Dear colleagues,

91亚色 has risen an impressive five spots to be among the top 35 institutions in the world for advancing the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to this year鈥檚 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, published today.

This is a testament to the growing recognition for 91亚色鈥檚 global leadership on the SDG Challenge and has been made possible by our community of changemakers 鈥� faculty, staff, students, course directors, alumni and our many partners. It is your commitment to our shared values of sustainability, inclusivity and equity that has enabled us to achieve our highest ranking yet.

On behalf of the University, thank you for your individual contributions and collective efforts in interdisciplinary research, teaching, and a myriad of campus initiatives and community projects, which have led to this success.

With an additional 300+ universities joining the rankings this year, 91亚色 has continued to hold its leading position among more than 2,100+ universities worldwide for the sixth consecutive year. 91亚色 has a particularly strong global standing in the following categories: 

• SDG 1 (No Poverty) 鈥� #2 in the world and #1 in Canada;
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) 鈥� 33rd in the world and #1 in Canada; and
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) 鈥� tied for 13th in the world.

This is an achievement we all share and one that the entire 91亚色 community can take great pride in. We are delighted to see the community united by our common goals: to realize the University Academic Plan 2020-25 and to answer the call of the SDG Challenge.

When we work together to create positive change there is no limit on 91亚色鈥檚 ability to address the most pressing global issues of our time. Read the News@91亚色 story for more details.

Sincerely,

Rhonda Lenton
President & Vice-Chancellor

Lisa Philipps
Provost & Vice-President Academic

Amir Asif
Vice-President Research & Innovation

Those who wish to share the news in social media posts or email signatures can find instructions on how to do so in the THE Impact Rankings Toolkit.

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At a town hall on Monday, June 10, the 91亚色 president and senior leaders will be walking through . The board-approved plan is the result of prudent forecasting, sector analysis and community input. It outlines institutional priorities that recognize the significant budget challenges facing 91亚色, and most other institutions across Ontario, and highlights opportunities for addressing them.  

Over the past several years, the University has worked diligently to advance the priorities in the Senate-approved University Academic Plan 2020-2025: Building a Better Future. By taking advantage of emerging opportunities in a rapidly changing higher education landscape, the University has continued to invest in its growth as a leading institution in post-secondary education, laying a strong foundation for its financial stability. Careful scenario planning also facilitated the University鈥檚 ability to mitigate much of the consequences throughout the pandemic, including the closing of borders around the world and the rapid shift to online education.

Nonetheless, the longer-term impact of COVID-19 in combination with other global shifts in population growth and student mobility, and the more recent cap on international students imposed by the federal government, have significantly disrupted the higher education sector. This has resulted in lower enrolment at the undergraduate and graduate levels in 2023-24, which will impact subsequent years. Additionally, in Ontario, the government's tuition freeze extension through to at least 2026-27 has further reduced revenue in the sector, compelling the University to reconcile its expenditures with declining student numbers and revenue.

The combined impact of these factors, exacerbated by the recent labour disruption and Bill 124 reopener settlements, has created a critical financial situation for the University that is only partially addressed through the carry forward accumulated over the past several years. The University must close an operating gap of no less than $30 million in 2024-25, $80 million next year and $90 million the following year. The cumulative shortfall, if unaddressed, threatens to put the University in a negative financial position by 2026-27.

The University remains focused on providing a high-quality, research-intensive learning environment committed to strengthening the well-being of the communities it serves. The collective efforts of faculty, staff, instructors and students, together with investment from the government, donors and partners, continue to support the realization of this vision. Factors contributing directly to the University's positive momentum include enhanced scholarships and the development of new services and programs to meet the needs of students and employers; the opportunity to recruit additional students to the Markham Campus; the positive impact the proposed medical school is already having on 91亚色鈥檚 reputation; and research successes like the Connected Minds initiative, the recent NSERC CREATE grant to study geomagnetic storms and a grant from the province of Ontario to study sustainable research technologies.

This progress is reflected in global and national rankings. For example, the University climbed , placing 118th out of more than 1,400 institutions globally, and was recognized as a . 

The road ahead

Nevertheless, swift, decisive action is needed for the University to align expenditures with the reduction in enrolment revenue. To do so with minimum impact on the University and its community, continued investment in future growth is imperative, including program enhancement and development, pedagogical innovation such as online and flexible delivery, strategic enrolment management (SEM), research, innovation and commercialization, while also streamlining administrative overhead and diversifying revenue sources.

