Former university president David Naylor was lauded for his tenure and accomplishments by the Governing Council on Wednesday, October 30. The open session was his final council as president of the university.
Though not the official purpose of the council, expression of gratitude to Naylor was constant. U of T’s new president, Meric Gertler, the former dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, expressed his thanks to the outgoing president for his transitionary role, and stressed a continuation of Naylor’s aims of research excellence during his own presidency.
“One of our defining features is research excellence, but at the same time, it’s the ability to welcome thousands of students from the GTA and across Canada and around the world. That accessibility paired with that research excellence is a big part of our identity, and I want to work as hard as I can to make sure that those attributes remain our hallmark for a long time.”
Munib Sajjad, president of the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) was also in attendance, and had a more critical view of Naylor’s time at the university. “The students’ union and Dr. David Naylor certainly did not always agree,” said Sajjad. “His vision of a high-cost, private institution is not one that we can support.” Sajjad noted particular concerns, including the rapid expansion of the Scarborough and Mississauga campuses, and the for-profit model of the Pan-Am Sports Centre. “We will work with our peers at the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union to ensure that we monitor the revenues gained and to where they are attributed, and hold the university to their word,” said Sajjad of the Sports Centre.
Governing Council chair Judy Goldring addressed Naylor’s legacy by announcing commemorations in his honour, including naming Naylor a professor emeritus. The Tanz Neuroscience Building at 6 Queen’s Park Crescent will also be renamed the C. David Naylor Building, and two new scholarships have been founded. As some of the largest entrance scholarships in North America, the ten annual C. David Naylor University Scholarships are valued at $20,000 each, and are aimed at incoming Canadian students. The two annual C. David Naylor University Fellowships, valued at $30,000 each, are geared towards graduate program candidates from Atlantic Provinces. Both will honour excellence in academics and leadership in other fields, such as sports or arts.
Naylor, who is returning to the Faculty of Medicine, was humbled by the commemorations. “The building naming is beyond comprehension, frankly, and it means more than I can say,” he said. “This place has all the ingredients to be among the very best universities in the world for a long time, with fantastic students, faculty, and staff.”
Other items on the council’s agenda included the report of the university ombudsperson, who stressed the need for increased guidance on the handling of complaints, and an update from provost Cheryl Regehr on the Student Societies Summit. All items for council decision, including the creation of a corporation to oversee the profit from the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre under construction at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus for the 2015 Pan Am Games, were approved with little to no opposition. Governing Council’s next meeting is Thursday, December 12, 2013.
