Civil and Mineral Engineering News

Research Alerts: Advance Pre-launch Notice: Ontario-China Research and Innovation Fund (OCRIF)

2012-02-10T15:46:00.001-05:00

Advance Pre-launch Notice: Ontario-China Research and Innovation Fund (OCRIF)

Please reply to: Hema Prabhu (innovations.partnerships@utoronto.ca)

Ontario and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of the People’s Republic of China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote scientific, technological and industrial research and commercialization cooperation.

The two jurisdictions have committed $5 million each, for a total of $10 million over five years (2011-2015), to create the Ontario-China Research and Innovation Fund (OCRIF), which supports collaborative projects between researchers and innovative companies in Ontario and China.

The upcoming call for proposals will accept projects focusing on the following four research themes:
• Water and water-related technologies
• Neuroscience
• Hydrogen Fuel Cells NEW
• Stem Cells NEW

For more information, please visit our program page or contact the Innovations & Partnerships Office.

CUPE 3902: Important Next Steps in Academic Continuity Planning re: Potential TA Strike

2012-02-10T15:44:00.002-05:00

HR #35, 2011-12

To: PDAD&C
Professional and Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President Human Resources & Equity
Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost

Date: February 9, 2012

Re: Important Next Steps in Academic Continuity Planning:
re: Potential TA Strike

As you will know from earlier communications, while the University will try to reach a renewal collective agreement with CUPE 3902 Unit 1, we must make preparations to minimize the potential impact of a strike on students and preserve the integrity and continuity of programs and courses.

Chairs, directors, and single department faculty deans should ensure that they have reviewed HR #34 [http://www.hrandequity.utoronto.ca/about-hr-equity/news/2012/Memo_2011-12_HR34.htm], which was sent out earlier today. We are also attaching today’s message to students.

In addition we ask that you make sure that you collect, before February 22th, syllabi, exams, marks assigned to date, unmarked assignments, and marking schemes from all potentially affected courses, paying special attention to those courses taught by CUPE 3902 Unit 1 members. Note that at this time, members of CUPE 3902 Unit 1 cannot be asked if they plan to continue teaching in the event of a strike.

An appropriate communication is:

"As you know, CUPE 3902 Unit 1 is in a legal strike position as of Thursday February 23rd, 2012. In order to minimize the potential impact on our students and in order to preserve the academic integrity of our programs, we are asking that, if you have not already done so, you provide to your department chair or dean copies of your course syllabi, exams, marks assigned to date, unmarked assignments, marking schemes and the like. We thank you for your co-operation and assure you that the University has agreed to work with the mediator later this month and hopes to conclude a responsible agreement with CUPE 3902 Unit 1."

Department heads may ask whether there is anything they can discuss with CUPE 3902 Unit 1 members pertaining to their potential actions. Department heads are free to express their views as long as the expression of such views does not constitute coercion, intimidation, threats, promises or undue influence, all of which are prohibited in this context by the Labour Relations Act. The right to strike is a legal right and by law no employee can be discriminated against, threatened or penalized for exercising that right.

If a CUPE 3902 Unit 1 member asks your views, you might say that the University remains committed to reaching an agreement. You might also say, if you are so inclined, that you do not believe a strike is necessary and that it would be unfortunate for our students. However, we recommend that you do not go further than that and that if you offer any further views of your own you should be careful to add that whether or not an individual CUPE 3902 Unit 1 member chooses to strike is entirely a personal decision. You should not ask individual CUPE 3902 Unit 1 members about their personal views regarding the strike or whether or not they voted for a strike. If a CUPE 3902 Unit 1 member asks whether or not he or she should go on strike, he or she should be informed that this is a personal decision.

If a CUPE 3902 Unit 1 member asks what happens if they want to continue working in the event of a strike, information can be provided in the following kind of way: if you voluntarily choose to continue to work, the University will continue to employ you in the course(s) or program(s) in which you were working prior to the strike. The wages and benefits applicable to such work will include the increases in the University’s offer at the time a strike commences.

If you are asked questions about strike related matters by an employee, provide only factual information. If you are in any way unsure of the appropriate response or the facts, please direct them to the university homepage where they can get access to further information. If this does not seem sufficient, you should consult with your dean’s office for further advice.

An Academic Continuity Planning Group, with representation from every division, has been working diligently on practical guidelines. The first set of these will be issued tomorrow, with more to follow as the landscape changes.

----- Memo to Students -----

February 9, 2012

Dear U of T Student,

This is to update the message you received last week regarding the current collective bargaining situation with CUPE 3902, Unit 1, the Union representing U of T teaching assistants. The University intends to continue to do its utmost to reach a renewal collective agreement with CUPE 3902 Unit 1, and has accepted the mediator’s invitation to continue discussions on February 21 and 22nd, in advance of the February 23rd legal strike date.

However, we must also prepare in the event that CUPE does not accept our final offer. We are committed to taking appropriate steps to continue our academic programs and activities so that you can continue learning and complete the academic requirements of your courses and programs within the expected timeframe. The University places a very high value on maintaining the integrity of our academic programs and minimizing any negative impact upon our students.

If a strike by CUPE 3902 Unit 1 does occur, the University will remain open. The University will also respect the decision of those Unit 1 members who wish to continue working. That is, at the University will not lock out its teaching assistants, as long as this remains operationally feasible. The University will also respect the decision of those who choose to strike.

The University will approach the discussions with the mediator later this month with an open mind and in good faith. We hope to reach an agreement with CUPE.

Yours sincerely,
Jill L. Matus
Vice Provost, Students

CUPE 3902: Unit 1 Course Instructors Negotiations Update

2012-02-10T15:44:00.001-05:00

HR #34, 2011-12

To: PDAD&C
Professional and Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President Human Resources & Equity
Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost

Date: February 9, 2012

Re: Important Update on CUPE 3902 Unit 1 Negotiations

The University intends to continue to do its utmost to reach a renewal collective agreement with CUPE 3902 Unit 1, and has accepted the mediator’s invitation to continue discussions on February 21st and 22nd, in advance of the February 23rd legal strike date.

However, we must also prepare in the event that CUPE does not accept our offer. We are committed to taking appropriate steps so that our students can continue learning and complete the academic requirements of their courses and programs within the expected timeframe.

If a strike does occur, the University will remain open. Contrary to the assertion of some CUPE members, the University will respect the decision of those Unit 1 members who wish to continue working. That is, the University will not lockout its teaching assistants as long as this remains operationally feasible.

The University will also respect the decision of those who choose to strike.

Those who continue to work will be paid on the basis of the University’s offer at the time the strike commences. An easy-to-use form will be made available immediately if a strike occurs, to determine who remains on the payroll and who does not.

All members of the teaching staff who are not represented by CUPE 3902 Unit 1 will be expected to engage in their regular activities. The University places a very high value on maintaining the integrity of our academic programs and on minimizing any negative impact upon our students.

Because it is difficult to predict what will develop during any strike, it is important that Chairs and Deans plan for the continuity of their academic programs under a variety of scenarios. Further guidance will be provided on means to maintain continuity. However, bargaining unit members should not at this point be asked to indicate whether or not they intend to strike.

The University will provide regular updates . These will soon be available through a link on the home page at http://www.utoronto.ca/.

The University will approach the discussions with the mediator later this month with an open mind and in good faith. We hope to reach an agreement with CUPE and will keep you posted.

CUPE 3902: Teaching Assistants and Unit 1 Course Instructors Negotiations Update

2012-02-10T15:42:00.001-05:00

HR #33, 2011-12

To: PDAD&C
Professional/Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President Human Resources & Equity
Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost

Date: February 8, 2012

Update on Negotiations with CUPE 3902 (Teaching Assistants and Unit 1 Course Instructors)

We have now heard from the Ministry of Labour that the No Board report has been issued and the legal strike date will 12.01 a.m. on Thursday February 23rd. The Mediator has asked to meet with the University and the Union on February 21/22 in an effort to reach agreement.

The University remains committed to reaching an agreement with CUPE. However, in the event we are unable to reach an agreement, the Union will be in a legal strike position as students return from Reading Week. An Academic Continuity Planning Group, with representation from every division, has been working diligently over the last weeks. Practical guidance and advice will follow shortly.

In the meantime, we understand that CUPE is asking individual faculty members if they may come into classes to speak to undergraduate students about what the Union is attempting to achieve in these negotiations. The University’s preference is that faculty members who wish to invite CUPE members to express their views to undergraduate students arrange for this to occur outside of class instructional time.

We will issue additional PDAD&C memos, as appropriate, closer to the strike deadline.

CUPE: Update on Certification application by CUPE to represent Postdoctoral Fellows at U of T

2012-02-10T15:41:00.000-05:00

HR #36, 2011-12
PDAD&C #42, 2011-12

To: PDAD&C
Professional and Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President Human Resources & Equity
Date: February 10, 2012
Re Update on Certification application by CUPE to represent Postdoctoral Fellows at U of T

It has been some time since we provided an update on the July 2009 application, to the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB), for CUPE to be certified as the exclusive bargaining agent for a large subset of postdoctoral fellows at U of T. Specifically, CUPE wishes to represent postdocs who do not apply for and receive funding from a source external to the University (such as, for example, NSERC, SSHRC or CIHR). In August 2009 the OLRB conducted a secret ballot vote to determine whether or not postdoctoral fellows in that subset wished to be represented by CUPE. Because it was clear that there were many complex legal issues to be sorted out, the OLRB ordered that the ballot box be sealed – and it still remains sealed.

For its part, the University argued that postdoctoral fellows are not employees within the meaning of that term under the Labour Relations Act. We argued that they are academic trainees who enjoy a greater degree of independence than employees.
The OLRB did not accept the University’s submissions, and determined that this subset of postdocs are employees for the purposes of the Act. (A number of other Ontario Universities also treat their postdocs as employees).

The next step in this process is for the Union and the University to try to reach agreement on whether all individuals who cast ballots back in August 2009 were actually eligible to vote. If the parties cannot agree, the OLRB will issue a decision regarding any remaining disputes. The ballot box will eventually be opened, the votes counted, and the result of the August 2009 vote will be determined.

If CUPE is successful in the vote, the University will commence bargaining for a first collective agreement for the subset of postdoctoral fellows that CUPE would represent.

We will provide updates as more information becomes available.

Appointment of Director and Associate Director of Capital Projects

2012-02-10T15:40:00.000-05:00

UO #2, 2011-2012

February 10, 2012

To: PDAD&C
Professional & Managerial Staff

From: Scott Mabury, Vice-President University Operations

Re: Appointment of Director and Associate Director of Capital Projects

I am hugely pleased to announce the appointments of Adrienne De Francesco as Director of Capital Projects and Brian Szuberwood as Associate Director, effective March 1, 2012.

Adrienne De Francesco (PEng, MBA) is currently the Assistant Dean and Director Infrastructure Planning, Health & Safety and IT in the Faculty of Arts & Science, having taken up the position in 2008. Adrienne first came to UofT in 1994 as Administrative Manager in Chemistry, subsequently serving as a Project Co-ordinator, before moving on to York in 2005 as the Executive Officer in the Faculty of Engineering and Science. Prior to her university experience, she held a number of positions in the health care and private sectors. Adrienne, through a value added and client-focused approach to service, has had considerable success at optimizing physical spaces to best support teaching and research. As Director, Adrienne will provide the overall direction and goals for the Capital Projects unit while managing its financial and human resources.

Brian Szuberwood (B. Arch) has been at the University since 2001, serving as a superb Senior Project Manager and more recently as Development Manager in the Capital Projects group. Prior to joining the University Brian held positions as property manager and architect. His position as Associate Director will involve departmental supervision through our Development Managers, while continuing to manage major construction projects and ensuring broad continuity within the capital projects portfolio. Brian remains the Project Manager for the Rotman Expansion project that is nearing completion.
I have tremendous confidence in these two individuals and believe they will enhance the collaborative relationship with our academic divisional colleagues so necessary to realizing successful capital and renovation projects. It is recognized that we have significant challenges to address and I expect this team to array the considerable talent in the capital projects group to best support the further building of this great University.

Office of the VP, University Operations
Rm. 112, Simcoe Hall
University of Toronto
27 King's College Circle
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1

Phone: 416 978-0231
Fax: 416 978-6701

Research Alerts: 2012 NSERC Strategic Project Grants (SPG) Program Information Session

2012-02-03T16:00:00.000-05:00

2012 NSERC Strategic Project Grants (SPG) Program Information Session

Please reply to: Mike Folinas (m.folinas@utoronto.ca)

NSERC's Strategic Project Grants (SPG) Program aims to increase research and training that will enhance Canada's economy, society, and/or the environment over the next 10 years in the following target areas:
• Information and Communications Technologies
• Environmental Science and Technologies
• Manufacturing
• Natural Resources and Energy

Key Requirements:
• Have well-defined objectives, scope and duration (1-3 years)
• Have one or more supporting organizations that are actively involved in all stages of the project and can apply the results

Funding:
• No Limit (Note: Average yearly request is $45,000)

The 2012 competition is now open.

Learn more about this program at an Information Session featuring an NSERC Representative who will discuss the program and changes for 2012, and a successful applicant at UofT. The Session details are as follows:

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 2-4 pm
Michael E. Charles Council Chambers,
GB202, Galbraith Building, 35 St. George Street.

Please RSVP by February 7th, by sending an email to: Martina Simmonds

More Information: details about this year's competition, including new features of the SPG program, and deadlines for those wishing to apply are available on our website at: NSERC Strategic Project Grant Program 2012.

Dalhousie University: Canada Research Chairs (Tier II)

2012-02-03T15:57:00.001-05:00

Dalhousie University
Faculty of Engineering

CANADA RESEARCH CHAIRS (TIER II)

The Faculty of Engineering at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS, invites applications from outstanding candidates for three Canada Research Chairs (Tier 2) in the areas of Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure and Water Technologies. Appointment to a faculty position will be conditional on candidates’ approval through the CRC program review process. Eligibility criteria and CRC program information can be found at www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca . The successful candidates will be offered tenure stream appointments at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor with a start date of January 2013 or later.

Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure - Search No. 1963
Department of Civil and Resource Engineering

In collaboration with Dalhousie’s Centre for Innovation in Infrastructure (CII), the Department of Civil and Resource Engineering is focussing on the needs of Canada’s aging and deteriorating public infrastructure. The Chair will be expected to collaborate with other researchers to develop world-class expertise in one or more of: infrastructure evaluation and assessment including pavements and bridge decks; characterization and damage modelling of novel materials and systems for transportation infrastructure; sustainability in bridge and pavement materials; and, the development of performance-based life-cycle criteria for pavement and transportation structure design, rehabilitation and recycling. Preference will be given to applicants whose research includes substantial focus on non-destructive testing and evaluation techniques and in-situ material and structural performance characterization.

Water Technology - Search No. 1971
Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science

Water Technology - Search No. 1972
Department of Civil and Resource Engineering

The Departments of Civil and Resource Engineering, and Process Engineering and Applied Science, in collaboration with Dalhousie’s Centre for Water Resources Studies (CWRS), have research strength in drinking water quality, watershed management and treatment technologies. One appointment will be made in each department and both also will be members of the CWRS. The Chairs will be expected to collaborate with other researchers to develop word-class expertise in water technologies. Candidates with expertise in wastewater treatment, environmental hydraulics (as related to water/wastewater infrastructure), water reuse, and treatment systems for cold regions, particularly Northern and Arctic regions, are encouraged to apply.

Applicants should have a well-established research record and demonstrated ability to conduct independent scholarly research. Chairs will be expected to establish a strong, externally-funded research program and to teach both undergraduate and graduate courses. Candidates must have earned a PhD in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering or a related field and should be eligible for registration as a Professional Engineer in Nova Scotia.

Interested individuals should reference the search number(s) and submit a single PDF file containing a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and a statement of teaching and research interests to:

Chair of the Search Committee
Department of Civil and Resource Engineering
P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3J 4R2 CANADA
Civil.Office@dal.ca

Three signed letters of reference should be sent directly by referees to the same e-mail address. Review of applications will commence March 1, 2012 and continue until the positions are filled.

Dalhousie University is an Employment Equity/Affirmative Action employer. The University encourages applications from qualified Aboriginal people, persons with disabilities, racially visible persons, and women.

CUPE 3902: Collective Bargaining with Teaching Assistants notice to students

2012-02-03T15:54:00.000-05:00

February 1, 2012

Dear U of T Student,

Many students will be aware that the University is currently engaged in collective bargaining with CUPE 3902 unit 1, the Union representing our teaching assistants. We have been working with a mediation/conciliation officer to reach a settlement. The University tabled an offer late last week which addressed each of the Union's key issues and also placed significant new financial resources on the table. On Monday, however, members who attended the CUPE 3902 Unit 1 membership meeting rejected the offer and proposed to seek a strike date. The mediator has indicated that he will be inviting the University and the Union back to the table and we have indicated our willingness to accept that invitation. We remain optimistic that we will reach an agreement with our teaching assistants, who are so important to us. We assure you that, in any event, we remain committed to ensuring that the academic programs of our undergraduate students are continued without significant interruption.

Yours sincerely,
Jill L. Matus
Vice Provost, Students

--
Office of the Vice-Provost, Students
Simcoe Hall, 27 King's College Circle, Room 221 University of Toronto Toronto, ON M5S 1A1
Ph: 416.978.3870 Fax: 416.946.0678
vp.students@utoronto.ca
www.viceprovoststudents.utoronto.ca

Access Copyright: UofT and Western sign agreement

2012-02-03T15:45:00.002-05:00

Access Copyright:
Joint Media Release

UofT and Western sign agreement with Access Copyright

TORONTO Jan. 30, 2012 ‐ The University of Toronto and Western University today
announced that they have each reached an agreement with Access Copyright to
allow their communities to reproduce copyright‐protected materials in both print
and digital formats.

“We believe that this agreement is fair for all the parties – those who create the
materials, as well as students who gain access to copyright materials through the
University,” said Cheryl Misak, University of Toronto Provost.
“This enables, within certain limits, reproduction of copyright material for students’ use without concern for infringing on copyright restrictions.”

“This agreement gives us a convenient, comprehensive way to share content
digitally and in paper form from a repertoire of millions of publications,” said Janice Deakin, Provost and Vice‐President (Academic) at Western. “The backdating of the agreement gives us peace of mind by covering past digital uses that may have
exposed the university and the indemnity provision increases the university’s legal
protection against copyright infringement.”

Western and UofT will each pay Access Copyright a royalty of $27.50 per full‐time
equivalent student annually. This royalty includes what used to be a separate 10
cents per page royalty for coursepack copying, so there will no longer be a separate
royalty for such copying. The new royalty is substantially below the amount initially
sought by Access Copyright in its Tariff application before the Copyright Board.
This agreement will be in place until December 2013 and will renew automatically
for one year terms during which any party can cancel or renegotiate the agreement
based on six months notice.

“We welcome this opportunity to work in partnership with Western and UofT” said
Maureen Cavan, Executive Director of Access Copyright. “The education and
publishing industries depend on one another. An agreement that provides for usage
of content, fair compensation to those that provide the content, with rules that
favour sustainability, is in the interest of all players” said Ms. Cavan

Over the course of the next year, a method will be jointly developed to assess the
actual volume of copying of copyright protected materials which will assist in
determining the appropriateness of the royalty structure in subsequent years.

Contact for the University of Toronto:

Michael Kurts
Assistant Vice‐President
Strategic Communications and Marketing
University Relations
(416) 978‐5947

Contact for Western:

Keith Marnoch
Director of Media and Community Relations
Western University
(519) 661‐2111 ext. 85468

Contacts for Access Copyright:

Maureen Cavan
Executive Director
Access Copyright
(416) 868‐1620 ext. 226

Roanie Levy
General Counsel, Director Policy and External Affairs
Access Copyright
(416) 868‐1620 ext. 233

---- DETAILS ----

To: Presidents of Student Governments, Presidents of College & Faculty
Student Societies, Student Members of the Governing Council.

From: Jill Matus, Vice-Provost, Students

Date: January 30, 2012

RE: University of Toronto and Western Sign Agreement with Access Copyright

I am writing to inform you that the Provost has this evening advised the Business Board of the Governing Council on the following matter.

The University of Toronto and Western have reached an agreement with Access
Copyright for a new royalty License. It allows for cost-effective copying; includes
previously excluded digital copying; minimizes risk; and simplifies the way royalties are collected. As will become clear below, these are major gains.

'Copyright' is a complex legal concept, but the word itself coveys its essence. Just as patents can be held by inventors, so also can copyrights be held by those who create content of various kinds, and who can claim compensation for the use of that content by others.

The kind of creative content used most frequently by students in universities is that found in books, journal articles, etc. In our digital age, it has become very easy to copy and distribute creative content. Content creators, such as authors and artists, have raised many concerns about fair compensation for the copying of what they have produced. These claims have often been upheld by courts.

It is, of course, relatively straightforward for someone to buy a book in a store, or to pay for digital access to an e-book. In those instances, each transaction leads to a royalty payable to the author. Matters become more complex, however, in an institutional setting such as a university, where access to information is the lifeblood of teaching and learning.

Direct textbook sales obviously continue, and the library pays subscription fees for a vast number of journals and digital resources. However, many instructors also use coursepacks, with collections of printed material that has been copyrighted by multiple authors. The sale of course-packs in itself involves challenges in tracking and where possible paying authors for their work. And matters become more difficult from there, given all the different channels through which written material is photocopied or digitally distributed in a university setting.

Different nations have taken different approaches to this situation. In Canada, the
administration of copyright is overseen by the Copyright Board, which has which has
wide-ranging powers. One of the features of copyright law is the ability of authors to band together to be represented by "collectives" authorized by the Copyright Board. The collective that affects us most directly is Access Copyright. It represents authors and administers copyright entitlements on their behalf. The Copyright Act provides for such collectives to apply to the Copyright Board for a "Tariff" - a comprehensive set of rules which among other things establishes a standardized royalty rate that applies across an entire sector, such as the university and college sector.

The idea behind these arrangements is that a collective approach offers advantages for both creators and users of content. Individual authors cannot afford to track and chase down every royalty payment and every infringement of their copyrights. Nor can individual users negotiate copyright permissions on an individualized basis for each item that they might use in an information-intensive environment such as a university.

For many years Access Copyright had full-time Canadian university students paying a
royalty of $3.38 for fall/winter terms, in addition to a 10 cents per page course-pack charge through Licenses with the universities. The $3.38 royalty covered the day-to-day copying of copyright material, while the per-page royalty covered specific published works for course-packs. Use of course-packs varies across programs. However, the average cost of the Access Copyright portion of a course-pack is estimated at $19.26. If a student's program requires him or her to purchase several course-packs, the Access Copyright royalties could be in excess of $60.00 in a given session.

When the previous License expired in 2010, Access Copyright declined to enter into new Licenses with any university. They instead brought an application to the Copyright Board for a new Tariff - including a schedule of royalties - covering the entire university and college sector. The Tariff sought included a royalty rate of $45 per full-time equivalent (FTE) student. Part of the rationale for the severe rate hike was that significant amounts of copying now occur on a digital basis. The new tariff would include digital rights.

This application by Access Copyright sparked opposition and debate on the University of Toronto campus as well as many others. Indeed, the University of Toronto has been
participating in a sector-wide challenge to Access Copyright's application for a sharp increase to the Tariff. That challenge has been conducted under the auspices of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

As that legal challenge has continued, the University has been examining its
options. We looked for, and found, a comparator to assess the likelihood
that Access Copyright might make major headway in its claims. Quebec operates its own
copyright arrangements. The royalty charged by Copibec, the Quebec collective, varies
in the range of $24.90 to $27.50 per FTE student. This includes only limited digital
rights. A per-page course-pack charge may also be levied on top of the per FTE student charge, depending on the proportion of course-pack copying in relation to the entire work being copied.

These charges constituted a striking and pertinent Canadian precedent, and were clearly part of Access Copyright's case for a much higher tariff.

The legal challenge itself has been complex. Legal costs, while not trivial, were being shared across all universities. The delay in reaching a resolution was superficially appealing, as it deferred any increased payments. However, Access Copyright had made it clear that it would be seeking payment retroactive to the expiry of the original License at the end of 2010, and there was concern that the Copyright Board would uphold that claim.

The larger problem with the legal challenge was that the interests of the various
institutions were far from aligned. Some institutions preferred to work with an overall Tariff but disputed the proposed terms, while others were convinced that an
individualized approach was preferable and wanted to break away altogether from the
Access Copyright regime and Tariff. Putting these groups together in a single legal
settlement is far from straightforward.

The University of Toronto is also not convinced that the 'opt-out' approach is costeffective in the present circumstances. Even should the actual level of payments to copyright holders appear at first to be lower with this approach, we believe that it carries substantial hidden costs. These include the additional administrative burdens on the institution and its members, only some of which can be readily measured. Among the ongoing risks was that the opted-out institution, in an audit or a legal claim, would be found to have failed to fully and fairly track and pay for the use of all copyrighted materials in Access Copyright's repertoire.

In the province of Ontario, Western took a similar view to the University of Toronto.
Western has already been collecting from its students a royalty of $30 per FTE, on a
provisional basis, given the uncertainty of the Tariff outcome and the Quebec precedent.

Two months ago, the University of Toronto and Western decided to enter into direct
negotiations with Access Copyright for a new License. This License would apply to our
community instead of the yet-to-be-defined Tariff.

The upshot of these negotiations is that, for the period ending December 31, 2013 the
FTE royalty will be $27.50, covering both print and digital Published Works. The
royalty also eliminates a separate per page course-pack charge. And there will be no
retroactive increases, which potentially could have gone back to the expiry of the
previous License at the end of December 2010. The University community avoids
dealing with and paying separately for digital rights - an area of growing traffic and substantial potential costs. The arrangement we have made with Access Copyright
compares very favourably with the regime in Quebec, which does not include some
course-pack royalties and includes only limited digital rights.

We are keenly aware that many in the University of Toronto community - graduate
students and professors, especially - are themselves creators of copyrighted works. We operate in a climate where many authors have become more concerned about copyright
issues and fair compensation for use of their work. At the same time copyright users need greater certainty about the scope of their rights.

The University of Toronto views the new License as providing a fair and efficient
balance between the rights of copyright users and the rights of creators. When one
considers the existing course-pack royalty charges and the potential scale of charges for digital rights, we think that our agreement presents a very reasonable solution to the difficult set of problems posed by copyright.

Students may ask why the University was wary of following the lead of sister
institutions that opted out of the tariff. Our concerns relate not just to the hidden costs noted earlier. The problem with opting out is that the institution faces the risk of fines and other legal measures if violations occur. There is no question that Access Copyright will aggressively monitor opted-out institutions, looking for breaches of copyright law pertaining to the published works in Access Copyright's repertoire. Some have argued that such breaches could result in a University and its students being liable for the whole amount of any new Tariff. In contrast, in this agreement and new License, the University has successfully obtained an indemnity that covers the occasional breaches that are more or less inevitable unless one commits huge resources to training and policing these transactions.

