Rachel Halpern

Starting at a new school can be overwhelming. From finding classrooms to buying textbooks, there’s a lot to think about. As you’re heading back to school, here are 10 things you should know about supports and services offered by the University of Toronto:

1) Safety

The safety of students, faculty and staff is a top priority at �山ǿ��. The university has offices, programs and campaigns that address violence and harassment, safety on campus, environmental health and safety, fire prevention and emergency housing.

Visit the �山ǿ�� Safety website for information to help you stay safe on campus. And be sure to register for emergency alerts from the university via telephone, email and text.

2) Sexual and gender diversity

The Sexual & Gender Diversity Office (SGDO) provides education, programming, resources and advocacy on diversity for students, staff, faculty and the LGBTQ community. This includes the university’s Positive Space campaign, a program that seeks to create and identify safer and more inclusive spaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, intersexed, queer, questioning and Two-Spirited students, staff, faculty, alumni and allies at �山ǿ��.

3) Multi-faith spaces

If you're wondering where to pray or meditate, �山ǿ�� offers rooms for people of all faith communities to practise their religion, their traditions and rituals.

Multi-Faith Spaces (downtown Toronto campus)
Multi-Faith Spaces (University of Toronto Mississauga)
Multi-Faith Prayer Room (University of Toronto Scarborough)

4) Indigenous Students

For those wanting to explore their Indigenous roots, �山ǿ�� provides programming, services and resources for Indigenous students, providing them with a variety of supports to help them succeed. The university community is also invited to come and participate at events across the three campuses to learn more about Indigenous cultures and traditions.

Indigenous Student Services/First Nations House (downtown Toronto campus)
Indigenous Centre (University of Toronto Mississauga)
Indigenous Outreach Program (University of Toronto Scarborough)

5) Health and wellness

�山ǿ�� offers a wide range of health and wellness services. These include general health services (for example, health checkups, prescriptions, nutritional care) and mental health services (e.g., psychotherapy, group therapy, assault counselling).

Health & Wellness Centre (downtown Toronto campus)
Health & Counselling Centre (University of Toronto Mississauga)
Health & Wellness Centre (University of Toronto Scarborough)

6) International students

Whether you’re an international student studying at �山ǿ�� or a domestic student considering a study abroad program or research opportunity, the university provides support and resources.

Centre for International Experience (downtown Toronto campus)
International Education Centre (University of Toronto Mississauga)
International Student Centre (University of Toronto Scarborough)

7) Accessibility

Working to create a safe and comfortable community for students to navigate their disability and related barriers, the university provides students with a network of resources, both inside and outside the classroom.

Accessibility Services (downtown Toronto campus)
AccessAbility Resource Centre (University of Toronto Mississauga)
AccessAbility Services (University of Toronto Scarborough)

Photo by Jason Krygier-Baum

8) Academic success

Whether you want to improve your study habits, better manage your time, work on essay-writing skills or learn how to research, �山ǿ�� offers workshops, programs and tools to help you with your academic success. The university also offers writing centres where students can get individual consultations with trained writing instructors.

Academic Success (downtown Toronto campus)
Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre (University of Toronto Mississauga)
Academic Advising and Career Centre (University of Toronto Scarborough)

9) Financial support

There are many sources of financial aid available to help you cover the costs of your �山ǿ�� education. Find out more information about financial assistance programs and view the video below.

10) Get connected

Be sure to follow �山ǿ�� on social media to learn more about your campus, events and resources:
Twitter, Instagram or Facebook
Twitter, Instagram or Facebook (University of Toronto Mississauga)
Twitter, Instagram or Facebook (University of Toronto Scarborough)

Photo by Ken Jones

Still have questions? Find someone on campus wearing an orange "ASKme" shirt or button or submit a question online if you're on the downtown Toronto campus. Get in touch with the ASKme team at �山ǿ�� Scarborough, or contact �山ǿ�� Mississauga here.

