UTSC, UTM campus councils approve increases to student union, wellness, residence fees

UTSC Campus Council

At the UTSC Campus Council’s March 8 meeting, Chief Administrative Officer Andrew Arifuzzaman presented the operating plans and fees for the campus service ancillaries. The service ancillaries — student housing and residence life, retail and conference services, food and beverage, and parking — exist under the university umbrella but aim to operate without funding from the broader university budget.

Student Housing and Residence Life proposed increasing residence fees by between two and eight per cent depending on room type, where the least expensive rooms saw the biggest percentage increase in the fees. Arifuzzaman noted that the Residence Life team works with a group of students to establish rates. The UTSC campus council approved the operating plan, which projects that the ancillaries will earn $15.9 million in revenue during the 2023–2034 school year. 

Dean of Student Experience and Wellbeing Neel Joshi presented operating plans and student fees for the UTSC Office of Student Experience and Wellbeing. Joshi highlighted that students were involved in crafting the plans, noting that the office included over 70 students in the process. According to Joshi, students stressed the need for greater mental health support. 

The office proposed a per session increase of $12.67 for full-time students and $2.53 for part-time students in fees associated with health and wellness, athletics and recreation, career services, academic support, student buildings, and other student services. The greatest proposed per cent increase corresponded to the Health and Wellness Service Fee. Joshi noted that the plan “received unanimous support from all of [the] students” engaged in the operating plan process. The Campus Council approved the requested increases, bringing fees associated with the Office of Student Experience and Wellbeing to $432.25 and $86.46 per session for full-time and part-time students, respectively.

The council also approved increases to student fees that the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) approved, which bring per session SCSU fees to $527 for full-time students and $56.05 for part-time students.

UTM Campus Council

On March 7, the UTM Campus Council presented a four-year plan for long-range budget guidelines, and discussed ancillary fee and student society fee increases.

Mark Overton, dean of student affairs & assistant principal, presented the proposed fee increases for the 2023–2024 academic year, including a $2.01 increase in Health Services fee for full-time students and a $0.40 increase for part-time students, to increase funding for the Health and Counselling Centre’s Be Well UTM Resource & Activity Fair, and to fund a relocation to an expanded and improved clinic within UTM. The Centre is currently located in the basement of the William G. Davis Building near the bookstore. 

Overton also presented a proposed $5.80 increase in the athletics ancillary fee for full-time students and a $1.16 increase for part-time students, to further support student sport, aquatics, wellness and fitness programs.

A $31.29 Student Services Fee increase is forecasted for full-time students, while a $6.26 increase will affect part-time students. This levy increase aims to fund coach-style seating and three-point seat belts on the UTM shuttle buses, as well as to fund the Career Centre, the International Education Centre, Student Life Initiatives, Childcare, and Family Care. The fee will also enable the introduction of a new staff member in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging under the Department of Recreation, Athletics & Wellness. 

While the Quality Service to Students committee — a group of students and administrative members who aim to provide advice to the council — supported none of these fee increases, the campus council approved the new operating plan and budget, which includes these fee increases.

The campus council also approved a $34.92 University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union fee increase for full-time students and $13.33 for part-time students, which brings the union’s per session fees to $441.76 for full-time students and $171.27 for part-time students.

The Governing Council’s Executive committee must confirm the UTM and UTSC operating plans and budgets at their March 21 meeting for these changes to come into effect.