Senate Policy Framework

1. Purpose

To establish a framework for Senate policies that supports the mission, vision, and values of Toronto Metropolitan University (the “University”) as described in the Toronto Metropolitan University Act and the University Academic Plan.

2. Application and Scope

Applies to all University policies subject to the approval of the University’s Senate. It does not apply to administrative policies.

3. Definitions

Definitions must be provided in policies where the words are uncommon or have a specific meaning in that policy.

NOTE: Definitions applicable to all Senate policies can be found in the Senate Bylaws or the Glossary in Senate Policy #2: Undergraduate Curriculum Structure.

The following definitions apply to the drafting, revising, approving, consolidating, and retiring of Senate policies.

3.1 Academic Policy
A Senate Policy (see below).

3.2 Contact Person
The person to be contacted with any queries related to the policy or procedures.

3.3 Guideline
General statements, recommendations, administrative instructions, best practices or interpretation of policy or procedures to assist users in carrying out the mandatory processes stipulated in a policy’s procedures.

3.4 Policy
A formal statement of principle or a plan that reflects the University’s values, goals, expectations or desired results related to an area under the purview of Senate. NOTE: Policy determines WHAT is to be achieved; procedures determine HOW it is to be achieved.

3.5 Policy Consolidation
The process of redrafting and consolidating into one policy a number of policies that address the same issue or subject matter, or are otherwise duplicative.

3.6 Policy Reconciliation
The process of ensuring policy statements do not conflict and that policy duplication is minimized.

3.7 Procedures
The appropriate and necessary steps required to comply with the policy.
NOTE: Policy determines WHAT is to be achieved; procedures determine HOW it is to be achieved.

3.8 Policy Review
The process undertaken to evaluate whether the stipulated purpose of the policy is still relevant and satisfied by the policy.

3.9 Policy Retirement
The process for bringing to an end the application of a policy.

3.10 Policy Update
The process for making minor amendments to a policy to reflect a change that has taken place in the University, legislation or government directives and policy.

3.11 Procedures Review
The process undertaken to evaluate whether the stipulated procedures are still relevant and satisfactory to fulfill the requirements of the policy.

3.12 Procedures Update
The process for making minor amendments to a procedure to reflect a change that has taken place in the University, legislation or government directives and policy, or process adjustment needed to carry out the requirements of the policy.

3.13 Responsible Office
The office responsible for administering or applying the policy.

3.14 Review Date
The date before which a review of the policy or procedure must commence. A Review Date will be no more than 5 years from the completion of the last Policy Review or approval by Senate of the last Policy Update.

3.15 Senate Policy
A policy that requires the approval of Senate. Senate policies relate to the academic aspects of the University and are sometimes referred to as Academic Policies.

4. Values and Principles

4.1 Values:

Building on the university’s past academic plans, a set of core values was articulated in our 2020-2025 Academic Plan and our  Strategic Vision 2020-2030 . Consultations with our community indicated that all of these continue to be relevant and reflective. 

Underlying our values is our unwavering commitment to academic freedom and freedom of expression - foundational principles of the university that support teaching, learning and SRC, all within a culture of mutual respect and freedom from discrimination, racism and hate. We are guided by our commitments to equity, diversity, inclusion, access, antiracism, decolonization, anti-oppression and Indigenous ways of being, knowing and doing in our actions and decisions, and to identifying and removing barriers to inclusion. 

Our values are not simply aspirational, they are embodied in all aspects of our community. These values inform our identity and define the priorities that will guide all facets of academic life over the next five years. These will be updated in this policy framework each time the Academic Plan is updated and approved at Senate.

4.1.1  Unapologetically Bold: 

TMU will demonstrate and model courage in decision-making and challenge the status quo to make decisions that align with our mission, vision and values. We will be bold in our pursuit of social justice, push boundaries and break new ground to best prepare students for the careers of tomorrow.