For additional info on navigating services and resources, you can also check with your college, faculty or campus student life departments.
Student Life (downtown Toronto campus )
Centre for Student Engagement (University of Toronto Mississauga)
Department of Student Life (University of Toronto Scarborough)

Student Voices on Sexual Violence survey now available for �山ǿ�� students

noreen.rasbach — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Student Voices on Sexual Violence survey now available for �山ǿ�� students

noreen.rasbach Mon, 02/26/2018 - 00:00

Rachel Halpern

Topic

Our Community

Sexual Violence Prevention

�山ǿ�� Mississauga

�山ǿ�� Scarborough

Starting this week, full-time undergraduate students and all graduate students at the University of Toronto are being asked to complete the Student Voices on Sexual Violence survey.

The survey is intended to provide information about how students perceive, understand and respond to sexual violence, as well as how institutions address sexual violence.

CCI Research is administering this survey on behalf of the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, colleges, private career colleges and universities in Ontario. The survey is available until March 26.

“We encourage our students to participate in this important survey,” said Sandy Welsh, vice-provost, students. “The feedback we receive will help us better understand the experiences of our students and their needs and concerns. This will ultimately help us improve the university’s support services for our community.”

Students will receive a personalized link to complete the 20-minute survey and a $5 electronic gift card as an incentive for completion. More information can be found at www.info-sv-vs.ca. The results of this survey are expected to be made available later in 2018.

The university’s Sexual Violence Climate Survey Advisory Board provided feedback on the survey and the protocol has been approved by the Health Sciences Research Ethics Board at �山ǿ��.

“This is the first survey of its kind and we were happy to be part of the consultation process as it came together,” said Welsh. “This is also an important time to remind our community of the campus resources and supports available to them year-round.”

Earlier this year, the university implemented its sexual violence education and prevention training module. All students, staff and faculty are encouraged to complete the training module. Instructions on how to access the module are available at UofT.me/SVEPtraining until the end of the semester.

“This survey is another way we can gather feedback from our students, as we continue to build a culture of consent at the university,” said Terry McQuaid, executive director, Sexual Violence Prevention & Support. “This initiative contributes to the university’s commitment that all of its community members should be able to study, work and live in a campus environment that is free from sexual violence.”

Accessing support at the University of Toronto:

The tri-campus Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, and by phone (416-978-2266).

Downtown Toronto campus – 702 Spadina Ave.
�山ǿ�� Mississauga – 3094G, Davis Building
�山ǿ�� Scarborough – Room 141, Environmental Science & Chemistry Building

Those who have experienced sexual violence can also call Campus Police to make a report at 416-978-2222 (St. George and �山ǿ�� Scarborough) or 905-569-4333 (�山ǿ�� Mississauga).

After-hours support is also available at Women's College Hospital Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Care Centre (416-323-6040), Scarborough Grace Sexual Assault Care Centre (416-495-2400), and Trillium Hospital Sexual Assault Care Centre (905-848-7100).

Read about the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre at �山ǿ�� Scarborough

Read about the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre at �山ǿ�� Mississauga

�山ǿ�� releases 2016-2017 Employment Equity Report

lanthierj — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 16:33:58 +0000

�山ǿ�� releases 2016-2017 Employment Equity Report

lanthierj Wed, 01/31/2018 - 11:33

Cutline

(photo by Ken Jones)

Rachel Halpern

Topic

Our Community

The University of Toronto has released the results of its 2016-2017 Employment Equity Report.

Among the report’s findings: 47 per cent of faculty and librarians self-identify as women, with 17 per cent self-identifying as racialized, 10 per cent having a sexual orientation other than heterosexual, seven per cent reporting an invisible disability and one per cent being Indigenous.

The new survey is the most detailed by a Canadian university about its employees, aimed at helping the University better understand the different social identities of its staff, as well as where it can improve its hiring practices and employee supports.

“I’m grateful to all of our employees who filled out this voluntary survey,” said Kelly Hannah-Moffat, vice-president, human resources and equity. “The information we’ve learned about the diversity of our faculty and staff is incredibly valuable. We are very proud of our diverse community.

“As an institution, we believe it’s important to have a diversity of thought and experience in all areas, and that diversity and excellence go hand-in-hand. We’ve collected this information so that we can identify where gaps in our diversity exist and develop strategies to address them.”

