Action Plan
Action Plan
The Next Chapter action plan is a living document that will adjust, strengthen and respond to the evolving needs of our community over time. It will remain aligned with our institutional values and our commitment to being bold, inclusive, dedicated to excellence, collaborative and sustainable. This plan reflects conversations across our campus about the work and opportunities that lay ahead of us where employees, students and other community members have brought forward ideas, guidance and a sense of optimism for our Next Chapter.
Executive and functional leadership has been identified to support and advance Next Chapter initiatives. Where possible and appropriate, we are embedding the initiatives in pre-existing processes and structures across the university and maintaining the established functional accountabilities, responsibilities and approval frameworks. Where necessary though, working groups, committees, and new methods of approaching our work are/will be established.
Implementation Initiatives
Recommendations 1-3
| 1 | The university adopt the following principles of commemoration, which shall be embodied with purpose and advanced with courage to ensure that decisions about commemoration are made with integrity:
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| 2 | The university develops a policy and accompanying procedures to provide guidelines and clarify responsibilities for decisions about commemoration that align with the principles of commemoration. |
| 3 | The university establishes a standing committee that:
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Initiatives
With insight from an Advisory Group, targeted consultation with key stakeholders across campus and broad public consultation, a Policy Working Group has drafted a naming policy that sets out the considerations and processes for the naming of assets at the university after individuals and organizations.
A Naming Review Committee to review proposals and make recommendations to decision-makers about commemorative naming at the university will be established during the fall 2023 term.
Recommendations 4-6
| 4 | The university renames the institution in a process that engages with community members and university stakeholders. |
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| 5 | The university not reinstall, restore or replace the statue of Egerton Ryerson, and instead initiate an open call for proposals for the rehoming of the remaining pieces of the statue to promote educational initiatives. |
| 6 | The university reconsiders the “Eggy” mascot. |
Initiatives
Recognizing the harm experienced by the ongoing commemoration of Egerton Ryerson and the impossibility of upholding our institutional values while commemorating a colonial figure, the community engaged in processes to rename the university and determine a new mascot. "Toronto Metropolitan University" was announced in April 2022, adopted immediately and implemented in phases across campus.
Frankie B. Bold (external link) , the Falcon was introduced in September 2023. During the 2022/23 academic year a process to determine a new home for the Egerton Ryerson statue will be identified.
Recommendations 7-10
| 7 | The university share materials to recognize the legacy of Egerton Ryerson through:
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| 8 | The university continue to share materials to recognize the rich history of the university. |
| 9 | The university develop a plan to ensure all academic programs contain mandatory learning opportunities about Indigenous history and Indigenous and colonial relations for all students. |
| 10 | The university create and require all faculty and staff to complete a training or education module about Indigenous history and about Indigenous and colonial relations and the Indian Residential School System. |
Initiatives
The university is committed to ensuring there are opportunities for community members to educate themselves and to understand history and legacy.
Building on materials and contents that are housed by the university archives, new opportunities to disseminate comprehensive and accessible information about the life and legacy of Egerton Ryerson will be considered.
Celebrating and sharing the rich history of the university will be ongoing. The Summer 2023 issue of the Toronto Met University magazine celebrated TMU’s 75th anniversary by looking back at memorable moments, university firsts and photos from the past. Recognizing the important role that they play in our campus community, TMU alumni and friends continue to be engaged, supported and celebrated.
On September 30, 2022, President Lachemi appointed Jennifer S. Simpson as Special Advisor to the President, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization (EDID) Curriculum Transformation. One area of responsibility for this role is to identify a university-wide approach to responding to recommendation nine.
Since August 2021, there have been a wide-range of learning programs, activities, and events to equip faculty and staff with knowledge of Indigenous history, Indigenous and colonial relations and the Indian Residential School System.
Recommendations 11-13
| 11 | The university further explore the feasibility of academic units for Indigenous Studies and Black Studies. |
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| 12 | The university strengthen efforts to recruit, retain and promote faculty and staff who self-identify as Indigenous and/or Black. |
| 13 | The university establish additional substantial and sustainable funding programs for:
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Initiatives
In addition to the minor in Black Studies that was introduced to the undergraduate calendar in fall 2022, faculty members across the university are exploring the feasibility of Indigenous and Black courses, minors, programs and academic units.
Data collected through the Staff Applicant Diversity Self-ID (launched in May 2021) will help the university to identify where barriers exist in our recruitment process, create strategies to address them and measure our success over time. The university will continue to strengthen efforts to recruit, retain and promote faculty and staff who self-identify as Indigenous and/or Black.