4.1.2  Intentionally Diverse and Inclusive:

TMU is committed to embedding EDI, respect and belonging into everything we do to ensure that every member of our community of students, faculty, staff and alumni can thrive. Proudly diverse and intentionally inclusive, we celebrate the diversity of knowledge, perspectives and experiences that enrich every aspect of our community. This includes a commitment to support decolonization and Black flourishing and to undertake an active, intentional and continuous process to address inequities in power and privilege, identify and remove systemic barriers to equity, accessibility and inclusion, and cultivate respectful and welcoming spaces and opportunities for all.

The university is dedicated to embedding diverse cultural thinking, experiences and expertise into the way that we learn, teach and work.

This includes identifying opportunities to reconsider how we deliver education, including curriculum and learning outcomes, and our relationships with various communities. TMU aims to engage students, staff, faculty and community members in planning and decisions and to enable student success. By challenging the dominance of colonial ideas, we will strive to bring diverse worldviews to the forefront.

4.1.3  Dedicated Excellence:

TMU aims for the highest standards in everything we do,including academic programs, teaching and SRC activities that promote participation, engagement and empowerment, and a sense of belonging for all students, including those from equity-deserving groups. Through belonging, our students, faculty and staff feel accepted and included in the TMU community.

By means of continuous improvement, self-reflection, and peer review, TMU strives to offer high-quality academic programs led by world-class educators, researchers, creators and innovators. As we pursue inclusive excellence, TMU embeds a system-wide approach to EDI, defining true excellence as only attainable when it is inclusive. TMU strives to be a vibrant community that creates excellence by embedding diversity throughout the university.

4.1.4  Respectfully Collaborative:

TMU’s culture is based on shared success, mutual respect and community care. We commit to building the value of respectful collaboration into academic programming and fostering it in our students, ensuring they take it with them when they graduate. This includes supporting the success and well-being of students, faculty and staff. The university is committed to integrity through upholding the highest standards of ethics, transparency and accountability in all aspects of university life.

4.1.5  Champions of Sustainability: 

The university is committed to living harmoniously within the limits of natural resources so that all living systems can flourish for future generations. This requires a forward-thinking, interdisciplinary approach that advances and holistically safeguards the economy, social progress and the environment. TMU is also committed to financial sustainability in order to ensure the long-term health of our institution for future groups of students, faculty and staff, and to allow us to continue supporting students, finding innovative solutions to real-world problems and driving economic growth for the benefit of our community and the world.

4.2 Operational Principles

4.2.1 Procedural Justice and Fairness: Perhaps the most basic operational principle is that policy and procedure should reflect procedural justice and fairness, which, in turn, involves:

4.2.2 Clarity: Policy and procedures should be clear, easy to understand, implement, and navigate, written in plain language and presented in a way that promotes clear communication.

4.2.2.1 Transparency: Academic policies and the decisions derived from them should be transparent; all stakeholders involved or interacting with the policy should be able to see and understand what actions are being performed and why, and see and understand how and why outcomes are arrived at, and decisions are made.

4.2.2.2 The right to be heard: Policy should ensure that there is opportunity to present one’s case and to make arguments for one’s case before decisions are made.

4.2.2.3 Timeliness: Processes should be both timely and include practical timelines.

4.2.2.4 Consistency: Within a framework of equity and flexibility by design policy should support and advance consistency of rules and procedures, and their application.

4.2.3 Collaborative: Policy should promote a collaborative approach in which informal resolution and problem-solving are encouraged; this collaborative approach should involve mutuality and respect.

4.2.4 Accountable: Policy should provide rules and processes that promote the acceptance of both rights and responsibilities that, therefore, lead to accountability and hold all parties answerable for their actions.

4.2.5 Educational: A central value motivating policy is to provide the best possible educational environment and policy itself should provide for the principles, rules, and practices involved in policy being well taught and well known and understood by all stakeholders.

