Category Archives: Meeting Minutes

October 23rd 2020

MINUTES:
Present: Lydia, Dane, Chloe, Anna, Qi, Husayn, Lilian, Ruby, Maaike, Dave, Alex, Alyssa,
Arlinda, Rebecca, Elzar, Tara, Chris, Flora, Emmanuelle, Brian, Mairead, Jessica, Victoria
Regrets: Dina, Nada, Mikayla, Kayla, Danielle, Aravind, Katherine, Monica, Isra, Jillian,
Crystal, Zakariya, Amika
General announcements:

  1. Discussion with our program director: Dr. Audrey Laporte (interim director until Dec
    2019)
    o Very supportive of overall student wellness
    o Invitation to IHPME faculty meetings
    § Will give us an opportunity to inform and engage staff for any GSU
    initiatives

o Has invited Arlinda and Lydia to the faculty meetings to ensure that we have a
clear connect with the faculty (every other month)
o If there are any specific things that come up within each of your sub-committees,
please let Arlinda or Lydia know so we can pass this along to the faculty
o Had a successful meeting today – told them about our mentorship activities, etc.

  1. $500 conference funds extended to include data collection activities as well (submit
    receipts for reimbursements as usual). Will be shared more broadly soon.
    • Anything that has to do with your thesis project, you can submit for
  2. IHPME GSU 2019-2020 Accomplishments
    . Please fill out any accomplishments (events hosted, mentors recruited etc.) here:
    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1scpbJd5JcBsb1WEII-KqKa6vr6NFyK9-
    C5gjrKlaMqY/edit?usp=drive_web&ouid=100148773532213751027
  3. Part-time work:

• Short term contract with ACE (Accessing centre for expertise) (ASAP) –
please share with colleagues

• https://ihpme.utoronto.ca/events/student-information-session-ace-accessing-
centre-for-expertise/

o Knowledge of Cantonese or mandarin
o 4-week contract to work on a project – ideally 2-3 days/week
o Would be working very closely with Rebecca Hancock Howard
o Literature review, conceptual framework, and developing the slide
deck for meeting
o Will send around posting
o MORE Info:
§ ACE contract (3-4 weeks working with Dr. Rebecca
Hancock-Howard)
§ Ideally we would have someone 2-3 days per week over the
next 3-4 weeks. Some of the work could be flexible, but I’d

like to work closely with the person so they’d need to be
willing/able to meet in person at IHPME 1-2 times per week
during regular working hours.
§ The duties do not fall within a standard project style. We’d
need someone to help develop a conceptual framework, help
draft a report based on a targeted (informal) literature review,
and help prepare materials (slide deck) for an upcoming
roundtable consultation.
§ Email Rebecca.Hancock@utoronto.ca for more information or
if interested.

GSU Exec Check-in:
• President: Arlinda Ruco
o Thanks so much to the people who volunteered at IHPME’s open house! You are
great!
o Thank you for Lydia, Dane, and Mikayla who went to Moonshot and had a booth
• Vice-President: Lydia Sequeira
o No updates
• Secretary: Flora Vieira Zamora
o No updates
• Communications Lead: Dina Bayoumy
o Please send by Friday for posting the next Monday
o Also please let her know which avenue she needs to use to send out the info
• Treasurer: Brian Lo
o Head Grant Application
§ Finished and will submit and have a better indication of our funding
o Expense Reimbursement:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0X7SEl54VcoRUOlsaiv8gzXuN_j
J6JmTGEPRoocoUt5Q73Q/viewform
• Social Activities Coordinator: Jessica Ramlakhan
o Dalla Lana food drive (more info below)
o Pub Night – Nov 6
o Skating night
• Health and Wellness Lead: Elzar Sipin
o Has contacted Whitney and Audrey regarding some dates, hasn’t heard back
o Has some ideas but wants to make sure the senior leadership is on board
o Has a contact for a speaker RE: burnout – will reach out
o If anyone has any ideas, please contact Elzar at elzar.sipin@mail.utoronto.ca

Mentorship
Separate budget
• HSR Mentorship/Peer Support Lead: Alexandra Cernat
o Had orientation
o Went really well – great turn out – 30 people
o Halloween Event – Nov 6 – pizza, candy, etc.