The report also found the following:

33 per cent of staff, 17 per cent of faculty and 12 per cent of librarians self-identify as racialized/persons of colour
One per cent of staff, one per cent of faculty and one per cent of librarians self-identify as Indigenous/Aboriginal People of North America
Nine per cent of staff, six per cent of faculty and nine per cent of librarians self-identify as Persons with Disabilities
Nine per cent of staff, 11 per cent of faculty and 12 per cent of librarians self-identify as LGBTQ.

The report is a snapshot of the responses provided by University employees as of August 1, 2017. The survey’s response rate was 70 per cent, representing 7,572 faculty, librarians and staff.

Read the full report

The survey remains open, allowing new employees to fill it out, and ensuring faculty and staff have the ability to update their responses if their self-identities change.

Employees can complete the survey through the Employee Self-Serve website.

�山ǿ�� began employment equity surveys more than 30 years ago and had not updated its questions for nearly a decade. However, in 2016, after more than a year of consultations, the University introduced a revised version, with new questions and updated wording aimed at improving the quality of the information gathered. The new survey also allowed respondents to choose not to answer individual questions, pick more than one answer, or write in responses where applicable.

Some of the changes from previous surveys included:

The ability for respondents to self-identify according to their gender and gender identity
Offering two terms, racialized persons and persons of colour, in place of visible minority
The addition of an Indigenous/Aboriginal People of North America category as a response to the question regarding Indigenous/Aboriginal status
Delineation between visible and non-visible disabilities
The ability to self-identify with multiple ethnic backgrounds and racial identities.

“The new survey has important language changes that give our employees more choice about how they identify themselves,” said Hannah-Moffat. “As we better understand our workforce, we can continue to provide resources, training and support across all three campuses, particularly for the designated groups identified in the report as being underrepresented at the university.

“It also results in the development of recruitment strategies that encourage diversity.”

In an additional effort to better understand its community, the University will do a similar survey of its student population. The survey will be available towards the end of the term.

�山ǿ�� releases sexual violence education and prevention training for all members of the University

noreen.rasbach — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 15:35:16 +0000

�山ǿ�� releases sexual violence education and prevention training for all members of the University

noreen.rasbach Thu, 01/18/2018 - 10:35

Cutline

Terry McQuaid is the executive director of Sexual Violence Prevention & Support at �山ǿ�� (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Rachel Halpern

Topic

Our Community

Sexual Violence Prevention

�山ǿ�� Mississauga

�山ǿ�� Scarborough

The University of Toronto has released its sexual violence education and prevention training module for all students, staff, faculty and members of Governing Council.

The online resource is part of the University’s commitment that all of its community members should be able to study, work and live in a campus environment that is free from sexual violence.

“This training provides education for the University community on the prevention of and response to sexual violence,” Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr said. “It is a continued part of the University’s action plan to address sexual violence on campus. We are grateful to all the students, staff and faculty on all three campuses who were part of the consultation process that helped us develop the module.”

Accessing training

Instructions on how to access the module can be found at UofT.me/SVEPtraining until the end of the semester.

The University strongly recommends all students, staff and faculty complete the training module. It was developed in part from the principles submitted by the Expert Panel on the Education and Prevention of Sexual Violence, chaired by Professor Gretchen Kerr, vice-dean, academic in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education.

Read �山ǿ�� releases guiding principles for sexual violence education and prevention

“It’s important that everyone complete the training, so that we can all work together to create a culture of consent, and so that people are supported in a consistent manner when they come forward,” said Terry McQuaid, executive director, Sexual Violence Prevention & Support.

McQuaid said the training is designed to help members of the �山ǿ�� community:

Recognize sexual violence, including sexual harassment, as it is defined in the University’s Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment;
Identify ways in which sexual violence affects members of the University community;
Understand the difference between disclosing and reporting an incident of sexual violence as defined in the policy;
Respond supportively to a disclosure of sexual violence; and
Refer someone to the services of the University’s tri-campus Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre.

“We heard from our community that they’re looking for more support and a clear place to go – and that is what we developed with the tri-campus Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre,” McQuaid said. “This new training module is the next step in making sure all members of our community understand how they can give or receive support, the role of the centre, and the range of supports available to them.”

