change and work on finding a new name for the merged labs.
The merger was announced last month in a TorontoMet Today release.
The Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship “is a non-partisan public policy think-tank working to prepare Canadians for the opportunities and risks in the shift to an innovation-driven economy,” according to their website.
The Leadership Lab is an “action-oriented think-tank,” according to the lab’s website. It works on enhancing leaders and helping to provide solutions for civic challenges. Some of its projects include DemocracyXChange, a Canadian Democracy Summit it co-founded, and FirstPolicyResponse, the lab’s aggregator and publisher of economic and social policy ideas relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in partnership with the Brookfield Institute.
Postdoctoral fellowship program for Black scholars
As a part of TMU’s initiative to increase Black representation in disciplines across campus, a postdoctoral fellowship program for Black scholars was implemented, said Iannacito-Provenzano.
“It is a tangible demonstration of our institutional commitment to being bold and inclusive,” she said.
The Presidential Implementation Committee to Confront Anti-Black Racism announced the launch on Jan. 19. The program will start in September 2023.
“Postdoctoral fellows are individuals who, within three to five years of being awarded a PhD (or equivalent degree) continue to conduct mentored research and advanced training in their field of study, to acquire competencies for a career as an independent researcher and/or faculty member in academia,” according to the TMU Graduate Studies website.
This fellowship will offer four Black scholars $70,000 per year to support up to two years of postdoctoral salary, according to its website.
Applications opened in January and will be due on April 1, 2023. Applicants can expect to hear back by July.
Financial budget awaiting government update
An introduction to the 2023-24 budget was presented to the board, though there were no financial specifics as the university awaits a provincial government update on the funding framework.
According to Lachemi, the government defines about 90 to 95 per cent of the university’s budget. It also defines the “framework” of tuition fees.
“We don’t have a full picture about the financial situation of next year,” said Lachemi.
Glenn Craney, chief strategy officer at TMU, said there will be three open town halls on the budget throughout this year—two during the day and one in the evening.
No specific dates for the town halls were given at the meeting.
Craney announced the finance committee will be reaching out to student board members, union groups, management across the community and all three student organizations.
The university will hopefully have a government update by March and the full budget completed and ready for approval by April, said Craney
Learning and teaching grant for 2023-24
TMU’s internal grant, the Learning and Teaching Grant program, is open for proposals for the next school year, said Iannacito-Provenzano.
The grant will fund projects that address equity, diversity and inclusion and introduce evidence-informed methods that will improve the student learning experience at TMU.
Iannacito-Provenzano said the program features six updated priority focuses for the 2023-24 school year:
- Advancing Black studies curriculum and pedagogy
- Advancing Indigenous initiatives and decolonization
- Connecting the student experience inside and outside the classroom
- Enhancing the student experience
- Reimagining the future of teaching and learning
- Supporting student mental health and wellbeing
“[The TMU Faculty Association] with active contracts for the entirety of the grant cycle are eligible to apply as a Principal Investigator,” according to the program’s website. “Faculty, contract lecturers, staff, and students are eligible to be listed as co-investigators on grants.”
New vice-president of equity and community inclusion
President Lachemi mentioned Tanya De Mello as the new vice-president of equity and community inclusion at TMU.
“Many of you know [De Mello] and the outstanding work she has done since joining TMU first as the head of human rights services and then as the assistant dean, student programming development and equity in the Faculty of Law,” said Lachemi.
“She will provide strategic leadership, vision, and direction to support the university’s goal to be a leader in equity, diversity and inclusion,” the university said in a press release last September.
De Mello started her role on Jan. 1.
Previously, Anver Saloojee served as interim vice-president since March 2022.
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