• MHI Peer Support Lead: Mairead Mulroy
o Graduate in Dec 2019
o Elections for GSU done and in the midst of voting – will have a new GSU
member soon!
o Decided to host an event rather than doing the gift-cards
o Great start to mentorship
o 30/36 of the upper-year students are mentors and new students = 28
o Are hoping to get more involved with greater IHPME students
• Alumni Committee Co-Representatives: Dane Mauer-Vakil & Mikayla Munnery
o Completed recruitement
o 11 alumni and student dyads
o Will send out match emails this week
o Going well!
Academic Rounds
• Scholarly Activities Coordinator (Lunch and Learn): Chloe Mighton
o AI and healthcare – hoping to have first one for end of November
o Has reached out to Dr. Jennifer Gibson
o Still in process and will try to alternate with the other academic round leaders
• Health Policy Rounds: Aravind Rajendran
o Unable to get a speaker for November but have a speaker for December. Need to
confirm with him.

• Student Rounds Coordinator: Jillian Macklin
o Put out a call for students who want to present

Curriculum & Programs
• Curriculum Committee Representative: Husayn Marani
o Nothing much to report
o Has heard mixed reviews re: 5011 four-day course – want to get more formal
feedback
o Proposed idea of an AI collaborative program
§ Emphases vs collaborative program
§ There has been interest in both
• HSR Emphases Representative: Maaike DeVries
o Discussion re: HTA and cost-effectiveness courses
§ Looking at bringing more opportunities for this
o Health informatics had issues with course enrollment and trying to figure out how
to do this
o Outcomes and evaluation – more discussion on what this constitutes
• Clin Epi Representative: David Forner
o No updates
• MHSc Representative: Ruby Bola and Tara Mckay (Y1), Kayla Chow (Y2)
o Food drive (supports Daily Bread) & Hygiene drive (supports Covenant House)
§ Will run from Nov 1 – Nov 29
§ Boxes on the 4th floor (IHPME office), 6th floor, possibly 5th and 7th floors

§ Will be advertising this Friday
§ Flyer will be out soon
§ Jam drive – jam from Niagara region to raise funds
§ Daily Bread: Non-perishable food items
§ Covenant House: is a youth homeless shelter that accepts unopened
hygiene products, so that would be a great organization to donate dental
supplies, feminine hygiene products, and soap/shampoo/conditioner etc.
o Senior fellows round table – want one that’s more MHSc (career) focused vs
research focused

• MHI Representatives: Mairead Mulroy & Katherine Kresta
o Will see new reps soon
• eMHI Representative: Monica Chao
• SLI Rep: Isra Hussein
• QIPS Rep: VACANT
IHPME Research Day
• Research Day Co-Chairs: Qi Guan & Lilian Lin
o Settled on a theme!
o Had a great first meeting
o Progress going well!

Other Councils
• Environment Committee Representative: Anna Cooper Reed
o Design and development workshop – Jan
o Case competition – Feb
§ Have 6 grants – have enough to fund the case competition
§ In November will start communications for the case competition
§ Will be open to greater U of T community
§ Formed teams can apply – still figuring out if single members can apply –
Anna will update
§ If interested in being a member – talk to Anna – meetings every 2 wks, but
not all members need to attend, give opportunity to allow people to learn
about sustainability efforts
§ Core exec team – will take care of the main events

• DLSPH Councils:
o School Council: Crystal Milligan, Christopher Noel, Nada Dali, Elzar Sipin,
Victoria Haldane, VACANT (professional Masters)
§ No new updates
§ Meeting – Nov 25, 2019
o Education Committee: Danielle Toccalino, Zakariya Thraya, VACANT
§ Meeting – Nov 4, 2019
§ Tips: very formal, so introduce yourself to the chair
o Executive Committee: Maaike De Vries, Amika Shah
§ Meeting invite sent out

• UofT GSU Representatives: Alyssa Kelly, Emmanuelle Arpin, Tara Mckay
o First meeting at end of Sept

o Very interesting
o Sophie McGibbons – Units 3 and 4 – also resigned – but now will be the new
finance commissioner
§ Role: addresses academic and funding issues
§ If there are any complaints from students and then talk to the greater
people at U of T
§ Finance commissioner has resigned – will be leaving as of Nov 1
§ Election at next meeting on Nov 29
§ For finance commissioner 3 and 4 and other positions
§ Lots of debate about the head grant
§ Board voted to hire a mental health onsite councillor – for the GSU
§ Meeting tomorrow to discuss how needs assessment and then will
move on with hiring process