Accessing support

The tri-campus Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, and by phone (416-978-2266)
St. George campus – 702 Spadina Ave.
�山ǿ�� Mississauga – 3094G, Davis Building
�山ǿ�� Scarborough – Room 141, Environmental Science & Chemistry Building

Those who have experienced sexual violence can also call Campus Police to make a report at 416-978-2222 (St. George and �山ǿ�� Scarborough) or 905-569-4333 (�山ǿ�� Mississauga). After-hours support is also available at Women's College Hospital Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Care Centre (416-323-6040), Scarborough Grace Sexual Assault Care Centre (416-495-2400), and Trillium Hospital Sexual Assault Care Centre (905-848-7100).

Read about the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre at �山ǿ�� Scarborough

Read about the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre at �山ǿ�� Mississauga

International PhD students at �山ǿ�� to pay domestic tuition fees

lanthierj — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 20:23:03 +0000

International PhD students at �山ǿ�� to pay domestic tuition fees

lanthierj Tue, 01/16/2018 - 15:23

Cutline

(photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Topic

International Students

School of Graduate Studies

Starting in the fall of 2018, most international PhD students at the University of Toronto will pay tuition fees equivalent to those of domestic students.

“This is very positive news for the University,” said Joshua Barker, dean of the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) and vice-provost of graduate research and education. “We strive to remove any barriers, financial or otherwise, that graduate students might face as they look to attend our university.”

The new fee structure will benefit current and prospective international PhD students and help �山ǿ�� compete on the global stage for leading scholars. The new structure will include students in all years of a PhD program, but will exclude students in doctoral stream master’s programs. International tuition fees for some doctoral programs (Doctor of Education, Doctor of Musical Arts) will be determined in consultation with the relevant divisions through the annual budget planning process.

In the 2017-2018 academic year, 1,179 of the total 6,145 PhD students were international students.

Read about the announcement in the Toronto Star

�山ǿ��’s revitalized labs bring new possibilities for research

noreen.rasbach — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 16:14:47 +0000

�山ǿ��’s revitalized labs bring new possibilities for research

noreen.rasbach Fri, 12/15/2017 - 11:14

Cutline

A rendering of the new labs at the Faculty of Dentistry: “The new space will allow for sharing of research and cross-pollination of ideas between researchers," says Dean Daniel Haas (courtesy of Stantec Consulting Ltd.)

Rachel Halpern

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Research & Innovation

More than a year after the announcement of what University of Toronto President Meric Gertler called “an historic investment in Canadian science and innovation,” �山ǿ��’s revamped research labs are beginning to take shape.

The announcement of the Lab Innovation for Toronto (LIFT) project was made in July of 2016, with nearly $190 million in funding to upgrade nearly half of �山ǿ��’s research labs over the next two years. The university is providing $91.8 million, while the federal and provincial governments are contributing $83.7 million and $14.3 million, respectively, for a total of $189.8 million.

The LIFT project affects all three campuses and nine academic divisions. The facilities being renovated include medical, dental, biology, chemistry and engineering labs, as well as a former horse barn north of Toronto now used for ecological research, a green roof on the One Spadina building, an electro-acoustic music studio at the Faculty of Music and many others. In total, 546 labs are being fully renovated, providing state-of-the-art research facilities to an estimated 1,100 researchers and 5,500 students. Many labs at the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and the Faculty of Medicine are already near completion.

Before:

The old Faculty of Dentistry labs were isolated, had poor lighting and required equipment for every room (photo by Laura Pedersen)

After:

Move-in has begun in the renovated, bright labs that are open concept, reducing the need for duplicate equipment and allowing for collaboration between researchers (photo by Laura Pedersen)

Funding for the renovation is in part the result of the faculty’s strategic plan, with a priority on reinvesting in the internationally renowned research program, which required labs to be fundamentally reimagined. The plan also equally values research and education, as represented in the leadership of two vice-deans: Bernhard Ganss, research, and Jim Yuan Lai, education.

