✓ Expanded relationship with Success Beyond Limits, serving Jane-Finch neighborhood.

✓ Engaged Icon Talent Partners, a not-for-profit talent development organization focused on young professionals who identify as visible minorities, to explore internship pathways for Vic Ready students.

✓ Collaborated with Black North Initiative to develop an access program for under-represented scholars in STEM including Black and Indigenous students and currently pursuing funding opportunities.

✓ Launched “Diversity and Inclusion in the Victoria College Curriculum” working group with students, faculty, and staff in January 2023.

✓ Higher visibility on website, social media, and e-newsletters.

✓ Liaised with UofT Student Recruitment and Faculty of Arts and Science, community groups to raise awareness of Opportunity Awards

✓ Vic Global program launched September 2022; 60 students supported by summer 2023, especially low-income and Indigenous students and students with disabilities.

✓ Established framework for the program for MPS students to provide mental health supports for Victoria College international students through weekly counselling.
✓ Launch in Fall 2023.

✓ Training and Conference took place in May 2023.

✓ Began sourcing a vendor to deliver training for mental health first aid in the workplace and resilience in the workplace.
✓ Held Mindfulness and Meditation sessions.
✓ Launched monthly Vic Connect events to encourage relationship building.
‎‎• Contributed to campus-wide employee recognition and appreciation events

✓ Development of MOU between Emmanuel and UofT’s Faculty of Music initiated.

✓ Vic U staff, faculty, and student attended 2023 Historical Gathering of the Mississaugas of the Credit.

✓ Collaborating with community members on Indigenous-Settler collections workshop.

✓ Three joint faculty hires made in 2022-23.

✓ Initiated relationship with McKinsey to collaborate on institutional and student initiatives.

✓ Continued to engage with potential real estate partners to explore possibilities for future re-development of Victoria University’s lands.

✓ Birge Carnegie: Preliminary concept layout phase complete; elevator feasibility studies complete; planning underway for a project architect.

✓ Goldring Student Centre: Space program and best fit analysis to accommodate Office of the Dean of Students & Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising completed. Design phase began.

✓ Integrated Learning Centre: Project plan launched including development of templates for Class D estimates, architect selection, and design development

✓ Finalized geothermal feasibility and renewable energy studies.

✓ Collaborated with U of T COO of Property & Sustainability towards an aligned Vic U Climate Action Plan.

✓ Began discussions to adopt Blue Communities framework.

✓ Expanded wireless coverage throughout the campus prioritizing the academic and administrative buildings.

✓ Upgraded campus fiberoptic cable infrastructure, in partnership with the University of Toronto.

✓ Reconfigured wi-fi router locations and optimized coverage.

✓ Migrated VoIP to Teams Phone.

✓ Development of Terms of Reference.

✓ Established project plan with expected launch in May 2024.

✓ Installed alumna, Catherine Schmid’s Out of Darkness painting and maquette in Pratt Library’s Information Commons and a portrait of Ruth (Manning) Alexander Vic 5T0, the first female Chair of the Victoria University Board of Regents was installed in the Victoria University Common Room.

✓ Installed a new art display in the Burwash private dining room that includes modern and contemporary artworks with water as the theme. 

✓ Installed artwork previously in storage in the President’s Office, Bursar’s Office and other offices on campus.

✓ Launched a Material Culture internship for a student in the Material Culture & Semiotics program supervised by Victoria University’s curator.

✓ Launched a virtual gallery tour of selected collections through close collaboration with an instructional librarian and an archivist.

✓ Received proposal approval from Victoria College Council.

✓ Engaged with Faculty of Arts and Science and incorporated feedback.

✓ Negotiated cooperation agreements with Faculty of Arts and Science units.

✓ Submitted proposal to UofT governance for final approval.      

✓ Successfully applied for federally-funded Global Skills Opportunity grant to expand international work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities, with a focus on traditionally underrepresented groups;

✓ Established “Vic Global” program that coordinates and supports international WIL.

✓ Created and distributed new Vic Global branding including a new logo.

✓ Developed Vic U Faculty Life Cycle (i.e., phases faculty members may encounter their academic career) including tools to support events within the cycle;

✓ Developed offer templates and academic employment categories in Dayforce.

✓ A needs assessment has begun to review roles within the HR department to develop academic HR expertise.

✓ Submitted and received two Wabash grants that will support interdisciplinary training for trauma-informed approaches in teaching to Emmanuel’s faculty and staff.