Other items?
• More support for upper year students
o Meet and greet
o Helping connect upper years
o Helping with next steps, networking, etc.
o Help with comps – possible student rounds for December?
• Improving Moonshot for new graduate students
o Found that it’s challenging to network with faculty, students and alumni – even
more so for new students who may not know too many others yet – how can we
bridge this?
§ Possible sticker system (on name tag) – one for new students, returning
students, faculty, etc.
§ Possibly set a meeting point with other IHPME students before event and
go together?

o Lydia to follow -up with Taylor and Rebecca

September 18th 2020

September GSU Executive Meeting – Sept 18 @ 5:00PM @ RM412
MINUTES:
Present: Nada, Dave, Alex, Dina, Arlinda, Lydia, Flora, Elzar, Mikayla, Qi, Dane, Aravind, Jillian,
Lilian, Danielle, Tara, Chloe, Monica, Emmanuelle, Ruby, Anna, Victoria, Mairead
Regrets: Alyssa, Husayn, Crystal, Christopher, Katherine, Jessica
AGENDA:
General announcements:

Annual General Meeting – September 24 @ 5:30 PM
Annual General Meeting (AGM) for all IHPME students will be held towards the end of September. This is the time when we vote in the budget as well as any new changes to the constitution includes new Health and Wellness role that is proposed. Five Moonshot tickets will be raffled off!!!
• opportunity for greater student body to meet their GSU exec
• will present budget
• new Health and Wellness Role
• there will be food
• ROOM: HSB – 208

IHPME GSU 2019-2020 Accomplishments
• add accomplishments or events to our shared drive so that we can keep track of the exciting events we have done.

IHPME GSU Website:
Any further updates? – http://gsu.ihpme.sa.utoronto.ca/

Monthly mindfulness sessions of 1 hour
– When is the best day/time for these? Thoughts?
• MHSc and EMHI is only on campus during selective times
• Will bring up at the AGM to get a better idea about times
• Possibly Wednesday evenings?
• Mindfulness during lunch time? Possible virtual opportunity?

GSU Exec Check-in:
• President: Arlinda Ruco
• Vice-President: Lydia Sequeira
• Secretary: Flora Vieira Zamora
• Communications Lead: Dina Bayoumy
If anyone wants to disseminate info via social media or list-serv – let Dina know and she can send out (let her know number of times, when to send out, etc.) – usually sends out list-servs on Sunday evenings or Monday mornings
• Treasurer: Brian Lo
Budget, Cheques, Expense Reimbursement, Head Grant Application – putting this together now, Potential reduction in our budget – after we know how much, Brian will re-adjust the budget
• Social Activities Coordinator: Jessica Ramlakhan
o Does anyone have event ideas/requests?
§ Last year: Halloween social, comedy show, Ethiopian coffee social, Linked-in head shot and brunch
§ Bowling night
§ Volunteer – soup kitchen – around thanksgiving or Christmas
§ Linked-in & Resume building
§ Halloween event this year
§ Semi-formal
§ Outdoor activity – run, hike
§ Pub nights
§ Student initiative fund – any student can apply for extra funding – next funding
cycle will be in the Winter
o Are there any date preferences for social events based on class schedules/commitments?
§ Date preferences – will try to have a variety
Mentorship
• HSR Mentorship/Peer Support Lead: Alexandra Cernat
o 16 mentors and 35 mentees – matches done
o Will host a welcome social in the next few weeks
o Closed for new mentors/mentees unless a pair of mentor/mentee want to join
• Alumni Committee Co-Representatives: Dane Mauer-Vakil & Mikayla Munnery
o Sent out mentee survey – 25 students have responded
o Mentor survey will be sent out shortly
Academic Rounds
o Shared Academic Rounds Calendar
o This year will be alternating lunch and learns (3 total) and student rounds (3 total)
o 6 health policy rounds in total
o Possible recording of lectures so students can watch later
o Virtual option?
• Scholarly Activities Coordinator (Lunch and Learn): Chloe Mighton
o Suggestions for topics or speakers?
§ Integrated AI
§ Intro to R
§ SPSS
§ Panel
• Health Policy Rounds: Aravind Rajendran
§ Have been in touch with health policy emphases lead
§ Will have a health policy studies focus
§ Will start in November – once per month
• Student Rounds Coordinator: Jillian Macklin
o 3 throughout year
o How to best advertise: slide for classes, list-serv, social media
o Food options: pizza, paramount, meat and cheese platters
Curriculum & Programs
• Curriculum Committee Representative: Husayn Marani
o Will provide update at AGM
• HSR Emphases Representative: Maaike DeVries
o No new updates
• Clin Epi Representative: David Forner
o No new updates
• MHSc Representative: Ruby Bola and Tara Mckay
o No new updates
o Will have more ideas at next meeting
o Possible idea: food drive around thanksgiving
o Tara will reach out to Dalla Lana food drive organizer from last year – Arlinda will get
contact info for Tara
o Possible theme to centre events around: social determinants, food insecurity
• MHI Representatives: Mairead Mulroy & Katherine Kresta
• eMHI Representative: Monica Chao
• QIPS Rep:
• SLI Rep:
IHPME Research Day
• Research Day Co-Chairs: Qi Guan & Lilian Lin
o Sent out email for committee members
o First meeting: Oct 15, 2019
Other Councils
• Environment Committee Representative: Anna Cooper Reed
o Committee started by Fiona Miller
o Name change à Emerging Leaders for Environmental Sustainability in Healthcare
(ELESH)
o Event for February – Case competition
§ Will be open to all U of T students
§ Focus will be sustainability in healthcare
§ Funding applications underway
§ Always looking for more students to participate and help with planning – let
Anna or Victoria know, if interested
• DLSPH Councils:
o School Council: Crystal Milligan, Christopher Noel, Nada Dali, Elzar Sipin, Victoria
Haldane, VACANT (professional Masters)
o Education Committee: Danielle Toccalino, VACANT, VACANT
o Executive Committee: VACANT, VACANT
• UofT GSU Representatives: Alyssa Kelly, Emmanuelle Arpin, Tara Mckay
§ Meeting next week
§ These reps are really the bridge between our GSU and greater SGS
§ Deadline to opt-out of health and dental insurance – has to happen before the end of Sept – hard deadline.