The new space addresses resource issues, including the move of a group of five principal investigators from a satellite location into the dentistry building. This will not only eliminate the isolation that comes with having researchers in multiple locations, but will reduce duplication as there was the need for equipment and supporting infrastructure in two locations. The flexible workspace includes benches that can be unplugged and moved, allowing for ease of moving when new members join the space.

“Safety was also going to become an issue in the near future with the previous space,” said Haas. “The old labs made it challenging to comply with modern safety standards. The new lab upgrades include details, such as automatic door openers, eyewash stations and safety showers, that make the entire wet lab compliant with advanced safety standards. It’s small changes like this that give our researchers peace of mind and allow them to better focus on their work.”

Bright, open workspaces and offices now exist in the new dentistry building, increasing communication between colleagues and researchers (photo by Laura Pedersen)

Located off campus on Edward Street, the dentistry building has limited green space, surrounded by tall buildings. Previously the daylight was mostly blocked, but the new plan provides light to all areas of the building, with the exception of a few labs where it’s not wanted. Wooden floors and accents as well as bright colours also add to the feeling of an outdoor space. The renovated space includes lighting that goes on with movement and that dims when the sun shines through the windows, eliminating excessive use of energy.

Hass said that “2018 will bring a fresh start with a new infrastructure that will transform the way we conduct research. We’re excited about what this new space will mean for the future of dentistry and our faculty.”

Read about LIFT's impact at �山ǿ�� Scarborough

Read about the impact on Engineering

Read about the impact on Medicine

#UofTBackToSchool: 10 things new students should know

geoff.vendeville — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 04:00:00 +0000

#UofTBackToSchool: 10 things new students should know

geoff.vendeville Fri, 09/01/2017 - 00:00

Cutline

A study circle in the University College quad (photo by Jason Krygier-Baum)

Rachel Halpern

Author legacy

Rachel Halpern

Topic

Our Community

#UofTBacktoSchool

1) Safety

Visit the �山ǿ�� Safety website for information to help you stay safe on campus. And be sure to register for emergency alerts from the university via telephone, email and text.

2) Sexual and gender diversity

3) Multi-faith spaces

If you're wondering where to pray or meditate, �山ǿ�� offers rooms for people of all faith communities to practise their religion, their traditions and rituals.

Multi-Faith Spaces (St. George)
Multi-Faith Spaces (University of Toronto Mississauga)
Multi-Faith Prayer Room (University of Toronto Scarborough )

4) Indigenous Students

Aboriginal Student Services/First Nations House (St. George)
Indigenous Centre (University of Toronto Mississauga )
Indigenous Outreach Program (University of Toronto Scarborough )

5) Health and wellness

�山ǿ�� offers a wide range of health and wellness services. These include general health services (e.g., health checkups, prescriptions, nutritional care) and mental health services (e.g., psychotherapy, group therapy, assault counselling).

Health & Wellness Centre (St. George)
Health & Counselling Centre (University of Toronto Mississauga )
Health & Wellness Centre (University of Toronto Scarborough )

6) International students

Whether you’re an international student studying at �山ǿ�� or a domestic student considering a study abroad program or research opportunity, the university provides support and resources.

Centre for International Experience (St. George)
International Education Centre (University of Toronto Mississauga )
International Student Centre (University of Toronto Scarborough )

7) Accessibility

Accessibility Services (St. George)
AccessAbility Resource Centre (University of Toronto Mississauga )
AccessAbility Services (University of Toronto Scarborough )

Photo by Jason Krygier-Baum

8) Academic success

Academic Success (St. George)
Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre (University of Toronto Mississauga )
Academic Advising and Career Centre (University of Toronto Scarborough )

9) Financial support

There are many sources of financial aid available to help you cover the costs of your �山ǿ�� education. Find out more information about financial assistance programs and view the video below.

