Faculty of Arts and Science Dean Meric Gertler acknowledged the distressing response to his academic plan and pledged to work collaboratively to deal with his faculty’s near $60-million shortfall.
“I understand many were worried,” said Gertler. “I’m glad people were engaged, it proves they care.”
The faculty council had its monthly meeting last Monday at the Munk School. The week before, Gertler told faculty heads that all but one of the amalgamations proposed in the plan, which was published in July, would be put on hold.
The School of Languages and Literatures, which would have amalgamated almost all area studies programs, will not be created. Instead, faculty will work together on four key areas: increasing enrolment, collaborative learning, shared recruitment methods, and reorganizing administrative services.
Gertler promised to publish a memo within the week detailing the changes. The document, released Friday, can be viewed online.
Former East Asian Studies chair Andre Schmidt read a resolution composed the morning of the meeting and signed by GSU, UTSU, UTFA, and United Steelworkers 1998. The public statement called on Gertler to “suspend indefinitely the implementation of the major structural changes of the current plan until a proper democratic process is established.” There was applause after the statement was read.
Comparative Literature PhD student Ryan Culpepper asked Gertler to reconsider future review process methods “to save time and antagonism.”
One professor said the plan had been “distressing” and “made many anxious.” He thanked Gertler for working collaboratively but said he should have done so sooner.
Gertler acknowledged the process was “causing a lot of sleepless nights for a lot of people” and that he could have communicated more clearly that his ideas were solely proposals. He pledged to implement timelines that work swiftly but leave enough time for ample consultation.
Robert Baker, vice-dean of research and graduate programs, mentioned that the faculty will look at establishing first-year programs like Vic One for all constituent colleges. He also said college registrar processes would be streamlined with the Office of the Registrar to ensure greater efficiency and a “deeper level of advising.”
Gertler said his budget committee has been formed and he hopes to give an updated report at next month’s meeting, as requested by many at this meeting.
When asked if the committee would clarify how much money moves in and out of the faculty among other university units, he joked that U of T money circulates like federal equalization payments and that his faculty would be Ontario. He added that this information is already publicly available.
Gertler noted high amounts of engineering students in his faculty’s courses who pay almost double in tuition. “We’re following the money,” he said.
While many thanked Gertler for now working collaboratively with his faculty, CUPE 3902 Liaison Officer Patrick Vitale said students were “busting their asses this summer” to defeat the plan and asked Gertler to not “take credit for our work.” There was applause.
Part-time Undergraduate Representative Andrew Agnew-Iler scolded council members for thanking the dean.
“Our job is to question [the dean’s] proposals, it’s not to accept them based on some consultations,” said Agnew-Iler. “[These are] vague ideas. It’s not our job to say ‘yeah that’s great;’ it’s our job to say ‘okay, let’s make sure this works.’
“Are we so scared for our positions that […] we have to give thanks to the dean so we hold our positions [sic]?”
Gertler replied that he gets plenty of criticism and that he encourages open speech.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that CUPE 3902 had authored a letter read during the Faculty Council’s monthly meeting. In fact, the letter was published on behalf of individuals representing a diverse array of organizations. The Varsity regrets this error.
