The Campus Affairs Committee approved an increase in residence and food rates on campus for the 2018-2019 ancillary budget as well as reviewed plans for an online tool for the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre.
Senese stated that the residence rates are expected to change because of general feedback from students. In place of an increase across all residences, newer rates have been designed to reflect the value of offered accommodations. This proposal has resulted in overall residence rates increasing 3.5-to-4 per cent, but Oscar Peterson Hall increasing by 9 per cent, while McGrath Valley decreases by 1.7 per cent.
According to the assessor’s report the new values were determined by, “a market and demand analysis was completed during the during Student Housing Master Plan consultations which evaluated the value of residence style. In 2018-19, the residence rate structure will change to reflect this value.”
According to Susan Senese, UTM’s interim chief administrative officer, the new budgeting plans were proposed based on consultations with multiple advisory groups. The groups are formed by students, staff, and faculty members, some of which include the residence housing and dining committee, as well as the transportation and parking committee.
According to the meeting’s agenda, “Residence is entering a period of major maintenance and capital renewal of its residence. Hospitality struggles to maintain conference groups due to the changing availability of meeting room and accommodation space; and continues to plan for large investments in food outlets to service the UTM population, including the renovation of the Davis Food Court. Parking continues to make payments toward the loan received from UTM for the parking deck.”
Approximately 100 beds were taken out of service to accommodate displaced office space for faculty during the construction of the North Building Phase 2. With the completion of the building projected to be completed by August 2018, the 100 beds in Erindale Hall will be placed back in use, whereas Putnam Place will become unavailable due to phased renovations.
Senese also stated that food prices will go up by about three per cent, which would be reflected with increases across Canada. This increase is also a reflection of the increase in minimum wage across Ontario. Hospitality will also fund around two million dollars for planned food court renovations. Other increases include a three per cent hike in parking permit prices, with the pay and display maximum increasing to $15.
The committee also reviewed information pertaining to advances in regards to the Tri-Campus Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Initiative.
Under the education and prevention initiative taken by the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre, U of T’s Executive Director, Personal Safety, Terry McQuaid outlined draft plans for a Foundational Online Education module. The online tool intends to give participants an understanding of the policy itself, as well as to provide information on consent culture, respectful interactions, responding to trauma disclosure, and ways to intervene in in situations as a bystander.
The website is expected to be available online by the week of the 15th of January for use by all staff, students, and faculty. The module itself is voluntary and will take around 40 minutes to complete.
I It is expected that additional advanced modules will be made available for a more in-depth consideration of the same topics of consent and intervention. This online module represents one way in which educational policy is being executed in practical ways by the centre.
Feedback from users who use the module will be used to generate a larger rollout of the online tool in September 2018.
The next Campus Affairs meeting will be held on February 13th.