10) Get connected

Be sure to follow �山ǿ�� on social media to learn more about your campus, events and resources:
Twitter, Instagram or Facebook
Twitter, Instagram or Facebook (University of Toronto Mississauga )
Twitter, Instagram or Facebook (University of Toronto Scarborough)

Photo by Ken Jones

For additional info on navigating services and resources, you can also check with your college, faculty or campus student life departments.
Student Life (St. George campus)
Centre for Student Engagement (University of Toronto Mississauga)
Department of Student Life (University of Toronto Scarborough)

Professor Joshua Barker is new dean of the School of Graduate Studies

ullahnor — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 20:12:29 +0000

Professor Joshua Barker is new dean of the School of Graduate Studies

ullahnor Fri, 06/30/2017 - 16:12

Cutline

Associate Professor Joshua Barker will be the new dean of the School of Graduate Studies (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Rachel Halpern

Author legacy

Rachel Halpern

Topic

Our Community

School of Graduate Studies

Faculty of Arts & Science

Associate Professor Joshua Barker has been appointed dean of the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) and vice-provost of graduate research and education.

The five-year term begins July 1, as he transitions into the role from his current position as vice-dean, graduate education in the Faculty of Arts & Science. He will be taking over from Professor Locke Rowe.

“As outgoing vice-dean of graduate studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science, Joshua brings a great depth of experience and understanding to this important role,” said Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr. “The School of Graduate Studies provides crucial professional and personal opportunities for our graduate students.

“I’m looking forward to Joshua’s leadership in supporting our students and helping them flourish.”

As vice-dean, Barker was known for consulting widely with students and faculty. He developed a student-centric strategy to improve graduate student experience by increasing graduate student funding over three years and establishing the Milestones and Pathways Program, which provides support for discipline-specific graduate student professional development.

Barker said he sees SGS as having three main functions: acting as a service provider for grad students, a resource for key information for all graduate activities at the university, and an innovation hub for graduate student experiences.

“�山ǿ�� is a large place and although there are a lot of activities graduate students can get involved with, it can be challenging to find one’s way,” said Barker. “The School of Graduate Studies plays an important role in helping our students to thrive. I’m extremely excited to take on this new role.”

Barker said it will be important to involve students in developing and planning new SGS initiatives.

“I always begin any new graduate initiative by really looking at student experiences and listening to students’ concerns, pain points, and aspirations,” he said. “I’d like to continue to work closely with the Graduate Students’ Union so that together we can develop approaches that better serve our students.”

Barker has an extensive research background in urban anthropology, science and technology studies, and political anthropology. His research focuses primarily on Indonesia, where he has conducted ethnographic field research on a range of groups, including: the police and civilian guards, information technology engineers and entrepreneurs, and city-level journalists.

“I’m looking forward to working with the vice-president of research and innovation, Vivek Goel, who has been developing an analysis of �山ǿ��’s place within the broader research and innovation ecosystem,” he said. “I’m really interested in understanding the role graduate student researchers will play in this ecosystem, and how we can create more linkages between our students and those outside the university who have needs for research talent.”

As for advice on the new role, Barker said dean Rowe has been a valued resource.

“Locke has been tremendously helpful in informing me about how SGS works and the various challenges we face in graduate education more broadly,” said Barker. “He has done a fantastic job of establishing SGS as a hub for innovation and has offered pointers on how I can continue to develop this.”

�山ǿ�� releases guiding principles for sexual violence education and prevention

lanthierj — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 14:30:36 +0000

�山ǿ�� releases guiding principles for sexual violence education and prevention

lanthierj Fri, 06/23/2017 - 10:30

Rachel Halpern

Author legacy

Rachel Halpern

Topic

Our Community

safety

The University of Toronto has released its guiding principles for sexual violence education and prevention – and is taking steps to implement them.

Read Guiding Principles for Sexual Violence Education and Prevention Initiatives

The principles were developed by an expert panel chaired by Professor Gretchen Kerr, vice-dean, academic in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education.

“We’re grateful to all the students, staff and faculty across the three campuses who took the time to provide insights and feedback to the panel,” Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr said. “This is the result of many hours of hard work and extensive consultation.”

As part of the university’s action plan to prevent and respond to sexual violence, the panel was asked to provide principles for the development of evidence-based training and education and to provide advice and guidance on updating the content and delivery of existing programs. The principles are the results of both research and consultation, Kerr said.