Budget
o Cheques
o Expense Reimbursement:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0X7SEl54VcoRUOlsaiv8gzXuN_jJ6JmT
GEPRoocoUt5Q73Q/viewform
o Head Grant Application – putting this together now
o Potential reduction in our budget – after we know how much, Brian will re-adjust the
budget
• Social Activities Coordinator: Jessica Ramlakhan
o Does anyone have event ideas/requests?
§ Last year: Halloween social, comedy show, Ethiopian coffee social, Linked-in
head shot and brunch
§ Bowling night
§ Volunteer – soup kitchen – around thanksgiving or Christmas
§ Linked-in & Resume building
§ Halloween event this year
§ Semi-formal
§ Outdoor activity – run, hike
§ Pub nights
§ Student initiative fund – any student can apply for extra funding – next funding
cycle will be in the Winter
o Are there any date preferences for social events based on class schedules/commitments?
§ Date preferences – will try to have a variety
Mentorship
• HSR Mentorship/Peer Support Lead: Alexandra Cernat
o 16 mentors and 35 mentees – matches done
o Will host a welcome social in the next few weeks
o Closed for new mentors/mentees unless a pair of mentor/mentee want to join
• Alumni Committee Co-Representatives: Dane Mauer-Vakil & Mikayla Munnery
o Sent out mentee survey – 25 students have responded
o Mentor survey will be sent out shortly
Academic Rounds
o Shared Academic Rounds Calendar
o This year will be alternating lunch and learns (3 total) and student rounds (3 total)
o 6 health policy rounds in total
o Possible recording of lectures so students can watch later
o Virtual option?
• Scholarly Activities Coordinator (Lunch and Learn): Chloe Mighton
o Suggestions for topics or speakers?
§ Integrated AI
§ Intro to R
§ SPSS
§ Panel
• Health Policy Rounds: Aravind Rajendran
§ Have been in touch with health policy emphases lead
§ Will have a health policy studies focus
§ Will start in November – once per month
• Student Rounds Coordinator: Jillian Macklin
o 3 throughout year
o How to best advertise: slide for classes, list-serv, social media
o Food options: pizza, paramount, meat and cheese platters
Curriculum & Programs
• Curriculum Committee Representative: Husayn Marani
o Will provide update at AGM
• HSR Emphases Representative: Maaike DeVries
o No new updates
• Clin Epi Representative: David Forner
o No new updates
• MHSc Representative: Ruby Bola and Tara Mckay
o No new updates
o Will have more ideas at next meeting
o Possible idea: food drive around thanksgiving
o Tara will reach out to Dalla Lana food drive organizer from last year – Arlinda will get
contact info for Tara
o Possible theme to centre events around: social determinants, food insecurity
• MHI Representatives: Mairead Mulroy & Katherine Kresta
• eMHI Representative: Monica Chao
• QIPS Rep:
• SLI Rep:
IHPME Research Day
• Research Day Co-Chairs: Qi Guan & Lilian Lin
o Sent out email for committee members
o First meeting: Oct 15, 2019
Other Councils
• Environment Committee Representative: Anna Cooper Reed
o Committee started by Fiona Miller
o Name change à Emerging Leaders for Environmental Sustainability in Healthcare
(ELESH)
o Event for February – Case competition
§ Will be open to all U of T students
§ Focus will be sustainability in healthcare
§ Funding applications underway
§ Always looking for more students to participate and help with planning – let
Anna or Victoria know, if interested
• DLSPH Councils:
o School Council: Crystal Milligan, Christopher Noel, Nada Dali, Elzar Sipin, Victoria
Haldane, VACANT (professional Masters)
o Education Committee: Danielle Toccalino, VACANT, VACANT
o Executive Committee: VACANT, VACANT
• UofT GSU Representatives: Alyssa Kelly, Emmanuelle Arpin, Tara Mckay
§ Meeting next week
§ These reps are really the bridge between our GSU and greater SGS
§ Deadline to opt-out of health and dental insurance – has to happen before the end of Sept – hard deadline.

