New POSts, residences, and student fees coming to UTM in the 2026-2027 academic year
The Campus Affairs and Academic Affairs Committees convened to approve new budgets and to discuss academic life at UTM.

Each month, administrators, staff, and student leaders at the University of Toronto (U of T) Mississauga (UTM) meet to discuss on-campus facilities, services, and academic opportunities for students. Most recently, the Campus Affairs Committee (CAC) met on January 26, and the Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) met on January 27 to discuss upcoming campus and academic changes for the 2026-2027 academic year.

CAC talk new residence building, ancillary budgets, enrollment, and multiple fee increases

Antonia Lo, director of budget, planning, and finance, presented financial forecasts for the current fiscal year. She said residence revenues are expected to be slightly lower than budgeted due to changes in compensation for dons and community assistants. Hospitality revenues are trending higher due to strong food sales and conference activity, though lower meal plan purchases and reduced film shoots have affected overall revenue. 

Parking revenues are projected to exceed expectations because of higher permit sales and increased use of mobile payment options.

New residence building opening in September

Brian Cunha, director of Student Housing and Residence Life, said demand for on-campus housing remains high. He also stated that demand continues to exceed supply, citing a housing demand study from the fall that garnered more than 2,000 student respondents.

Cunha said a new residence building is scheduled to open in September this year, adding 400 beds to the campus and increasing UTM’s total residence capacity to approximately 2,000 beds.

The building includes shared kitchens, study spaces, and community areas. Cunha noted that the project is fully internally funded, meaning residence revenue will be reinvested into housing operations and student services.

He also outlined proposed residence rate changes for 2026-27, which vary by building. Some higher demand residences will see increases, while Schreiberwood undergraduate housing will see a 15 percent decrease. Student family housing rates will remain frozen.

Assistant Director of Hospitality Operations Megan Evans gave updates on hospitality and parking services. Evans said that despite higher revenues from retail food sales and catering, there are increasing costs related to technology upgrades and campus chargebacks associated with film shoots.

With the opening of the new residence building, hospitality services expect approximately 400 additional students to purchase meal plans. Required minimum meal plans are proposed to increase by 2.5 per cent, while optional larger meal plans would increase by 5.6 per cent.

For parking, Evans said revenues exceed the budget due to increased permit sales, particularly in the CCT garage. Proposed permit increases for next year range from 2.5 per cent to 3 per cent, with no changes to hourly or daily parking rates.

The committee approved the ancillary operating plans without opposition.

Registrar and Assistant Dean of Strategic Enrolment Engagement Renu Kanga Fonseca provided an update on undergraduate enrollment. UTM currently has 15,215 undergraduate students, with approximately 24 per cent identifying as international students. Fonseca said international enrollment has been affected by federal study permit changes announced in 2024.

Fonseca shared an early look at fall 2026 admissions data, showing that applications to UTM are up six per cent compared to the last year. International applications are up 14 per cent, and first-choice applications, students ranking UTM as their top Ontario university option, are up 12 per cent.

The admission average for Ontario high school students entering UTM in fall 2025 was 86.6 per cent. Fonseca added that approximately 70 per cent of students graduate within six years, noting ongoing efforts to improve academic advising and student support.

Interim Dean of Student Experience and Wellbeing Tim Fricker and Assistant Dean of Students and International Initiatives Chad Nuttal introduced student services operating plans. Proposed initiatives include expanding wellness programming, exploring online health appointment booking, completing repairs to the campus pool ventilation system, strengthening international student support, and maintaining funding for services such as the shuttle program and child care grants.

Samuel Kamalendran, chair of the Quality Services to Students (QSS) council, reported that QSS endorsed the health services fee and the student services bundle, but did not endorse the recreation, athletics, and wellness proposal. Samuel said several student members of QSS abstained due to concerns about student fees being used for capital infrastructure costs.

During the discussion, committee member Marc Laflamme questioned why students did not support the recreation proposal despite high service usage. Administrators responded that concerns focused on capital funding responsibilities, including necessary heating, ventilation, and cooling repairs in the pool area. 

The committee approved the student services item with one opposed vote and one abstention out of 34 total voters.

The committee also considered a fee proposal from the UTM Association of Graduate Students (UTMAGS).

Faisal Halabeya, UTMAGS president, said the proposed three per cent increase is intended to cover rising costs associated with the MiWay U-pass. The motion passed without opposition.

The next CAC meeting is scheduled for March 10 at 3:10 p.m.

AAC covers enrolment projections and outreach to prospective students

The AAC observed a presentation of the annual undergraduate enrolment data. The student body at UTM currently includes 15,215 undergraduates, 24 per cent of whom are international students.

Due to federal changes to international study permits in 2024, UTM fell short of its international targets but exceeded domestic targets. Overall, applications were up 6 per cent, with international applications up 14 per cent, though still below the 2023 levels.

The AAC also addressed the financial implications of decreased enrolment. Committee members noted that lower international enrolment could lead to a C$25-$50 million revenue loss. 

Programs that are more structured and programs with higher deregulated fees tend to have higher graduation rates. This is likely because students in those programs have clearer course paths and stronger incentives to graduate on time.

Finance Professor Andreas Park commented that it is disappointing to see so many secondary students consider other universities such as Laurier, Guelph, and McMaster instead of UTM, saying that “UTM is never in the conversation.” He expressed that this is especially displeasing as “ultimately, we are U of T quality without all of the U of T downsides… there is a lot we can do to promote ourselves better,” said Park.

UTM Principal Alexandra Gillespie responded by saying that UTM must differentiate itself from the university as a whole. “In order to make it clear that [students] should come to UTM, we have to be able to go out into the market and say ‘we’re UTM,’ not ‘we’re U of T’.”

New programs coming to UTM

The AAC presented and unanimously approved a new specialist in accounting and finance with the bachelor of business administration, with a tentative launch date of September 2026. The program, which is a response to student demand, will comprise existing courses and faculty.

The committee also approved a new minor in criminology, law, and society (CLS), which was also approved, designed to complement existing specialist and major CLS programs. This program was presented in response to students’ desire to pursue studies in criminology without committing to a CLS specialist or major. Students will be able to enrol in the new minor program starting in September 2026.