Along with embedding additional contingencies into budgets that reflect the increasing uncertainty in higher education, recent cost-saving measures include reducing discretionary operating expenses such as travel and hospitality; deferring renovations; and consolidating academic units. The University remains steadfast in its commitment to control costs and prioritize strategic initiatives that will help maintain its positive trajectory and continue to strengthen its impact and reputation among global universities.

The University has identified 17 further actions to guide these efforts. Next steps include consolidating working groups tasked with leading these initiatives and establishing targets and benchmarks to measure progress. Along with actively engaging the Board of Governors, Senate and union partners, . This is one of a number of identified opportunities to discuss the budget and action plan.

The collaborative effort of the whole of the University community will be crucial in defining and implementing the best possible recovery plan, ensuring 91亚色 continues to thrive for future generations.

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Lors de la conversation communautaire du lundi 10 juin, la pr茅sidente et la haute direction pr茅senteront le plan budg茅taire triennal Ce plan est le fruit de pr茅visions prudentes, d鈥檃nalyses sectorielles et de contributions de la communaut茅. Il d茅crit les priorit茅s institutionnelles prenant en compte les d茅fis budg茅taires importants auxquels 91亚色 et la plupart des autres 茅tablissements ontariens sont confront茅s et pr茅sente des moyens d鈥檡 rem茅dier. 

Au cours des derni猫res ann茅es, 91亚色 s鈥檈st efforc茅e de faire avancer les priorit茅s du Plan acad茅mique de l鈥橴niversit茅 2020-2025 : B芒tir un avenir meilleur, qui a 茅t茅 approuv茅 par le S茅nat. En tirant parti de possibilit茅s 茅mergentes dans un contexte d鈥檈nseignement sup茅rieur en rapide 茅volution, l鈥橴niversit茅 n鈥檃 cess茅 d鈥檌nvestir dans sa croissance en tant qu鈥櫭﹖ablissement de premier plan dans l鈥檈nseignement postsecondaire et a 茅tabli des fondements solides pour sa stabilit茅 financi猫re. Une planification minutieuse lui a 茅galement permis de mitiger de nombreuses difficult茅s tout au long de la pand茅mie, notamment la fermeture des fronti猫res dans le monde entier et le passage rapide 脿 l鈥檈nseignement en ligne.

N茅anmoins, l鈥檌mpact 脿 long terme de la COVID-19, combin茅 脿 d鈥檃utres changements mondiaux en mati猫re de croissance d茅mographique et de mobilit茅 茅tudiante, et le plafond r茅cent impos茅 par le gouvernement f茅d茅ral aux 茅tudiants internationaux, ont s茅rieusement perturb茅 le secteur de l鈥檈nseignement sup茅rieur, entra卯nant une baisse des inscriptions aux premier et deuxi猫me cycles en 2023-2024, ce qui engendrera des r茅percussions dans les ann茅es 脿 venir. Par ailleurs, en Ontario, la prolongation par le gouvernement du gel des droits de scolarit茅 jusqu鈥櫭� au moins 2026-2027 a r茅duit davantage les recettes du secteur, obligeant l鈥橴niversit茅 脿 concilier ses d茅penses avec une r茅duction du nombre d鈥櫭﹖udiants et une baisse des recettes.

L鈥檌mpact combin茅 de ces facteurs, exacerb茅 par l鈥檌nterruption de travail r茅cente et la r茅ouverture des n茅gociations salariales li茅es au projet de loi 124, a engendr茅 pour l鈥橴niversit茅 une situation financi猫re critique, qui n鈥檈st que partiellement r茅solue par le report cumul茅 des derni猫res ann茅es. Elle doit combler un d茅ficit de fonctionnement non n茅gligeable de 30 M$ en 2024-2025, 80 M$ en 2025-2026 et 90 M$ en 2026-2027. Si ce d茅ficit cumul茅 n鈥檈st pas combl茅, l鈥橴niversit茅 risque de se trouver dans une situation financi猫re n茅gative d鈥檌ci 2026-2027.

L鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色 reste d茅termin茅e 脿 offrir un environnement d鈥檃pprentissage de haute qualit茅 et ax茅 sur la recherche tout en renfor莽ant le bien-锚tre des communaut茅s qu鈥檈lle dessert. Les efforts collectifs des corps professoral et enseignant, du personnel et de la population 茅tudiante, ainsi que les investissements du gouvernement, des donateurs et des partenaires continuent 脿 appuyer la r茅alisation de cette vision. De nombreux facteurs contribuent directement 脿 cet 茅lan positif comme l鈥檃ugmentation des bourses et la mise en place de nouveaux services et programmes pour r茅pondre aux besoins des 茅tudiants et des employeurs, la possibilit茅 de recruter plus d鈥櫭﹖udiants sur le campus Markham, l鈥檌ncidence positive que le projet d鈥櫭ヽole de m茅decine a d茅j脿 sur la r茅putation de l鈥橴niversit茅 et les succ猫s de la recherche comme l鈥�initiative Connected Minds, la r茅cente subvention CREATE du CRSNG pour 茅tudier les orages g茅omagn茅tiques et une subvention de la province de l鈥橭ntario pour 茅tudier les technologies de recherche durables.

Ces progr猫s se refl猫tent dans les palmar猫s mondiaux et nationaux. L鈥橴niversit茅 a notamment gagn茅 , se classant 118^e sur plus de 1鈥�400 茅tablissements du monde entier, et 91亚色 a 茅t茅 reconnue comme un  

Le chemin qui reste 脿 parcourir

Des mesures rapides et d茅cisives doivent n茅anmoins 锚tre prises pour que 91亚色 aligne ses d茅penses sur la r茅duction des recettes provenant des inscriptions. Pour y parvenir avec un impact minimal sur l鈥橴niversit茅 et sa communaut茅, il est imp茅ratif de continuer 脿 investir dans la croissance future, notamment dans l鈥檃m茅lioration et le d茅veloppement des programmes, l鈥檌nnovation p茅dagogique, y compris l鈥檈nseignement en ligne et flexible, la gestion strat茅gique des inscriptions (SEM), la recherche, l鈥檌nnovation et la commercialisation, tout en rationalisant les frais g茅n茅raux administratifs et en diversifiant les sources de revenus.

Outre l鈥檌nt茅gration de provisions suppl茅mentaires dans les budgets pour tenir compte de l鈥檌ncertitude croissante dans l鈥檈nseignement sup茅rieur, les mesures d鈥櫭ヽonomie r茅centes comprennent la r茅duction des d茅penses de fonctionnement discr茅tionnaires comme les d茅penses de voyage et de repr茅sentation, le report des r茅novations et la consolidation des unit茅s d鈥檈nseignement. L鈥橴niversit茅 maintient son engagement 脿 contr么ler les co没ts et 脿 donner la priorit茅 aux initiatives strat茅giques qui l鈥檃ideront 脿 maintenir sa trajectoire positive et 脿 renforcer son incidence et sa r茅putation parmi les universit茅s mondiales.

91亚色 a retenu 17 actions suppl茅mentaires pour encadrer ces efforts. Les prochaines 茅tapes consistent 脿 consolider les groupes de travail charg茅s de diriger ces initiatives et 脿 茅tablir des objectifs et des crit猫res de r茅f茅rence pour mesurer les progr猫s accomplis. En plus d鈥檌mpliquer activement les membres du conseil d鈥檃dministration et du S茅nat et nos partenaires syndicaux, Ce sera l鈥檜ne des occasions de discuter du budget et du plan d鈥檃ction.

La collaboration de l鈥檈nsemble de la communaut茅 universitaire sera essentielle pour d茅finir et mettre en 艙uvre le meilleur plan de redressement possible afin que l鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色 continue 脿 prosp茅rer pour les g茅n茅rations futures.

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The University鈥檚 three-year budget plan, approved by the Board of Governors, takes a thoughtful and balanced approach to ensure 91亚色 remains financially sustainable while delivering on its long-term vision.

As part of its normal annual budget planning process, the University consulted with community members from all Faculties and divisions to seek input that would shape the plan taken to the Board of Governors for approval. At its meeting on April 30, the board approved the University鈥檚 three-year rolling budget, 2024-27.