✓ Held an interdisciplinary conference on aging and dying.

✓ Two Emmanuel faculty presented their interdisciplinary research on human care at a school in Korea.

✓ Received funding from Seeds of Hope to plan an Indigenous Garden and formed Indigenous Garden Advisory Group.

✓ Expanded faculty to include Spiritual Care and Practical Theology Professor and Buddhist Spiritual Care and Counselling Professor at Emmanuel College.

✓ Began search for UCC studies faculty appointment

✓ Participated in discussions with UofT’s Vice-Provost International Student Experience to develop student summer seminar model for underrepresented students.

✓ Added administrative support for the program.

✓ Launched phase 2 of online/international pilot session.

✓ Assisted in the upgrade of the technology in Emanuel Chapel.

✓ Upgraded all wireless access points to Wi-Fi 6.

✓ Developed applications for Office of the Registrar, Victoria College Principal’s Office, Emmanuel College Principal’s Office, Office of the Dean of Students, as well as the Online telephone directory.

✓ Incorporated local backup of critical SharePoint site to complement the retention policy of Microsoft.

✓ Migrated managed desktop from UTORcsi to Intune as well as upgrade all Windows 7 to Win 10/11. (Ongoing)

✓ Provide IT support to staff at Toronto School of Theology.

✓ Signed agreement to use the Network as a Service program from St George Campus.  

✓ Signed a new multi-year funding agreement with UofT’s Vice-Provost - Strategic Enrolment Management.

✓ Launched a peer mentoring program between six BIPOC faculty members.

✓ Obtained funding from Wabash to develop Emmanuel faculty training for trauma-informed pedagogy.

✓ Surpassed newly engaged alumni goal by 140%.

✓ Held well-attended events including reunion events in Toronto, New York and Burlington, an LGBTQ2+ event, lectures and workshops, and professional networking opportunities for new alumni.

✓ Completed Emerging Leader Training for middle managers, and additional training for senior leadership.

✓ Developed online resources and tools for managers.

✓ Launched the fundraising campaign Defy Gravity: The Campaign for Victoria University, supported by a newly formed Campaign Cabinet.

✓ Delivered a gift planning seminar.

✓  Completed risk assessment by external consultant and UofT.

✓  Established Issues Management committee.

✓  Campus safety and emergency management review is being undertaken by CAO.

✓  Implemented electronic payment process.

✓  Established Steering Committee and Advisory Group.

✓  Held staff and faculty information sessions

✓  Completed Health and Safety Audit.

✓  Launched Discrimination Guideline and updates Human Resources Guideline on Civil Conduct and Workplace Harassment Policy

• Director mandated to lead the development and implementation of a strategy and initiatives that strengthen and sustain an equitable, inclusive, respectful, engaged, healthy work environment and positive organizational culture for staff, faculty, librarians and students.

• Priority goal is to draft an equity framework to help guide Victoria University’s EDIA priorities and initiatives.

• Formally endorsed The Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Higher Education: Principles, Actions, and Accountabilities at the start of Black History Month (February 2024). Developed by the University of Toronto Scarborough in collaboration with Black communities, academic institutions and institutional partners, the Charter is a commitment by institutions across Canada to combat anti-Black racism and foster Black inclusion in higher education.

• Established a Black History and Heritage Steering Committee.

• Implemented mandatory racial equity training (systemic and societal racism and unconscious bias) for all new staff and faculty during their onboarding.

• Formed two Vic U affinity groups open to students, staff, faculty and librarians: a Muslim Affinity Space and a Jewish Affinity Space. Affinity spaces bring together people with common interests, experiences and/or identities to support one another.

• Emmanuel College strengthened its commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment by providing training for trauma-informed approaches in teaching to its faculty and staff.

• Emmanuel held a Town Hall to discuss its EDIA statement DEAR, Dignity, Equity, Accountability and Responsibility.

• Committee will play a vital role in guiding the development of policies, programs and initiatives that ensure the university's commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility is reflected in all its activities.

• Results are being analyzed and will be shared in Fall 2024.

• Started the process of creating student campaigns to raise awareness and access to campus mental health, well-being and accessibility supports and resources under the banner of the Okanagan Charter.

• Launched wellness intern support for undergraduate students. Two Master of Psychospiritual students from Emmanuel College offered personal counselling to Victoria College students as part of a practicum requirement for their counselling degree.