A final consideration is that copyright amendment legislation is still pending and the next few years will bring considerable uncertainty and riskThe new License, spanning this period of uncertainty, will provide our community with welcome certainty to go on about its business of teaching, learning and discovery. The License upholds the University's ability to use concepts such as fair dealing, which is likely to have expanded scope in new legislation, and which allow broader educational use.

Student leaders will recall that when asked by students, at the December 2011 Governing Council meeting, about the status of the challenge to Access Copyright's Tariff Application, the Provost replied that Access Copyright had come forward with a steep increase to $45 and we were hoping to reach agreement on a much lower amount.

That is exactly what the University has done. $27.50 is much more reasonable, and it
includes an important expansion of coverage into digital copying, as well as eliminating the separate per page royalty for course-packs, which was having a significant impact on many students. As noted, the average royalty per course-pack at the University of Toronto was already around $19 and students were already paying an across-the-board $3.38 royalty.

As students will understand, these challenging negotiations with Access Copyright could not occur in the public arena. Now that we have reached an agreement, we will turn our attention to an equitable means of apportioning the royalty among students. Issues that may need consideration include differences in usage among students in courses heavily reliant on course-packs and those who rarely use course-packs; differences in graduate and undergraduate student usage; and so on. We will immediately engage in a wide and deep consultation process with our student leaders to hear the views of students on an equitable distribution of these charges. Any such arrangements need to be simple to administer and be practical for implementation on May 1st.

You may have already received a meeting request from the Office of the Vice-Provost,
Students. If not, we will be in contact shortly. In the meantime, if you have any
questions, please contact Jim Delaney in my office (416-978-4027 / jim.delaney@utoronto.ca).

--
Office of the Vice-Provost, Students
Simcoe Hall, 27 King's College Circle, Room 221 University of Toronto Toronto, ON
M5S 1A1
Ph: 416.978.3870 Fax: 416.946.0678
vp.students@utoronto.ca
www.viceprovoststudents.utoronto.ca
www.vpstudentsblog.utoronto.ca

Gradschool e-News : February 2012

2012-02-03T15:41:00.003-05:00

need-to-know

February 27 course drop deadline
The deadline to drop full-year or January-session courses without academic penalty is February 27. After the deadline, late-drop requests are normally only considered considered in cases of valid, documented, health or other serious personal circumstances adversely affecting your ability to complete the coursework. Use the Course Add/Drop form found on the SGS website if making such a request. Late drops need approval from the graduate unit offering the course, your home unit and the School of Graduate Studies.

Undergraduate courses and 500-level courses have their own deadlines to drop without academic penalty. Consult your home unit if in doubt. Withdrawal from courses or programs without academic penalty does not necessarily result in a refund. Check the Student Fees refund schedule for details.

Thesis Submission: What You Need to Know About Going Global
Getting ready to submit your thesis/dissertation? Theses and dissertations are submitted electronically, housed on T-Space - University of Toronto's research repository - and searchable via Google and other search engines, from anywhere in the world. To find out What You Need to Know About Going Global with your thesis, attend the SGS and UT Library Administration workshop March 5 from 11:00-12:00 noon in the OISE Library, 252 Bloor St. W. The workshop will be webcast live to locations at UTM and UTSC or you can view the webcast on your own computer. Registration is required. Visit the News section of the SGS home page for details.

money matters

Travel Grants
Applications for the School of Graduate Studies Travel Grant Program will be open from February 6-24. The program is open only to Ph.D. students in Humanities or Social Science for whom research travel (e.g., fieldwork, consultation of specialists and of primary or secondary sources, etc.) to sites either within or outside Canada is required in order to complete their dissertation.

The SGS Conference Grant Program will also be available during the winter session. Applications will be on-line in early March. Keep checking the News section of the SGS Home Page or Ulife Opportunities in March for more information on the Conference Grant Program.

Child care reimbursement for extra and co-curricular activities
The Family Care Office has a limited amount of funding available to assist with child care costs for St. George campus students wishing to attend extra and co-curricular activities. Students must apply for the child care cost reimbursement at least one business day in advance of the event. See the Family Care Office website for application forms or more information.

Master's tuition fee bursary
The Master's Tuition Fee Bursary (MTFB) fund is awarded to both course-work and research-based Master's students who have exceeded program time limit, yet still have a small amount of work outstanding due to unanticipated delays beyond your control. Apply after you have completed all outstanding degree requirements. If awarded, the bursary is applied to your fees account, reducing the cost of your final session tuition to that of part-time fees. The deadline to apply for the MTFB in the Winter session is March 30 for students in a research program and April 20 for students completing a course-based program.

news

500-million-year-old-news
Ph.D. candidate Lorna O’Brien (Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) and her supervisor, adjunct professor Jean-Bernard Caron (curator of invertebrate palaeontology at the Royal Ontario Museum) are making news studying 500-million-year-old fossil remains of some of the earliest complex animals that ever lived on earth. Even the soft tissue of these tulip-shaped creatures is uniquely preserved in the "Tulip Beds" of the Burgess Shale deposits - remnants of an ancient sea that once covered Western Canada.

Healthy, affordable and sustainable café opens on campus
Harvest Noon, a new sustainable, vegetarian café is now open. Located on the second floor of the Graduate Students' Union Building at 16 Bancroft Ave, the cafe offers a variety of tasty, homemade vegetarian and vegan menu options in a relaxed and inclusive space for you to study or take a well-deserved break. Harvest Noon is a project of the Toronto Sustainable Food Co-operative, a campus-based organization initiated by volunteers and members of the student group Hot Yam! in the Fall of 2011. The operation is starting out on entirely volunteer power and there are many opportunities for those who want to get involved - from cooking to accounting. Those who want to know more or get involved are encouraged to stop by the café or send the group an email at volunteers@harvestnoon.com.

upcoming events

Aboriginal Awareness Week
Aboriginal Awareness Week is an annual celebration of Indigenous culture that takes place February 6-10. Participate and learn about Indigenous cultures in Canada and around the world. Events include roundtable discussions, craft workshops, exhibitions, sunrise ceremonies, traditional teachings and cultural exchange.

Should judges be elected?
Join us for an evening of spirited debate and conversation with the Hon. Mr. Justice Ian Binnie (retired) and former Member of Parliament Ian Waddell on the topic "Be it resolved that Canada should elect its judges." Part of the Hart House Debate Committee’s first annual Alumni Debate and a NorthAms co-programming event, Binnie and Waddell will be joined by two law students - Richard Lizius and Anisah Hassan - as they argue either for or against the issue. The formal debate will take place in the historic Debates Room at Hart House, followed by a reception.

Thesis avoidance with style
Explore Toronto's great cultural riches in the company of other stressed-out grad students by taking part in Grad Escapes. Upcoming events include a trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame, a guided tour of the Bata Shoe Musuem, The Orpheus Choir of Toronto and Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience. Tickets can be purchased online at bookit.studentlife.utoronto.ca.

supports & resources

Learn business-ready skills with Mitacs Step
The Graduate Professional Skills Program is pleased to announce three upcoming offerings from the Mitacs Step program. The program provides graduate students with opportunities to build professional and transferrable skills, strengthen working relationships, connect with industry, and improve research results and impact. Offerings include Practice Your Presentation Skills (UTSC), Managing Projects (UTM), and Foundations of Project Management I (St. George). To register for GPS and enrol in offerings, please visit the GPS Blackboard Community.

ELWS February/March courses
Online registration for February/March courses offered by the Office of English Language and Writing Support (ELWS) will open Monday, February 6 at 10:00am. ELWS courses are free, non-credit and available exclusively to U of T graduate students. Courses fill quickly so register early to avoid disappointment. ELWS also offers free single-session workshops and one-on-one writing consultations.

Effective journal research for graduate students
Learn how to find the articles that you need efficiently and effectively. This U of T Library workshop will help you find the right journal indexes for your needs, judge when to use a specialized index and when to use one of the brand-new super-indexes, learn to search the indexes like an expert to find the best articles in less time and find the full text of journal articles online or in print. February 8, 1:00pm. Registration required.

Fairness!
The University Ombudsperson offers confidential and impartial advice and assistance on university-related problems to students, faculty and staff on all three campuses. For details visit the Office of the Ombudsperson.

Media training for Professors: February 21, 2012

2012-02-03T15:41:00.001-05:00

For the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering to achieve its broader communication objectives, we require a broad team of individuals who are comfortable sharing their stories and engaging with journalists in print and broadcast media. It is for that reason we would like to invite you to a media relations workshop on Tues., February 21 from 9 a.m. to noon. The training will take place on the St. George campus, though the location has not yet been confirmed (it will be sent to registrants prior to the event via email).

The session will be led by Jim Maclean, President of Tactical Advice/Strategic Communications Inc. (http://www.tascinc.ca/maclean/index.html). Jim has decades of experience in communications, having worked as a national journalist, a political communications advisor and as Director of Public Affairs and Communications at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

The focus of the workshop is on understanding how journalists work, what they need and how to develop effective key messages. To register or see the full itinerary, please visit http://www.uoft.me/feb2112

Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Liam Mitchell (liam.mitchell@utoronto.ca), the Faculty’s Communications & Media Relations Strategist. I hope that you will join us for this important opportunity.

Regards,

Madelyn

--

Madelyn Herschorn | Executive Director, Communications & Public Affairs

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering | University of Toronto
Office Location: 40 St. George Street, Room 3002
Mailing Address: 35 St. George Street | Toronto, ON | M5S 1A4 | Canada
madelyn.herschorn@utoronto.ca | www.engineering.utoronto.ca
Tel 416.946.5783 | Fax 416.971.2141

Water Institute Seminar: Gerald Pollack - February 10, 2012

2012-02-03T15:39:00.001-05:00

Good Afternoon.

The Water Institute is pleased to host a seminar by Dr. Gerald H. Pollack titled:

The Secret Life of Water: E = H2O

Gerald H. Pollack
Professor
Department of Bioengineering
University of Washington

Friday February 10, 2012, 11:30 am
Environment 3, room 1408 - Minto Lecture Hall University of Waterloo

All are welcome.

Regards,
Mary Anne Hardy
The Water Institute
University of Waterloo
519.888.4567 ext. 32658
mahardy@uwaterloo.ca
water.uwaterloo.ca

---- ABSTRACT ----

School children learn that water has three phases: solid, liquid and vapor. But
we have recently uncovered what appears to be a fourth phase. This phase occurs
next to water-loving (hydrophilic) surfaces. It is surprisingly extensive,
projecting out from the surface by up to millions of molecular layers.
Of particular significance is the observation that this fourth phase is charged;
and, the water just beyond is oppositely charged, creating a battery that can
produce current. We found that light recharges this battery. Thus, water can
receive and process electromagnetic energy drawn from the environment —
much like plants. The absorbed light energy can then be exploited for performing
work, including electrical and mechanical work. Recent experiments
confirm the reality of such energy conversion.

The energy-conversion framework implied above seems rich with implication.
Not only does it provide an understanding of how water processes solar and
other energies, but also it may provide a foundation for simpler understanding
natural phenomena ranging from weather and green energy all the way to biological
issues such as the origin of life, transport, and osmosis.

The lecture will present evidence for the presence of this novel phase of water,
and will consider the potentially broad implications of this phase for physics,
chemistry and biology, as well as some practical applications for engineering.

Standard Benefit Rates (SBR) for 2012-13

2012-02-03T15:35:00.002-05:00

To: Principals, Deans, Academic Directors and Chairs

cc: Divisional Business Officers via AMS listserv
Divisional Financial Officers via DFO listserv

From: Sally Gamer, Executive Director, Planning & Budget

Re: Standard Benefit Rates (SBR) for 2012-13

Date: January 30, 2012

Employer benefit costs are currently charged to divisions at a standard benefit rate of 24.25% of compensation for appointed staff and 10.00% of compensation for non-appointed staff.

Effective May 1, 2012, the standard benefit rate will increase to 24.75% of compensation for appointed staff. The rate increase is due primarily to an increase in pension current service funding and recent increases to earning ceilings for legislated benefits. Please note that the SBR excludes any pension special payments.

The standard benefit rate for non-appointed staff will remain at 10.00%

Research grant applications and ancillary budget planning for fiscal 2013-14 should use the estimated rates of 24.75% for appointed staff and 10.00% for non-appointed staff.

Please note this is only an estimate and the final SBR rate for 2013-14 will be determined towards the end of 2012, in order to take into account projected benefit costs and salaries at that time.

If you have any further questions please contact your Planning and Budget Officer.

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005: Integrated Accessibility Standards

2012-02-03T15:32:00.002-05:00

PDADC#40, 2011-12

To: PDAD&C

CC: Professional/Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice President Human Resources & Equity

Date: February 2, 2012

Re: Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 - Integrated Accessibility Standards

The AODA came into effect in 2005. The purpose of this Act is to achieve accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures, and premises on or before January 1, 2025.

The Customer Service Standard was enacted in 2008 and outlined our obligations regarding delivery of service to persons with disabilities. Within the University context for the purposes of the standard all students were defined as "customers."

In June 2011 the Ontario Government released the Integrated Accessibility Standard, which combines standards for Information Communication, Employment, and Transportation.

The Information Communication Standard requires the University to develop accessible communication formats and supports. This standard addresses websites, educational and training materials, and libraries of educational and training institutions. The Employment Standard focuses on the entire employment cycle in terms of accessibility and accommodation of disability. Finally, the Transportation Standard addresses accessible transportation requirements which will apply to the charter companies we use to move between our three campuses.

Compliance dates for the Integrated Accessibility Standard are staggered and allow for gradual implementation.

The AODA officer and my office have been working closely with all divisions to ensure that the University of Toronto will continue to meet its obligations under the Act. Over the next year you will receive regular updates to assist your departments in fulfilling the standards set out in the Act. This will allow for a coherent and consistent strategy across the University.

We recognize that the standards do require some changes in practice and our goal is to ensure we accomplish those changes in the most efficient and effective ways possible. In particular, in partnership with the Council of Ontario Universities and the Ministry of Community and Social Services we are developing resources to assist U of T and all Ontario universities in preparing for our obligations under the AODA.

Internally, we are also developing resources to assist divisions in implementing the standard as effectively as possible. The AODA officer will be in contact with your division as rollout for the Integrated Standard continues.

For further information and consultation please contact:

Andrea Carter, AODA Officer
andrea.carter@utoronto.ca
office line: 416-978-5456

CUPE 3902: TA Bargaining Update

2012-02-03T15:30:00.001-05:00

HR #30, 2011-12
February 1, 2012
To: PDAD&C
Professional and Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard
Vice-President, Human Resources and Equity

A Progressive and Fair Offer to A Highly Valued Group of Employees and Students
At the end of last week, with the assistance of one of the Ministry of Labour’s most experienced conciliation/mediation officers, the University tabled an offer which the Union negotiating committee agreed to recommend for ratification. The offer addressed every one of the Union’s key issues and placed significant new financial resources on the table. I and my colleagues are therefore extremely disappointed that the 250 or so members who attended the CUPE 3902 Unit 1 membership meeting on Monday on the St. George campus decided that the offer should not go to all employees in the CUPE 3902 Unit 1 bargaining unit for a ratification vote. Instead, those present at the meeting directed the Union to seek a No Board report from the Ministry of Labour, which will start the clock ticking towards a legal strike date. At this time, there is no confirmation from the Ministry as to what that strike date will be.

I think it is important that members of our community are made aware of the University’s offer and I will focus on those areas which I understand to be of the greatest importance to CUPE members.

Salaries and Benefits

The University has offered an increase to the hourly rates (from the current $39.92 per hour, to $42.05 per hour by May 1, 2013) that is comparable to the increases we have negotiated with each of our unions at U of T – including USW and other CUPE locals. In addition, we have offered to add significantly to the Union’s Financial Assistance Fund (it will reach $852,000 by 2013) and the Health Care Fund, increasing it to $2.8m.

Tutorials

The University believes that tutorials are a key component of the undergraduate student experience and that teaching in tutorials should be based on sound pedagogy and best practice. In contrast to our CUPE colleagues, however, we do not accept that the focus of our attention should be simply on the size of the tutorial group. Within U of T, the term “tutorial” includes a vast range of activities: small group discussion and interaction, large group demonstrations, review of course materials, re-clarification of concepts and difficult questions, and so on. Each of these activities requires specialized teaching skills, different models of interacting with students, and varying preparation. We are committed to ensuring that TAs have the appropriate skills and time to deliver high quality teaching in the full range of activities in which they are engaged.

Therefore, the University’s proposal is to establish a Working Group that will develop a categorization scheme that captures the range of activities that fall under the heading of “tutorial”. We have further proposed that for each of those categories, the Working Group will recommend best practice based on current research, some sense of the time that a TA will need to deliver the various educational components, and recommendations on training for TAs – both required training (which will be built into TA contracts) and optional training.
The University thinks this is a more appropriate way to address a complex set of inter-relating issues than a formulaic approach based simply on numbers.
Graduate Student Financial Support

Financial support for graduate students comes from a variety of internal and external sources. Approximately 50% of graduate students receive some form of support through work as a TA – and the University has agreed that effective 2013, only 205 hours of TA work will be counted towards the funding packages for students in the funded cohort. This is a reduction from the current level of 210 and represents a real gain to many TAs.

CUPE however, wishes to negotiate other aspects of financial support, including the minimum level of the funding provided to students in the funded cohort, and the elimination of work as a Research Assistant (which is covered under the USW collective agreement) from the funding packages. CUPE represents approximately half of our graduate students in their Teaching Assistant employment relationship with the University. CUPE does not represent all graduate students and the broad range of interests that they have as they pursue their graduate studies. The issue of funding packages is a matter that affects the graduate student population at large and the University as a whole. Therefore the University has proposed a Committee on Graduate Student funding that will include representatives of the GSU (the Graduate Student Union) as well as CUPE, to discuss broad issues related to the financial support of graduate students. Such issues could include sources of funding, advocacy for federal and provincial graduate student support, the needs of international students and advancement (fundraising) strategies in support of graduate students. The University has already committed significant resources to be used as matching funds for advancement strategies, including enhancing the funds for Doctoral completion awards/grants. These rare matching funds have been eagerly leveraged by our departments, with some of our humanities departments are showing the earliest results. One important goal of the Boundless Campaign is that there will be $16 Million in new endowments to support our Ph.D. students.

Senior Students

The Current collective agreement provides up to four guaranteed TA appointments to CUPE members. The Union has expressed concern, however, about those graduate students who continue with their research work beyond these four years. The University has agreed to extend the guarantee by a half appointment in 2012 and a full appointment in 2013. This means that in September 2013, CUPE members will be eligible to receive up to five guaranteed appointments.

Next Steps

The University bargaining team worked hard to develop a comprehensive and responsive offer for settlement. I worked extensively with a number of Deans and with the Provost and the President to make sure I left no stone unturned in an effort to address each of the Union’s key issues. This is a very good offer and one that allows for meaningful future dialogue on issues that are of importance to TAs. It is certainly an offer that warranted full consideration by all employees in the bargaining unit.

Notwithstanding this, since the mediator has indicated that he will be inviting the University and the Union back to the table, we have indicated our willingness to accept that invitation.

CUPE 2484: Tentative agreement reached between U of T and Day Care Workers at the Early Learning Centre

2012-02-03T15:29:00.001-05:00

HR #32, 2011 – 12

February 2, 2012

To: PDAD&C
Professional & Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity

Re: Tentative agreement reached between U of T and CUPE Local 2484, Day Care Workers at the Early Learning Centre

We are very pleased to announce that a tentative agreement between the University and CUPE Local 2484, which represents the Day Care Workers at the University’s Early Learning Centre, has been reached.

CUPE plans on holding a ratification meeting February 13. Details regarding the agreement will be communicated following ratification.

SGS: Administrative Appointments

2012-02-03T15:25:00.001-05:00

To: Graduate Chairs/Directors, Coordinators, Administrators and SGS Staff
From: Brian Corman, Dean of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost, Graduate Education

Dear Colleagues:

Consistent with the Policy on Appointment of Academic Administrators, and approved by the Provost and the Academic Board, I am pleased to announce the following appointments:

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Professor John Coleman
Acting Chair and Acting Graduate Chair, Department of Cell and Systems Biology
July 1, 2012 to June 20, 2013

Professor Diane Massam
Interim Chair and Interim Graduate Chair, Department of Linguistics
January 1, 2012 to June 30, 2012

Professor Pascal Riendeau
Acting Chair and Acting Graduate Chair, Department of French
February 6, 2012 to June 30, 2012 (Extension)

Professor Mark Stabile
Director, School of Public Policy and Governance (renewal)
January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2017

Professor Janice Stein
Director, Munk School of Global Affairs
July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2014 (re-appointment)

Professor Ulrich Tepass
Chair and Graduate Chair, Department of Cell and Systems Biology
July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2015

FACULTY OF MEDICINE
Dr. Howard Hu
Director, Dalla Lana School of Public Health
July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2017

I thank these Academic Administrators for their willingness to serve the University in the furtherance of graduate education. I am sure that you will join me in congratulating them.

With my best wishes,
Brian

Trinity College: Advisory Search Committee for the Dean of Arts (Principal)

2012-02-03T14:37:00.001-05:00

PDAD&C#41, 2011-12

To: PDAD&C

From: Andy Orchard, Provost, Trinity College

Date: February 2, 2012

Re: Advisory Search Committee for the Dean of Arts (Principal), Trinity College

Professor Derek Allen will complete his third and final term as Vice-Provost and Dean of Arts of Trinity College on June 30, 2012.

In accordance with the Statutes and Certain Regulations of Trinity College and the terms of the Federation Framework Agreement, Provost Andy Orchard has struck a committee to recommend the appointment of the Dean of Arts of Trinity College. This position is similar to the role of Principal in other Federated Colleges.

The composition of the committee is as follows:

Professor Andy Orchard (Chair) - The Provost, Trinity College Professor Jill Matus - Vice-Provost, Students, University of Toronto Professor Meric Gertler, Dean, Arts & Science, University of Toronto Professor David Neelands, Dean, Faculty of Divinity, Trinity College Professor Michael Steinhauser - Chair of the Senate, Trinity College Professor Lawrin Armstrong, Fellow, Faculty of Arts, Trinity College Mr. Nelson De Melo - Registrar, Trinity College Ms. Katie Dunlop, Student, Faculty of Arts, Trinity College Ms. Helen Yarish - Human Resources Officer & Secretary of the Corporation, Trinity College

The Advisory Search Committee welcomes comments and nominations from interested persons. (Call for nominations attached.) These should be sent to the attention of Helen Yarish, by February 24, 2012 by mail (Trinity College, 6 Hoskin Avenue) or by email to yarish@trinity.utoronto.ca

Further information can be found on the Trinity College website at http://www.trinity.utoronto.ca/

---- CALL FOR NOMINATION ----

Dean of Arts, Trinity College
In the University of Toronto

Trinity College seeks to appoint a distinguished scholar with a proven record of academic leadership as the Dean of Arts of Trinity College as of July 1, 2012.

The successful candidate will hold a senior academic appointment in the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto and will have the ability and leadership skills to coordinate the academic and administrative functions of the College within the wider university framework, as well as to maintain an atmosphere of trust and engagement of faculty and students in the pursuit of academic excellence.

The role of the Dean of Arts is equivalent to the position of Principal in similar college environments. The Dean of Arts reports to the Provost of Trinity College for Trinity matters, to the Provost of the University of Toronto on U of T matters, and to the Dean of Faculty of Arts & Science, U of T, as appropriate. The Dean of Arts is appointed by the Board of Trustees on the recommendation of the Provost and in consultation with the professorial Fellows in the Faculty of Arts at Trinity College. The Dean of Arts normally also holds the position of Vice‐Provost, Trinity College.

Trinity College is federated with the University of Toronto, and is a small, intimate and highly regarded College on the St. George Campus. On behalf of the University, the College sponsors three interdisciplinary undergraduate programs: International Relations; Immunology; and Ethics, Society, and Law.

The Dean of Arts Search Committee will accept nominations from February 2, 2012 to February 24, 2012. Nominations are welcome from Fellows and Associates of Trinity College, as well as from the broader University of Toronto community, and should include brief details of the qualifications and qualities of the nominee(s). Individual applications may also be submitted and should include of a statement of intent along with the curriculum vitae.

Nominations and requests for further information may be submitted in confidence to:

Helen Yarish
Secretary, Dean of Arts Search Committee
Trinity College
6 Hoskin Avenue
Toronto ON M5S 1H8
Phone: 416‐946‐7611
Email: yarish@trinity.utoronto.ca

B.E.S.T. Lecture Series - Stephen Carpenter - Wednesday, February 1, 2012

2012-01-27T15:07:00.003-05:00

Dear Colleagues:

The Building, Ecology, Science and Technology Lecture Series resumes this coming Wednesday, February 1.

Please come and join your colleagues for this event. I look forward to seeing you there.

NOTE: The sign-up sheets have been replaced with simply giving us your business card.
You are responsible for claiming your continuing education credits with the OAA.

Regards,

Ted Kesik, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Professor of Building Science
Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design - University of Toronto
230 College Street
Toronto ON M5T 1R2 Canada
T: 416 978-0849
F: 416 971-2094
ted.kesik@daniels.utoronto.ca
www.daniels.utoronto.ca

------------------------------
WINTER 2012 Building, Ecology, Science and Technology Lecture Series

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1
6:00 – 8:00 PM
DANIELS FACULTY LECTURE HALL ROOM 103
230 COLLEGE STREET

Stephen Carpenter

DESIGNING FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET

Stephen Carpenter, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., is President of Enermodal Engineering, founded in 1980 and now Canada’s largest consulting firm dedicated to green buildings and communities. With over 100 green building specialists working in Kitchener, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Thornhill and Toronto, Enermodal is Canada’s foremost LEED consulting firm, and has provided LEED services for Canada’s premier green buildings. In 2009, Enermodal designed and built its own headquarters, A Grander View, which has achieved an energy use intensity 70 kWh/m2 per year - making it Canada’s most energy-efficient office building. Early in his career, Stephen Carpenter made significant contributions to the advancement of window design and performance ratings in North America, and has since cultivated a multi-talented organization that supports sustainable development, building design and commissioning, the greening of existing buildings, building research and technology transfer. He commands an authoritative perspective on the evolution and future trajectory of sustainable architecture.

Designing for people and the planet is an unfolding reality for designers of buildings and communities. Conventional approaches to design have failed to cost effectively deliver sustainability. The integrated design process, high performance building technologies and sophisticated performance simulation tools offer enormous potential, but they pose interesting questions and challenges. How close are we to net zero energy buildings in Canada? Should designers focus mostly on adaptive passive systems that can easily integrate active renewable energy technologies in the future? How much does the promise of design depend on the realities of operation and maintenance? Stephen Carpenter’s lecture will explore the state of building and community design today, and where it should go to balance social, environmental and economic dynamics.

OAA 2 CORE HOURS - FREE ADMISSION FOLLOWED BY SNACKS AND REFRESHMENTS.

Advisory Search Committee for the Principal, Victoria College

2012-01-27T15:07:00.001-05:00

PDAD&C#39, 2011-12

To: PDAD&C

From: Paul Gooch, President, Victoria University

Date: January 23, 2012

RE: Advisory Search Committee for the Principal, Victoria College

As announced in September 2011, Professor David Cook will complete his second and final term as Principal of Victoria College on June 30, 2012.