The university has made dismantling all forms of anti-Black racism and oppression a strategic priority. In February 2022, the Confronting Anti-Black Racism website launched to serve as a hub for updates and resources on the implementation progress of the 14 recommendations of the (PDF file) Anti-Black Racism Review Report.
In recent years a number of new funding opportunities have been established to increase access to higher education and to recognize the excellence of Indigenous and Black students across the university. Some notable additions include the Black and Indigenous Engineering Fellowships (launched in 2021), The Julie Patel Foundation Award (launched in 2022) and the Johnson Scholarship Foundation grant (announced in 2021). University Advancement will continue to pursue new funding sources for additional scholarships, awards and bursaries for Indigenous and Black students and fellows.
Recommendations 14-16
| 14 | The university develop a community-based, interactive public art installation space in a prominent location on campus. |
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| 15 | The university establish a space on campus where an accessible garden can be planted for the long-term growth of traditional Indigenous medicines. |
| 16 | The university plan ceremonies for community members’ healing and closure at the former site of the statue of Egerton Ryerson. |
Initiatives
Working with the university’s existing Public Art Committee and the Indigenous Space Sub-Working Group, the university will determine a location on campus for a community-based, interactive public art installation space.
In addition to previously initiated projects on campus such as the opening of the Urban Farm’s DCC rooftop farm that is dedicated to the Indigenous Foodways and Black Food Sovereignty programs and the Ted Rogers School of Management Indigenous Healing Garden, the Indigenous Space Sub-Working Group and the Urban Farm will continue to provide guidance and direction towards the further establishment of spaces on campus where accessible gardens can be planted for the long-term growth of traditional Indigenous medicines.
A series of ceremonies will be planned for community members to come together at the former site of the statue of Egerton Ryerson.
Recommendations 17 & 18
| 17 | The university consider a new university-wide protocol for land acknowledgements in consultation with community members. |
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| 18 | The university develops educational materials and opportunities for all community members to learn about land acknowledgements. |
Initiatives
Through a process of personal learning and community engagement with key stakeholders including the Indigenous Education Council, Indigenous students, faculty, staff and external partners, we will continue critical conversations about the university-wide protocol for land acknowledgments and related education.
Recommendation 19
| 19 | The university provide an update to the community about the implementation of recommendations contained in the 2018 Truth and Reconciliation Community Consultation Summary Report and the 2020 (PDF file) Anti-Black Racism Campus Climate Review Report. |
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Initiatives
The university continues to demonstrate a commitment to advancing Truth and Reconciliation and addressing anti-Black racism through ongoing planning, events and initiatives.
Following the release of the (PDF file) Truth and Reconciliation Community Consulation Summary Report (external link) in 2018, the TRC Strategic Working Group was launched to capture a wide range of activities across campus, support and strengthen initiatives that were underway, and to create space for dialogue. The co-chairs of the working group shared a video update (external link) about the progress of the TRC working group and their personal commitment to responding to the recommendations.
The Presidential Implementation Committee to Confront Anti-Black Racism continues to share the progress made in addressing the recommendations from the (PDF file) Anti-Black Racism Campus Climate Review report. In addition to the launch of the Confronting Anti-Black Racism website, annual updates were shared in February 2021 and February 2022.
Recommendations 20-22
| 20 | The university develop an action plan by January 31, 2022 to address and implement all of the Task Force’s recommendations. |
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| 21 | The university provide sufficient resources (both financial and administrative) to support, track and review the implementation of these recommendations. |
| 22 | The university provide annual updates to the community about the implementation of these recommendations. |
Initiatives
The university fulfilled the commitment to share this living action plan that outlines the progress of the response to the Task Force recommendations.
The Associate Director, Next Chapter Implementation and Coordination works with colleagues and community members to support, track and communicate implementation activities related to the recommendations.
In addition to the action plan, annual communications are shared with the TMU community regarding the progress of Next Chapter work. The first update was shared in October 2022.
Standing Strong Task Force
In Fall 2020, President Lachemi established the Standing Strong Task Force to develop principles to guide commemoration at the university, and to respond to the history and legacy of Egerton Ryerson within the context of the university’s values. The (PDF file) Standing Strong Task Force Report and Recommendations: Acknowledging the past, learning from the present, looking to the future captures the work of the Task Force from November 2020 - August 2021, including an in-depth historical research project, and two-month community engagement period.
In August 2021, the University’s Board of Governors committed to the implementation of all 22 recommendations from the Standing Strong Task Force to address the legacy of Egerton Ryerson and establish principles to guide commemoration across campus. In recognition of the need for transparent process and institutional accountability, the action plan below provides a high level overview of each of the recommendations along with the related implementation initiatives including plans, updates and opportunities for community involvement.