4.3 General Principles

A policy should:

4.3.1 contain focused statements of the University’s intent, governing principles or desired results related to the subject;

4.3.2 include use of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy Lens, included as an Appendix to the Procedures;

4.3.3 be developed and reviewed through a consultation process;

4.3.4 be reviewed on a regular basis;

4.3.5 give substance to the University’s mission, vision, and values statements and the Academic Plan;

4.3.6 comply with legislation, government directives, and policy requirements;

4.3.7 provide a basis for communicating operational expectations;

4.3.8 specify the person/office to be contacted if queries related to the policy or procedures arise.

5. Roles and Responsibilities

5.1 Academic Governance and Policy Committee (AGPC) is responsible for:

5.1.1 proposing, overseeing, and periodically reviewing Senate bylaws, policies, and University procedures regarding any matter within the purview of Senate, except those matters for which responsibility is specifically assigned, to the SRCAC;

5.1.2 recommending to Senate the establishment of Policy Review Committees, each mandated by Senate to undertake a periodic review or special review of an existing policy or policy area;

5.1.3 proposing new Senate policy in areas when and where the absence of policy is demonstrably necessary or prudent, and to propose, when advisable, the formation of a Policy Development Committee to draft such policies;

5.1.4 requesting reports from other University committees, sub-committees or departments whose business has an academic policy dimension, or a substantial effect on the academic mandate or performance of the University;

5.2 Policy Development Committee (ad hoc) is responsible for:

drafting new policies in areas when and where the absence of policy is demonstrably necessary or prudent as determined and mandated by AGPC.

5.3 Policy Review Committee (ad hoc) is responsible for:

undertaking a periodic review or special review of an existing policy or policy area, as mandated by Senate;

5.4 Scholarly Research and Creative Activity Committee (SRCAC) is responsible for:

5.4.1 recommending to Senate, when necessary, the establishment of policies to promote, support, and regulate SRC activity involving the University, and to review any such existing policies;

5.4.2 initiating periodic review of the terms of reference and policies governing the Research Ethics Board by establishing a Review Committee and bringing proposed changes in such policies forward to Senate for approval.

5.5 Responsible Office is responsible for:

5.5.1 ensuring the content of policies and procedures is up-to-date and valid with respect to the stipulated purpose of the policy;

5.5.2 interpreting policies and procedures;

5.5.3 regularly reviewing policies and procedures, which includes reconciliation of the Responsible Office’s policies and procedures where applicable;

5.5.4 ensuring coordination of policies within the Responsible Office’s area of responsibility.

5.6 Secretary of Senate is responsible for managing Senate policies including:

5.6.1 assisting with development, drafting, legal review, consolidation, and retirement of policies;

5.6.2 identifying policy gaps;

5.6.3 coordinating requests for legal advice related to the drafting, revising, approving, consolidating, and retiring of Senate policies;

5.6.4 overseeing and providing advice on Senate policies and procedures, including the appropriate process to be followed for drafting, revising, approving, consolidating, and retiring of Senate policies and procedures;

5.6.5 referring inquiries about specific policies to the Responsible Office or Contact Person;

5.6.6 maintaining a directory of the current policies and procedures of Senate on the Senate website;

5.6.7 maintaining an Archive of retired Senate policies;

5.6.8 managing the Policy Review process to ensure that Senate policies are reviewed by the stipulated Review Date, or reporting to Senate reasons for scheduled reviews not occurring;

5.6.9 developing and overseeing processes for informing the University community about policies being developed, reviewed, consolidated, retired, and policies that have been approved;

5.6.10 undertaking any other policy management administration that is required.

6. Distribution and Communication

All Senate policies are posted on the Senate website. The version posted on this website is the official version.

7. Procedures

The procedures for drafting, revising, approving, consolidating, and retiring Senate policies and procedures can be found in the following Senate Policy Framework Procedures and in the Policy Template.

Senate Policy Framework – Procedures

The Toronto Metropolitan University Senate Policy Framework Procedures (the “Procedures”) establishes the processes by which Senate policies and procedures are developed, reviewed, updated, approved, consolidated, and retired.