In accordance with the By-laws of Victoria University and the terms of the Federation Framework Agreement, President Paul Gooch has struck a committee to recommend the appointment of a Principal of Victoria College. The composition of the committee is as follows:

Professor Paul Gooch (Chair) - President & Vice-Chancellor, Victoria University Mr. Brandon Bailey - President, VUSAC Professor Joe Blackmore - Victoria, Chair, Spanish & Portuguese Ms Katie Degendorfer - student member, Victoria College Mr. John Field - Board of Regents Professor Meric Gertler - Dean, Arts & Science, U of T Mr. Paul Huyer - Board of Regents Professor Lori Loeb - Victoria, History Professor Lynne Magnusson - Victoria, Director, CRRS, & English Professor Jill Matus - Vice-Provost, Students, U of T Professor Mark Toulouse - Principal, Emmanuel College

The Advisory Search Committee welcomes comments and nominations from interested persons. These should be sent to the attention of Gillian Pearson, Executive Assistant to the President of Victoria University, by February 17, 2012 by mail (Victoria University, 73 Queen's Park Cres. Room 120) or by email to vic.president@utoronto.ca.

Further information can be found on the Victoria University website at http://www.vicu.utoronto.ca/Page4.aspx

CUPE 1230 (Full-Time) - Memorandum of Settlement

2012-01-27T15:05:00.001-05:00

HR #29, 2011 – 12

January 23, 2012

To: PDAD&C
Professional & Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity

Re: Memorandum of Settlement between U of T and CUPE 1230 (Full-Time)

The Memorandum of Settlement between U of T and CUPE 1230 (Full-Time) is now available.

Should you have any questions, please contact the Labour Relations team at labour.relations@utoronto.ca.

Please note: Upon the launch of the new Human Resources & Equity website at the end of this month, the document will be available under the Policies, Guidelines & Agreements section.

Candidates for the 2012 Governing Council and Academic Board Elections

2012-01-27T15:04:00.000-05:00

Memorandum

To: Governing Council
Academic Board
Business Board
University Affairs Board
College of Electors
Principals, Deans, Academic Directors, and Chairs
Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students’ Union
Scarborough Campus Students’ Union
University of Toronto Students’ Union
University of Toronto Faculty Association
United Steelworkers of America
University of Toronto Alumni Association Board of Directors

From: Anwar Kazimi, Chief Returning Officer

Date: January 26, 2012

Subject: Candidates for the 2012 Governing Council and Academic Board Elections

Please distribute this memorandum widely.

Governing Council Elections

i. Teaching Staff seats for Constituencies IA (Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) - Humanities), IB (Faculty of Arts and Science – Social Sciences) and III (University of Toronto Scarborough) have been filled by acclamation. Elections for one teaching staff seat for each of Constituency IV (Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering), Constituency VA (Faculty of Medicine), and Constituency VI (Faculty of Dentistry, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education) will be held online between Monday, February 27, and Friday, March 9, 2012. Voting instructions will be sent by e-mail to members of these Constituencies prior to the voting period.

ii. Student seats for two part-time undergraduate students and one graduate student (Physical and Life Sciences, Divisions III & IV) have been filled by acclamation. An election for five student seats will also be held between Monday, February 27 and March 9, 2012.

Full-time undergraduate students registered in the Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Toronto Mississauga, University of Toronto Scarborough, and the Professional Faculties (excluding postgraduate medical students), and graduate students (Humanities/Social Sciences, Divisions I & II) will be able to vote on ROSI. Information will be sent to students by e-mail at a later date. Online votes must be cast by 5:00 p.m. on March 9, 2012.

Postgraduate medical students will be able to vote using paper ballots. Ballots will be mailed to students during the week of February 21, 2012 and must be returned by March 9, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. Students should be directed to contact me if they are entitled to participate in the elections but do not receive a paper ballot in the mail.

iii. The Administrative staff election will be held online between Monday, February 27 and Friday, March 9, 2012. Information about the online election will be sent by email to administrative staff at a later date. Ballots will be mailed the week of February 21, 2012 to those administrative staff for whom University of Toronto email addresses are not listed on HRIS. All online votes must be cast and mail ballots returned by March 9, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. Staff should be directed to contact me if they are entitled to participate in the elections but do not receive a paper ballot in the mail.

Academic Board Elections

i. Sixteen teaching staff seats have been filled by acclamation. Elections for one teaching staff seat (Faculty of Arts and Science – Cell and Systems Biology) and one seat for librarians will be held online between Monday, February 27, and Friday, March 9, 2012. Voting instructions will be sent by email to members of these constituencies prior to the voting period. Ballots will be mailed the week of February 21, 2012 to those eligible to vote for whom University of Toronto email addresses are not listed on HRIS. All online votes must be cast and mail ballots returned by March 9, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. Staff should be directed to contact me if they are entitled to participate in the elections but do not receive a paper ballot in the mail.

Nominations will re-open for one teaching staff seat (Faculty of Medicine) and for a by-election for one teaching staff seat (Faculty of Arts and Science – term March 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013) on Monday, February 6, 2012 at 12 noon. The deadline for the submission of nominations is Friday, February 17, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. Nomination forms will be available as of February 6th from the Office of the Governing Council or online at: http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/elections.htm

A list of the candidates is available from the website below.

http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=7465

Please feel free to contact me (416-978-8427; anwar.kazimi@utoronto.ca) or the Deputy Returning Officer, Ms Mae-Yu Tan (416-978-8794; maeyu-tan@utoronto.ca), if you have any questions.

Thank you for supporting the Governing Council election process.

Research Alert: OGI: Pre-commercialization Business Development Fund

2012-01-20T14:44:00.000-05:00

OGI: Pre-commercialization Business Development Fund

Please reply to: Tu Nguyen (tuu.nguyen@utoronto.ca)

Sponsor: Ontario Genomics Institute

Internal Deadline: February 3, 2012

Sponsor Deadline: February 10, 2012

Program Description:
OGI's Pre-commercialization Business Development Fund (PBDF) is a unique and useful investment fund that is helping to enable the economic impact of outcomes of genomics and proteomics research projects and technology development. Specifically, it aims to provide early-stage funding as researchers move towards commercial applications and to speed up transfer of products from lab to marketplace.

Objectives:
• Create economic results from genomics and proteomics research;
• Support scientific entrepreneurs;
• Broker partnerships between academe and industry; and
• Generate returns for future PBDF investments.

Funding:
Applicants are eligible to receive up to $100,000 per project.
For more information on how to apply and program details:
Refer to the web posting on the Funding Opportunities website here: http://www.research.utoronto.ca/research-funding-opportunities/ogi-pre-commercialization-business-development-fund/

TAC Foundation Scholarship Deadline – February 13, 2012

2012-01-20T14:43:00.002-05:00

This is just a quick reminder that there is less than a month left before the TAC Foundation Scholarship application deadline of February 13, 2012!

We are asking for your help in promoting TAC Foundation scholarships to students in transportation-related (primarily roadway and infrastructure-related) programs at your institution by:
• Printing and posting copies of the TAC Foundation Scholarship Program poster in locations where potential applicants will see them
• Specifically approaching students that you feel may be interested and encouraging them to apply
• Forwarding this email to students in transportation-related programs of study

Please ensure applicants send the following, in addition to completing the online application form, in order for their application to be deemed as complete:
• Official Transcript on Institution Letterhead (may be scanned and e-mailed in)
• Academic Letter of Reference (must be completed on the TAC Foundation website)
• Resumé / CV

The application deadline is February 13, 2012.

Full details and application forms for the 2012 TAC Foundation Scholarship Program are online at www.tac-foundation.ca.

Please feel welcome to contact Erica Andersen, Secretary-Treasurer of the TAC Foundation and Director, Member Services & Communications of TAC, at foundation@tac-atc.ca if you have questions or comments to offer about the TAC Foundation or its programs. Our sincere thanks for your assistance with our Scholarship Program!

Tim Holyoke
President
TAC Foundation

L’Oréal Canada For Women in Science Research Excellence Fellowships, with the Support of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO

2012-01-20T14:41:00.000-05:00

The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) is pleased to announce the following fellowships:

L’Oréal Canada For Women in Science Research Excellence Fellowships,
with the Support of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO

L’Oréal Canada has announced the For Women in Science Research Excellence Fellowships, with the support of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, which will give two (2) fellowships of $20,000 CAD each to female post-doctoral researchers in the field of Life Sciences. This fellowship is a part of the For Women in Science Program which recognizes the importance of the contributions of women in the progress of science. Applications will be reviewed by a panel of scientists, including representatives from the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and L’Oréal Canada. Candidates must conduct their research at a Canadian host institution or organization.

Value: $20,000 CAD each.

Place of Study: Host institution/organization in Canada.

Field of Study: For the 2012-2013 competition, fellowships are being offered for research in the field of Life Sciences. The fellowships offered alternate each year between the fields of Life Sciences and Engineering/Pure and Applied Sciences.

Deadline Date: Postmarked application packages must be sent to the AUCC on or before April 2, 2012.

Guidelines and Application Forms: Visit the AUCC website

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and support in this matter.

Higher Education Scholarships
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC)
600-350 Albert St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 1B1
www.aucc.ca/scholarships

International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Engineering (IJNESE) – Call for papers

2012-01-20T14:40:00.001-05:00

We are writing to cordially invite you to submit papers to our journal:

The International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Engineering (IJNESE).
IJNESE is a new uprising peer-reviewed, open-access new journal which devote to publishing research papers in all fields of scientific and technological research of nuclear energy. For more information, please access http://www.ijnese.org/index.aspx.
To promote this journal, it provides open access, , rapid publication, and indexing and reference service at the present.

We would appreciate if you recommend our journal to your students, colleagues and friends in your convenient time. If you have any question or suggestion about IJNESE, please feel free to let us know.

Subject Coverage:
Researchers and practitioners are encouraged to submit original, unpublished contributions. The topics include, but are not limited
to:

1. Reactor physics,
2. Reactor research,
3. Alternative reactor technologies,
4. Radiation shielding,
5. Fission reactor materials,
6. Nuclear materials, neutron radiation effects in materials, 7. Fuel cycle, materials aspects, physics and chemistry, environmental considerations, 8. Reprocessing, 9. Low level, high-level radioactive waste disposal,

More…….
Paper Submission Website: http://www.ijnese.org/PaperSubmission.aspx
Best wishes!
Assistant editor: Jewel
on behalf of Editorial Board of IJNESE
E-mail: nese@academicpub.org

Office of Research Ethics – Winter 2012 Workshops

2012-01-20T14:37:00.001-05:00

MEMORANDUM
DATE: January 17, 2012
TO: Chairs & Graduate Program Directors—Social Sciences & Humanities: Please forward to faculty, graduate students and staff in your unit, and post flyer.
FROM: Dean Sharpe, Research Ethics Board Manager—Social Sciences & Humanities
RE: Research Ethics in the Social Sciences & Humanities—Workshops Winter 2012

Please forward immediately to all faculty and grad students in your department.

The Office of Research Ethics is pleased to announce the following workshops to address all types of research involving human participants in the social sciences, humanities, and education:

Winter 2012:
Date Time
Social Sciences & Humanities Wednesday, February 15 2pm – 4pm
Social Sciences & Humanities Wednesday, February 22 10am - 12pm
Education Thursday, February 23 2pm - 4pm

Location: All workshops will be in the McMurrich Building, Rm. 107 (12 Queen’s Park Crescent W.)

Faculty members, graduate students, and staff are invited to attend. Workshops will include a presentation with opportunities for questions and discussion. Topics will include:
• history and principles behind research ethics review
• procedures under Tri-council policy statement: Ethical conduct for research involving humans
• UT’s risk matrix for assessing participant vulnerability and research risk
• free & informed consent, privacy & confidentiality, conflict of interest, inclusion/exclusion criteria
• questions and discussion relating to specific projects and methods
Enrollment for each workshop is limited to 25 people. Light refreshments will be served.

Please register at:
http://link.library.utoronto.ca/course_registration/course_signup.cfm?affiliation=ethics
The research ethics workshops are eligible for credit in the School of Graduate Studies Graduate Professional Skills (GPS) Program. To register, and for more information on GPS please visit:
http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/profdev/gps.htm

For further information, please contact dean.sharpe@utoronto.ca

I am also available to speak in research seminars, by invitation: please contact me if interested.

World Water Day Graduate Research Fair & Water Celebration – University of Waterloo, March 1, 2012 Submission Deadline

2012-01-20T14:36:00.000-05:00

*World Water Day Graduate Research Fair & Water Celebration*

Federation Hall, University of Waterloo

*http://water.uwaterloo.ca/world_water_day2012.htm*

*Poster Submission Deadline: March 1st, 2012 *

Dear Student:

We invite you to submit an academic poster and participate in this year’s World Water Day Graduate Research Fair. Every year, World Water Day is celebrated as an international initiative set by the United Nations to observe the importance and value of freshwater around the planet. The University of Waterloo Water Institute and its student chapter, SWIGS, have again teamed up with Wilfred Laurier’s Institute for Water Science and Cold Regions Research Centre to host an all-day event on March 22nd, 2012 to be held at Federation hall on the uWaterloo campus.

*Poster Presentations*

The event will include graduate water research poster presentations (recycled posters are welcome), two keynote presentations on water issues, and booths for water sector partners and community groups. *Poster awards of $150 each* will be awarded to top ranked posters within five different
categories: Hydrological and Atmospheric Science; Water Policy, Management & Governance; Aquatic Ecology & Toxicology; Water Treatment & Technology; and Cold Regions.

Submit poster titles (no abstract necessary) on line at:
http://water.uwaterloo.ca/world_water_day2012.htm by March 1, 2012.

*Employment Opportunities*

Looking for a co-op term or employment? We invite industry partners, NGO’s, community groups, and government agencies to set up exhibits which provide great opportunities for job recruitment. The conference aims to highlight the depth and breadth of regional water research and provide networking opportunities between water researchers, practitioners, and studetns.

*Photo Contest*

This year we will be having a photo contest in two categories: i) *water research *– photos that show your water-related research, work, or community projects, and ii) *water inspiration* – photos that show your artistic and creative side. All submitted photos will be displayed at the conference, and photo winners will *receive a prize*. Email photos to swigsphotocontest@gmail.com

*Blue Drinks*

Join us after the event for *Blue Drinks* to further discuss water and network with other water researchers, professionals, and enthusiasts.

We are looking forward to another exciting and productive world water day, and hope to see you there! For more information please contact the SWIGS Conference Chair, Jana Tondu at janatondu@gmail.com.

CUPE Local 3907 – Memorandum of Settlement

2012-01-20T14:35:00.000-05:00

HR #28, 2011 – 12

January 20, 2012

To: PDAD&C
Professional & Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity

The Memorandum of Settlement between U of T and CUPE 3907 is now available.

Should you have any questions, please contact the Labour Relations team at labour.relations@utoronto.ca.

Please note: Upon the launch of the new Human Resources & Equity website at the end of this month, the document will be available under the Policies, Guidelines & Agreements section.

CUPE Local 3907 – Agreement ratified (Graduate Assistants at OISE only)

2012-01-20T14:32:00.002-05:00

HR #27, 2011 – 12

January 17, 2012

To: PDAD&C
Professional & Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity

Re: Agreement ratified between U of T and CUPE Local 3907 (Graduate Assistants at OISE only)

We are very pleased to announce that the tentative agreement between the University and CUPE Local 3907, Graduate Assistants at OISE only announced on December 9th has now been ratified.

Business Board will review the agreement at an upcoming meeting.

The Memorandum of Settlement will be posted shortly.

Staff Announcement – Departure of Director, Capital Projects

2012-01-20T14:32:00.001-05:00

January 16, 2012

To: PDAD&C
Professional & Managerial Staff

From: Scott Mabury, Vice-President University Operations

Re: Departure of Director, Capital Projects

It is with regret that I am writing to inform you that Richard Dernowski has chosen to leave his position of Director, Capital Projects, effective immediately, in order to pursue other opportunities. Since Richard began working at the University over three years ago, he has provided dedicated support to the Capital Projects team and to the Vice-President, Business Affairs. He has been very involved in a number of important initiatives, most recently the University's successful completion of the three KIP projects including the new instructional centres at UTM and UTSc. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Richard for his service to the University and to wish him well in his future endeavours.

I'm pleased to announce that Brian Szuberwood has agreed to take on the role in an acting capacity while I recruit for the Director, Capital Projects. Brian has been at the University since 2001 and most recently has held the position of Development Manager in Capital Projects. The continuing position of Director, Capital Projects will be advertised later today.

Office of the VP, University Operations
Rm. 112, Simcoe Hall
University of Toronto
27 King's College Circle
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1

Phone: 416 978-0231
Fax: 416 978-6701

Research Alert: SSHRC Partnership Grants - Letter of Intent

2012-01-13T14:46:00.002-05:00

SSHRC Partnership Grants - Letter of Intent

Please reply to: Drew Gyorke (drew.gyorke@utoronto.ca)

This Research Alert is a reminder to those applying, or planning to apply, to the SSHRC Partnership Grant Program that the Letter of Intent is due at SSHRC by February 15th, 2012. Those successful at the Letter of Intent stage will be invited to submit a full proposal in November 2012.

For this round, Drew Gyorke will be your UofT Research Services' contact. If you are applying, or interested in applying, please notify Drew asap by email at: drew.gyorke@utoronto.ca Please also contact Drew with any questions you may have.
There are two different internal deadlines available depending on the level of service and support you wish to receive from Research Services:

1. an earlier deadline for those wishing to obtain feedback via internal peer review and editorial review, followed by the mandatory administrative review, or

2. a later deadline for those opting to go right to the administrative review stage.

The SSHRC Partnership Grant program is SSHRC's largest funding opportunity, with up to $2.5 million available over a 4 to 7 year period. It is also an excellent opportunity for large-scale, multi-partner-based research and knowledge mobilization. It is also a program that has many details to be mindful of as you prepare an application. To learn more, please visit our website at: SSHRC Partnership Grant Program - Letter of Intent Stage and/or contact Drew.

Research Alert: IPO Funding Opportunity: FedDev Ontario ARC Initiative Extension

2012-01-13T14:46:00.001-05:00

IPO Funding Opportunity: FedDev Ontario ARC Initiative Extension

Please reply to: Tu Nguyen (tuu.nguyen@utoronto.ca)

A $15M commercialization funding opportunity entitled the Applied Research and Commercialization Extension Initiative through FedDev Ontario has just been announced. The vision of FedDev Ontario is to be a catalyst in creating a more prosperous and globally competitive Ontario. The Initiative will address the unique research and innovation challenges faced by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME), defined as having less than 1000 employees but lacking internal research and development and pre-commercialization capacity.

The University of Toronto is applying for up to $750,000 in funding from this program and if successful will be disseminating the funding to eligible projects identified through an internal competitive application process. Under the initiative, the university may contribute up to a maximum of $100,000 of FedDev funding per project which has a collaborating SME. Collaborating SME will be expected to contribute a minimum of 50% of total project costs in the form of cash and/or in-kind contributions to the university. A maximum of one project per SME can be conducted under the initiative. Please note that inventors with equity in the SME are not eligible. In addition, SMEs that previously received funding through the first FedDev ARC initiative are also not eligible.

In anticipation of being successful in our application, we wanted to make our research community aware of this opportunity. At this time, the University of Toronto is accepting project applications from it's research community. For more information and access to our application form, please contact Tu Nguyen at 978-3648 or tuu.nguyen@utoronto.ca.

Individual project applications are due by May 7, 2012 to innovations.partnerships@utoronto.ca. The sponsored research agreement with the SME must be signed by June 30, 2012 and the project completed by March 31, 2013.
Program details can be found at: http://www.feddevontario.gc.ca/eic/site/723.nsf/eng/00264.html

Research Alert: Funding Opportunity: HEQCO - Request for Proposals

2012-01-13T14:44:00.001-05:00

Funding Opportunity: HEQCO - Request for Proposals

Please reply to: Tu Nguyen (tuu.nguyen@utoronto.ca)

Sponsor: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO)

RFP Title: HEQCO-RFP-029: College-University Transfer Arrangements and Undergraduate Education in Ontario

Project Description: To provide a rigorous examination of the predicted impacts on educational quality and per-student cost of expanding the number and scope of college-university transfer arrangements leading to an undergraduate degree.

Value: $50,000

Internal Deadline: January 26, 2012

Sponsor Deadline: February 2, 2012 @ 3:00 PM

How to Apply: refer to web posting on the Funding Opportunities website for more details: http://www.research.utoronto.ca/research-funding-opportunities/higher-education-quality-council-of-ontario-%e2%80%93-request-for-proposals-rfp/

Research Alert: Environment Canada’s Economic and Environmental Policy Research Network - Call For Proposals

2012-01-13T14:42:00.000-05:00

Environment Canada’s Economic and Environmental Policy Research Network - Call For Proposals

Please reply to: Mike Folinas (m.folinas@utoronto.ca)

Environment Canada has issued a call for proposals to establish an Economic and Environmental Policy Research Network led by one or more researcher(s) at a Canadian University.

A Network is comprised of at least one lead institution, and at least two other Canadian universities.

Objectives:

• develop relevant cross-disciplinary research in current environmental policy priorities and address key gaps.
• enhance links between Environment Canada and the academic community in policy and the economy with the requisite interdisciplinary lens.

Specific Network Objectives:

The theme and focus of network research will be linked to Environmental policy, competitiveness, innovation and behavioural response which include the following goals:
• Further engage Canadian researchers in environmental policy making.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration among researchers and policy makers.
• Promote greater interest in - and understanding of - environmental policy challenges within the academic community
• Enhance the knowledge and analytical capacity of Environment Canada employees
• Develop highly qualified personnel through training graduate students in the interdisciplinary realm of environmental economic and policy research.

Value of Funding: up to $500,000 over five years

Important Dates:

• Internal Deadline: Friday, January 27, 2012
• Sponsor Deadline: Friday, February 3, 2012

For additional information, please visit our website

Bridging the Gender Gap in the News: A Public Talk and Panel Discussion - January 31, 2012

2012-01-13T14:41:00.000-05:00

TO: Principals, Deans, Academic Directors & Chairs

FROM: Edith Hillan, Vice-Provost, Faculty and Academic Life

DATE: January 10, 2012

RE: Bridging the Gender Gap in the News: A Public Talk and Panel Discussion

Please circulate the following announcement to your faculty and graduate students

Bridging the Gender Gap in the News: A Public Talk & Panel Discussion Tuesday, January 31, 12pm-2pm OISE Auditorium (G162)

Keynote Speaker:
Shari Graydon, The Top 7 Reasons Smart Women Should Speak Up Panel Discussants:
Megan Boler, Professor, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Kathy English, Public Editor, Toronto Star Esme Fuller-Thompson, Professor and Sandra Rotman Chair in Social Work

Just how scarce are women's perspectives in public discourse, and what's behind their absence? Some of the answers are predictable, but others may surprise. Even though women constitute 61% of university graduates, women's perspectives account for less than 20% of the commentaries in Canada's largest daily newspapers and on public affairs talk shows. The Informed Opinions project is exploring the consequences and working with women and journalists to change the ratio. This talk and panel discussion will review the status of women in the news and discuss ways to bridge the current gender gap by supporting women in contributing their ideas and analysis to the public discourse.

Sponsored by:
Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life and Strategic Communications

For more information: lisa.wilkes@utoronto.ca and claire@informedopinions.org

Register at: http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/link/events/miscevents/informed_opinions_2011.htm

BIO NOTES

Shari Graydon is an award-winning author and activist with 20 years experience on both sides of the microphone. A former newspaper columnist, TV producer and CBC commentator, she also served as press secretary to a provincial premier, and as president of MediaWatch. Shari received the Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons' Case in 2007 and has written two best-selling media literacy books for youth. She is the driving force behind Informed Opinions, a non-profit project being funded in part by sales of her latest book, I Feel Great About My Hands.

Megan Boler is the Associate Chair of the Department of Theory and Policy Studies, Coordinator of the History and Philosophy of Education program, at the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education at the University of Toronto (UT), and Associate Faculty of the Center for the Study of United States and the Knowledge Media Design Institute also at UT. Previously she served as Director of Women's Studies at Virginia Tech in 2002-03. She speaks internationally on social justice in political and cultural contexts, pedagogy of discomfort; race, class, and gender in education and media, explored through cultural, feminist and communication studies.

Kathy English is Public Editor at the Toronto Star. She has reported and edited for six Canadian daily newspapers including the Star and the Globe and Mail, taught at Ryerson School of Journalism for 10 years and completed a Master's degree in Canadian history. She has launched websites for SunMedia, Transcontinental Media, and BabyCenter Canada. Kathy served on the board of the National Newspaper Awards for 5 years and currently sits on the board of the Association of Newspaper Ombudsmen, and on the Ethics committee of the Canadian Association of Journalists.

Esme Fuller-Thompson is cross appointed to the Faculties of Social Work, Medicine and Nursing at the University of Toronto. Esme's research has also had an influence outside the academic community. Her research on disability and poverty was discussed in Time Magazine's cover story (12/04/06) on "This Year in Medicine." Her studies have been featured in hundreds of newspaper articles on five continents including front page articles in The Chicago Tribune, The National Post, The Wall Street Journal and The Globe and Mail; as well as profiled in a television documentary on CBC's The National.

CUPE Local 1230: Agreement ratified between U of T and Full-Time (Library Workers)

2012-01-13T14:39:00.000-05:00

HR #26, 2011 – 12

January 12, 2012

To: PDAD&C
Professional & Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity

Re: Agreement ratified between U of T and CUPE Local 1230, Full-Time (Library Workers)

We are very pleased to announce that the tentative agreement between the University and CUPE Local 1230, Full-Time (Library Workers) announced on December 20th has now been ratified.

Business Board will review the agreement at an upcoming meeting. Any changes in respect to the University Pension Plan are subject to Business Board approval.

The Memorandum of Settlement will be posted shortly.

CUPE 3902: Unit 1 Negotiations

2012-01-13T14:38:00.000-05:00

HR #25, 2011-2012
PDAD&C #38, 2011-2012

January 10, 2012

To: PDAD&C
Professional & Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity
Cheryl Misak, Vice-President & Provost

Re: CUPE 3902, Unit 1 Negotiations

Further to our memo of December 6, we are pleased to provide this update.

The Conciliation Officer, the University and the Union have agreed on four days for our continued negotiations in January. Together, our goal is to reach a mutually-acceptable agreement before the end of this month.

We understand that some messages have been disseminated implying that the University has walked away from these negotiations. We want to assure you that this is not the case – far to the contrary.

We will continue to update you via PDAD&C Memo when there is news to report.

In addition to these emails, updates are posted on www.hrandequity.utoronto.ca under ‘News’.

2012 Governing Council Call for Nominations – Administrative Staff Seat

2012-01-13T14:37:00.000-05:00

Memorandum

To: Members of the Administrative Staff

From: Anwar Kazimi, Chief Returning Officer

Date: January 8, 2012

Subject: 2012 Governing Council Call for Nominations – Administrative Staff Seat

One administrative staff seat on the Governing Council will be vacated as of July 1, 2012, and nominations for election to that seat are now being accepted until Friday, January 20, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. Nomination forms are available at http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/elections.htm and from the Office of the Governing Council, Room 106, Simcoe Hall. All eligible members of the administrative staff are encouraged to apply.

