OSAP

The first few months at the University of Toronto can be a confusing linguistic transition for new students. You’ll learn to navigate the unique U of T vernacular soon enough, but in the meantime here’s a glossary of must-know terms for anyone new on campus.

To enrich your burgeoning U of T vocabulary, check out the video Terms U of T Freshmen Must Know by second-year U of T Mississauga student Samina Batyrova. She outlines several of the terms below in the video and more, creating a list designed to make you fluent in U of T jargon.

1. ACORN

The Accessible Campus Online Resource Network, or ACORN, is an online hub for everything you need in order to navigate and manage life at U of T. This student information service is where you enrol in courses and programs, access academic transcripts, pay your tuition and more.

2. Quercus

U of T’s Learning Management Engine is called Quercus, pronounced “qwhere-kis” – yes, your professors are saying it wrong. “Quercus” is actually the Latin genus for oak tree (which is featured on U of T’s coat of arms), though more practically it is the one-stop web interface for all your U of T courses, offering access to course readings, announcements and discussion boards.

3. TCard

Your TCard is your official student ID during your time at U of T. It is also where you can find your student number when you forget it for the umpteenth time – the number is located on the front of the card, next to the photo. Flash it proudly and get free admission into the student-geared nightclub Dance Cave, discounted movie tickets at TIFF Lightbox, entry into U of T gyms and plenty more on-campus deals.

4. U of T time

All U of T classes (and as a result, many U of T club meetings and events) start 10 minutes after the hour. This means you’ll likely spend the first 10 minutes of every class wondering where your prof is or panicking that you’re in the wrong classroom. But don’t worry – soon enough you’ll be in sync with the rest of the U of T student body (and chronically 10 minutes late to everything not U of T-related).

5. CCR

Your co-curricular record (or CCR) is a document that lists your university-certified experiences and skills. Many U of T organizations will give CCR credit as a verification of your involvement, so choose your co-curriculars wisely and curate a job interview-worthy CCR.

6. OSAP

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is an excellent student resource for financial aid and provides loans and grants that help finance hundreds of thousands of students’ post-secondary education. U of T also offers financial aid programs, grants and work-study opportunities for students in need of financial assistance as well as scholarships and awards.

7. Breadth requirement

Many U of T students falsely assume that because they’ve completed their program requirements, their degree requirements are also being met. Do not fall into this trap – every student needs to complete a series of breadth requirement courses unrelated to their program, a practice intended to diversify your educational experience beyond your program of study. The requirements differ between the St. George campus, U of T Scarborough and U of T Mississauga, but regardless of your campus it’s crucial to plan breadth requirement courses into your schedule.

8. CR/NCR

The CR/NCR (credit/no credit) option allows you to gain a course credit without displaying the final mark on your academic transcript. It’s a useful safety net tailor-made for breadth requirements, electives or any other nonessential course you’ve deemed a liability to your GPA.

9. Quad

What does it mean when someone asks you to meet in the Trin quad? Quads are four-sided courtyards fenced in by buildings that serve as idyllic outdoor study spots. There are gorgeous quads across all three U of T campuses, with many of the quads at the St. George campus affiliated with specific colleges (such as the Trinity College, or Trin, quad).

10. POSt

Be wary when asking another student what they study – it’s rarely a one-word answer. You may assume you’ll be choosing a single Program of Study (POSt) – but be prepared for an unexpected wealth of choices. At U of T you can choose between a specialist degree, a double major or a major with two minors.

U of T’s Governing Council passes budget for 2019-2020

noreen.rasbach — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 18:53:06 +0000

U of T’s Governing Council passes budget for 2019-2020

noreen.rasbach Thu, 04/04/2019 - 14:53

Cutline

(photo by Laura Pedersen)

Chris Sorensen

Topic

Our Community

OSAP

Schwartz Reisman Innovation Centre

Research & Innovation

U of T Mississauga

U of T Scarborough

Undergraduate Students

The University of Toronto plans to invest in several key initiatives and priorities next year – from expanding students’ experiential learning opportunities to hiring more Black and Indigenous faculty members – despite less than expected revenue following the Ontario government’s 10-per-cent tuition fee cut.

The balanced budget for 2019-2020, approved by Governing Council today, includes $2.77 billion in spending during the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of 3.5 per cent over the previous year.

That’s notably less than earlier projections that had the budget growing by 5.2 per cent, based on assumptions the former tuition framework would remain in place.

“The University of Toronto will continue to invest in the people, programs and physical infrastructure necessary to support a world-leading academic and research experience,” said Cheryl Regehr, U of T’s vice-president and provost.