鈥淎long with prudent forecasting and in-depth sector analysis, this budget has been shaped by our community,鈥� affirms Carol McAulay, vice-president finance and administration. 鈥淚t reflects the priorities identified throughout the budget consultation cycle and considers the current challenges affecting 91亚色 and most universities across Ontario.鈥�

91亚色 is at a significant point along its path to realizing its vision. At the same time, the institution is adjusting in response to unprecedented external factors. The University has been actively managing a range of forces that, combined, are having a serious impact on the sector. This includes ongoing effects of the pandemic, higher inflation, the 10 per cent cut to domestic tuition and subsequent freeze, visa processing delays for international students and geopolitical events. Through all of these challenges, the University has been able to keep investing in priorities such as faculty complement renewal, new program development, research intensification and the student learning experience, while also setting aside a portion of operating surpluses as a contingency fund pending the outcome of Bill 124 and the recovery of international enrolment. As a result of these efforts, 91亚色 began the 2023-24 year with a positive operating fund carryforward of approximately $250 million.

Ongoing enrolment challenges in the 2023-24 fiscal year required a range of measures to align costs with lower revenues. These measures included reduced spending on University travel, hospitality, professional development and other operating expenses; streamlining course offerings; reducing duplication; postponing some elements of the University's digital transformation program; deferring some renovations and equipment renewals; and limiting staff and faculty hiring. Nonetheless, the University ended the fiscal year with an operating budget deficit of $142 million, more than twice the deficit of $68 million approved for 2023-24 by the board last June.

A further three-year tuition freeze and a federal cap on international study visas have compounded the challenges for the recently approved three-year budget starting in 2024-25. The University has plans to achieve a balanced position in year three of the multi-year budget, including targets to close the gap of $30 million this year, $80 million in 2025-26 and $90 million in 2026-27. In order to achieve this, the University is implementing a roadmap containing 17 projects to generate new revenue and identify cost containment opportunities.

鈥淭he approved budget enables the University to continue to advance the strategic priorities outlined in the University Academic Plan while also ensuring its long-term financial sustainability in a challenging fiscal environment,鈥� adds Lisa Philipps, provost and vice-president academic. 鈥淭he outcomes from these collegially-informed projects will allow the University to align revenues and expenditures while supporting investment in growth."

鈥�91亚色 has made incredible progress towards the realization of our vision to offer a diverse student population access to a high-quality education at a research-intensive university committed to enhancing the well-being of the communities we serve, which is continuing to raise our international reputation in post-secondary education,鈥� said Rhonda Lenton, president and vice-chancellor.

鈥淲hile we must continue to advocate for our sector,鈥� adds Lenton, 鈥�91亚色 has a strong foundation that can be leveraged in tackling these short-term challenges and seizing opportunities to forge the future of the University together.鈥�

Budget details and more information is available on the University鈥檚 Shared Accountability and Resource Planning web page.

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Le plan budg茅taire triennal de l鈥橴niversit茅, qui vient d鈥櫭猼re approuv茅 par le Conseil d鈥檃dministration, adopte une approche r茅fl茅chie et 茅quilibr茅e afin de garantir la viabilit茅 financi猫re de 91亚色 tout en r茅alisant sa vision 脿 long terme.

Dans le cadre de sa proc茅dure normale de planification budg茅taire annuelle, l鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色 a consult茅 des membres de toutes les facult茅s et divisions afin d鈥檕btenir leurs contributions pour 茅laborer le plan soumis 脿 l鈥檃pprobation du Conseil d鈥檃dministration. Lors de sa r茅union du 30 avril, le Conseil d鈥檃dministration a approuv茅 le budget triennal continu 2024-2027 de l鈥橴niversit茅. 芦 Parall猫lement 脿 des pr茅visions prudentes et des analyses sectorielles approfondies, ce budget a 茅t茅 influenc茅 par notre communaut茅, a affirm茅 Carol McAulay, vice-pr茅sidente des finances et de l鈥檃dministration. Il refl猫te les priorit茅s identifi茅es tout au long du cycle de consultation budg茅taire et prend en compte les d茅fis qui affectent 91亚色 et la plupart des universit茅s ontariennes. 禄

91亚色 est 脿 un tournant d茅cisif de son parcours vers la concr茅tisation de sa vision. L鈥橴niversit茅 s鈥檃dapte simultan茅ment 脿 des facteurs externes sans pr茅c茅dent et a d没 g茅rer activement plusieurs facteurs qui, combin茅s, affectent gravement le secteur. Ces facteurs incluent notamment les effets persistants de la pand茅mie, la hausse de l鈥檌nflation, la r茅duction de 10 % des droits de scolarit茅 nationaux et le gel subs茅quent de ces droits, les retards dans le traitement des permis d鈥櫭﹖udes internationaux et les 茅v茅nements g茅opolitiques. Malgr茅 tous ces d茅fis, 91亚色 a r茅ussi 脿 investir dans des priorit茅s comme le renouvellement du corps professoral, le d茅veloppement de nouveaux programmes, l鈥檌ntensification de la recherche et l鈥檈xp茅rience d鈥檃pprentissage de la population 茅tudiante et 脿 mettre de c么t茅 une partie des exc茅dents du fonds de fonctionnement 脿 titre de contingences en attendant l鈥檌ssue du projet de loi 124 et la reprise des inscriptions internationales. Gr芒ce 脿 ces efforts, l鈥橴niversit茅 a commenc茅 l鈥檃nn茅e 2023-2024 avec un report en avant positif du fonds de fonctionnement d鈥檈nviron 250 M$.