Governing Council, the senior governing body of the University of Toronto, is responsible for overseeing the University’s strategic direction, finances, human resources, capital expenditures and infrastructure, academic quality, and the student experience. The Council is composed of members from across the University community. Two of the representatives on the Council are administrative staff members who are elected by their peers to serve a three-year term (July 1 to June 30).

Please share this information with your colleagues and encourage them to consider running as a candidate in the upcoming election. Prospective candidates are advised to review the Elections Guidelines, 2012, available at: http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=7282
These Guidelines provide important information regarding election procedures, nominator and nominee eligibility requirements, campaign principles, allowable campaign expenses, etc.

Comprehensive information about the Governing Council is available at http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/home.htm

Please note that the University of Toronto Act, 1971 requires that members of the Governing Council be Canadian citizens.

Additional information about serving on the Governing Council may be obtained by contacting the Chief Returning Office, Mr. Anwar Kazimi (416-978-8427; anwar.kazimi@utoronto.ca) or the Deputy Returning Officer, Ms Mae-Yu Tan (416-978-8794; maeyu.tan@utoronto.ca).

Thank you.

2012 Governing Council and Academic Board Call for Nominations

2012-01-13T14:36:00.003-05:00

Memorandum

To: Governing Council
Academic Board
Business Board
University Affairs Board
College of Electors
Principals, Deans, Academic Directors, and Chairs
Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students’ Union
Scarborough Campus Students’ Union
University of Toronto Students’ Union
University of Toronto Faculty Association
United Steelworkers of America
University of Toronto Alumni Association Board of Directors

From: Anwar Kazimi, Chief Returning Officer

Date: January 6, 2012

Subject: 2012 Governing Council and Academic Board Call for Nominations

Nominations for election to seats on the Governing Council and the Academic Board are now being accepted until Friday, January 20, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. Nomination forms for alumni seats will be accepted until Friday, January 27, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. The nomination forms are available at http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/elections.htm and from the Office of the Governing Council, Room 106, Simcoe Hall.

Please encourage administrative staff, students, and teaching staff whom you feel would make a valuable contribution to University governance to consider running as a candidate in the upcoming elections. Prospective candidates are advised to review the Elections Guidelines, 2012. The Guidelines are available at: http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=7282
These Guidelines provide important information regarding election procedures, nominator and nominee eligibility requirements, campaign principles, allowable campaign expenses, etc.

A summary of the work of the Governing Council and the Academic Board, key election period dates, and seats open for election are provided below. Comprehensive information about the Governing Council and the Academic Board is available at: http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/home.htm

Please note that the University of Toronto Act, 1971 requires that members of the Governing Council be Canadian citizens. There is no citizenship requirement for service on the Academic Board.

Additional information about serving on the Governing Council or the Academic Board may be obtained by contacting the Chief Returning Office, Mr. Anwar Kazimi (416-978-8427; anwar.kazimi@utoronto.ca) or the Deputy Returning Officer, Ms Mae-Yu Tan (416-978-8794; maeyu.tan@utoronto.ca).

Thank you.

__________________________________________________________________

Governing Council
The Governing Council is the senior governing body of the University responsible for overseeing the academic, business, and student affairs of the University. Membership includes the Chancellor, the President, 8 alumni, 12 teaching staff, 8 students, 2 administrative staff, 16 government appointees, and 2 Presidential appointees. Members of the Governing Council serve as volunteers.

Governors are collectively and individually stewards of the University and are asked to contribute to decisions that affect the University’s current and future achievements. Not only do elected governors contribute to the advancement of the University's goals and objectives, they have an opportunity to find out a great deal about university issues and processes, for example, institutional budgeting, strategic planning, and academic and non-academic policy making. The Governing Council is responsible for overseeing the University's strategic direction, finances, human resources, capital expenditures and infrastructure, academic quality, and the student experience.

I. Nominations will be accepted for 1 administrative staff, 8 student and 6 teaching staff seats until Friday, January 20, 2012, 5:00 p.m.

• 1 administrative staff seat for a three-year term (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2015)
• 4 full-time undergraduate student seats, each for a one-year term (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013)
• 2 part-time undergraduate student seats, each for a one-year term (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013)
• 2 graduate student seats, each for a one-year term (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013)
• 5 teaching staff seats, each for a three-year term (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2015)
• 1 teaching staff seat (by-election with the term effective immediately upon election until June 30, 2013)

II. Applications will be accepted for 2 alumni seats until Friday, January 27, 2012, 5:00 p.m. each for a three-year term (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2015).
Academic Board
The Academic Board is composed of 122 members, 50 of whom are elected teaching staff. The Board is responsible for such matters as admissions and awards policies; establishment of new academic programs; establishment, termination, or restructuring of academic units; academic appointments policy; budget guidelines and annual budgets; capital plans and projects; curriculum and academic regulations; academic discipline; and research policy.

I. Nominations for the following 19 teaching staff seats and 1 librarian seat will be accepted until Friday, January 20, 2012, 5:00 p.m. each for a three-year term (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2015) unless indicated otherwise below:
• Applied Science and Engineering: 1 seat
• Arts and Science: 5 seats (plus by-election for 2 seats for a term effective immediately upon election until June 30, 2013)
• Dentistry: 1 seat
• Forestry: 1 seat
• Medicine: 3 seats
• Music: 1 seat
• UTM: 1 seat
• OISE: 1 seat (for a term effective immediately upon election until June 30, 2015)
• Pharmacy: 1 seat (for a term effective immediately upon election until June 30, 2015)
• UTSC: 1 seat
• SGS (Division I (Humanities) and Division II (Social Sciences)): 1 seat
• Librarians: 1 seat

Staff Announcement: Mary Ann Mavrinac

2012-01-13T14:36:00.001-05:00

To: PDAD&C

From: Deep Saini, Vice-President, University of Toronto and Principal, University of Toronto Mississauga
Larry Alford, Chief Librarian

Date: January 13, 2012

It is with a degree of sadness on one hand, but excitement on the other that we write to inform you that Mary Ann Mavrinac has accepted a position as Vice-Provost and Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester, NY., effective June 1.

Mary Ann has served as chief librarian at U of T Mississauga for 11 years, during which time she has promoted a vision of both excellence and innovation. Under Mary Ann's leadership, the UTM Library has served as an incubator and test bed for developing the library of the 21st century. Among her many achievements, she spearheaded the planning and oversaw the completion of the Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre, helped to create inspiring learning spaces such as the Li Koon Chun Finance Learning Centre, and developed critical new digital services such as the History of Erindale photographic digitization project. She supervised support for the digital humanities, open access and scholarly communications, and led the development of an undergraduate course on scholarly research. In partnership with the Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation and the University of Toronto Libraries, she contributed to the development of Partnering for Academic Success, which provides an !
integrated approach to support instructional practice and student success.

Over the years, Mary Ann has served her profession in many ways including as president of the Ontario Library Association and as a Research Library Leadership Fellow, selected by the Association of Research Libraries.

We are sure you will wish Mary Ann well before she leaves for the University of Rochester. We will be holding a farewell reception in her honour this spring.

Staff Announcement: Sandra Carnegie-Douglas, Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Officer

2012-01-13T12:19:00.000-05:00

HR #24, 2011-2012

January 10, 2012

To: PDAD&C
Professional & Managerial Staff
Confidential Staff
Research Associates
President of UTFA
Presidents of Employee Unions
Presidents of Student Associations

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity

Re: Staff Announcement: New Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Officer

I am pleased to announce that effective Wednesday, January 11, Sandra Carnegie-Douglas will join U of T as our new Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Officer.

The Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Officer serves the three campuses and works to ensure that every member of the University community is afforded the right to study and work in an environment free of biases based on race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship or creed.

Specifically, Sandra will be responsible for policies and practice and issues management, as well as developing and leading related professional development and educational initiatives for the University community in the area of anti-racism and diversity. In addition, she will represent U of T on relevant internal and external committees.

Sandra’s background has established her well for this position. Her experience includes working as the Program Director, Policy & Special Projects with the Canadian Race Relations Foundation; seven years as Executive Coordinator with the National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC); Workplace Discrimination & Harassment Prevention Policy Investigator / Trainer with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing, and eight years as Senior Race Relations Officer with the Metropolitan Toronto Housing Authority. Most recently, Sandra served as the Diversity Manager in the Toronto Public Library’s Human Resources Division.

Beyond her professional life, her commitment carries through in her community engagement efforts including tenure as President of the Jamaican Canadian Association and the Co-founder and Spokesperson of The Coalition of African Canadian Community Organizations.

Sandra is a U of T grad (B. Sc. Psychology), has a Certificate in Human Resource Management from Ryerson, and last year obtained a Masters of Education from York University.

Part of Sandra’s orientation will be to meet with various groups at each campus and my office will assist in making those arrangements over the next several weeks.

Please join me in welcoming Sandra to this very important role at the University.

Staff Announcement: Andrea Carter, High Risk Case Management

2012-01-13T10:49:00.000-05:00

HR #23, 2011-2012
PDAD&C #37, 2011-2012

January 6, 2012

To: PDAD&C
Professional & Managerial Staff
Confidential Staff
Research Associates
President of UTFA
Presidents of Employee Unions
Presidents of Student Associations

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity
Jill Matus, Vice-Provost, Students

Re: Staff Announcement – Andrea Carter

We are pleased to advise you that, effective immediately, Andrea Carter will be assuming new responsibilities in the area of High Risk Case Management.

Working closely with colleagues from Student Life, Human Resources & Equity, Community Safety, Police, Legal Counsel and a range of Divisional Offices across all three campuses, Andrea will act as liaison and case manager for all High Risk cases. In this enhanced role she will report into both the Offices of Human Resources & Equity and Vice-Provost, Students.

Drawing upon her in-depth knowledge of the Ontario Human Rights Code, Bill 168 OHSA, the Mental Health Act and the Criminal Code of Canada, she will work to ensure the University is both proactive and compliant in meeting its goals and obligations with regards to applicable legislation as well as applicable U of T policies and guidelines. With her strong background in crisis management, we are confident that Andrea will provide excellent support and guidance on issues involving students, faculty and staff.

These responsibilities will complement her continuing role as the University’s advisor and representative on Employment Equity and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) issues.

This enhanced role draws upon her years of experience in crisis management. Since 2008, Andrea has been the Employment Equity, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Officer which followed a year working at the Community Safety Office. Prior to joining U of T in 2007, Andrea served as a therapist with The University of Western Ontario, the London (Ontario) Interfaith Counselling Centre and the Elizabeth Fry Society of Peel. Andrea has been active on the academic front as well and continues today as an Associate Lecturer at Western.

Andrea has a Bachelor’s of Arts (Psychology/Sociology) from U of T and a Master of Education (Counselling Psychology) from The University of Western Ontario.

We would like to thank Andrea for her commitment and dedication and look forward to working with her in this expanded role.

Instructional Technology Office

2012-01-09T09:12:00.000-05:00

As you are preparing for your Winter term courses please consider taking
advantage of the assistance available to you through our Instructional
Technology specialist.

http://uoft.me/ITO

Harpreet Dhariwal and his team can help you setup on-line office hours,
captured lectures for students to review later, and other instructional
services that your students can use to improve their learning.

In addition the ITO offers an on-line midterm evaluation system, help with classroom
response systems, and assistance with other types of technology that can
let you get feedback from your students on the quality of their learning and
their response to your teaching.

Please have a look at their website, and contact Harpreet at
harpreet.dhariwal@utoronto.ca if you would like more information on any of
the technologies listed, or would like an individual consultation to
explore the instructional technologies that might enhance the course you are
teaching.

Susan
********************************
Prof. Susan McCahan
Vice Dean, Undergraduate
Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering
University of Toronto
Phone: 416-978-0490"

Student Accommodations for National Day of Action - Feb 1, 2012

2012-01-06T12:15:00.000-05:00

To: PDAD&C

From: Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost

Date: January 5, 2012

Re: Student Accommodations for National Day of Action - Feb 1, 2012

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO ALL INSTRUCTORS IN YOUR UNIT

The University of Toronto Students' Union (UTSU), the Graduate Students' Union (GSU), the Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students (APUS), the Scarborough Campus Students' Union (SCSU) and the University of Toronto Mississauga Students' Union (UTMSU) are among many student organizations across the country that are planning a National Day of Action on February 1, 2012. The campaign will, amongst other objectives, seek to persuade the province to increase per-student funding to above the national average. While the approach of our student governments has not always been consistent with that of the University, we have common cause in this key message.

Our student governments have requested that instructors accommodate students who are unable to meet their academic obligations on February 1st as a result of their participation in the day of action.

While the decision to grant dispensation to students of course remains with individual faculty members, I support the request of our student governments and hence ask that faculty members, where possible, not penalize students for non-attendance at classes on that day and, where possible, permit students the opportunity to complete an assignment or test at another time if the student's participation in the campaign necessitates this. I fully recognize, however, that compelling academic considerations may make any accommodation impossible.

In asking for this consideration, the University is not endorsing the campaign or its particular demands and positions. We are simply requesting that students have the opportunity to participate if they wish.

If you have any questions or concerns about this matter, please contact Jim Delaney, Director, Office of the Vice-Provost, Students at 416-978-4027 or via email at jim.delaney@utoronto.ca.

Call for Nomination: Green Ribbon Awards 2012

2012-01-06T12:13:00.001-05:00

The Green Ribbon Awards celebrate sustainability efforts by students, faculty, staff and external partners or vendors. We are now seeking nominees for the 2012 St. George campus awards.

If you know an individual or organization that has did great work in 2011 please complete the nomination form with their name, contact information, and briefly why you are making the nomination.

Learn more: http://sustainability.utoronto.ca/news/calendar/Green_Ribbon_Awards_2012.htm
_______________________________________________________________
University of Toronto Sustainability Office
Twitter: http://twitter.com/sustainableUofT
Facebook: http://sustainability.utoronto.ca/facebook
Website: http://sustainability.utoronto.ca
Manage your subscription: http://sustainability.utoronto.ca/news/subscribe _______________________________________________________________

Call for Nomination: Chancellor’s Award

2012-01-06T12:11:00.002-05:00

HR #22, 2011-2012

January 6, 2012

To: PDAD&C
Professional & Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard
Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity

Re: Have you nominated someone for a Chancellor’s Award yet? You have until January 16.

We all know of someone who has gone ‘above and beyond’ to assist others, who has helped the University, who is a great leader; or, someone who has taken it upon themselves to learn new job skills and enhance their education in order to assume positions of greater responsibility in their career.

Why not formally recognize them by taking a few minutes and submitting a nomination? There are two awards of $1000 to be handed out, so please identify some candidates from your area and fill out a nomination form today.

The awards are a wonderful way to acknowledge and celebrate the vital role our administrative staff plays in supporting the work of the University.

Please submit your nomination(s) to your Divisional HR Office by 5 p.m. January 16.

About the Awards

The Chancellor's Awards, presented by the University of Toronto Alumni Association (UTAA), recognize administrative staff members for exceptional leadership in advancing the University's mission.

Complete award information including details on how to submit nominations and downloadable forms are available at: http://alumni.utoronto.ca/s/731/index.aspx?sid=731&gid=1&pgid=2659.

Please note: Support in preparing nominations is available from your Divisional HR Office.

Nominees will be assessed on their ability to:

• perform their job responsibilities to the highest possible level;
• actively seek out opportunities for the acquisition of new job skills and education in order to assume positions of greater responsibility over the course of their careers;
• engage in advancing the mission of the University; and,
• and foster relationships based on mutual respect with colleagues, staff, students, and academic and senior administrative staff in the fulfillment of each other's objectives. All administrative staff members (union and non-union) are eligible for these awards.

The specific categories are:

The Emerging Leader
This award recognizes a staff member who demonstrates significant potential to assume more senior leadership in the organization.

The Influential Leader
This award recognizes a staff member who has continually demonstrated innovative leadership to achieve outstanding contributions to the University by motivating and empowering others.

Research Alert: SSHRC - Knowledge Synthesis Grant Competition

2012-01-06T12:09:00.001-05:00

SSHRC - Knowledge Synthesis Grant Competition

Please reply to: Krista Montgomery (krista.montgomery@utoronto.ca)

SSHRC - Knowledge Synthesis Grant Competition

SSHRC is looking to support the synthesis of existing research knowledge and the identification of knowledge gaps in a format that is accessible for a particular audience—in this case, primarily government policy-makers.

Syntheses should focus on what the emerging best practices are in one or more of the following areas:
1. Creating and sustaining effective networks.
2. Supporting cross-disciplinary research for greater innovation potential.
3. Transfer of knowledge from higher education institutions to industry.
4. Stimulating and supporting knowledge receptor capacity in industry.

Eligibility

UofT Faculty members who conduct research as part of their appointment are eligible to apply.

Funding

This competition will fund projects that are upto 14 weeks in length and the maximum amount to be awarded is $25,000 for a single project.

Deadlines

Applicants must submit their complete application and signed RIS form to Krista Montgomery (krista.montgomery@utoronto.ca) in the Research Services Office by January 24, 2012 at 0900 for administrative review.

Reviewed applications will be returned to applicants with the required institutional cover page. Applicants will then send their complete applications to SSHRC by their January 27, 2012 deadline.

For more information on this competition, please consult SSHRC’s website at:
http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/programs-programmes/herd-dirdes-eng.aspx

Research Alert: Office of the Privacy Commissioner: 2012-2013 Contributions Program

2012-01-06T12:06:00.004-05:00

Office of the Privacy Commissioner: 2012-2013 Contributions Program

Please reply to: Krista Montgomery (krista.montgomery@utoronto.ca)
__________________________________________________________________________
Office of the Privacy Commissioner

Contributions Program: Privacy Research and Related Knowledge Translation Initiatives

OPC’s Contributions Program promotes the advancement of privacy knowledge in Canada by providing funding for privacy research and related knowledge translation initiatives in Canada under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)

OPC is interested in research proposals for projects aimed at promoting privacy and the protection of personal information in the private sector. The Office invites proposals that focus on its four priority areas: 1) identity integrity and privacy; 2) information technology and privacy; 3) genetic information and privacy; and 4) public safety and privacy. However, the Office will consider proposals in other areas related to privacy and protection of personal information in the private sector.

Eligibility

UofT Faculty members who conduct research as part of their appointment are eligible to apply.

Funding

This Program will fund project that are one-year in length and that are completed within the fiscal year that funding is provided (April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013).
The maximum amount to be awarded for a single project is $50,000 and a maximum of $100,000 can be awarded per organization.

Deadlines

Applicants must submit their complete application form and signed RIS form to Krista Montgomery (krista.montgomery@utoronto.ca) in the Research Services Office by January 23, 2012 at 1000 for review and institutional sign-off.

Signed applications will be returned to applicants, so they may submitt their completed applications to OPC by the deadline of January 25, 2012.

For more information on this opportunity, please consult CPO’s website at: http://www.priv.gc.ca/media/nr-c/2011/an_111208_e.cfm

• Advisory Search Committee for the Warden, Hart House

2012-01-06T12:06:00.001-05:00

PDAD&C#36, 2011-12

To: Principals, Deans, Academic Directors and Chairs
Staff of Hart House
Board of Stewards of Hart House
University Affairs Board
University of Toronto Students Union
Graduate Student Union
Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students
Student Societies

From: Professor Jill Matus, Vice-Provost, Students

Cc: The Bulletin, The Varsity and Hart House Communications Office

Date: January 5, 2012

Re: Advisory Search Committee for the Warden, Hart House

In September 2011 it was announced that Dr. Louise Cowin was leaving the position of Warden at University of Toronto with one year remaining in her five-year term. A committee to advise Professor Jill Matus, Vice-Provost, Student and Ms. Lucy Fromowitz, Assistant Vice-President, Students on the search for a new Warden has now been struck.

Professor Jill Matus, Vice-Provost, Students (Co-Chair) Ms. Lucy Fromowitz, Assistant Vice-President, Student Life (Co-Chair) Mr. Marco Adamovic, Program Coordinator, Hart House Professor Donald Ainslie, Principal University College Ms. Kate Bruce-Lockhart, Undergraduate Student Victoria College Mr. Richard Chambers, Director, Multi-Faith Centre Ms. Anita Comella, Assistant Dean, Faculty of Physical Education and Health Ms. Barbara Fischer, Lecturer and Curator, Justina M. Barnicke Gallery Ms. Vinitha Gengatharan, Director, International Initiatives Mr. Samuel Green, Undergraduate Student Trinity College Professor Rick Halpern, Dean and Vice-Principal University of Toronto Scarborough Mr. Phillip Khaiat, Alumnus Ms. Karen McCrank Staff, Centre for Community Partnerships Ms. Rita O'Brien, Director of Finance, Hart House Mr. Ben Peel, Undergraduate Student Innis College Ms. Lynn Snowden, Assistant Dean, University of Toronto Mississauga Professor Dragan Stojanovic, Faculty, Rotman Commerce Mr. Paul Templin, Director of Events & Catering, Hart House

Questions about the search may be directed to Ms. Joan Griffin, Special Projects Officer, by phone: 416-946-8522 or email (joan.griffin@utoronto.ca). Similarly submissions to the Committee are welcome and should be directed to Ms. Griffin.

TAC Foundation Scholarships

2012-01-02T17:21:00.000-05:00

Applications for the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) are being accepted for the 2012 TAC Foundation Scholarship Program.

The TAC Foundation’s mandate is to encourage a consistent supply of young, well-trained, skilled professionals available for the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of Canada’s transportation infrastructure. The primary program in support of its mandate is the awarding of annual scholarships – 223 valued at $931,500 since 2005 – to postgraduate, undergraduate and entrance level students enrolled in transportation-related disciplines at universities and colleges across Canada.

The Foundation’s programs are funded by donors from a wide variety of organizations and individuals involved in Canada’s transportation and roadway sector. Donors recognize the importance of the Foundation’s mandate, and support the Foundation’s vision of Educating Tomorrow’s Transportation Leaders. For your convenience and information, a list of the 2012 anticipated TAC Foundation scholarships and a more detailed description of the TAC Foundation are attached.

The application deadline is February 13, 2012.
Full details and application forms for the 2012 TAC Foundation Scholarship Program are online at http://www.tac-foundation.ca/

If you have any questions about the TAC Foundation or its scholarship program, please contact:

Brian Henderson,
Executive Director
brianhenderson@rogers.com

Wind Aid Social Entrepreneuship

2012-01-02T10:02:00.000-05:00

Tentative agreement reached between U of T and CUPE Local 1230, Full-Time (Library Workers)

2011-12-20T09:34:00.001-05:00

HR #20, 2011 – 12

December 20, 2011

To: PDAD&C
Professional & Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity

Re: Tentative agreement reached between U of T and CUPE Local 1230, Full-Time (Library Workers)

We are very pleased to report that a tentative agreement was reached between the University and CUPE Local 1230, Full-Time (Library Workers). CUPE is planning to hold ratification meetings on January 10, 2012. Details regarding the agreement will be communicated following ratification.

Doctoral Thesis Completion Grant

2011-12-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

PDAD&C#34, 2011-12

To: PDAD&C

From: Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost
Brian Corman, Vice-Provost, Graduate Education and Dean of Graduate Studies

Date: December 19, 2011

Re: Doctoral Thesis Completion Grant

In response to feedback from our colleagues and our graduate students and after extensive consultation, we are pleased to announce a substantial change to the Doctoral Completion Award. The award will continue to be used to support PhD students who are in their first year beyond the funded cohort, but it will be administered by the graduate units to support their students according to the principles they determine as best for their disciplines. It has become clear that a one-size fits all approach is not as appropriate as a discipline-by-discipline approach.

SGS will continue to distribute the funds according to the formula developed for the award process this year. Graduate units will be expected to provide an annual account of how they spent their allocation. SGS will be providing graduate units with their GCA budget early in the new year.

Civil + Mineral Engineering Career Fair Reminder: January 12, 2012

2011-12-16T15:43:00.006-05:00

The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) Student Chapter at the University of Toronto, the Lassonde Mineral Engineering Program and the Department of Civil Engineering will be hosting our annual CAREER FAIR 2011/2012 on Thursday, January 12, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Lobby, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King’s College Circle. All Civil & Mineral Engineering, Track 1 and Engineering Science Infrastructure Option undergraduate and graduate students are invited to attend to check out numerous potential employers and their related fields. Faculty members are also welcome to attend.

Procedure for Cancellation of Classes and/or University Closure Due to Adverse Weather Conditions

2011-12-16T15:43:00.001-05:00

PDAD&C#32, 2011-12

To: Principals, Deans, Academic Directors and Chairs
Professional and Managerial Staff
Decentralized HR Offices

From: Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost
Angela Hildyard, Vice-President, Human Resources and Equity

Date: December 13, 2011

Re: Reminder re Procedure for Cancellation of Classes and/or University Closure Due to Adverse Weather Conditions

The procedure for the cancellation of classes and/or University closure due to adverse weather conditions can be found at http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/policy/snowclosure.htm

To assist with communication, hotlines are on all three campuses (see below).

Tri-campus hotline - 416-978-SNOW (7669) UTM hotline - 905-569-4455 UTSC hotline - 416-287-7026

As necessary, notices are also posted on the U of T homepage - www.utoronto.ca.

Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research

2011-12-16T15:41:00.000-05:00

MEMORANDUM

TO: PDADC

FROM: Professor Paul Young, Vice-President, Research

RE: Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research
________________________________________

On December 5, 2011, the Tri-Council officially launched the new Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research. This new Framework is an umbrella document that describes Tri-Council policies and requirements related to applying for and managing Tri-Council funds, performing research and disseminating results. It also outlines the process that institutions and Tri-Council follow in the event of an allegation of a breach of Tri-Council policy.

This new Framework replaces the previous integrity policy and related documents, including the Tri-Agency Policy Statement: Integrity in Research and Scholarship (TCPS-I, 1994), the Framework for Tri-Council Review of Institutional Policies Dealing with Integrity in Research (1996) and the Tri-Agency Process for Addressing Allegations of Non-compliance with Tri-Agency Policies (2010).

It is important to note that:

1. Effective December 5, applicants, grantees and awards holders are required to comply with the new Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research and all the policies contained within it.

2. To ensure full accountability and transparency for the proper use of public funds in supporting research, the Tri-Council now requires all researchers applying for funding to provide a Consent to Disclosure of Personal Information, allowing the Tri-Council (subject to applicable laws, including the Privacy Act, and in cases of a serious breach of agency policy) to publicly disclose:
o the name of the researcher;
o the nature of the breach;
o the name of the institution where the researcher was employed at the time of the breach; and
o the name of the institution where the researcher is currently employed.

3. A Panel on Responsible Conduct of Research will be created by the Tri-Council and will be responsible for ensuring a coherent and uniform approach to promoting the responsible conduct of research and addressing allegations of breaches of Tri-Council policies. The Panel will be responsible for governing and implementing the new Framework, with support from the new Secretariat on Responsible Conduct of Research (previously the Secretariat on Research Ethics).