“We’re taking a collective and purposeful approach to shifting the culture on campuses around sexual violence,” Kerr said. “This includes recommending educational initiatives for undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff members.”

Terry McQuaid, �山ǿ��'s executive director, personal safety, high risk, sexual violence prevention and support, said the University has reviewed the guiding principles and will be forming an implementation group as a next step.

“The implementation group will be looking at curriculum development, research and modes of delivery in the key areas identified by the expert panel,” McQuaid said. “This group will develop a timeline for the overall implementation of the guiding principles for the University.”

The guiding principles focus on four key areas:

Curriculum of sexual violence education and prevention initiatives, providing all members of the University community with foundational education on the contents of the University of Toronto’s Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment. Advanced levels of education will be provided for students as well as identified staff and faculty groups with student- or employee-facing responsibilities. The curriculum content will be derived from theory and supported by evidence.
Development of sexual violence education and prevention initiatives, to be informed by tri-campus consultation with key stakeholders. The education and prevention initiatives will reflect the ways in which intersectionality, inequities, power, and biases affect the occurrence, reporting, and disclosure of sexual violence.
Delivery of sexual violence education and prevention initiatives, derived from theory and supported by evidence. This includes training for facilitators to deliver education and prevention initiatives, and providing education to all students at different points throughout the course of their programmes to create a continuum of education. Faculty and staff will also receive training at regular intervals across all three campuses.
Evaluation and revision of sexual violence education and prevention initiatives, ensuring that after the curriculum and education and prevention initiatives have been implemented, they will be rigorously and systematically monitored, assessed, evaluated, researched, and revised accordingly.

“My research is in the area of sexual violence and it’s a pervasive issue not only on campus but in the broader society,” said Kate Stewart, a graduate student at �山ǿ��’s Rehabilitation Sciences Institute and a member of the panel.

“These guiding principles demonstrate that �山ǿ�� recognizes the importance of addressing sexual violence and prevention and is committed to supporting a cultural shift around sexual violence at the university.”

With a secondary mandate for education and prevention, the Tri-Campus Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre is directly affected by the guiding principles, McQuaid said. On each campus, key administrators and divisional representatives will assist with local implementation.

Read about the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre at �山ǿ�� Mississauga

“We will be working with the Centre’s staff to roll out next steps and collaborate on training measures,” said McQuaid. “We’ve already received a number of requests for training from student, staff and faculty groups.

“It’s great to see members of the university community being proactive on such an important issue.”

The Tri-Campus Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre is open 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and by phone (416-978-2266):
St. George campus – Room 606, Claude T. Bissell Building, 140 St. George Street, moving to 702 Spadina Ave. on July 11, 2017
UTM – 3094G, Davis Building
UTSC – Room 141, Environmental Science & Chemistry Building

You can also call Campus Police to make a report at 416-978-2222 (St. George & Scarborough Campus) or 905-569-4333 (UTM).

After hours support is available at Women's College Hospital SAAC (416-323-6040), Scarborough Grace Sexual Assault Care Centre (416-495-2400), and Trillium Hospital Sexual Assault Care Centre (905-848-7100).

Parental grant program to help doctoral students with new families

lanthierj — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 20:34:18 +0000

Parental grant program to help doctoral students with new families

lanthierj Fri, 06/16/2017 - 16:34

Cutline

(photo by Caz Zyvatkauskas)

Rachel Halpern

Author legacy

Rachel Halpern

Topic

Our Community

Graduate Students

The School of Graduate Studies (SGS) at the University of Toronto has established a Parental Grant program in an effort to assist doctoral students with new families.

The SGS Parental Grant program will offer financial support to research-stream doctoral students in the funded cohort by helping offset the interruption of funding as a result of taking an approved parental leave of absence.

Learn more about �山ǿ��’s Family Care Office

Graduate students can initiate an application from the SGS Parental Grants webpage starting this summer for leaves to be taken beginning in the 2017-18 academic year. De Guzman hopes it will help keep students on course to completing their degrees.

“It’s so easy to get delayed in your PhD,” said de Guzman. “I hope this grant will keep people on the track to finishing their studies.”