University Mandates

 How does the university work as a financial actor?

In addition to research and teaching, a modern university is responsible for managing finances with multiple components: research, teaching, pensions, endowments, patents, real estate, and many more.  People who work or study at the university are impacted by financial management, but most of us have no idea how it works: through research reports and infographics we aim to change that!

What are the ethical dimensions of the University’s comportment in its employment, research, and community engagement locally and globally?

Universities have commitments to equity, diversity and fairness, but how to make good on these commitments often involves trade-offs: saving money on wages might come at the expense of working conditions; accepting donations to fund important research might involve turning a blind eye to the source of donated funds. We explore ethical dilemmas and probe who makes decisions, and what considerations are brought to bear.

Reports

University as Investor
When public universities contract with ‘ed tech’ vendors: issues concerning ‘Learning Management Systems’ and online learning
A Case Study of the Governance of a U of T Capital Project: 90 Queen’s Park
United Steelworkers Local 1998 Employee Experiences During COVID-19
U of T’s duty of care towards its international students: a case study of U of T’s partnership with Alibaba cloud services
U of T and Philanthropy
The Unusual Inception and Profound Legacy of Unicameral Governance at the University of Toronto
Timeline of labour organization at U of T
U of T Fossil Fuel Timeline

Infographics