Integrity and accountability in research are essential values important to Canadians, given the significant investments made by the federal government in research, and the important contributions these activities make to our society. These values are also important to the University of Toronto as demonstrated in our commitment to the highest standards of excellence, transparency and accountability in research. Therefore, please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the new framework. It can be found at http://www.rcr.ethics.gc.ca/eng/index/.

Start 2012 by Joining the U of T Green Ambassadors!

2011-12-16T15:40:00.001-05:00

This message has been sent on behalf of the Sustainability Office.

Start 2012 by Joining the U of T Green Ambassadors!

The Green Ambassadors are a team of St. George campus employees working together to make U of T more sustainable. Each month, the Sustainability Office provides them with the materials to run small campaigns promoting environmentally-friendly habits in the workplace. Many Ambassadors go far beyond these, taking on sustainability projects large and small, and we’re proud of what they’ve accomplished over the past year.

We’re now looking for new staff and faculty to join us in January and to help make the program bigger and better. Being an Ambassador can mean as little as passing on an email each month or as much as starting up your own sustainability initiative.

In participating, you’ll gain critical leadership skills and be part of a group of hard-working, supportive people who are working to make their campus and the world a better place.

Apply now - it's easy!
http://sustainability.utoronto.ca/projects/ambassadors/apply.htm

Call for Nominations for Chancellor of the University of Toronto

2011-12-16T15:38:00.000-05:00

TO: Governing Council
Academic Board
Business Board
University Affairs Board
College of Electors
Principals, Deans, Academic Directors, and Chairs
Alumni Council of Presidents
Alumni Development Officers
President of the Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students
President of the Graduate Students’ Union
President of the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union
President of the University of Toronto Students’ Union
President of the University of Toronto Faculty Association
Presidents of the Employee Unions
Professional, Managerial, and Confidential Staff
Senior Development Officers
University of Toronto Alumni Association Board of Directors

FROM: Françoise Ko, Chair, College of Electors

DATE: December 12, 2011

SUBEJCT: Call for Nominations for Chancellor of the University of Toronto

I am writing to seek your assistance in the process of nominating candidates for the position of Chancellor of the University of Toronto for a three-year term, ideally commencing July 1, 2012.

The Honourable David R. Peterson’s second term as Chancellor will come to an end as of June 30, 2012. At that time the Chancellor will have completed the maximum service length permitted by the University of Toronto Act, 1971. Regrettably, the University of Toronto Act, 1971 does not allow Chancellors to stand for a third term. Chancellor Peterson’s tireless and exemplary work on behalf of the University over the past six years is deeply appreciated by the entire University community.

The College of Electors, a body established by the Governing Council, is responsible for the election of the Chancellor, as well as for the election of alumni governors. As required by policy, a Chancellor Search Committee has been struck and has begun to meet. Its members are:

Dr. Françoise Ko (School of Graduate Studies), Chair
Mr. Richard Nunn, Chair of the Governing Council
Professor David Naylor, President
Mr. Scott MacKendrick (Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering), Vice-Chair
Ms Sue Graham-Nutter (University of Toronto Scarborough)
Mr. Aran Hamilton (Joseph L. Rotman School of Management)
Rev. David Harrison (SGS/Toronto School of Theology)

Other than the Chair of the Governing Council and the President, the membership comprises the Executive Committee of the College of Electors.

The Chancellor is the titular head of the University, and, with the President and the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Council, represents the University to the external community. In this role, the Chancellor is an advocate for the vision of the University as it is articulated by the President and endorsed by the Governing Council. He/She plays an essential ambassadorial role in advancing the University’s interests within the local, provincial, national and international arenas.

The ideal candidate will be a distinguished person with a record of demonstrated excellence in his/her chosen field and in service to the community. He/She will have a strong public presence and profile and well-developed relationship-building skills.

The Chancellor is elected for a term of three years and may serve for a maximum of two consecutive terms. The Chancellor serves as a volunteer and receives no remuneration; he/she is required by statute to be a Canadian citizen.

The Chancellor Search Committee will accept nominations as of Monday, December 12, 2011. Nominations will continue to be accepted until the Committee makes its recommendation to the College of Electors, the body responsible for the election of the Chancellor.

The nomination form and the Chancellor Position Profile is available from the website listed below.

http://assets.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/BoardsCommittees/coe/UTChS2012.pdf

Nominations and requests for further information may be submitted in confidence to the address below.

Ms Mae-Yu Tan
Secretary, Chancellor Search Committee
University of Toronto
27 King’s College Circle, Room 106
Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A1
Phone: 416-978-6576
E-mail: maeyu.tan@utoronto.ca

Thank you very much for your assistance in this important process. We look forward to hearing from you.

Appointment of Vice-President, University Operations

2011-12-16T15:36:00.001-05:00

MEMORANDUM

To: Governing Council
Academic Board
Business Board
University Affairs Board
Principals, Deans, Academic Directors, and Chairs
Professionals, Managers, and Confidential Staff
President of UTFA
President of Employee Unions
Presidents of APUS, GSU, SCSU, UTMSU & UTSU

From: David Naylor, President

Date: Thursday, November 15, 2011

Re: Appointment of Vice-President, University Operations

I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Scott Mabury as Vice-President, University Operations, for a five-year term effective January 1, 2012. Professor Mabury is currently Vice-Provost, Academic Operations and his new appointment was approved at today's meeting of the Governing Council.

As Vice-Provost, Academic Operations, Professor Mabury has had university wide oversight of the Office of Planning and Budget, and space and information technology matters. Under his strong leadership the university rolled-out UTmail+, the new email service for students with greatly enhanced performance and functionality; re-built the University Data Centre which addresses infrastructure risk and security while providing the capacity for server virtualization; and planned for the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport capital project which breaks ground in January 2012. He and his team have worked closely with academic divisions on both high level budget strategy and on detailed enrolment planning in support their academic missions.

Professor Mabury is known for his enormous energy, creativity, and demonstrated effectiveness in building relationships with all university stakeholders. He worked with UTSU to plan for the utilization of 230 College as the new Student Commons, and with the colleagues across the University on the creation of two new funds: The "Major Research Projects Management" fund to encourage faculty competitiveness for tri-council grants; and the "Undergraduate Course Development Fund" to encourage interdivisional teaching. Professor Mabury was also instrumental in repopulating Best and Banting for entrepreneurial activities around faculty and student start-up companies.

Portfolios reporting to Professor Mabury will now include Information Technology Services, Campus and Facilities Planning, Office of Space Management, Real Estate Operations, Facilities and Services, Ancillary Services, and the Office of Planning and Budget. Professor Mabury will continue to work with the Provost with respect to planning and budget matters; academic budget authority will of course remain with the Provost. One advantage of this new structure is the closer alignment of the academic mission with a range of vital University operations. The Financial Services Group under the direction of the Chief Financial Officer will report directly to the President.

Professor Mabury holds a PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry from the University of California, Davis. He first joined the University of Toronto as a faculty member in 1995 and became Director of the Analytical Laboratory for Environmental Science Research and Teaching in 1997. Professor Mabury served as Chair of the Department of Chemistry from 2003 until he was appointed to the position of Vice-Provost, Academic Operations on July 1, 2009.

Professor Mabury was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada earlier this year, and his current research interests are in the areas of environmental photochemistry, fluorochemicals and atmospheric particles. He has written extensively on the environmental fate, disposition and persistence of agrochemicals, industrial chemicals and pharmaceuticals. He has published over 130 scientific papers in refereed journals and has presented his research at conferences, workshops and seminars all over the world.

I hope you will join me in congratulating Professor Scott Mabury as he undertakes this new role.

Finally, I would like to thank the members of the Search Advisory Committee for their thoughtful advice and guidance throughout the search process.

Advisory Committee for the Vice-President and Principal, University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC)

2011-12-16T15:30:00.000-05:00

PDAD&C #33, 2011-12

To: Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni, University of Toronto Scarborough
PDAD&C
Governing Council
Academic Board
Business Board
University Affairs Board
Professional/Managerial Staff
President of UTFA
Presidents of Employee Unions
Presidents of APUS, GSU, SCSU, UTMSU and UTSU

From: David Naylor, President
Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost

Date: December 14, 2011

Re: Advisory Committee for the Vice-President and Principal, University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC)

As announced on October 3, 2011, Professor Franco J. Vaccarino will complete his first term as Vice-President and Principal of the University of Toronto Scarborough on June 30, 2012. Professor Vaccarino is eligible for re-appointment.

In accordance with Section 62 (b) of the Policy on Appointment of Academic Administrators, an Advisory Committee has been struck with the following membership.

Professor David Naylor, President (Co-Chair) Professor Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost (Co-Chair) Mr. John Aruldason, Undergraduate Student, UTSC Professor Maydianne Andrade, Department of Biological Sciences, UTSC Professor Daniel Bender, Department of Humanities, UTSC Professor Brian Corman, Dean, School of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost, Graduate Education Professor Amrita Daniere, Vice-Dean, Graduate, UTM Ms. Helen Morissette, Director, Financial Services, UTSC Ms. Victoria Owen, Head Librarian, UTSC Professor Janet Paterson, Principal, Innis College Professor William Seager, Department of Philosophy, UTSC Ms. Maureen Somerville, Alumni Governor Ms. Sherri Thiele, Graduate Student, UTSC Professor Frank Wania, Department of Physical & Environment Sciences, UTSC

The Advisory Committee welcomes comments and nominations from interested persons. These should be sent to the attention of Sheree Drummond, Assistant Provost, by January 13, 2012 by email (sheree.drummond@utoronto.ca) or mail (Room 225, Simcoe Hall, 27 King's College Circle).

Research Alert: Welcome to Research Alerts – Account set up

2011-12-09T11:11:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Research Alerts
Please reply to: Dan Johnson (de.johnson@utoronto.ca)

The Office of the Vice President, Research is pleased to introduce a new service entitled ‘Research Alerts’. This is a communication and productivity tool developed for University of Toronto research community. We are writing now to let you know that a new account in Research Alerts has been established for you, in relation to your role as a faculty member at the University of Toronto.

Research Alerts:
• provides timely updates on funding opportunities, research-related policies and guidelines, workshops & events and more
• allows you to customize your account to receive only messages that match your interests or research role
• delivers information to you as soon as it is published!
• will shortly become the primary mechanism for staff in the Vice-President
Research portfolio to communicate with the U of T research community
Please take a moment to customize your subscription preferences by going to the Research Alerts site: https://alerts.research.utoronto.ca; and select the 'My Tags' link. This will ensure that you receive only messages that are relevant to your interests.

Over the last few weeks we have established accounts for certain designated groups within the university who have specific roles in relation to research and research administration. These include Principals and Deans, Chairs and Directors, Divisional Research Facilitators, Divisional CAOs / CFOs, and Business Officers. In addition to these groups you now have direct and immediate access to messages about upcoming funding opportunity deadlines, research & innovation-related workshops and events, research policy updates, etc. The availability of this new tool will relieve academic unit heads of the responsibility for passing on key research communications and will facilitate direct transmission of important information from the Office of the Vice President, Research to faculty members.

Should you have any technical questions or suggestions, please contact rso.research@utoronto.ca.

We hope that this new tool will be helpful to you and to the entire U of T research community.

Thank you and welcome!
- The Research Alerts Team

December 15: Clint Andrews - "From Buildings to Cities: Informing practical decisions with agent-based models"

2011-12-09T11:09:00.000-05:00

We have Clint Andrews from Rutgers coming in to do a presentation on Dec 15: "From Buildings to Cities: Informing practical decisions with agent-based models" (10.30 am. in GB 303). -abstract below. Please encouarge students and colleageus to attend.

Clint has been very active in researching user behaviour in buildings, as well making many contributions to industrial ecology and urban planning. He is Professor of Urban Planning and Policy Development, and Director of the Center for Green Building, at Rutgers University. See http://policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/andrews.

---- Abstract ----

From Buildings to Cities: Informing practical decisions with agent-based models

Decision support systems often perform computer simulations but only rarely
are the underlying models agent-based. Yet agent-based approaches can be
very useful in applications with heterogeneous actors exhibiting bounded
rationality and adaptive potential. This talk will identify opportunities
for and constraints on greater use of agent-based modeling for decision
support. It will share lessons learned from a series of recent projects
exploring agent-based decision support in the domains of environmental
management (comparing technical and behavioral fixes within firms), product
policy (determining whether green niche products will go mainstream),
architecture (improving energy efficiency by designing to accommodate
occupant behavior), and urban planning (adapting to climate change in the
coastal zone). These experiences will highlight the need to overcome
significant communicative challenges, ground the models firmly in an
empirical context, and use agent-based approaches only when they actually
possess a comparative advantage. Funding for this work is from the U.S.
National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and the Environmental
Protection Agency.

CUPE 3902: Unit 1 Update

2011-12-09T11:07:00.004-05:00

HR #16, 2011-12
PDAD&C #30, 2011-12
December 6, 2011
To: PDAD&C
From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President Human Resources and Equity
Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost

Re: CUPE 3902 Unit 1 Update

Over the past several months, the University and the Union have met on 21 occasions and have reached mutual agreement on 22 issues. However, there are a number of very important issues on which we remain far apart. We believe that it is time for us to seek the assistance of a Conciliation Officer and the University has advised the Union that we will make the request to the Ontario Ministry of Labour.
Given the time of year, it is likely that we will be unable to meet with the Conciliation Officer until early January. In the meantime, it is, of course, “business as usual”.
We want to assure you that we remain fully committed to reaching an agreement with our Teaching Assistants and we will provide you with regular updates as necessary.

Call for Nominations for 2012 Governing Council and Academic Board

2011-12-09T11:07:00.003-05:00

Memorandum

To: Governing Council
Academic Board
Business Board
University Affairs Board
College of Electors
Principals, Deans, Academic Directors, and Chairs
Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students’ Union
Scarborough Campus Students’ Union
University of Toronto Students’ Union
University of Toronto Faculty Association
United Steelworkers of America
University of Toronto Alumni Association Executive Committee

From: Anwar Kazimi, Chief Returning Officer

Date: December 6, 2011

Subject: 2012 Governing Council and Academic Board Call for Nominations

Nominations for election to seats on the Governing Council and the Academic Board will be accepted between Friday, January 6, 2012 at 12:00 noon and Friday, January 20, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. Nomination forms will be available as of January 6th at http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/elections.htm and from the Office of the Governing Council, Room 106, Simcoe Hall.

Please encourage administrative staff, students, and teaching staff whom you feel would make a valuable contribution to University governance to consider running as a candidate in the upcoming elections. Prospective candidates are advised to review the Elections Guidelines, 2012. The Guidelines are available at: http://assets.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/BoardsCommittees/elections/EG2012.pdf These Guidelines provide important information regarding election procedures, nominator and nominee eligibility requirements, campaign principles, allowable campaign expenses, etc.

A summary of the work of the Governing Council and the Academic Board, key election period dates, and seats open for election are provided below. Comprehensive information about the Governing Council and the Academic Board is available at: http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/home.htm

Please note that the University of Toronto Act, 1971 requires that members of the Governing Council be Canadian citizens. There is no citizenship requirement for service on the Academic Board.

Additional information about serving on the Governing Council or the Academic Board may be obtained by contacting the Chief Returning Office, Mr. Anwar Kazimi (416-978-8427; anwar.kazimi@utoronto.ca) or the Deputy Returning Officer, Ms Mae-Yu Tan (416-978-8794; maeyu.tan@utoronto.ca).

Thank you.

_____________________________________________________

Governing Council
The Governing Council is the senior governing body of the University responsible for overseeing the academic, business, and student affairs of the University. Membership includes the Chancellor, the President, 8 alumni, 12 teaching staff, 8 students, 2 administrative staff, 16 government appointees, and 2 Presidential appointees. Members of the Governing Council serve as volunteers.

Governors are collectively and individually stewards of the University and are asked to contribute to decisions that affect the University’s current and future achievements. Not only do elected governors contribute to the advancement of the University's goals and objectives, they have an opportunity to find out a great deal about university issues and processes, such as, institutional budgeting, strategic planning, and academic and non-academic policy making. The Governing Council is responsible for overseeing the University's strategic direction, finances, human resources, capital expenditures and infrastructure, academic quality, and the student experience.

I. Nominations will be accepted for 1 administrative staff, 8 student and 6 teaching staff seats between Friday, January 6 and Friday, January 20, 2012.

• 1 administrative staff seat for a three-year term (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2015)
• 4 full-time undergraduate student seats, each for a one-year term (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013)
• 2 part-time undergraduate student seats, each for a one-year term (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013)
• 2 graduate student seats, each for a one-year term (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013)
• 5 teaching staff seats, each for a three-year term (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2015)
• 1 teaching staff seat (by-election with the term effective immediately upon election until June 30, 2013)

II. Applications will be accepted for 2 alumni seats between Monday, December 12, 2011 and Friday, January 27, 2012, each for a three-year term (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2015).
Academic Board
The Academic Board is composed of 122 members, 50 of whom are elected teaching staff. The Board is responsible for such matters as admissions and awards policies; establishment of new academic programs; establishment, termination, or restructuring of academic units; academic appointments policy; budget guidelines and annual budgets; capital plans and projects; curriculum and academic regulations; academic discipline; and research policy.

I. Nominations for the following 19 teaching staff seats and 1 librarian seat will be accepted between Friday, January 6 and Friday, January 20, 2012, each for a three-year term (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2015) unless indicated otherwise below:
• Applied Science and Engineering: 1 seat
• Arts and Science: 5 seats (plus by-election for 2 seats for a term effective immediately upon election until June 30, 2013)
• Dentistry: 1 seat
• Forestry: 1 seat
• Medicine: 3 seats
• Music: 1 seat
• UTM: 1 seat
• OISE: 1 seat (for a term effective immediately upon election until June 30, 2015)
• Pharmacy: 1 seat (for a term effective immediately upon election until June 30, 2015)
• UTSC: 1 seat
• SGS (Division I (Humanities) and Division II (Social Sciences)): 1 seat
• Librarians: 1 seat

Policy Requirements: Policy on Conflict of Interest

2011-12-02T12:56:00.001-05:00

PDAD&C#27, 2011-12
TO: Principals, Deans, Academic Directors & Chairs
FROM: Edith Hillan, Vice Provost Faculty & Academic Life
DATE: November 29, 2011
RE: Communicating Policy Requirements

In the 2010-11 report of the University Ombudsperson, it was noted that the Office was aware of instances in which academic administrators failed to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with University policies in relation to conflict of interest. The report observed that the Policy on Conflict of Interest requires academic administrators to ensure that all faculty members – and in particular new faculty members and teaching assistants - are informed of key University policies in relation to conflict of interest so that they are aware of their obligations in this regard.

I would ask that you take this opportunity to communicate with all staff about some of the key policies which frame their employment relationship. You may wish to use or modify the text (drawn from the Statement on Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment) below:-

I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the standards of academic integrity which, as members of the University community, we must uphold. These standards include freedom from conflicts of interest and conflicts of commitment as well as transparency in all process and relationships, ensuring that the public’s confidence in the University and in all activities carried out at the University, are maintained.

At the heart, lies the commitment to academic freedom as set out in the University’s Statement of Institutional Purpose, Statement on Freedom of Speech and in article 5 of the Memorandum of Agreement between the University of Toronto and the University of Toronto Faculty Association.
The University’s Policy on Conflict of Interest (for Academic Staff and for Librarians) describes conflict of interest and the procedures to be followed when faculty members and librarians engage in professional work from which they derive supplementary income, and establishes procedures for other situations which could give rise to apparent conflicts of interest.

The University also expects every aspect of research to be conducted in accordance with the University’s Policy on Ethical Conduct in Research. The results of University research are fully disclosable in accordance with the University’s Publication Policy. When publishing the finding of research, the Policy on Conflict of Interest – Academic Staff requires faculty members to disclose the source of funding in the publication unless the faculty member has obtained approval to do otherwise.

Integrity and honesty in the teaching and learning relationship are also central to the University’s mission. The University’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters is concerned with the responsibilities of faculty members and students as they co-operate in all phases of the teaching and learning relationship.

I would ask that you review these policies and are familiar with your responsibilities and obligations.

Finally, there are a number of policies which directly address your role as an academic administrator. Please review and familiarise yourself with the Conflict of Interest and Close Personal Relations Protocols for Chairs and Academic Administrators and the Guidelines Regarding Close Personal Relations between Senior University Administrators.

Links to Policies Referred to in the Memorandum
Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters - http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/Assets/Governing+Council+Digital+Assets/Policies/PDF/ppjun011995.pdf
Conflict of Interest and Close Personal Relations Protocols for Chairs and Academic Administrators - www.provost.utoronto.ca/policy/academics.htm
Guidelines Regarding Close Personal Relations between Senior University Administrators - www.provost.utoronto.ca/policy.htm
Memorandum of Agreement between the University of Toronto and the University of Toronto Faculty Association - http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/Assets/Governing+Council+Digital+Assets/Policies/PDF/memoagree.pdf
Policy on Conflict of Interest (for Academic Staff) - http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/Assets/Governing+Council+Digital+Assets/Policies/PDF/ppjun221994.pdf;
Policy on Conflict of Interest (for Librarians) - http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/Assets/Governing+Council+Digital+Assets/Policies/PDF/ppmar091995i.pdf
Policy on Ethical Conduct in Research - http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/Assets/Governing+Council+Digital+Assets/Policies/PDF/ppmar281991i.pdf
Publication Policy - http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/Assets/Governing+Council+Digital+Assets/Policies/PDF/ppmay302007ii.pdf
Statement of Institutional Purpose -http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/Assets/Governing+Council+Digital+Assets/Policies/PDF/ppoct151992.pdf
Statement on Freedom of Speech - http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/Assets/Governing+Council+Digital+Assets/Policies/PDF/ppmay281992.pdf

CUPE 3902: Strike Vote Update

2011-12-02T12:54:00.000-05:00

To: PDAD&C

From: Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost
Angela Hildyard, Vice-President, Human Resources and Equity

Date: December 1, 2011

RE: CUPE 3902 Update

As you will likely know, CUPE 3902 Unit 1 recently held a strike vote and announced yesterday in a press release that "91% voted in favour of a strike in the event that the University administration fails to offer them a reasonable contract".

The University and the Union are continuing to meet to discuss those areas for which we have not yet reached agreement. We remain hopeful that we will be able to reach an agreement that is "reasonable" not only for CUPE members but also for those academic units that employ Teaching Assistants.

If there are any changes to the status of these negotiations, we will let you know immediately.

Donations Management: Year-end Processing of Donations and 2011 Tax Receipts

2011-12-02T12:53:00.000-05:00

TO: PDAD&C, SDOs, ADOs, Business Officers, DUA

FROM: Semere-ab Abiyo, Director, Alumni and Donor Services

DATE: December 1, 2011

SUBJECT: Year-end Processing of Donations and 2011 Tax Receipts

December 31, 2011 is fast approaching. As is normally the case, we anticipate an extremely high volume of donations before year-end. All donations requiring a 2011 tax receipt must be received by Donations Management no later than JANUARY 13, 2012.

All 2011 donations must be postmarked no later than December 31, 2011. Postmarked envelopes or other evidence of delivery such as courier slips must accompany all donations forwarded to Donations Management between January 2nd and 13th to avoid any question as to eligibility. Please forward this memo to all relevant faculty and administrative staff that will be handling donations during this period. Please note we will not issue a 2011 tax receipt if the donation forwarded between January 2nd and 13th does not have the appropriate postmarked envelope or delivery slip. Donations received on or before December 20th must be forwarded to Donations Management for processing before the holiday closure.

For those divisions that anticipate hand deliveries of donations over the holidays, please post a sign directing the donors to 21 King's College Circle. For those divisions that anticipate couriered donations over the holidays, please ensure that they are couriered directly to 21 King's College Circle. Please note we will not issue a 2011 tax receipt if the donation is postmarked, faxed or hand delivered after December 31st. When communicating with your donors, I encourage you to gently remind them of this.

To facilitate the collection of donations, University Advancement will remain open at 21 King's College Circle during the University's Holiday closing period on the following days:

Wednesday, December 21st 9:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 22nd 9:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Friday, December 23rd 9:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 28th 9:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 29th 9:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Friday, December 30th 9:00 - 4:00 p.m.

University Advancement at 21 King's College Circle will be closed on Tuesday December 27th.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Donations Management at (416) 978-0811, by fax at (416) 978-2918 or email at donations.management@utoronto.ca. During the holiday closing period, for donation enquiries, please call (416) 978-0811 and for non donation enquiries, please call (416) 978-1221 or 1-800-463-6048.

Donations Management Fax: 416-978-1066

Warmest wishes for a safe and happy holiday season!

Call for nominations for Administrative Staff Awards

2011-12-02T12:51:00.000-05:00

Dear Chairs, Directors and Colleagues:

I would like to draw your attention to the call for nominations for administrative staff awards recently announced in the November Engineering Newsletter. As in previous years, there are five awards for which all administrative staff are eligible: Agnes Kaneko Award; the Emerging Leader Award; the Influential Leader Award; Innovation Award; and Quality of Student Experience (Graduate and Undergraduate). The deadline for receipt of nominations is January 31st, 2012, as per the detailed description attached.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Carolyn Farrell, Director, Awards and Honours.

Regards

Barbara

Barbara McCann| Faculty Registrar
Faculty of Applied Science + Engineering | University of Toronto
Mailing Address: 35 St. George Street | Toronto | Ontario | M5S 1A4
Office Location: 35 St. George Street , Room 157
mccann@ecf.utoronto.ca | www.engineering.utoronto.ca
Tel 416.978.5894| Fax 416.978-1866

__________________________________

November 2011

Administrative Staff Awards Program

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: DEADLINE JANUARY 31st, 2012

We are now accepting nominations for all five of the Staff Awards noted below. Nomination packages are to be submitted to:

Carolyn Farrell
Director, Awards and Honours
Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering
35 St. George Street, Room 154
978-8666
carolyn.farrell@utoronto.ca

Electronic submissions (as pdfs) are encouraged.

*Previously unsuccessful nomination packages may be resubmitted with the simple addition of an updated nomination letter. Dated material from the original submission that is still relevant can be resubmitted as is (without updating.) Any new material may be added to the package at the discretion of the nominator. Resubmission of strong files is encouraged.

*Self nominations are accepted for all awards. Those planning to self-nominate are encouraged to contact Carolyn Farrell, Director, Awards and Honours, for advice on preparing a nomination package (contact information above).

Name: Agnes Kaneko Citizenship Award

Eligibility: Appointed Staff. Individuals only.

Nominations: Anyone can nominate. Self nominations also accepted.

Nomination Package: Letter from the nominator. At least two letters of support from people in a position to evaluate the nominee’s contributions. CV. Additional letters from colleagues that address the criteria and the impact the nominee has had on them will enhance the nomination.

Selection Committee: The Staff Awards Committee.

Prize Awarded: $500 and a commemorative award.

Criteria:
Recognizes excellent Faculty citizens; staff who have served the Faculty with distinction and made contributions to the Faculty’s mission above and beyond their job description, over a long period of time (minimum 10 years). The nominees should be held in high regard by their colleagues, be viewed as a role model to other staff, and/or contribute to a positive and inclusive working environment.