Les difficult茅s persistantes en mati猫re d鈥檌nscriptions au cours de l鈥檈xercice 2023-2024 ont n茅cessit茅 une s茅rie de mesures visant 脿 aligner les co没ts sur la baisse des recettes. Ces mesures comprennent la r茅duction des d茅penses li茅es aux voyages, 脿 l鈥檃ccueil et au d茅veloppement professionnel, ainsi que d鈥檃utres d茅penses de fonctionnement de l鈥橴niversit茅, la rationalisation de l鈥檕ffre de cours, la r茅duction des duplications, le report de certains 茅l茅ments de son programme de transformation num茅rique et de quelques r茅novations et renouvellements d鈥櫭﹒uipement, ainsi que la restriction du recrutement de membres du personnel et du corps professoral. L鈥橴niversit茅 a toutefois termin茅 l鈥檈xercice financier avec un d茅ficit de 142 M$, soit plus du double du d茅ficit de 68 M$ approuv茅 en juin dernier par le Conseil d鈥檃dministration pour l鈥檈xercice 2023-2024.

Un nouveau gel des droits de scolarit茅 pendant trois ans et un plafond f茅d茅ral sur les permis d鈥櫭﹖udes internationaux ont accentu茅 les difficult茅s pour le budget triennal r茅cemment approuv茅, qui d茅bute en 2024-2025. L鈥橴niversit茅 pr茅voit atteindre une position de r茅茅quilibrage au cours de la troisi猫me ann茅e du budget pluriannuel, et elle s鈥檈st notamment fix茅 des objectifs pour combler l鈥櫭ヽart de 30 M$ cette ann茅e, de 80 M$ en 2025-2026 et de 90 M$ en 2026-2027. 脌 ces fins, elle met en 艙uvre une feuille de route constitu茅e de 17 projets pour g茅n茅rer des recettes et d茅terminer des possibilit茅s de compression des co没ts.

芦 Le budget approuv茅 permet 脿 l鈥橴niversit茅 de continuer 脿 faire progresser les priorit茅s strat茅giques d茅finies dans son Plan acad茅mique (PAU) tout en garantissant sa viabilit茅 financi猫re 脿 long terme dans un environnement fiscal difficile, a ajout茅 Lisa Philipps, rectrice et vice-pr茅sidente aux affaires acad茅miques. Les r茅sultats de ces projets, qui ont fait l鈥檕bjet d鈥檜ne r茅flexion coll茅giale, permettront 脿 l鈥橴niversit茅 d鈥檃ligner ses revenus et ses d茅penses tout en appuyant financi猫rement sa croissance. 禄

芦 L鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色 a fait d鈥檌mmenses progr猫s envers la r茅alisation de sa vision, qui est de permettre 脿 une population 茅tudiante diversifi茅e d鈥檃cc茅der 脿 une 茅ducation de haute qualit茅 dans un environnement 脿 forte intensit茅 de recherche qui s鈥檈mploie 脿 am茅liorer le bien-锚tre des communaut茅s servies. Cela contribue 脿 asseoir notre r茅putation internationale 禄, a d茅clar茅 Rhonda Lenton, pr茅sidente et vice-chanceli猫re.

芦 Nous devons continuer 脿 d茅fendre le secteur postsecondaire, a ajout茅 Mme Lenton. 91亚色 dispose n茅anmoins de fondements solides qui peuvent 锚tre mis 脿 profit pour relever ces d茅fis 脿 court terme et pour saisir les occasions de fa莽onner ensemble l鈥檃venir de l鈥橴niversit茅. 禄

Les d茅tails du budget et d鈥檃utres renseignements sont affich茅s sur la page Web 芦 Shared Accountability and Resource Planning (SHARP) 禄

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