Open Discussion around the Ad Hoc Committee on COVID Academic Planning and Policy

• Lots of discussion around accommodations, assessment design, course design, and mental health

• Whatever decisions are made should be evidence-based and should look into the data collected during the past two years of the pandemic

• Both the long-term and short-term consequences should be explored for these issues

Annual Report of the Ombudsperson for Students (2020-2021)

• There has been an increase in the number of concerns brought forward today

• Many concerns don’t move past the office due to power dynamics and students being concerned due to their position in the power hierarchy

  • The environment is not conductive to raising concerns and is something McGill should be trying to address

Remarks, Questions, and Motions

• Transmissions was quite low during the fall according to McGill’s administration

• McGill will focus more on a case management approach to track transmission and spread

• There will be antigen testing clinics in residences

• IT support for professors to allow for more mixed teaching models is provided via faculties

FY2023 Budget Planning Report I

• There is a projected 9.8M deficit for the current 2021-22 year, with 15M in contigency

  • The deficit is currently 7.6M deficit with 7.5M in contingency money

• They’re aiming for a balanced budget in 2023

• In the coming years, as the Quebec government tries to rebalance the budgets after all the spending during the pandemic, there will be a decently sized increase in tuition and fees

Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on COVID-19 Academic Planning and Policies

• Instructors living with immunocompromised individuals can ask for alternative pedagogical arrangements

  • These could include reducing classroom density, adjusting classroom layout, finding different teaching spaces, or report learning

• They based their decisions on INSPQ guidelines and regulations

Policy on Harassment & Discrimination 2020-21 Annual Report

• A new office - The Office for Mediation and Reporting (OMR) - was created to receiving and responding to inquiries and formal reports about discrimination, harassment, and sexual violence

• A full-time harassment and discrimination officer has been hired

  • Complex cases are referred to an external firm that has a contract with McGill

• The Policy has been expanded to include confidential and/or third party reports

• There has been a significant increase in inquiries about harassment, and there has also been a increase in the number of reports, which is in a large part due to an increased knowledge about this policy

Annual Report on the Financial State of the University

• Overall, the university did quite well from a financial point of view during the 2020-2021 fiscal year

• There was a net operating surplus, as well as a net excess of revenue this year

• The Endowment earned more than expected

• Tuition fees went up because of fee deregulation

• The current estimate for the deferred maintenance of university building renovations is roughly $1.4 Billion

Annual Report from the Senate Committee on Physical Development

• The 11th and 12th floors of 2001 McGill College Ave for the new School of Population and Global Health

• They are also creating data access centres for policy work on the 6th floor of 680 Sherbrooke

• The interior of McDonald Harrington might be renovated

• They are also building a new Sports Science Institute near the Currie Gym

Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on COVID-19 Academic Planning and Policies

• The Ad Hoc Committee on COVID-19 Academic Planning will be looking at short-term student accommodations for the winter term

  • But for now, the current framework-the online form on Minerva-will still be in place

• They will also be looking at longer term accommodations for both students and professors

507th Report of the Academic Policy Committee - Part A/Part B

• Any class that is to be in-person will not have more than 20% of the class take place online

  • Any professor that wishes to teach more than 20% of their course online must get approval from the Faculty in which the course is given, with the Faculty determining whether or not this is permitted

• The Faculty of Engineering is creating a new M.Sc in Urban Planning, Policy, and Design

• The Faculty of Medicine is creating a Department of Equity, Ethics, and Policy, as well as a Department of Global and Public Health

• The Faculty of Dentistry will be renamed to the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences

Annual Report of the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures

• During the 2020-21 School year, there was a higher number of cases than usual, but even before the pandemic, some Faculties already had a high level of allegations

• The current system for Academic Offences was not built to handle such a high volume, especially with a large number of students (50-100) being reported at once to a Disciplinary Officer at once in a course

  • Due to this, some Faculties have started implementing the “no contest” approach where after a student is presented with evidence of an allegation, they can either take a standard consequence (such as a 0) or proceed with the disciplinary procedure

506th Report of the Academic Policy Committee

• They approved a review on the Policy on Inventions and Software, as well as the Policy on Copyright

• The McGill Writing Centre is being transferred from the Faculty of Continuing Education to the Faculty of Arts

Report on the Implementation of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Strategic Plan

• A Student Census was launched to help identify populations that are underrepresented and access McGill’s efforts in recruiting, enrolling, and supporting students from these underrepresented groups

• An Office for Mediation and Reporting (OMR) was launched to provide a one-stop shop to report equity-related harms related to sexual violence, discrimination, and/or harassment

• A Senior Research Equity Advisor was appointed to support researchers with integrating EDI into their research programs and teams

• An Accessibility Advisor was appointed to help support faculty and staff living with disabilities and to raise disability awareness

Report on the Implementation of the Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism

• A Provost’s Academic Lead and Advisor was appointed to implement this Action Plan and oversee Black faculty recruitment, retention, and mentoring

• A hiring initiative was launched with this plan to help recruit exceptional scholars working in diverse disciplines

• The Dr Charles R. Drew Graduate Fellowships are launched

• A new Anti-Black Racism Working Group was launched that also included six new administrative and support staff positions

Motion Regarding Academic Planning and Policies in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

• A motion around Academic Planning and Policies, including but not limited to policies around proof-of-vaccination, for all students, a daily vaccination site on campus, improved ventilation, and better accommodation measures for those who are immunocompromised, was changed to create an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on COVID-19 Academic Planning and Policies instead

Annual Report of the Joint Board-Senate Committee on Equity

• The Joint Board-Senate Committee on Equity regularly recommends policy that drives to promote equitable access to opportunities and allow for the full participation of marginalized individuals

• Some topics talked about include equitable outcomes for academic staff in wake of the pandemic, a new online learning module on systemic racism, modelled off of “It takes all of us”, and support for various community building projects

• Topics the subcommittees talked about include reducing barriers for members of the McGill community living with disabilities, family care related support, equitable assessment of academic staff, gender affirmative care, and ensuring all students have their preferred first name’s on documents

Annual Report of the Committee on Student Services

• During the 2020-21 academic year, even with difficulties, such as the ability to only provide support to students residing in Quebec, and the fact that many of the Wellness Hub’s general practitioners started working in the public sector, they were still able to continue offering services to students

• There were almost 30 000 appointments, with a student satisfaction rating of 91%

• They are also taking a holistic approach to wellness and meeting wellness needs