Name: Emerging Leader

Eligibility: Appointed Staff. Individuals only.

Nominations: Anyone can nominate. Self nominations also accepted.

Nomination Package: CV. Letter from the nominator. At least two letters of support from people in a position to evaluate the nominee’s contributions.

Selection Committee: Will include as a minimum: a member of the Staff Awards Committee, a previous winner, and a member of Chairs and Directors/Senior Administrative Management.

Prize Awarded: $500 and a commemorative award.

Criteria: Will mirror criteria for the Emerging Leaders Chancellor’s Award, including:
• Impacts their workplace by continually improving business processes to better serve the Faculty’s and the University’s mission
• Leads by example in their “above and beyond” dedication to the Faculty’s mission
• Demonstrates a commitment to a culture of inclusivity and diversity
• Is held in high regard by faculty, staff and/or students
• Displays an ongoing commitment to the Faculty and the University through outstanding service outside the nominee’s job requirements
• Demonstrates significant potential to assume a more senior leadership role in the Faculty
• As a guideline: has been working in the Faculty for less than 10 years

Name: Influential Leader

Eligibility: Appointed Staff. Individuals only.

Nominations: Anyone can nominate. Self nominations also accepted.

Nomination Package: CV. Letter from the nominator. At least two letters of support from people in a position to evaluate the nominee’s contributions.

Selection Committee: Will include as a minimum: a member of the Staff Awards Committee, a previous winner, and a member of Chairs and Directors/Senior Administrative Management.

Prize Awarded: $500 and a commemorative award.

Criteria: Will mirror criteria for the Influential Leader Chancellor’s Award, including:
• Demonstrates exemplary support for the Faculty’s education and research endeavours
• Leads by example in their “above and beyond” dedication to the Faculty’s mission
• Is held in high regard by faculty, staff and students
• Communicates a vision and commitment to new initiatives and continually contributes to the improvement of business processes within the Faculty
• Promotes a culture of inclusivity and diversity within the Faculty
• Has made significant sustained contributions to the Faculty
• Inspires others to realize their potential
• As a guideline: has been working in the Faculty for more than 10 years

Name: Innovation Award

Eligibility: Appointed Staff. Individuals or teams

Nominations: Anyone can nominate. Self nominations also accepted.

Nomination Package: Letter from the nominator. At least two letters of support from people in a position to evaluate the impact of the innovation. Detailed description of the innovation (maximum 2 pages).

Selection Committee: Will include as a minimum: a member of the Staff Awards Committee, a previous winner, and a third member. One member must be in a position to evaluate any candidates who have been nominated for research innovation.

Prize Awarded: $500 and a commemorative award. (Teams share the $500)

Criteria:
Recognizes staff who, individually or as a team, during the past three years, have developed an innovative new method, technology or system to improve on current practice; made innovative improvements to an existing technology or system; or created an innovative solution to a problem. The innovation may have enhanced research, teaching, administration, or any aspect of the Faculty’s business. This award is given in recognition of a specific innovation and the nomination package must provide details of the item/process that has been implemented or improved.

Name: Quality of Student Experience Award (Graduate and Undergraduate)

Eligibility: Appointed Staff. Individuals or teams

Nominations: Anyone can nominate. Self nominations also accepted.

Nomination Package: Letter from the nominator, which includes a detailed description of the nominee’s achievements and contributions. At least two letters of support from people in a position to evaluate the nominee’s contributions.

Selection Committee: Will include as a minimum: a member of the Staff Awards Committee, a representative of Eng Soc, and a graduate student.

Prize Awarded: $500 and a commemorative award. (Teams share the $500)

Criteria:
Recognizes staff who, working either directly with students or behind the scenes, have made significant improvements to the quality of student experience in the Faculty. This applies to both the graduate and undergraduate student experience. This can recognize the creation or improvement of services for the students, or simply a record of excellent student service. Successful candidates will meet at least some of the following criteria:
• Ensure that every student has the best possible experience in the Faculty
• Enhances the feeling of community for the students and enhances services in response to student’s diverse needs
• Improves communications with students and/or student access to important information
• Responds to students unique needs and challenges and ensures access to all available institutional support and learning communities.

UofT Campaign: FAQ and Answers

2011-12-02T12:40:00.003-05:00

Q&A for PDAD&C 28/11/2011
Memo
To: Members of PDAD&C
From: David Palmer, Vice-President, Advancement
Gillian Morrison, Assistant Vice-President, Divisional Relations and Campaigns
Date: 28 November 2011
Subject: Common questions and answers regarding the

Campaign for the University of Toronto

Dear Colleagues,
As the public phase of the campaign unfolds, we thought the attached FAQ might be helpful in preparing you for questions that you may encounter from colleagues and friends of the University regarding the Campaign. We welcome your feedback on the questions and suggested responses below.

Common Questions and Suggested Answers

1. Why is the University of Toronto launching a fundraising campaign?
 It will be obvious that we face an environment in which other forms of funding are tightly constrained, and in which the resources of our major international peers are often many times that of the University of Toronto. A comprehensive fundraising campaign is therefore a key vehicle for pursuing new funding opportunities.
 Campaigns galvanize and deepen engagement of our alumni. They also stimulate growth
in donation revenues, accelerate decisions, and lift the sights of philanthropic supporters. It is precisely because the economic outlook is uncertain that we need to be more active in making our case for philanthropic support.
 The effects of a successful Campaign are myriad and meaningful. The funds raised will make measurable enhancements to student life and learning; support advances in basic and applied research across all of the University’s strong academic divisions and departments; support university-wide initiatives that address today’s most pressing global challenges; and help prepare students for leadership as global citizens in an increasingly complex and borderless worlds.

2. How will the Campaign support students and faculty?
 Our students are among the primary beneficiaries of the campaign; their experience at U of T will be enhanced directly or indirectly by all donations made to the University, whether those donations are directed to student financial assistance, faculty support, new facilities and buildings, academic programs or research. Access and opportunities for students regardless of background, and improvements to student life and learning, are featured priorities in the campaign.
 Similarly, maintaining and enhancing the strength of our faculty cohort across all
disciplines is one of our highest priorities. The Campaign will seek funding to provide positions for young and mid-career faculty members through “Rising Star” funds. We will continue to seek funds for endowed chairs and professorships, which are important tools in our efforts to attract and retain the world-class faculty members. The campaign also features many priorities that support the work of our faculty, in basic and applied research, in the development of new teaching programs, and in the creation of new multidisciplinary initiatives.

3. How were the fundraising priorities for the Campaign established?
 All fundraising for the University is done in the service to approved academic priorities.
 Fundraising priorities arise from the academic priorities of the University’s diverse faculties, colleges and campuses. Academic priorities and the fundraising prioritiesassociated with them arise through their regular academic planning cycles.
 The University’s academic divisions submit their list of campaign funding priorities to the Provost, the chief academic officer of the University, for review and approval. The
University’s Governing Council reviewed and approved the campaign’s overall funding
priorities at its meeting of October 27, 2011.
 The identified priorities will drive fundraising efforts centrally and by each U of T campus, faculty and division.

4. What is the theme of the University’s campaign?
 In the spring and summer of 2010, University Advancement staff began consulting with academic units and administrative divisions associated with student life to understand their academic priorities. From those consultations and continued dialogue, some common narrative strains arose, which led to the creation of a framework for the Campaign’s case for support. This framework organizes the campaign’s priorities into two broad pillars: preparing global citizens and meeting global challenges.
 The campaign’s case for support is intended to convey the impact of the University’s research and teaching mission, of the many funding priorities of its strong academic divisions, and of its international community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni, on society broadly.
 Our case for support organizes the academic priorities into broad areas supporting the student experience (under access and opportunity, student life and learning, and global fluency) and supporting our research and teaching mission (under knowledge and meaning, invention and innovation, and building healthy, sustainable, and successful societies).
 The campaign expresses a shared belief in the role that our University community can and will play in helping shape a better future for this and subsequent generations. This ambition is what draws such brilliant and talented people to the University of Toronto, and why we have chosen “Boundless” as the theme of the campaign:
o For what it says about the limitless potential and aspirations of our international
community of students, alumni, and donors;
o For the impact of our faculty’s teaching and research mission, extending its reach
across the boundaries of knowledge, disciplines, nations, and cultures;
o And for its sense of openness, optimism, and inclusiveness—a global perspective
shared by our community, rooted in and reflecting the world’s most successfully
diverse urban region
 Worth repeating from our recent memo to PDAD&C: In announcing and promoting the
campaign to our broad alumni community and general public, we have given pride of
place to the stories of faculty, students, and particularly of our alumni—stories that illustrate the impact of our research and teaching mission in shaping the experience of students, in pursuit of fundamental and applied inquiry, and in addressing today’s most pressing issues. The campaign case for support, its website, outdoor banners, and other supporting materials, feature these stories prominently as the primary means for delivering the campaign’s key messages. And as with the previous Great Minds campaign, our promotion of this new campaign will roll out in multiple phases, allowing for broad coverage of all our constituencies.

5. Who are the donors to the Campaign?
 The vast majority of donations has always come—and will continue to come—from our
alumni and other individuals. On average, approximately 70 per cent of donations come
from individuals (56 per cent from individual alumni, and 14 per cent from other
individuals), 14 per cent from corporations, and 16 per cent from foundations, in any
given year.
 Gifts from individuals, foundations and other organizations and corporations are counted toward the Campaign total. Government grants and matching funds from government are not counted toward the Campaign total.

6. What is the timeframe for the Campaign?
 This Campaign, like our previous campaigns and others across North America, has been divided into two phases: the quiet phase and the public phase.
 The Campaign’s quiet phase began with the appointment of Prof. David Naylor as
president of the University of Toronto in mid-2005.
 The objective of the quiet phase was to raise approximately 50 per cent of the Campaign goal of $2 billion prior to the launch of the public phase. We have achieved that objective and will now raise $1 billion over an additional five years to complete the Campaign.

7. How will current economic volatility affect the University’s ability to raise funds?
 Campaigns operate over periods of years and often encounter both bull and bear markets as they proceed. The University’s last campaign raised $1 billion despite the large market downturn that ensued when the dot-com bubble burst in 2001.
 Investment in education is a continuing top priority for many donors, regardless of
economic conditions. Philanthropic support for education is among the best long-term
investments in building healthy, sustainable, successful societies.
 Annual giving from our alumni and friends has been unaffected by the challenging
economic times in recent years. Major gifts are more susceptible to shifting economic
landscapes; yet we have continued to receive landmark gifts from major benefactors
during this time, raising almost half of the $2 billion goal.

8. How much is the University spending on fundraising?
 U of T’s average cost per dollar raised over the past six fiscal years (2005-06 to 2010-11) was 14 cents. This represents more than a seven-fold return on the University’s investment in fundraising.
 The Canada Revenue Agency’s Guidelines to Charities on Fundraising has published a
CRA review threshold of 35 cents per dollar raised. U of T’s projected cost per dollar is less than half the CRA review threshold. It is also at the low end of accepted industry ranges of 15 to 25 cents per dollar raised for major comprehensive fundraising programs such as this one.
 The University spends less than 1% of its annual operating budget on fundraising costs.
 Every philanthropic dollar received goes entirely to the donor’s project or purpose of choice in accordance with the University’s approved priorities. Fundraising costs are born by the University’s base operating budget.

9. What steps have the University taken to protect its academic integrity and values?
 Fundraising is done only in service to the academic priorities of the University, and only for priorities that have been determined by U of T’s academic divisions and departments and approved by the Provost’s office.
 All gift agreements are subject to the policies and guidelines established by the University. The University of Toronto has been a leader in setting the standard for best practices in this regard; its policies are open and transparent, and readily available on the websites of the Provost’s Office and Governing Council.
 The following clause appears in every major gift agreement signed by the University:
o “AND WHEREAS the parties affirm their mutual commitment to the University’s
Statement of Institutional Purpose which includes a commitment to foster an
academic community in which the learning and scholarship of every member may
flourish, with vigilant protection for the rights of freedom of speech, academic
freedom and freedom of research as described in the University’s Statement on
Freedom of Speech and in article 5 of the Memorandum of Agreement between the
University of Toronto and the University of Toronto Faculty Association”
 Other guidelines and policies commonly cited in gift agreements are included to provide further protection of the rights and freedoms of the institution. These include, among others, policies on naming, on management of endowed funds, on the process for establishing financial awards, on the process for establishing faculty appointments, on capital projects, and on the role of advisory bodies.
 The University of Toronto established guidelines on donations 15 years ago. The
guidelines include the statement that “the University values and will protect its integrity, autonomy and academic freedom, and does not accept gifts when a condition of such acceptance would compromise these fundamental principles.”
 The guidelines also state that “the University’s solicitation of gifts is informed by and consistent with academic priorities established by appropriate University processes. Undesignated gifts must be used for such purposes as the University judges will best advance its mission and academic priorities. Designated gifts are used expressly for the purpose for which they are given, which must be consistent with the University’s mission and academic priorities.”

10. How is the use of donations tracked?
 The University of Toronto has a sophisticated internal auditing process to ensure that money raised is expended as outlined in the agreements with donors.
 Gift agreements ensure clarity and transparency in our relationships with our donors. Through these agreements, our donors generously pledge their own resources to fund our academic ambitions; in return the University agrees to spend the money as specified in the agreement.
 The University has a robust stewardship program that provides annual reports to donors on the use of funds and on their impact.

11. Can donors be confident that their gifts will be managed prudently?
 In a recent letter to the University community, David Palmer spoke to recent changes to our management of endowments, the new President’s Investment Advisory Committee (IAC), and new options for investment. That letter is attached for your reference.

__________________________________

Dear friends,

It has been a summer marked by European debt trouble, a weakened U.S. economy, and
ongoing volatility in global markets. Canada’s economy and its securities markets have also been affected by these forces. However, at least on a comparative basis, Canada has fared well in these turbulent times. I hope the same has been true for each of you.

Amidst such economic uncertainty, I felt it timely to report on the steps we are taking to protect and steward the financial contributions of our donors. I also write with an update on a new fund we are creating at U of T—one that operates in a manner similar to endowments, but with an enhanced annual payout over a 10- to 20- year period.

Investment Management at U of T

As you may recall, shortly after the stock market crash in 2008/09, President David Naylor commissioned a wide-ranging review of the University of Toronto’s Asset Management (UTAM) group. The review examined the University’s investment policies, structures and strategies, and considered whether changes were needed to protect and optimize the investment performance of our endowment and pension funds.

The review was ably led by our Chancellor Emeritus, the Hon. Henry N.R. Jackman as Chair, and past-governor Larry Wasser as Vice-Chair, and drew heavily on the talents and commitment of an outstanding group of volunteers, several with substantial experience in investment and pension management. The review recommended closer integration of the management and governance of our investments with the University’s administration, stronger risk management, and new accountability mechanisms.

Several important changes have since been implemented.

The first was a new and streamlined corporate governance structure that more closely
integrated UTAM with the University’s leadership. UTAM now reports into a board comprising the President of the University, the Vice-President Business Affairs, the University’s CFO, UTAM’s CEO, and a representative of the University of Toronto Faculty Association. This board deals primarily with basic corporate governance and budget issues.

A second change was the creation of a President’s Investment Advisory Committee (IAC), with the mandate to advise the Office of the President on investment strategies. The IAC provides expert independent advice and counsel on matters such as investment guidelines, target returns, risk management, asset allocation, and strategy execution. Particular foci have been: defining a reference portfolio against which UTAM's performance can be measured, setting the degrees of freedom for UTAM in implementing an investment strategy, and offering input on reasonable target returns and related risk tolerances.

Third, the UTAM group, under CEO William Moriarty, has been simplifying the University’s holdings, reducing expenses, ensuring appropriate levels of liquidity, and implementing a stronger system for risk management.

Fourth, and finally, there has been separation of the approval processes for the pension plan and endowed funds. A new Pension Committee, with strong representation from employee groups, now reviews important pension-related decisions. The Business Board of Governing Council continues to review and approve endowment-related decisions. In both cases, the IAC is available to provide arm’s length input to improve decision-making.

The President and I both want to acknowledge publicly and thank our dedicated IAC members. We are exceedingly fortunate to have this group of volunteers providing expert counsel to the University on how best to manage our endowment and pension funds for the long term. All members are accomplished business leaders and investment professionals. Capsule biographies follow; fuller biographies are available on-line through the Governing Council website at http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=7299.

University of Toronto President’s Investment Advisory Committee

Geoffrey Matus, IAC chair and former University governor, is President, Mandukwe Inc. and co- Founder and Director, Tricon Capital Group. Mr. Matus has more than 30 years of business experience in construction, manufacturing, real estate, and asset management. Among other directorships, he is Chair of Cidel Financial, a multinational financial services organization.

Brent Belzberg, a governor and alumnus, is Founding and Senior Managing Partner of TorQuest, a Toronto-based private equity investing firm. A respected veteran in the financial services industry, Mr Belzberg serves as a Director of CIBC and a number of other companies.

David Denison, an alumnus, is President and CEO, the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Investment Board. CPPIB manages over $125 billion on behalf of 17 million Canadians. He is a 30-year veteran of the financial services sector with wide experience in varied executive roles.

Martin Hubbes, an alumnus, is Executive Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer, AGF Investments Inc. Mr. Hubbes is also lead portfolio manager for AGF’s Canadian assets. He has wide international experience, and a strong focus on risk management.
Heather Hunter is Head of Canadian Equities, Invesco Worldwide Institutional. Her impressive career spans more than 30 years in financial services, including executive positions with Confederation Life Insurance, Trimark, and the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board.

Brian Lawson, an alumnus, is Senior Managing Partner and Chief Financial Officer, Brookield Asset Management Inc. Brookfield currently holds over $100 billion in diverse assets. As CFO, Mr. Lawson is responsible for financial reporting, corporate finance and risk management.

Robert Luba, President, Luba Financial, has more than 50 years of experience in the financial industry. Former President of Crown Life Insurance and Royal Bank Investment Management, Mr. Luba is currently Chairman of Invesco Trimark Mutual Funds.

Craig Rimer, CEO, Cidel Financial Group, is also chair of Toronto Capital Markets, a Torontobased investment counselor specializing in global equities. Mr. Rimer was previously with CIBC World Market’s Financial Products division and the Bankers Trust.

Christopher Wansbrough, alumnus and honorary graduate, is chair, Rogers Telecommunications Ltd, and was a director of the Rogers operating company for 28 years. Mr. Wansbrough has more than 50 years experience in financial services, including terms as president of National Trust (1977–86) and chair of OMERS Realty (1989–97).

New Donor-Designated Gift Option at U of T: Enhanced Payout Fund

In addition to ensuring the long-term health of our endowments, we have also developed a new fund that provides donors with more flexibility to support philanthropic goals over a medium-term horizon of 10 to 20 years. With its introduction, effective October 1, 2011, U of T will have three forms of gift designation, according to whether the donors wish to have a longterm, medium-term, or immediate impact with their giving.

Long Term: Endowment Fund
Endowments remain our traditional long-term, multi-generational form of support, intended to support beneficiaries in perpetuity. They therefore have conservative annual distributions that fluctuate within a narrow corridor (generally close to 4% of the fund’s market value). Endowments are invested for the long-term by UTAM, using a mix of public and private equities, fixed income, and other vehicles intended to sustain a 4% real rate of return, net of fees, so that the purchasing power of our endowments may keep pace with inflation over time.

Medium Term: Enhanced Payout Fund
The Enhanced Payout Fund, available as of October 1, 2011, is a new fund designation at U of T, intended for donors who wish to see higher annual distributions from their gift over a mediumterm, perhaps single generational period. The Enhanced Payout Fund will have a fixed annual distribution of 7.5% of the original gift capital, and will be invested by UTAM in public equities and fixed income vehicles, intended to sustain the fund over a 10- to 20-year horizon, or longer, as capital markets and actual investment returns allow. With its higher annual distributions, the Enhanced Payout Fund has the potential for annual impact beyond that which an Endowment would normally be able to support. However, unlike an Endowment, the Enhanced Payout Fund is not intended to be permanent, and will likely decline over time, depending on investment returns. The Enhanced Payout Fund may be appealing to donors of scholarships, fellowships, program funding, lectureships, or other needs.
Immediate Term: Expendable Fund Expendable gifts are given with the expectation that funds will be spent on immediate needs, such as to launch a new scholarship, support a conference, or advance a building project. For the weeks or months prior to their expenditure, expendable gifts are generally held by the University in a segregated account that has minimal volatility and allows for the preservation of capital until the funds are needed for spending.

I believe these three options should provide our donors with more flexibility and varied time horizons to realize their philanthropic aspirations. The donor funds will be invested and managed accountably, transparently and efficiently under the oversight of our Investment Advisory Committee and the President’s Office and with the approval of the University’s Business Board.

Last, I would be remiss not to express my thanks, on behalf of the broader University of Toronto community, for the continued generous support of so many benefactors. Through the decades, philanthropy has played a transformative role at the University of Toronto, and has given our faculty and students a critical “margin of excellence” that has sustained our standing as one of the world’s great universities.

Best regards,
David Palmer
Vice President - Advancement

UofT MoU with the Huron Wendat Nation

2011-12-02T12:39:00.000-05:00

The University of Toronto has signed a Memorandum of Understanding allowing for the repatriation of remains and artifacts to the Huron Wendat Nation. This MoU was signed at a ceremony in Wendake, near Quebec City on November 29th.

The University of Toronto sits on land that was the home of the Huron Wendat until the late 17th century. Primarily during the middle part of the last century, faculty, staff and students of the University participated in archaeological excavations of many sites in southern Ontario, sites that were the homes of Huron Wendat ancestors. As a result, today the University holds many remains and artifacts gathered from those locations.

While the approaches followed in those excavations conformed with the attitudes of academia and society at the time, those attitudes have changed. The Memorandum of Understanding allows for the repatriation of those remains and artifacts in a culturally and spiritually appropriate way as determined by the Huron Wendat people. The actual transfer of the remains will occur when the Huron Wendat Nation has secured a final resting place for the remains and artifacts, but the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding is an important step in the process. The Memorandum of Understanding further establishes a process of cooperation between the University of Toronto and the Huron-Wendat Nation for the continued development of knowledge regarding the history of their people. The University is grateful to the Huron-Wendat Nation for its commitment to preservation of knowledge and further research.

The agreement was signed on behalf of the University by Professor Cheryl Regehr, Vice-Provost, Academic Programs and by Grand Chief Konrad Sioui, on behalf of the Huron Wendat Nation. Also present at the signing were Professor Meric Gertler, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science; Professor Amy Mullin, Dean of the University of Toronto Mississauga, Professor Susan Pfeiffer of the Department of Anthropology, and Mr. Steve Moate, Legal Counsel to the University.

University of Georgia: Tenure-track Engineering Faculty Positions

2011-12-02T12:35:00.002-05:00

November 30, 2011
Dean of Engineering

RE: Tenure-track Engineering Faculty Positions at UGA

The University of Georgia (UGA) is seeking faculty scholars with entrepreneurial zeal for tenure-track positions in all ranks to create futurist engineering that builds a great discovery-innovation institution. Recent approval of academic degrees in all major engineering fields at Georgia’s nationally ranked flagship university has uniquely positioned UGA to create a model engineering program in a liberal arts environment. Individuals with passion for building futuristic engineering programs will find exciting opportunities here.

In the next 4-5 years we are targeted to add 25-30 new faculty positions to the current roll of 54 engineering faculty. Currently we are seeking applications for four tenure-track faculty (in all ranks) and two lecturer positions with expertise in areas of Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. Position announcements and procedures for submitting applications are available on our website: http://www.engineering.uga.edu/news/positions

Please share these exciting opportunities at the University of Georgia with your faculty, postdoctoral associates and graduate students. We can be contacted by email or telephone as listed below.

Thank you for your assistance in our efforts to build a model program.

Brahm Verma
Chair
Search Committee
bverma@engr.uga.edu
Telephone: 706-542-2154

E. Dale Threadgill
Director
Faculty of Engineering
tgill@engr.uga.edu

Brahm P. Verma
Professor and Associate Director Emeritus
Faculty of Engineering
Founding President of the Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE)
IBE – A Society for Advancing “Biology-Inspired” Engineering

December 6: A Day for Remembrance and Action

2011-12-02T12:33:00.001-05:00

HR #15, 2011 - 2012

December 1, 2011

To:
All Faculty & Staff

From:
Angela Hildyard
Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity

Re: December 6: A Day for Remembrance and Action

Dear Colleagues,

I was working in my office at OISE when I heard the news that evening of December 6. The news of a shooting at École Polytechnique spread like wildfire and I, like many of us, was overcome with total shock and disbelief.

I had strong links to the Centre for Women's Studies in Education at OISE and in the weeks following that tragedy in 1989, I was involved with faculty and graduate students in trying to understand how this could have happened; and what, if anything, institutions might do to ensure it never happened again.

The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on December 6 is an important date for one to give pause and to acknowledge its continuing significance between this public political act of anti-feminist violence against women, and the more common private personal acts of violence against women.

I also see the day as a reminder for each of us to look and see what we can do as individuals, and as a community, to end the violence.

For me, the shooting was one of the reasons I was compelled to join the John Howard Society (JHS). I felt the need to ‘do something’ and add my voice to the need for programs to prevent violence against women and children, as well as programs for offenders and those at risk of offending. I started as a volunteer with the JHS Toronto, and ended up, several years later, as the President of JHS Canada.

December 6 continues to resonate in my work at U of T and the work of the Human Resources & Equity division in ensuring we have a safe workplace and that we have the resources available to help those in need.

In some ways, that horrific fall day seems like it happened just weeks ago, and yet, when I look at the work undertaken in the two decades since, I know that we have come a long way.

This December 6, we remember the 14 women of École Polytechnique and we recognize the many women in the years since who have been victims of gender-based violence. In honour of them, flags will be lowered on all campuses that day.

I encourage you to attend the commemorative events as well as educate yourself on the resources available (http://www.hrandequity.utoronto.ca/Assets/Resources.pdf) to help those in need.

Schedule of Events on December 6:

St. George:

12:15 p.m.
December 6th Commemorative Benches
(In front of Hart House, behind UTSU)

12:45 p.m.
Working for Change Lunch, Hart House, East Common Room.

If you have an accommodation need, please email usha.chandrasekhar@utoronto.ca.

UTSC:

10 a.m.
Instructional Services Atrium

UTM:

Please note: event was held Friday, Nov. 25

[SGS] Gradschool e-News: December 2011, Incoming Students Edition

2011-12-02T12:26:00.002-05:00

welcome

Congratulations on your acceptance to the University of Toronto and welcome. To make the most of your graduate experience at the University of Toronto please visit the Information for New Students section of the SGS website. The SGS Essential Graduate Guide handbook and the Information for New Students brochure are great sources of information for new graduate students.

need-to-know

TCard and UTORid: your keys to U of T services
Your TCard is your student photo identification card, your library card, and your key to various student activities and services. If you have not yet picked up your TCard, please stop by the Tcard office at Robarts Library (St. George Campus), the Card Office (Mississauga Campus), or the Registrar's Office (Scarborough Campus).