• Supported Emmanuel College Student Society in creating the “Sensory Room,” a designated room for resting and their well-being.

• Held two sessions of mental health first aid training for leaders, managers and supervisors.

• Received approval to hire an associate dean for wellness and community engagement.

• Implemented monthly theme-based activities for staff and faculty with a focus on personal connections.

• Theme of the 11th annual Minding Our Minds Conference in October 2023 was “Supporting Student Neurodiversity and Student Wellness.”

• During that event, Victoria University signed the Okanagan Charter, which calls on post-secondary institutions to embed health into all aspects of campus culture and to lead health promotion action and collaboration locally and globally.

• A Neurodiversity Day of Learning was held in May 2024 in collaboration with Hart House and Accessibility Services for all U of T students who identify as neurodiverse. A second day is planned for 2024-25.

• Provided students with the opportunity to remain in residence over the winter break and supplied community programming, residence don support and on-call staff assistance.

• Incorporating an integrated approach to enhance employee well-being programming by engaging the university’s employee wellness committee Vic Connect and collaborating with the Office of the Dean of Students to promote a campus-wide culture of well-being, embedding the principles of the Okanagan Charter.

• Outreach included Lifelong Leadership Institute’s Leadership by Design Program, the Herbie Carnegie Foundation, Visions of Science and ICON Talent Partners.

• Collaborated closely with EDIA-focused recruitment offices at the University of Toronto.

• Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising moved into the 3rd floor space previously occupied by the Alumni Affairs & Advancement team in June 2024.

• Goal is to bring all student services together in one place–Registrar, the Office of the Dean of Students and the Victoria College Writing Centre–by the start of 2024-25 academic year.

• Architect and construction manager selected and site set up for construction.

• Construction to start in Fall 2024 with substantial completion planned for Spring 2025.

• Accessibility walkway will increase the number of accessible entrances to Emmanuel College and Birge-Carnegie and make the garden easily accessible from Emmanuel. Project team working with the architectural firm on the technical and engineering requirements as well as updated costing.

• A new RFP will be issued to reflect revised design and technical specifications and the construction schedule revised accordingly.

• Alumni Brian Johnston Vic 8T1 and his wife Colleen donated $500,000 toward renovation. The university will match the donation.

• While we do work in the Capital Plan to revitalize Victoria University's historic and beautiful campus to better serve students, advance the university's academic mission and provide an inspiring sense of place for the community, we will also conduct a comprehensive planning exercise to help build a vision for the future of our campus and neighbourhood.

• Infrastructure and Sustainability will issue the RFP in Fall 2024 to retain environmental consultants.

• Upgraded existing lighting in Victoria College to high efficiency LED.

• Upgraded lighting fixtures in Emmanuel College to high efficiency LED.

• Replaced conventional roof on E.J. Pratt Library to higher efficiency roof membrane to reduce utilities costs and thermal losses; did work on balcony to reduce utilities costs and thermal losses; replaced air conditioning units in LAN room with higher efficiency motors.

• In the Isabel Bader Theatre, replaced some refrigerant condensing units with higher efficiency motors.

✓ Provided support for night classes as well as events.

• Indigenous and Black student artists were invited to take over the space where the portraits of former presidents and principals are displayed and spark dialogue on how we present our history. The project was conceived of in collaboration with Victoria University’s Indigenous Advisory Circle, which is made up of Indigenous community leaders, students, faculty and staff.

• Expanded course offerings to accommodate increased enrolment.

• Encouraged development of student organizations, including Creative & Society Student Union and student-run literary journal.

• Held an Exhibition Day in May to promote and reward student course work.

• Increased spending for Vic study abroad awards from $100,000 in 2022-2023 to more than $150,000 in 2023-2034.

• Awarded three Bader International Bursaries to financially deserving students to attend the exchange program at Herstmonceux Castle in England.

• Students can take two-thirds of their courses online, which enables us to attract and accommodate students who either live outside of the GTA or cannot be on campus full time.

• Change reflects religious diversity of TST student demographics and prepares Buddhist and Muslim students to pursue doctoral studies.

• Reflects that the program is not just Christian-centric; change is aligned with other spiritual care professional organizations.

• Expands the number of U of T music courses open to Emmanuel students.

• Increases collaboration between the two music programs. Emmanuel College offers the only Master of Sacred Music program in Canada.

• Establishing a clear framework that governs the terms of employment, recruitment, job duties, compensation and benefits for employees engaged in academic research roles in the university.