“But the financial constraints we are facing mean we won’t be able to accomplish everything we had originally planned.”

The Ontario government’s tuition cut, announced in late January alongside changes to the Ontario Student Assistant Program (OSAP) and a new opt-out program for ancillary student fees, resulted in a revenue reduction of about $65 million for the university compared to the current fiscal year, according to U of T’s latest budget report. However, since the previous tuition framework allowed for annual three-per-cent increases, the university was expecting $88 million more in revenue than it will now receive.

That said, overall enrolment-related revenue, including student fees and operating grants, is projected to increase 2.9 per cent to $2.4 billion in the upcoming year.

The university relies on tuition and other fees to make up 63 per cent of its funding. Only about 24 per cent of its funding comes from provincial operating grants, which are also tied to enrolment. The rest, about 13 per cent, comes from income related to investments or U of T’s endowment, sales of various services and other sources.

U of T has committed $7.1 million in the upcoming budget – money that might have otherwise been invested in new strategic initiatives – to help academic divisions most deeply affected by the tuition fee changes.

“We’re using this structural budget support to level everyone out so no division has to take more than a three-per-cent cut this year,” Regehr said.

Despite the challenges, U of T will nevertheless continue to fund a number of its academic and other strategic priorities at the downtown Toronto, Scarborough and Mississauga campuses.

They include adding new degree programs, taking further steps to diversify U of T’s international student population and transferring $6.7 million from the university’s operating reserves into a donation-matching endowed fund that will be used to support students participating in international experiences.

Many university divisions will continue to grow. There are plans to hire 51 additional faculty members in 2019-2020, although the budget report suggested some of those new hires may be delayed due to the changes in the domestic tuition fees framework.

Thanks to $1.5 million in support though the third phase of the Diversity in Academic Hiring Fund, as many as 20 Black and Indigenous faculty are expected to be hired across the university. They will join 60 other faculty members from underrepresented groups who were added through the first two phases of the same initiative.

There are also plans to spend, via the University Fund, $4 million to renovate student-focused facilities across U of T’s three campuses, $750,000 to upgrade the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing’s nursing simulation lab and another $750,000 to make space improvements to First Nations House.

When it comes to research, U of T plans to spend $2.75 million to “support research excellence in areas of strategic importance.”

Trevor Rodgers, U of T’s assistant vice-president of planning and budget, said one area that’s facing budget reductions is the university’s shared services.

“We were not able to make as many shared service investments as we would have otherwise done,” Rodgers said.

Instead, the university has focused spending on services that help generate new revenue or cost efficiencies. Examples include: staffing, programs and IT infrastructure aimed at expanding future fundraising efforts; efforts to build a comprehensive talent management strategy; and a plan to modernize the university’s aging administrative management system.

Several major capital projects are planned over the next five years, according to the budget report.

They include academic projects – from a second instructional centre at U of T Scarborough to a proposed new building at 90 Queen’s Park that will house U of T’s new School of Cities alongside other academic units – and projects that provide campus amenities for students, faculty and staff.

The latter category is covered under U of T’s four corners strategy, which aims to leverage the university’s real estate holdings to generate as much as $50 million a year in operating revenue by 2033 through the development of 3.5 million square feet of campus services, amenities, office and retail space.

One example of such a project is the new Schwartz Reisman Innovation Centre on College Street. Scheduled to begin construction later this year, the centre will eventually comprise 750,000 square feet of space to house U of T startups, innovation partners and researchers focused on fields like artificial intelligence and regenerative medicine. The project is being supported by a recent $100 million gift by Onex founder and CEO Gerry Schwartz and Indigo founder and CEO Heather Reisman – the largest-ever donation in U of T’s history.

“We are building for the future,” said Scott Mabury, the university’s vice-president of operations and real estate partnerships.

“The investments we’re making today will pay off many times over in the decades to come – not just for U of T, but for the broader Ontario and Canadian economies.”

As for student enrolment, the university is in its third year of a strategic mandate agreement with the province. The agreement specifies that domestic undergraduate enrolment at U of T Mississauga and U of T Scarborough will be held constant in the upcoming academic year and reduced at the downtown Toronto campus. Overall, total domestic undergraduate enrolment is scheduled to decrease by just over two per cent by 2023-2024 to 45,884 students.

Making good on its promise to ensure student access despite the recent OSAP changes, the university is planning to spend $247 million on student aid in the upcoming academic year, according to the budget report.

“We have a strong commitment to student aid and ensuring that all qualified domestic students at the university can complete their studies,” Regehr said.