You will need your TCard to activate your UTORid, which will also automatically create your U of T email account. All official communication from the university is sent to your U of T email account. once you receive your new email address, please update your contact information on the Student Web Service. Your UTORid also gives you access to online services.
More TCard information
Activate your UTORid

Registration deadline
Students admitted in January 2011 have until January 13 to register. You are not registered until you have paid tuition and incidental fees, or have made an appropriate fees arrangement (see below). Your tuition invoice is electronically deposited directly to your student account. Fees paid after January 13 will be subject to late charges.
Check your student account
Sessional dates and deadlines

Courses start week of January 9
Most graduate courses and seminars begin the week of January 9. Most students can use the Student Web Service to enrol in and track course activity although some units require an enrolment form. Some grad units preload required course and research activity. Check your enrolment activity. Be sure to consult your home unit for detailed enrolment instructions.

Final date to add winter session courses - January 23
The deadline to add a January session course is January 23. After that, written permission of the course lecturer, your graduate coordinator and SGS approval is required. Add/Drop Course Forms are available on the SGS website.

money matters

OSAP forms available January 9
OSAP forms will be available for pickup starting January 9 at the SGS Student Information Desk, ground floor, 63 St. George St. To pick up your OSAP form you need to present both your TCard and Social Insurance Card.

Fees deferrals or registration without payment
OSAP and other provincial loan recipients can apply online via the Student Web Service to defer fees, pending receipt of funding. Students with full funding packages, awards, research stipends or teaching assistantships which cover at least the minimum tuition fee may also make a request to register without payment, pending receipt of funding. Contact your department graduate administrator for more information.

Awards payment by instalment
Students may receive their funding in a variety of ways. If you are receiving funding from your department, please check with your graduate administrator regarding the payment schedule. SGS award payments (SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR Masters, OGS) are made three times a year: September, January and May. The January and May award instalments are posted to your fees account and automatically put towards tuition and/or any outstanding charges. See Managing Your Award for details.

UTM/UTSC campus affiliation and course union fees
UTM/UTSC campus students can choose to pay incidental (non-academic) fees and course union fees on that campus. Students in single campus programs do not need to apply. Any other student who wishes to affiliate with UTM or UTSC may do so by completing the Change of Campus Affiliation Form before January 13. For more information, contact your graduate unit or contact the graduate affairs office: UTSC, call 416-287-7047, UTM see Office of Vice Dean Graduate.

Walter C. Sumner Memorial Fellowships
The Walter C. Sumner Memorial Fellowships are open to any doctoral students engaged in studies in Chemistry, Physics, Electrical Engineering or Computer Science. Approximately 40 fellowships, valued at $6,000 will be awarded each year. Apply through your home unit. Consult your Graduate Unit for their internal deadline.

news

The Statue and the Monk
The study of art history took on a whole new meaning for Ph.D. student Sarah Richardson the day she met the "monk engineer."

Neighbourhood Watch
Students in U of T Scarborough's City Studies program learn first-hand how local immigrants are adapting to life in Canada.

upcoming events

Winter Welcome 2012
Discover graduate student life at the University of Toronto. Winter Welcome 2012 is designed to connect incoming graduate students to support services as well as opportunities for engagement and learning outside the classroom. Let us answer your questions as we take a tour of various locations on the St. George Campus that offer services, resources and programs that are available for grad students. Light refreshments will be served. Monday, January 9, 2012, 10:00am-12:00pm.

GPS: A Roadmap to Graduate Professional Skills Development
Orientation sessions for the Graduate Professional Skills Program (GPS) are scheduled for Wednesday, January 11 and Thursday, January 12 at 2:00pm. GPS is a program of co-curricular offerings that provide doctoral stream graduate students comprehensive opportunities for professional skills development.

supports & resources

Your health is important to us
Are you coming to Toronto for the first time? U of T's health services suggest you bring your immunization records and medical certificates with you. These documents are not required for registration, but your immunization and medical certificates will ensure that we can provide the highest level of health care while you are here, should you need it. The health services provide confidential, student-centred health care, including comprehensive medical care, travel education, immunization, counselling and referrals.
St. George campus Health Service
Mississauga campus Health and Counselling Centre
Scarborough campus Health and Wellness Centre

New to Canada? Support for international students
The Centre for International Experience is the place for international students on the St. George Campus to sign up for medical insurance (UHIP), apply for off-campus work permits, seek advice and mentorship, and much more. They can also provide you with valuable advice on coming to U of T. Students at UTM and UTSC can pick up their UHIP cards at their health service and have access to both the St. George and campus-based international student services.
Centre for International Experience
International Student Resource Centre at Mississauga
International Student Centre at Scarborough

Student Life
Life at the University of Toronto is an experience like no other and the more energy you invest, the greater will be your experience. Our student body is the most culturally diverse university community in Canada and the 800+ student clubs equally reflect the diverse interests and passions of our students. Participate in student activities. Attend workshops to develop and apply leadership skills. Get a job on campus and, more than anything, find what is meaningful to you and explore it.

Visit the Gradlife website to get connected with specialized workshops, social events, online resources and publications designed to enhance your graduate student experience. Check out the Gradlife blog, and follow Gradlife on Twitter.

U of T's new online map makes campus easy to navigate
U of T has introduced an innovative new map to help you easily find your way around the St. George campus. It's searchable, layered and allows you to get directions to places on campus from anywhere.

[SGS] Gradschool e-News: December 2011, Returning Students Edition

2011-12-02T12:16:00.002-05:00

need to know

Winter break
U of T is closed for winter break from December 21 to January 1 inclusive and reopens on Monday, January 2. Enjoy your well-earned time off.

Courses resume week of January 9
Most graduate courses and seminars begin the week of January 9. Most students can use the Student Web Service to enrol in courses, but some departments require an enrolment form. Be sure to consult your department for detailed enrolment instructions.

Final date to add winter session courses is January 23
The final date to add a January session course is January 23. After the deadline you will need written permission of the course lecturer, written permission of your graduate coordinator and SGS approval. Add/Drop Course forms are available on the SGS website.

Doctoral thesis submission deadline to avoid January fees
Have you successfully completed your final oral examination? Remember, January 16 is the final date for doctoral candidates who have successfully defended to submit their thesis in final, approved form to avoid paying tuition fees for the January session. See Final Year Fees for more information.

Dual registration period ends January 27
Dual registered students who were admitted to a Ph.D. program in September while having a minimal amount of work to complete in their Master's program have until January 27 to be recommended for the Master's degree to maintain their Ph.D. registration. If the Master's program is not completed, the Ph.D. registration will be cancelled and full-time registration in the Master's program will be reactivated.

Convocation in absentia: March convocation requests
Students who complete all degree requirements by January 27, 2012 are eligible graduate either in March or June. March Convocation is in absentia - there are no March Convocation ceremonies. The requirements to be eligible to convocate are explained on the Graduation page of the SGS website.

Your name appears on your diploma, exactly as it is recorded on ROSI (the university's Repository of Student Information). To view your name on ROSI, just visit the ROSI website and select the "Graduation" option. February 5 is the deadline to correct the information for March Convocation and March 11 is the deadline for June Convocation.

If you have accents in your name, download and complete the Name on Diploma form and return the form to the address provided. This form is only for accents. Should you wish to change your name (this includes middle names) or gender, please contact SGS Student Services at graduate.information@utoronto.ca. Name/gender changes are processed at SGS Student Services at 63 St. George St., first floor counter.

money matters

OSAP forms available January 9
OSAP forms will be available for pickup starting January 9 at the SGS Student Information Desk, ground floor, 63 St. George St. To pick up your OSAP form you need to present both your TCard and Social Insurance Card.

Award instalment
Students may receive their funding in a variety of ways. If you are receiving funding from your department, please check with your graduate administrator regarding the payment schedule. SGS award payments (SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR Masters, OGS) are made three times a year: September, January and May. The January and May award instalments are posted to your fees account and automatically put towards tuition and/or any outstanding charges. See Managing Your Award for details.

Adel Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award
The Adel Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award is a fellowship of up to $25,000 recognizing a doctoral candidate in second or third year for his or her academic excellence, extra-curricular activities and involvement in university life. The deadline for applications is Friday, December 9.

OGI Genomics Publication Fund
The Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI) has established a new fund that provides up to $3,000 for Ontario researchers to make their research publications open access. The OGI Genomics Publication Fund supports the free and unrestricted access to genomics research papers in high-impact publications. Contact OGI or visit the OGI Genomics Publication Fund website for details and to view examples of publications that have already been funded.

Walter C. Sumner Memorial Fellowships
The Walter C. Sumner Memorial Fellowships are open to any doctoral students engaged in studies in Chemistry, Physics, Electrical Engineering or Computer Science. Approximately 40 fellowships, valued at $6,000 will be awarded each year. Apply through your home unit. Consult your graduate unit for their internal deadline.

Mackenzie King Scholarships
Two classes of Mackenzie King Scholarships are available to graduates of Canadian universities to support graduate study.The Mackenzie King Open Scholarship is open to graduates of any Canadian university who are pursuing postgraduate study in any field, in Canada or elsewhere. The Mackenzie King Travelling Scholarship is open to graduates of any Canadian university who are pursuing postgraduate study in either the United States or the United Kingdom in the subject area of international relations or industrial relations (these aspects also included within law, history, politics and economics). The full application and instructions are available online. Complete applications are due to the Graduate Awards Office no later than 4:00pm on Wednesday, February 1, 2012.

news

The Statue and the Monk
The study of art history took on a whole new meaning for Ph.D. student Sarah Richardson the day she met the "monk engineer."

Neighbourhood Watch
Students in U of T Scarborough's City Studies program learn first-hand how local immigrants are adapting to life in Canada.

upcoming events

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women - December 6
December 6 is the anniversary of the murder of 14 women students at l'Ecole Polytechnique. Join us for a ceremony of remembrance at the December 6 commemorative benches followed by a "Working for Change" lunch at Hart House. At the Scarborough campus, a ceremony will take place at 10:00am in the Instructional Centre Atrium.

Grad Escapes: Clay class at Gardiner Museum
Work with a professional ceramic artist and hand-build your own unique, one-of-a-kind contemporary sculpture at the Gardiner Museum. Consider making a unique and personal holiday gift! The object will be fired and you will be required to pick up your piece at a later date. No experience necessary. December 12, 4:30pm. Tickets $12, on sale online December 5.

supports & resources

e-Thesis Submission: What You Need to Know About Going Global
Getting ready to submit your thesis or disseration? Lisa Fannin of the SGS Doctoral Exams Office and Julie Hannaford of Library (Central ) Administration will be on hand to answer your questions at an e-Thesis submission workshop offered December 6 and March 5. Theses and dissertations must now be submitted electronically to T-Space - University of Toronto's research repository - and are searchable via Google and other search engines by anyone with internet access around the world. This means there are more opportunities for graduate students' work to be found, read, and cited. All graduate students are invited attend.

English Language and Writing Support January courses
Online registration for January courses offered by the Office of English Language and Writing Support will open on Monday January 2 at 10:00am. ELWS courses are free, non-credit, and available exclusively to U of T graduate students. Courses fill quickly, so register on January 2 to avoid disappointment. ELWS also offers free single-session workshops and one-on-one writing consultations.

GPS: A Roadmap to Graduate Professional Skills Development
Orientation sessions for the Graduate Professional Skills Program (GPS) are scheduled for Wednesday, January 11 and Thursday, January 12 at 2:00pm. GPS is a program of co-curricular offerings that provide doctoral stream graduate students comprehensive opportunities for professional skills development.

SGS: Final Oral Examinations

2011-11-25T11:10:00.004-05:00

Please note that the below memo regarding a change in SGS policy shouldn't affect our Department in any way. Our departmental policy of holding an extra departmental thesis presentation before the final includes a requirement that one of the 4 members of the examing committee be someone who has not worked closely with the student's thesis.

Therefore, this person with the addition of an outside appraiser for the final exam already puts us in compliance with this new SGS rule.
_____________________________________________________

SGS #003, 2011-2012

TO: Graduate Chairs, Directors, Coordinators and Administrators
Vice-Deans and Administrators in Faculty Graduate Offices

FROM: Brian Corman, Dean of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost, Graduate Education

CC: Council of Graduate Deans, School of Graduate Studies Staff

Date: November 21, 2011

RE: FINAL ORAL EXAMINATIONS

I am writing to update you on changes to the composition of the Final Oral Examination (FOE) Committee and to remind you of the SGS regulations and best practices for the scheduling of the Final Oral Examination and the appointment of external appraisers.

I: CHANGES TO THE COMPOSITION OF EXAMINATION COMMITTEE

At the Graduate Education Council on Tuesday 15 November 2011, the following change was approved, effective 1 July 2012.

Increase the required number of voting members of the examination committee who have not been closely involved in the supervision of the thesis from at least one to at least two.

This change does not affect any of the following:
· the number of voting members of the examination committee (four to six members);
· the number of voting members required for quorum (four voting members;
· the number of voting members who have served on the supervisory committee (one to three members).

This change does affect:
· the composition of the examination committee required for quorum. As of July 1, 2012, there must be at least two voting members who have not been closely involved in the supervision of the thesis.

This change reflects current practice in many graduate units, ensuring that the examination committee has at least two members who are at arm’s length from the thesis.

SGS recommends that one of the arm’s length members should be the external appraiser. In order to ensure quorum, SGS recommends that the proposed examination committee consist of three arm’s length members plus at least two members of the supervisory committee. These numbers can be adjusted as appropriate as the day of the exam draws near.

II: SCHEDULING OF THE FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION

Although the SGS Calendar describes an eight (8) week lead time for the Final Oral Examination(1), SGS is exercising flexibility for the scheduling of Final Oral Examinations in line with our guidelines

. . . at least six weeks before the date that the examination is to be held, inform the Doctoral Examinations Office that the thesis is ready to go forward for defense,
specifying the examination date and time.(2)

Graduate units are free to establish their own schedule for the submission of the dissertation, provided that they adhere to the six week time frame. The graduate unit schedule must reflect the fact that the external appraiser must be approved by SGS before the thesis is sent out. The Final Oral Examination online pre-approval system greatly facilitates this process and, generally, SGS is able to respond
within 48 hours.

Graduate units should allow sufficient time for the process of arranging and scheduling the Final Oral Examination and clearly communicate to students the length of time that is generally required in the unit to make the necessary arrangements.

III: ELIGIBILITY OF EXTERNAL APPRAISER

To ensure a speedy response to the nomination of an external appraiser, please consider the following regulations:

· The supervisor of the thesis will propose a list of three or more names of possible external appraisers to the Graduate Coordinator or Chair, who will choose one and send the recommendation to SGS for approval.
· The graduate unit will certify that the external appraiser has an arm’s length relationship to the candidate and supervisor.
· The external appraiser should be a recognized expert on the subject of the thesis and should be external to the university as well as to its affiliated teaching hospitals and research institutes.
· Such an individual must be an associate or full professor at the home institution or, if the individual comes from outside the academic sector, must possess the qualifications to be appointed to an academic position at this level.(3)

Further information on best practices on eligibility can be found in the SGS Guidelines for the Doctoral Final Oral Examination available at:
http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/Assets/SGS+Digital+Assets/governance/policies/FOEGuidelines2010.pdf

Please contact Liz Smyth, Vice Dean, Programs, for further information or clarification on any of the items described above.
________________________

1 http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/calendar/2011-12/genreg/supervision/FOE.htm
2 http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/Assets/SGS+Digital+Assets/governance/policies/FOEGuidelines2010.pdf
3 http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/calendar/2011-12/genreg/supervision/FOE.htm

Invitation to become project client for Engineering Strategies and Practice (ESP)

2011-11-25T11:09:00.000-05:00

Dear Colleague,

As you are surely aware, all first-year engineering students in the Faculty (with the exception of Engineering Science students) take APS111 and APS112, Engineering Strategies and Practice (ESP). During the Winter term (January to April 2012), teams of four to six students work on projects from “real” clients. I hope you will consider becoming a project client.
There are a large number of Track One students in ESP, and this is a way for each department to gain exposure to this group.

Clients come from industry, institutions, businesses, or they can be private individuals. They provide a brief proposal, typically framed as a problem, for which the team has to design possible solutions.

Typical projects include, space/workflow redesigns; product and building accessibility designs; environment, energy, and time-saving systems; household devices; and many more.

Here is a link to examples of projects from last year:

http://www.esp.engineering.utoronto.ca/Assets/ESP+Digital+Assets/pdfs/Examples+of+ESP+Projects.pdf

I encourage you to submit any proposals as soon as possible. That way, we have a better chance to discuss and "tweak" the problem statement to suit both you and the first-year students. Please feel free to write or call me with any questions. You may also visit the website at http://www.esp.engineering.utoronto.ca/ or go directly to the Client Application page: http://www.esp.engineering.utoronto.ca/project_clients/client_application.htm

You may contact me at 416-978-6712 or Ms. Phuong Huynh at 416-946-3406 (or email at h.kunov@utoronto.ca and esp@ecf.utoronto.ca respectively).

Also, if you know of other potential clients, I hope you will let them know about ESP. Feel free to forward this message, if you like. Many past clients have been pleased with the reports from the design teams, and a number of them have proceeded to implement them.

Best Regards,

Hans Kunov, Ph.D., P.Eng.;
Professor Emeritus, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering;
Project Coordinator, Engineering Strategies & Practice;
University of Toronto

Suneet Tuli Lecture: Engineering Technology for Social Change - November 30th

2011-11-25T11:05:00.004-05:00

THE INDIA INNOVATION INSTITUTE AT THE ROTMAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AND MUNK SCHOOL OF GLOBAL AFFAIRS

AND

THE FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING

PRESENT A LECTURE AND DISCUSSION WITH

SUNEET TULI
(Co-Founder and CEO, DataWind)

Wednesday, November 30, 2011. 5:00 PM

Topic: ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

Bio of Suneet Tuli: Co-founder of DataWind (http://datawind.com/). DataWind and Mr. Tuli were in the news recently with the launch of the Akash tablet PC in India that retails for under $50. [http://aakashtablet.org/]. Mr. Tuli will speak about the use of technology in enhancing welfare, and engage in a discussion with participants.
Venue: Sandford Fleming Building, Room 1105
10 King’s College Road
University of Toronto

Public Transit: The Sandford Fleming Building is a short walk from the Queen’s park TTC station
Parking: Underground parking is available (closest lot is the BCIT lot), see http://www.parking.utoronto.ca/Assets/Parking+Services+Digital+Assets/Parking+Map+2010.pdf

For a map please visit http://www.osm.utoronto.ca/map/f?p=110:1:755484099157501 (SF represents the Sandford Fleming Building)

Please register online at http://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/datawind if you plan to attend.

Special thanks to TiE Toronto for help in organizing this event.

CSCE Event: Re-cladding of First Canadian Place - Canada’s Tallest Skyscraper! - December 1st

2011-11-25T11:05:00.001-05:00

Notice of CSCE Event

Please register with Mena Morcos: mmorcos@ryerson.ca

CSCE Toronto Section is pleased to host:

Re-cladding of First Canadian Place - Canada’s Tallest Skyscraper!

SPEAKER: Michael FitzGibbon

DATE: Thursday, December 1, 2011

TIME: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Registration, light meal, networking
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Presentation

LOCATION: Room POD368 (3rd Floor), POD Building, Ryerson University
350 Victoria Street (area connecting Jorgenson Hall to
the Library Building)

COST: CSCE Members: $10 CSCE Student Members: $5
Non-CSCE Attendees: $25 Non-CSCE Students: $15

EllisDon’s Michael FitzGibbon will present: “Re-cladding of First Canadian
Place - Canada’s Tallest Skyscraper!” providing an overview of the
challenges of this $100M+ endeavour, involving the replacement of 45,000
marble panels with a new energy efficient curtain-wall system. Constructed
in Toronto’s Financial District in 1975, First Canadian Place is Canada’s
tallest skyscraper at 298 metres (978 ft) tall. The project is targeting
completion in early 2012.

About the speaker: With over 25 years of experience in the construction
industry, Michael FitzGibbon has a portfolio of successful projects in a
variety of areas including high rise office building, airport, automotive,
stadium, hospital, performing arts and bridge construction. Most recent
successes include First Canadian Place and Bay Adelaide Centre.

To reserve a place, contact Mena Marcos by email at mmorcos@ryerson.ca with
CSCE LECTURE in the subject line. Please provide your name, company,
contact number and designation (CSCE Member with registration number, CSCE
Student Member with registration number, Non-Member or Student Non-Member).
Registration is requested by Monday Nov 28, 2011. Payment is to be made at
the door in cash or cheque (made to CSCE Toronto Section).

Please advise the CSCE National Office, of any updated information,
including your email address, by sending an email to info@csce.ca Please
indicate member information update in the subject line and include your
name and membership number along with the updated information.

Regards,

Cameron Blair, P.Eng., LEED® AP
Chair, CSCE Toronto Section
c/o

EllisDon Corporation
89 Queensway Avenue West, Suite 800
Mississauga, Ontario L5B 2V2
Ph: (905) 896-8900 Fax: (905) 803-6262
Direct Line: (905) 803-6357
email: cblair@ellisdon.com
www.ellisdon.com

Departmental Holiday Party Reminder to RSVP

2011-11-25T11:02:00.001-05:00

On behalf of the Department, I would like to invite you and your family to our Annual Holiday Celebration on Wednesday, December 7th from 4 – 8 pm at the Polish Combatants Association (see attached invitation for all the details). We have many things to celebrate including, of course, the end of term, the end of 2011 and the retirement of Professors Barry Adams and Phil Byer.

This will be a potluck celebration - the Department will provide the hot entrees and you are welcome to bring a salad, appetizer or dessert. There will be a “mystery build contest”. Details to be announced at the party.

Please RSVP before December 2nd to:
http://www.civil.engineering.utoronto.ca/news/events/holiday2011.htm

Thanks and have a good weekend.

Nelly

SGS: Late Grade Submission or Grade Revision Form

2011-11-18T14:27:00.003-05:00

M E M O R A N D U M

TO: Graduate Chairs/Directors/Coordinators/Administrators

Cc: Student Services, School of Graduate Studies

FROM: Michael Godwin, Student Services Officer, Division I

DATE: November 14, 2011

RE: Late Grade Submission or Grade Revision Form

On the recommendation of graduate units and approved by SGS committee, the Grade Submission and the Grade Revision forms were combined to create one form: Late Grade Submission or Grade Revision (see link).

Please note that SGS forms for administrative staff are updated periodically throughout the academic year, with the most recent versions available on our website: http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/adminsupport/form.htm. Please update your records and communications to students (e.g. website, graduate unit handbooks, if applicable) to include the latest version of the form.

If you have any questions, please consult with your Student Services Officer.

Regards,

Michael

Michael Godwin

Student Services Officer, Division I & CERES, FI, LAW, MGT, MMPA.
School of Graduate Studies, University of Toronto
63 St. George Street
Toronto, ON M5S 2Z9
CANADA

Phone: 416-978-6390 | Fax: 416-946-0992 | Email: michael.godwin@sgs.utoronto.ca | Website: www.sgs.utoronto.ca

Public Phase Launch of the Campaign for the University of Toronto

2011-11-18T14:26:00.000-05:00

To: PDAD&C
From: David Palmer, Vice-President, Advancement
Date: November 18, 2011
Re: Public Phase Launch of the Campaign for the University of Toronto

On Sunday, November 20 2011, the University of Toronto will celebrate a major milestone with the announcement of a comprehensive fundraising campaign—the third such campaign in the last 30 years. This campaign will build on the University’s track record of success in attracting private philanthropic support, both in the previous campaign and during the quiet phase of the current effort.

As the campaign enters the public phase with the launch on Sunday evening, we hope it will become an effective vehicle to engage our world-wide community of alumni and friends, capture the public’s imagination, draw attention to the University as a priority for philanthropy and volunteerism, and achieve sustainable increases to annual private support. The launch itself will give us an opportunity to announce the campaign goal, its themes, and volunteer leadership; highlight many of the recent gifts to the University that have helped fund initiatives across all three campuses; and say thank you to our volunteer leaders and donors for their generosity of time, guidance and philanthropic support.

In announcing and promoting the campaign to our broad alumni community and general public, we have given pride of place to the stories of faculty, students, and particularly of our alumni—stories that illustrate the impact of our research and teaching mission in shaping the experience of students, in pursuit of fundamental and applied inquiry, and in addressing today’s most pressing issues. The campaign case for support, its website, outdoor banners, and other supporting materials, feature these stories prominently as the primary means for delivering the campaign’s key messages. And as with the previous Great Minds campaign, our promotion of this new campaign will roll out in multiple phases, allowing for broad coverage of all our constituencies across these phases, across all three campuses, and across the various campaign media.

In all of this, it is important to note that the campaign will serve to support and advance our institutional strategies; fundraising at this University is, as always, done only in service to approved academic priorities, firmly grounded in the disciplinary excellence of our strong academic divisions. Members of P&D have been active partners in the planning of our campaign, and they, together with our senior volunteers and advancement professionals, look forward to working with you in seeking support for your division’s campaign priorities.

Following the public launch, the DUA will circulate an internal campaign communications Q&A to senior academic leaders in order to assist you with questions you might receive from media, members of our University community, and the public.

The campaign promises to be an exciting time in the life of our University. The launch this Sunday, together with subsequent divisional, regional and international launch events over the next year, will reinforce a sense of community among our alumni and donors, building momentum, awareness, and support for important campaign goals. Thank you for your dedication to the University of Toronto and your support of the campaign. We hope you can join us on Sunday, and we look forward to supporting you and your colleagues with your divisional campaign activities over the coming year.

Research Alerts: Gates Grand Challenges Explorations - Round 8

2011-11-18T14:24:00.000-05:00

Gates Grand Challenges Explorations - Round 8

Please reply to: Laura DeBartolo (laura.debartolo@utoronto.ca)

This is a reminder that the deadline for submissions for Round 8 of Grand Challenges Explorations is less than a week away.

Applications are due November 17, 2011, 11:30AM Pacific.

GRAND CHALLENGES EXPLORATIONS
Grand Challenges Explorations is a $100 million initiative to encourage bold and unconventional global health solutions. Anyone can apply, regardless of prior experience or institutional affiliation. Previous winners include graduate students, entrepreneurs at private companies, and creative thinkers from all fields of research.

Initial grants will be $100,000 (U.S.) each, and projects showing promise will have the opportunity to receive additional funding of up to $1 million. Full descriptions of topics and application instructions are available at:
http://www.grandchallenges.org/explorations.