Randomized coffee trials – please sign up! https://ihpme.utoronto.ca/community/students/randomized-coffee-trials/

August 15th 2020


  • INTRODUCTIONS AND ICEBREAKER

Each member shared their name, program and year and then answered a question from the Question Bowl icebreaker. 

  • GSU OVERVIEW AND GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

Slides about the GSU governances were shared. The GSU represents all IHPME students (300+). The GSU aims to enhance the student experience through the various events organized throughout the year and acts as a liaison between the faculty/administration and the student body. The GSU is part of the broader University of Toronto Graduate Student Union along with other course unions (70+).

  • 2019-20 OBJECTIVES AND EXECUTIVE TEAM

Objectives for the 2019-202 year include to: 1) Foster a supportive learning environment for all IHPME students; 2) Facilitate professional development activities; and 3) Promote positive transitions.

  • LOGISTICS
    1. Role overviews and exit reports
    2. Shared drive
    3. Regular monthly meetings (date/time)
    4. GSU website

All members were provided with role overviews as well as the contact information for the outgoing GSU representative for their roles. Exit reports for those roles that were available were also distributed. Lydia has sent out invitations to the appropriate shared folders. GSU members can use these to save any documents pertinent to their roles. 

A time for regular monthly meetings was discussed. The group seemed to like Wednesday evenings at 5pm on the weeks when MHSc cohorts were not on their class block. The committee also asked to have the same meeting time for the fall semester and then reassess in the winter when the new semester schedules begin.

Action: Flora to send out meeting invites for the September, October, and November meetings. December will constitute a Holiday Party – details to be confirmed closer to the date. 

The updated GSU website was shared with members. Everyone is asked to provide feedback if they have any. The committee seemed to be open to both headshots as well as a group shot for the website. 

  • UPCOMING EVENTS
    • Welcome Back Social – Pub Night – September 3rd @ 5PM at Her Father’s Cider Bar + Kitchen
    • The first Welcome Back Social will occur on Tuesday September 3rd. Dane brought up the fact that classes for that week go until 5:30pm. Therefore, the time of the social will be pushed back from 5pm to 5:30pm or 6:00pm to accommodate these students. There will be lots of food and members are asked to share this information with their cohorts. Emmanuelle and Qi signed up to help out at the social event and will arrive 15 minutes earlier to help with set-up.


2. Annual General Meeting – (third week of September most likely) @ 5PM

Annual General Meeting (AGM) for all IHPME students will be held towards the end of September. This is the time when we vote in the budget as well as any new changes to the constitution includes new Health and Wellness role that is proposed. 

  • OTHER BUSINESS

No other business was discussed.

  • ACTION ITEMS
  • Meetings invites will be sent out by Flora for the fall semester
  • Lydia to send out invitations to shared folders
  • Details about the Welcome Back Social to be sent out through the listserv

  • Next meeting: TBD