1. Policy Review Determination

1.1 All policies (and their related procedures) must be reviewed every 5 years, or sooner if requested by the Responsible Office, AGPC or Senate. The review is to commence within 5 years of last review or update.

1.2 The Secretary of Senate will prepare a list of all policies within the purview of AGPC that are due for review in the coming year and present it to AGPC. AGPC will consult with the Responsible Office for each policy on the list to ascertain if it is up-to-date, meeting its purpose, and that the Procedures are an accurate reflection of what is actually occurring, or if a Policy Review Committee should be established.

1.3 If AGPC determines that a review is NOT necessary, a new review date will be determined, and Senate will be informed.

1.4 If AGPC determines that a review IS necessary, a Policy Review Committee (PRC) will be established.

2. Policy Review Process

2.1 If a PRC is required, the Responsible Office for that policy will recommend to AGPC the membership of the PRC, including a recommended number of people to ensure an effective, efficient, and timely process, and including whether the PRC Chair will be the Responsible Office, a designate from the Responsible Office, an AGPC member or another appropriate person.

2.2 At least one member of the PRC will be a liaison from AGPC, nominated by AGPC.

2.3 The Responsible Office may identify Resource People whose expertise may be required for the deliberations of the PRC. Resource People will not be required to attend all meetings of the PRC, but may be consulted by the Committee or invited to those meetings when their expertise is required.

2.4 Policy Review Committees will normally report to AGPC in order to ensure that appropriate coordination with other existing policies occurs, but AGPC may direct that a PRC report directly to Senate.

2.5 The PRC will gather feedback from the Responsible Office, related offices, and community stakeholders to identify policy gaps or needs (which may include recommendations for policy reconciliation and/or policy retirement). They may request support as described in the Policy, including but not limited to requesting legal advice, drafting and research assistance, and advice from the Office of the Vice President Equity and Community Inclusion.

3. Policy Development Process

3.1 Part of AGPC’s mandate is “To propose new Senate policy in areas when and where the absence of policy is demonstrably necessary or prudent, and to propose, when advisable, the formation of a special task force or sub-committee to draft such policies.”

3.2 Such Policy Development Committees will be created following the same principles that guide the formation of Policy Review Committees.

4. Incidental Amendments

4.1 The Secretary of Senate may make incidental amendments to University Senate policies and procedures, such as typographical and grammatical errors, adding definitions for clarity or making secondary changes resulting from other related policy decisions, without a full policy review, provided it does not significantly alter the meaning of the policy.

4.2 Incidental amendments are reported to AGPC, and thereafter to Senate, for information.

5. Procedures Update Process

5.1 Recommending procedural updates is normally the responsibility of the Responsible Office. Such updates will typically not alter the meaning of the policy, significantly change the procedures, or place additional responsibilities on students. Where the updates are within the purview of the Responsible Office, that office will determine the most appropriate process to draft the updates required.

5.2 Procedural updates will be recommended to AGPC, typically through the Secretary of Senate. If AGPC is satisfied that the changes are truly procedural, these will be recommended for Senate’s consent agenda (i.e. they will only be discussed at the Senate meeting if a Senate member requests a discussion). As an additional safeguard to ensure that procedural updates are not an attempt to change a policy or to make significant procedural changes without consideration by Senate, the Senate Priorities Committee (SPC) makes the final determination about what goes on the consent agenda versus what should be included for discussion and approval by Senate.

5.3 If AGPC determines that the proposed changes go beyond procedural updates, AGPC will present an appropriate motion to Senate for its consideration, one outcome of which could be that Senate establishes a Policy Review Committee to address the proposed changes.

6. Scholarly Research and Creative Activity Committee (SRCAC)

The SRCAC performs the same functions as stipulated for AGPC in these Procedures in relation to the area of responsibility specified in the Senate Policy Framework, Section 5.4.