TMU committed to university values, community support and accountability

Over the past months, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) has heard from many diverse groups with questions and concerns about supports for students, how the university approaches and engages in international partnerships, institutional processes and procedures related to managing and disclosing investments, and our ongoing unwavering commitment to academic freedom.

As part of the university’s commitment to enhancing transparency and accountability, and the importance of adhering to our principles and values, we are pleased to provide our community with an update on these frequently raised topics.

On-going supports for TMU students

Students can learn more about well-being services and supports that are available to them at the Centre for Student Development and Counselling.

Further, the Centre for Student Development and Counselling at TMU employs highly qualified counselors trained in anti-oppression and trauma-formed practices who are available to all students at TMU. Given the increasing need for services from students – especially students who are experiencing a range of challenges due to international conflicts and related displacements – the university will make arrangements for affected student groups to meet with the appropriate offices, including the executive director of Student Wellbeing, to discuss how the University can meet specific student needs.

With respect to supporting students who are refugees or have precarious immigration status, TMU participates in the Sanctuary Scholars Program.This program will continue to be accessible to all students. And for current students experiencing financial need as a result of recent global events, TMU’s Student Financial Assistance (SFA) Emergency Bursary and Emergency Bursary for International Students will continue to be available to domestic and international students. 

International institutional academic and research partnerships

In all of its global engagement and international partnerships, the university is dedicated to fully ensuring that all of our international institutional agreements and collaborations reflect the core values of TMU. All of us at TMU recognize the importance of upholding these principles in all aspects of our global engagements and the university is committed to continuous improvement in this regard.

To support this commitment, TMU will continue to implement the following measures as part of all institutional international agreements:

• Due Diligence: TMU conducts due diligence and risk assessment to evaluate prospective international partners, ensuring that their practices and values align with our values. 
• Transparent Agreements: TMU includes specific clauses in its MOUs and agreements that clearly define roles, responsibilities, and expectations of all partners, including the expectation and [written] commitment that partner institutions do not violate human rights.
• Grievance Processes: We provide clear channels for reporting concerns or grievances related to our international collaborations. TMU is dedicated to addressing and resolving these issues with promptness and fairness.
• Ongoing Education: TMU staff undertake ongoing professional development which includes, but is not limited to, international partnerships.

As part of TMU’s commitment to fulfilling the core values of the university, going forward a statement on the importance of, and commitment to, our values will be included as standard language in the university’s memorandums of understanding (MOU) template for international agreements. 

Academic and research collaborations and study abroad opportunities

For some time, the university has received requests and demands related to boycotting academic, research, or collaborative relationships with other universities. To be clear, the university cannot and will not undertake such boycotts as that would constitute a violation of TMU faculty’s right to academic freedom.

Academic freedom is at the heart of what it means to be a university. It provides us with the liberty to think critically, explore and exchange new ideas, and evaluate and challenge norms and preconceptions. It is a cornerstone of knowledge creation and, at TMU, we unequivocally embrace freedom of thought and expression in support of teaching, learning and scholarly, research, and creative (SRC) activities.

Faculty members are welcome to form their own, individual research collaborations with faculty at international universities, per their right to academic freedom and subject to governmental limitations. 

Students at TMU may seek to study abroad or explore international research and learning opportunities, so long as they are approved by the university per Letter of Permission (LOP) and all corresponding/relevant TMU policies.

An ongoing commitment to disclosure

As part of the university’s ongoing commitment to disclosure, TMU is pleased to affirm that its audited financial statements  will continue to be posted online, as well as other spending priorities like the  (PDF file) 2024-25 Budget Priorities and Expenditures (disclosure for all investments are in note 3a of the audited financial statements).

The university is currently updating its investing and treasury information on the Financial Services website and will be sharing details on the university’s investment managers including their commitments to responsible investing and the assets they oversee. 

Further, the university will request that its investment managers provide a listing of public companies in its holdings that TMU is able to make publicly available. 

The university places a strong emphasis on ensuring that our investments are aligned with and support our university values. TMU follows a responsible investing approach to managing investment portfolios with the incorporation of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into the investment decision-making process, including selection of best-in-class investment managers, with an expectation that they engage in ethical and responsible investment practices, including being a signatory to UN Principles of Responsible Investing (UN PRI). 

In order to ensure that this ongoing commitment is reviewed and maintained, the university is launching an annual responsible investment questionnaire for its investment managers in order to evaluate their ethical and responsible investment processes and to make sure they are consistent with TMU  values, investment policy and commitments to responsible investing. 

Requests for divestment

The university does not directly invest in individual company stocks, but holds units of pooled funds or a percentage of holdings in portfolios. The university affirms that the endowment fund is invested in an ethical pooled fund where ethical filters are applied to exclude companies engaged in such activities as firearms, military contracting and more. Most recently, the university has confirmed with its investment manager that there is no exposure in the endowment fund to companies contained in the OHCHR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) database. 

In the wake of ongoing concerns about and requests for divestment, the university will commit to developing a process for reviewing divestment requests from our community members to ensure all requests are understood and considered.

Participate in the upcoming review of the Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy

TMU is committed to naming and condemning all types of racism, hate and discrimination. Should the university release future communications about the impacts of international conflicts on the university community, we will endeavor to use language that is reflective of the communities impacted.

TMU, through the Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion, is undertaking a review of the Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy in 2024/25. The policy update will reflect the best human rights practices and our commitment to EDI. The broader community is encouraged to participate in upcoming community consultations - whether it be feedback sessions, online surveys,  and/ or town halls – to share your thoughts and feedback. Details of the policy review and consultations will be shared in the coming weeks. 

Guided by our values

This is a very difficult and challenging time for many of our community members, especially with the many conflicts and great suffering taking place around the world. TMU remains committed to building a more inclusive, supportive community that reflects the values that guide our university in all that we do. 

University leaders are happy to meet with any community members who have concerns about aspects of university life. The university prides itself on being a diverse, welcoming, inclusive community with a culture built on trust, transparency, and collegiality.

The exchange of diverse–sometimes opposing–views and ideas is at the center of university life. At the same time, we must remain respectful of others as we engage in meaningful dialogue.

We ask that all community members conduct themselves and express their views in a respectful manner, free from discrimination, racism or hatred.