• Collected research and data, analyzed competitive market information, reviewed salary ranges, and addressed disparities in an equitable manner.

• Launch event held May 9, 2024.

• Held a panel discussion in partnership with Toronto Jazz Festival in June 2024 on whether Toronto risks losing the next generation of musicians.

• This initiative was supported by the success of the Victoria Alumni Mentorship Program.

• Program secured $180,000 in annual funding from partners including the Jackman Humanities Institute, the Faculty of Arts and Science, Office of the Vice-Provost, Strategic Enrollment Management and Bader Philanthropies, Inc., through Victoria University. 

• College provided professional development opportunities to staff who support students.

• Created clearer communications processes and worked more closely with Vic U’s Dean of Students’ Office to support Emmanuel students.

• Created opportunities to help EC students become leaders, such as weekly spiritual gatherings and community lunches.

• Integrated a Vic Ready information session into 2023 Orientation Week to raise program awareness.

• Vic Ready program presented at a Vic One plenary resulting in our first cohort of first-year VR bootcamp participants.

• In November 2023, a group of high school students participated in a day-long university experience that included a lecture, discussion, campus tour and lunch with senior administrators.

• Invited academics from other universities and health-care professionals to present their research and their practices.

• Hired part-time research officer in President’s Office to support faculty and students in developing grant applications to increase research footprint.

• Held a PechaKucha day in January 2024 where Victoria and Emmanuel faculty presented on specific research projects or their portfolio in effort to encourage more collaboration.

• Board of Regents approved a 2024-25 budget for Victoria University that includes new investments to support teaching, learning and student success. Separately, $3.7 million will be withdrawn from the endowment to fund a 16 per cent increase in scholarships, bursaries and awards.

• Budget calls for $55 million in spending, up from $49 million in 2023-24, and forecasts a $460,000 deficit.

• 2023-24 fiscal year expected to end with a surplus driven largely by higher revenue from: Summer residence beds being occupied for 23,000 nights, more than the 16,000 forecasted; a 98.7 per cent student residency bed occupancy rate during the academic year, up from 97 per cent projected in the budget; greater investment income due to higher interest rates.

• Operating Agreement for U of T funding to the three federated universities was renewed on June 12, 2024, and covers the period from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2028.

• Annual operating funding to Victoria University rises from the current $7 million to $10 million, to be phased in by 2025-2026 fiscal year.

• Agreement provides additional funding for student and registrar services, academic advising, library acquisitions and operations, and administration.

• Developing revised procurement policy to ensure compliance with the latest Broader Public Sector’s Procurement Directives as well as ensuring that the university is receiving greatest value on its spending.

• The revised policy will include detailed operational procedures to provide departments/users with greater clarity of the required procurement process and to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

• Education sessions will be offered to staff.

• Final approval from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario pending but transfer on track for Jan. 1, 2025.

• Communications plan developed with UPP.

• Drafting Emergency Management Plan, including communications plan.

• Expanded Little Green Button alert system to both libraries.

• Developing implementation plan for Motorola Rave Alert system, including plan for capturing and updating phone lists, as well as a communications plan.

• Also created user-friendly Health & Safety section of the website.

• Kicked off development of an event management and catering application to help streamline operations.

• This represents 92 per cent of AA&A’s target for the year.

• Funding supports Victoria and Emmanuel Colleges’ annual funds, scholarships and bursaries, capital projects, academic programs and other university initiatives.

• A new prospecting model called the Prospecting Identification Tool was developed by the U of T Division of University Advancement to help identify major gift donors.

• 2,407 alumni were engaged with the university through events, volunteerism and donor meetings, of whom 973 were donors.

• Board approved plan by Victoria University’s office of Alumni Affairs & Advancement, along with the Division of University Advancement at U of T, to implement the AIM model, which withholds a small fee on both endowed and expendable donations to help scale philanthropic impact across Victoria University and the U of T.

• Working with board secretary to post minutes in 2024-25.

• First significant milestone was divestment in September 2023 of a property in Weyburn, Sask., bequeathed by a U of T alumna, which contained an active oil well. Proceeds of the sale are restricted to fund future sustainability projects at the university.

• Our indirect exposure is through our endowment fund, which includes pooled funds. On Dec. 31, 2023, approximately 3 per cent of those pooled funds had some exposure to fossil fuels.

• Confident we will be able to achieve divestment by 2030, which is consistent with the University of Toronto’s approach.