Click below to apply now.
http://www.grandchallenges.org/Explorations/Pages/ApplicationInstructions.aspx

Exploring What's Behind "I Don't Understand" Session - Tuesday, November 22

2011-11-18T14:21:00.000-05:00

Exploring What's Behind "I Don't Understand"

Tanya Lewis, Director, Academic Success & Accessibility Centre
Martha Harris, Faculty Liaison, Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation
Andrea Graham, Learning Strategist, Student Life

Making conceptual connections between course materials or "deep learning" is foundational for successful academic work. In this session we will look at how to guide students through periods of confusion that are a normal part of learning, and moving beyond "I don't understand". This workshop will model strategies to support students to move from surface to deep learning as well as provide opportunities to reflect on how to incorporate new strategies into your current work.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011
10am to 12pm
Robarts Library 4049

safeTALK workshop - Wednesday, December 7th

2011-11-18T14:18:00.003-05:00

I am writing to invite you to a safeTALK workshop facilitated by Lesley Mak on Wednesday, December 7th. The training for this workshop will help you learn the four basic steps to recognizing persons with thoughts of suicide and will teach you how to connect them with suicide helping resources. safeTALK will allow you to feel equipped to respond to students who indicate that they may have thoughts of suicide.
Contrary to popular belief, most people with thoughts of suicide invite help. Often these opportunities are missed, dismissed or avoided-- leaving people more alone and at great risk. safeTALK training prepares you to help by using TALK (Tell, Ask, Listen, KeepSafe) to identify and engage people with thoughts of suicide and to connect them with further help and care. SafeTALK is a World Health Organization approved training module

This is an interactive and engaging workshop that takes place in an understanding and supportive environment, facilitated by Lesley Mak.

DATE: Wednesday, December 7th,
TIME: 9:30am-1pm **you must be able to attend the full session.**
COST: FREE
LOCATION: TBA
　
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED AND WILL BE ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS. PLEASE RSVP AT firstyr@ecf.utoronto.ca BY MONDAY DECEMBER 5, 5PM

Barbara McCann| Faculty Registrar
Faculty of Applied Science + Engineering | University of Toronto
Mailing Address: 35 St. George Street | Toronto | Ontario | M5S 1A4
Office Location: 35 St. George Street , Room 157
mccann@ecf.utoronto.ca | www.engineering.utoronto.ca
Tel 416.978.5894| Fax 416.978-1866

Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecture - What Does It Mean To Be Chemically Green?

2011-11-18T14:18:00.001-05:00

Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecture Series

What Does It Mean To Be Chemically Green?

Dr. Andrew P. Dicks
Senior Lecturer, Chemistry Department, University of Toronto

Thursday, November 24, 2011, 5:00pm
Ramsay Wright Zoological Laboratories
25 Harbord Street, Lecture Room 432
University of Toronto

Location map: http://www.sigmaxi.utoronto.ca/events/location.html

Abstract: “Green” is one of the most used (and misused) adjectives of the 21st century. Conceptually, to be “green” might refer to appearing “wholesome”, “biodegradable” or “environmentally-friendly”. But what does being “green” really mean? What are the principles driving the development of safer consumables, cleaner industrial processes, and a sustainable future for humankind? From the manufacture of blockbuster drugs such as Viagra® to the so-called “greenwashing” of company policies and products, chemical scientists are shaping society in an unprecedented manner. This presentation will focus on the role chemists currently play in the “greening” of society from both teaching and research perspectives.

All students, faculty, and the general public are welcome.

--
Madhur Anand
Associate Professor
Global Ecological Change (GEC) Laboratory
School of Environmental Sciences
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1
519-824-4120 x56254
manand@uoguelph.ca

RSETE 2012 - 2nd International Conference on Remote Sensing, Environment and Transportation Engineering

2011-11-18T14:15:00.000-05:00

The 2nd International Conference on Remote Sensing, Environment and Transportation Engineering (RSETE 2012) will be held from June 1st to 3rd, 2012 in Nanjing, China. All accepted papers will be published by IEEE, included in IEEE Xplore and indexed by Ei Compendex.

All papers accepted in RSETE 2011 have been indexed by Ei Compendex, two months after the conference.

Important Date: Submission Deadlines: Dec. 28th, 2011
Conference Date: Jun. 1st to 3rd, Nanjing, China
Website: www.rsete.org/2012

The conference can be found in IEEE Conference List. Please CLICK HERE to check it.
The conference ID is: #19949

The technical areas to be covered in this conference include:
*Remote Sensing and Application
*Energy, Environmental, Sustainable Development
*Environment Pollution and Protection
*Transportation Engineering

Special Sessions:
1. The International Conference on Bioengineering, Chemistry and Environment Science (BCES 2012)
2. The International Workshop on Materials Science and Engineering (WMSE 2012)

Dr. Xu
RSETE Organizing Committee
icrsete@126.com
icrsete@gmail.com

ReNew Canada - P3: The Next Generation

2011-11-18T14:14:00.000-05:00

P3: The Next Generation

With all levels of government across Canada facing growing infrastructure deficits matched by equally challenging fiscal restraints, many are turning to public-private partnerships as an innovative way to ensure long-term value for much-needed infrastructure and service delivery.

The Annual CCPPP National Conference brings together 1,200 Canadian and international leaders in public-private partnerships (P3) for a two-day event discussing the latest projects, people and policies that have made Canada one of the most robust P3 markets in the world. It will be held on November 21 & 22, 2011 at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. This unique networking opportunity will connect you with "who's who" of P3 from government and the private sector. We hope you can join us.

This year's theme points to the next generation of projects and people that will shape the Canadian P3 landscape in the coming years.
Eighteen sessions on a wide variety of topics and sectors will offer delegates a unique opportunity to hear from Canadian and international
P3 thought leaders and practitioners. For those that are new to the P3 area and those that are interested in more advanced P3 discussions, this program offers it all.

The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships is Canada's national voice on P3, promoting innovative approaches to infrastructure development and service delivery at all levels of government. We are a non-profit, non-partisan membership-based organization that conducts research, promotes evidence-based public policy and promotes education on P3 through a variety of regional and national events.

This year CCPPP is offering a free one-year CCPPP membership to all non-members that register for the 2011 National Conference. Effective December 1, 2011, your membership entitles you to research, unique regional and national events, interactive online tools and a connection with over 2,500 P3 leaders from Canada and internationally.

For more information on the conference and to register now, please click on the following links:

View 2011 National Conference Program

Register online now

We hope you can join us in Toronto for what promises to be a "must-attend" event focused on P3 and new opportunities for governments and the private sector to work together to build Canada's future.

13th World Conference of ACUUS 2012 Singapore: Call for papers

2011-11-11T12:12:00.002-05:00

13th World Conference of the Associated research Centers for the Urban Underground Space

Underground Space Development – Opportunities and Challenges

7 – 9 November 2012
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Themed “Underground Space Development – Opportunities and Challenges”, ACUUS 2012 will put the spotlight on unprecedented opportunities for improving urban infrastructure and urban livability. Topics to be explored are comprehensive, ranging from top level management issues like master planning, legal framework and government policies, cost benefit analysis to operational issues including architectural design, site investigation and geo-planning and geotechnical and rock engineering.

Share your knowledge

Are you passionate about the industry? Share your knowledge at the conference. Submit your Abstract of not more than 300 words by 30 November 2011.

Themes & topics:
Master planning Innovations and technology advancement
Architectural design for liveable underground space Research and support
Safety, health, and the environment Underground transport systems
Legal framework and government policies Deep caverns and mined space
Reasons for going underground Earth-sheltered buildings and pedestrian networks
Cost-benefit-analysis Industrial and commercial applications
Socio-economic issues Underground space as a strategic resource
Site investigation and geo-planning Utilisation of underground space and case studies
Geotechnical and rock engineering Special projects

Join the conference
• Discover new opportunities amid a re-focus on developing urban underground space as part of sustainable development.
• Understand special challenges faced in creating underground spaces – be it technical, economic or design - in order to address human psychology of underground habitation.
• Appreciate these challenges from different points of view, from planners to developers to the engineers.
• Expect engaging discussions and exchanges among planners, engineers, researchers and policy makers from renowned organizations and associations around the world.
• Expand your horizons with our technical programme, technical visits, exhibition, social programmes, pre-conference workshops, short courses and special sessions tailored for you.
A highly regarded knowledge platform for industry players for the last 12 years, ACUUS 2012 is truly an event not to be missed.

Be a part of the event

Attractive packages for exhibition and sponsorship are available for organizations that wish to showcase and market their services and products in the rapidly growing markets in the region. Find out how.

Downloads

Visit our download site to find out more on Helsinki’s Underground Masterplan and other related news..

Welcome Onboard

We are honored to have Hong Kong Institute of Engineers as one of our Supporting Organisations for ACUUS 2012.

Keep in touch

For updates of ACUUS 2012 Singapore, please visit our website at www.acuus2012.com or contact the Conference Secretariat at email: info@acuus2012.com or tel: 65 6271 2453.

See you at ACUUS 2012 Singapore

IEEE IV2012: Call for papers, June 3-7, 2012

2011-11-11T12:11:00.000-05:00

CALL FOR PAPERS
2012 IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium
June 3-7, 2012
Alcalá de Henares, Spain

www.robesafe.es/iv2012

==============================

THE INTELLIGENT VEHICLES SYMPOSIUM (IV'12) is the premier annual forum sponsored by the IEEE INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS SOCIETY (ITSS). Researchers, academicians, practitioners, and students from universities, industry, and government agencies are invited to discuss research and applications for Intelligent Vehicles and Vehicle-Infrastructure Cooperation. The technical presentations are characterized by a single session format, so that all attendees remain in a single room for multilateral communications in an informal atmosphere. Tutorials will be offered on the first day followed by three days of presentations and a vehicle demonstration day. An exhibition area will be available for the presentation of products and projects, as well as for small demonstrations.

Program topics include but are not limited to:

* Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
* Automated Vehicles
* Vehicular Safety, Active and Passive
* Vehicle Environment Perception
* Driver State and Intent Recognition
* Eco-driving and Energy-Efficient Vehicles
* Impact on Traffic Flows
* Cooperative Vehicle-Highway Systems
* Collision Avoidance
* Pedestrian Protection
* V2I / V2V Communication
* Assistive Mobility Systems
* Intelligent Ground, Air and Space Vehicles
* Autonomous / Intelligent Robotic Vehicles
* Image, Radar, Lidar Signal Processing
* Information Fusion
* Vehicle Control
* Telematics
* Human Factors and HMI
* Electric and Hybrid Technologies
* Novel Interfaces and Displays
* Intelligent Vehicle Software Infrastructure

Manuscripts of 6 pages in PDF format must be electronically submitted for peer-review in IEEE standard-format. For detailed submission instructions visit the conference website www.robesafe.es/iv2012

Important Dates

* Special Session Proposal: January 16th, 2012
* Paper submission deadline: January 16th, 2012
* Notification of acceptance: March 15th, 2012
* Final paper submission: April 15th, 2012

Contact

* For proposal of a special session, demonstration, and exhibition contact the organization committee at iv2012@robesafe.es

The Research Insider: November 2011

2011-11-11T12:07:00.001-05:00

NEWS

Strategic Research Plan creates framework for research excellence
After two years of planning, collaboration and consultation with more than 200 research leaders across the university community, U of T is launching a new strategic research plan that creates a framework to support research for the next five years.

Stephen Lye and collaborators win Connaught Global Challenge Award
What if you could prevent your daughter from developing heart disease — before she was even born? Or maximize the potential of your children to do well at school — before they actually start going to school? An ambitious new research program led by Stephen Lye is the winner of the inaugural Connaught Global Challenge Award.

U of T spinoff poised to revolutionize our understanding of disease
DVS Sciences, a U of T spinoff company led by Scott Tanner of chemistry celebrated the opening of its Markham, Ont., facility. The company has developed “mass cytometry” technology that applies the principles of mass spectrometry to biology. Science calls their innovation “a game changer” that is poised to revolutionize our studies of the human immune system.”

Where’s the money? Check the new funding opportunities database
U of T researchers will find it easier to secure the funding they need with the launch of the new and improved Funding Opportunities Database developed by the Research Services Office (RSO) in the Office of the Vice President, Research.

Research Alerts launched: New e-mail- and web-based tool allows university to share targeted information
The OVPR has launched Research Alerts, a new e-mail and web tool that allows it to share information with the U of T research community based on individual roles and interests.

Royal Society of Canada Honours 19 U of T Faculty Members
The University of Toronto’s research community has had one of its most successful years in earning honours from the prestigious Royal Society of Canada (RSC), with 18 faculty members named Fellows and one, Dwayne Miller, winning a major medal.

Innovation hub forming in Banting and Best complex
The Banting and Best buildings are getting new life as various groups of faculty and students from U of T and its partner hospitals focused on research commercialization convert the buildings into a united centre.

THE BACKGROUNDER

U of T’s SSHRC performance hits a high note in 2011
U of T’s success rate in the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s Standard Grant (recently renamed Insight Grant) competition has hit a high of 57.1 per cent. U of T represented 8.1 per cent of the applicants, but won 12.6 per cent of the awards. This achievement follows a trend over the past three years, with steady improvements in success rates seen in 2009 (48.1 per cent) and 2010 (54.3 per cent). Significantly, this trend supports an upward trajectory in U of T’s “market share” of total funds awarded in this program — which has a positive impact on our allocation of SSHRC Canada Research Chairs. Way to go, social scientists and humanities scholars!

INSIDE THE OVPR

Meet the NSERC team
Meet Jessica, Mike, Martina, and Drew, who administer NSERC at the University of Toronto

"Our goal is to help researchers maximize the time they spend actually doing research while fulfilling their roles as project leaders."

THE VIEW FROM MARS INNOVATION

Turning promising research into commercial success: the MaRS Innovation way
In less than two years, MaRS Innovation (MI) has established itself as the “go to” business partner for Toronto’s leading hospital and university research institutions. President and CEO Dr. Rafi Hofstein brings us up to speed on some of MI's recent successes.

Research Alerts: The International Council for Canadian Studies-Call for Proposals

2011-11-11T12:04:00.001-05:00

The International Council for Canadian Studies-Call for Proposals

Please reply to: Laura Debartolo (laura.debartolo@utoronto.ca)

The International Council for Canadian Studies (ICCS)

International Research Linkage Program

The main objective of the International Research Linkage Program is to facilitate international collaboration within the academic community, while fostering the development of permanent exchange networks in the field of Canadian Studies. ICCS will provide assistance to teams of researchers from Canada and one or more countries to organize seminars or other forms of research linkages.

Eligibility

Proposals must include at least two research teams; one must be based at a Canadian University.

Each team must be actively engaged in research related to the proposed linkage project.

Proposals must include goals to foster academic mobility and exchange of research ideas and information. However, funds cannot be used to finance research.

Proposals must also describe a strategy to pursue linkages after the initial activity has completed.

Funding

Succesful proposals can receive a maximum of $10,000 CAD. Eligible costs include: economy travel, accommodation, team communication costs, administrative assistance, stationery, and photocopy charges directly related to the proposal.

Submission Process

Internal & Sponsor Deadline Date: November 24, 2011

Applicants must submit:
• a copy of their full proposal and a signed RIS form to the Research Services Office (RSO) on or before November 24, 2011.
• their full proposal to ICCS directly. Details are contained in the ICCS proposal guide, available via the link below:

For more information on this program, including the program guide, click on: ICCS International Research Linkage Program Guide.

Appointment of Dr. Howard Hu as Director, Dalla Lana School of Public Health

2011-11-11T11:56:00.000-05:00

PDAD&C#26, 2011-12

To: Faculty, Staff & Students of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health
PDAD&C

From: Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost
Catharine Whiteside, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Vice Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions

Date: November 11, 2011

Re: Appointment of Dr. Howard Hu as Director, Dalla Lana School of Public Health

We are extremely pleased to announce that the Agenda Committee of the Academic Board has approved the appointment of Dr. Howard Hu, MD, MPH, ScD, to lead the Dalla Lana School of Public Health for a five-year term effective July 1, 2012.

Dr. Hu is a physician, board-certified in internal medicine and occupational/environmental medicine, who also holds a doctoral degree in epidemiology. Since 2006 he has been at the University of Michigan Schools of Public Health & Medicine, where he is the NSF International Department Chair, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, and Professor of Environmental Health, Epidemiology and Internal Medicine. During Dr. Hu’s tenure, the Department of Environmental Health Sciences added 14 new faculty, expanded the recruitment of top students, and created new programs and laboratories in nutrition-toxicant interactions and environmental epigenetics. Dr. Hu also led the establishment of the Michigan NIEHS Center for Research on Lifestage Exposures, Epigenetics and Adult Disease. Prior to that, as Professor of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Channing Laboratory of the Brigham & Women’s Hospital, he directed the Harvard Metals Epidemiology Research Group, the Center for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research and the Harvard University Residency Program in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Dr. Hu’s creative and innovative research on environmental health has focused on issues such as the adverse health effects of lead and other heavy metals, the impacts of gene/environment interactions, the long-term effects of fetal exposure to lead and other chemical toxicants, interactions between aging and the environment, and global climate variability and change. Much of his work has been conducted internationally with collaborators in Mexico and India. He has authored or co-authored over 300 scientific papers and book chapters and co-edited or co-authored 7 books. Dr. Hu was the founding Medical Editor and continues as an Associate Editor of Environmental Health Perspectives, the official journal of the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

A respected researcher, clinician and educator, Dr. Hu’s numerous awards and honours include: the 1999 NIEHS Progress and Achievement Award; the 2006 Harriet Hardy Award; the 2009 Linus Pauling Lifetime Achievement Award; and most recently, the 2011 American Public Health Association (APHA) Award for Excellence for his work on environmental health issues as well as his advocacy for human rights.

Dr. Hu served as the principal epidemiologist and/or leader on fact-finding missions related to potential violations of human rights in South Korea, Iraq, Burma and Guatemala on behalf of Physicians for Human Rights, and he also served on that organization’s founding board of directors. He was chair of the Research Commission for the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, has served on the Population and Public Health Practice Board of the Institute of Medicine and currently serves on the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology of the National Research Council.

Dr. Hu brings a highly distinguished record of research and service to the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Please join us in welcoming him to the University of Toronto.

Further Information Regarding Nov 4, 2011 St. George Garage Incident

2011-11-11T11:55:00.000-05:00

To: PDAD&C
Professional and Managerial Staff

From: Angela Hildyard, Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity

Date: November 10, 2011

Subject: Further Information Regarding Nov 4, 2011 St. George Garage Incident

As many may have heard, on Friday, November 4, 2011 at approximately 11:40 a.m., University of Toronto Campus Community Police received a call from a University employee alleging that a woman had been heard calling for help in the garage at 107 St. George Street and had been forced into a car. Toronto Police were called, attended immediately, and have been conducting an investigation.

Some media outlets subsequently reported that a woman was physically forced into the trunk of a car and that a University of Toronto special constable witnessed the incident and failed to do anything to assist. The Toronto Police Service has advised the University that it did not provide that information to the media and that a detective sergeant spoke to the media to clarify misrepresentation of the facts in issue.

The Toronto Police Service has further informed the University that its lead investigators believe this to be an isolated incident and that they have no reason to think that there is any increased danger in University parking lots or other properties. The investigators are still hopeful they will identify the registered owner of the vehicle seen leaving the area at the time of the incident. No complainant has yet come forward.

Members of our community should be aware that, in response to this alleged incident, the University immediately increased patrols in campus garages and parking lots. Campus police continue to provide community policing programs that are designed to maximize safety and security of students, staff and faculty at all times. Some of the safety programs in place are alarm monitoring, security patrols, WALKsmart escort and emergency (Code Blue) call boxes.

Campus Community Police are available 24/7 and can be reached at 416-978-2222 for urgent matters and 416 978-2323 for general information and non-urgent matters. For more information on Campus Police functions and programs, go to www.campuspolice.utoronto.ca.

USW General Membership Meeting Reminder - December 8, 2011

2011-11-11T11:54:00.000-05:00

HR #13, 2011

November 10, 2011

To: PDAD&C
Professional and Managerial Staff

From: Christina Sass-Kortsak
Assistant Vice-President, Human Resources

Re: USW General Membership Meeting - December 8, 2011

By email of March 10, 2011, members of PDAD&C and Professionals/Managers were advised of the dates and times of the three USW general membership meetings scheduled for 2011. The link to this information may be found at
http://www.hrandequity.utoronto.ca/news/memoranda/1011/HR_20.htm

This is a reminder that USW has scheduled a General Membership meeting for December 8, 2011 at 3:30 pm at the Steelworkers Hall at 25 Cecil Street.

In accordance with the terms of the staff-appointed collective agreement between the United Steelworkers and the University of Toronto, "employees will be given time off (not to exceed two (2) hours), with no loss of regular straight time pay, up to three (3) times per year to attend General Membership Meetings of the Local Union".

Please note that in accordance with the terms of the collective agreement employees who will be attending the USW general meeting must notify their manager at least one week in advance of the meeting date.

We ask that those staff-appointed employees wishing to participate in the meeting who are represented by USW on the St. George Campus be permitted to leave at 3:15 p.m. and those employees at the University of Toronto at Scarborough and Mississauga and the Institute for Aerospace Studies be permitted to leave at 2:45 p.m. in order to participate in the meeting. Please note that there will be no videoconferencing for this meeting.

There is no comparable clause in the non-appointed (casual) collective agreement. However, such employees may attend on their own time if they are not scheduled to work.

Reappointment of Janice Stein, Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs

2011-11-11T11:53:00.001-05:00

PDAD&C# 25, 2011-12

MEMORANDUM

To: Faculty, Staff and Students, Munk School of Global Affairs
PDAD&C

From: Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost
Meric S. Gertler, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Science

Date: November 9, 2011

Re: Reappointment of Prof. Janice Stein, Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs

We are very pleased to announce that the Agenda Committee of Academic Board has approved the reappointment of Professor Janice Stein as Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs for a two year term from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2014.

Professor Stein is the Belzberg Professor of Conflict Management and Negotiation, and has a stellar record as a scholar and administrator. She has served with distinction as the founding Director of the School since 2008, and previously as the founding Director of the Munk Centre for International Studies. She is a specialist in Middle East area studies; negotiation theory; foreign policy decision-making; and international conflict management. She has authored over 80 books, book chapters and articles on intelligence, international security, negotiation processes, peace-making and public policy. Her publications include The Cult of Efficiency (2001); and The Unexpected War: Canada in Kandahar co-authored with Eugene Lang (2007).

Professor Stein has been honoured for her scholarly achievements and for her outstanding service as one of Canada's finest public intellectuals. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a member of the Order of Ontario and a member of the Order of Canada. She has been a Massey Lecturer and a Trudeau Fellow. She was awarded the Molson Prize by the Canada Council for her outstanding contribution as a social scientist to public debate. She is an Honorary Foreign Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the Advisory Board, International Rescue Committee, the Advisory Committee to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, and the Canadian Judicial Council. She was a long-time member of the foreign affairs panel on TVOntario's Studio 2 and Diplomatic Immunity, and continues as a regular guest on The Agenda. She has also appeared on CBC Television's The National numerous times.

Given the significant and exciting changes currently underway at the Munk School, including the rapid growth of the Master of Global Affairs program; the construction/renovation of a new building; and the growth of the School in scope, size, and stature, Professor Stein's reappointment provides invaluable continuity and excellence. Her experience and leadership will enable the Munk School to sustain its tremendous momentum. We are delighted that she has agreed to serve another term as Director. Please join us in congratulating her.

University of Toronto’s Teaching & Learning Symposium (2011)

2011-11-11T11:51:00.001-05:00

PDAD&C#24, 2011-12

MEMORANDUM

To: PDAD&C
From: Carol Rolheiser, Director, Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation
Date: November 9, 2011
Re: University of Toronto’s Teaching & Learning Symposium (2011)

The sixth annual University-wide Symposium on Teaching and Learning will be held Monday, November 28, 2011 at Hart House. We ask that you encourage individuals from your unit to attend this full-day event.

This year’s symposium, entitled Cultivating Teaching, Cultivating Learning, will focus on strategies and initiatives that aim to cultivate effective teaching and learning across the University of Toronto’s divisions and campuses. Through concurrent sessions, posters and roundtable discussions the day will focus on the following four sub-themes:
• Student acquisition of knowledge, skills and values
• Enhancing relationships and fostering partnerships
• Planning, instruction and assessment
• Leadership to support teaching and learning

The symposium will also include a keynote address by Roger Martin, Dean, Rotman School of Management, on Cultivating the Opposable Mind and a panel discussion between President David Naylor and the 2011 winners of the President’s Teaching Award:
• Paul Gries, Department of Computer Science
• Mark Kingwell, Department of Philosophy  
• June Larkin, Women and Gender Studies Institute  
• Michael Lettieri, Department of Italian Languages  
• Susan Lieff, Department of Psychiatry

The symposium will close with our Caption Contest (http://uoft.me/caption) and give-away for a Dell™ Streak 7 Honeycomb tablet.

This tri-campus event is intended to stimulate discussion and the sharing of experiences around teaching and learning, aiming to enhance communications and build internal networks. It is a cross-divisional forum, which allows faculty and staff to explore new instructional methods and to celebrate our commitment to teaching and learning.

To view the full program and to register for this event, please visit:
http://www.teaching.utoronto.ca/about_ctsi/symposium.htm
(Please note: This is a free event but registration is required.)

Questions about the Symposium can be directed to Thuy Huynh in the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation at 416-946-3325 or thuy.huynh@utoronto.ca.

Call for Nominations for the Advisory Search Committee for the Warden, Hart House

2011-11-11T11:30:00.000-05:00

PDAD&C#23, 2011-12

MEMORANDUM

TO: Principals, Deans, Academic Directors and Chairs
Staff of Hart House
Board of Stewards of Hart House
University Affairs Board
University of Toronto Students Union
Graduate Student Union
Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students
Student Societies
FROM: Jill Matus, Vice-Provost, Students
DATE: November 4, 2011
RE: Call for Nominations for the Advisory Search Committee for the Warden, Hart House
cc: The Bulletin, The Varsity, Hart House Communications Office

In September 2011, Dr. Louise Cowin left the University of Toronto with one year remaining in her five-year term as Warden of Hart House. In order to allow time for a comprehensive search, Professor Bruce Kidd was appointed Interim Warden until April 30, 2012.
I am writing to call for nominations to serve on an advisory search committee to be co-chaired by myself and Lucy Fromowitz, Assistant Vice-President Student Life.

The advisory search committee will begin meeting later this fall term with the objective of appointing a new Warden effective May 1, 2012.

Nominations should be sent by November 24, 2011 using the web form available for the Warden Search at: http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/committees/advisory.

Questions should be directed to Joan Griffin, Special Projects Officer, by phone at (416) 946-8522 or by email: joan.griffin@utoronto.ca.

CSCE Toronto Section Lecture "The Do’s and Don’ts of Expert Opinion" - November 15, 2011

2011-11-04T11:44:00.003-04:00

To CSCE Toronto Section Members:

CSCE Toronto Section is pleased to host a Lecture on:

The Do’s and Don’ts of Expert Opinion:

Speaker:

Neil Abbott, LLB., is a partner in Gowlings’ Toronto office and the Toronto chair of the Firm's Recovery Services National Practice Group, and founding chair of the Firm's National Construction Practice Group.

The event will be held on November 15 commencing with registration at 6:00 p.m. at University of Toronto
Light meal and refreshments will be available.

Please see attached brochure for registration details and confirm your attendance by email to Zeina Elali.

Regards,

Peter Langan, P.Eng.
Deputy Chair CSCE, Toronto Section
c/o

---- attachment ----

CSCE
Canadian Society for Civil Engineers

TORONTO SECTION –Lecture

TOPIC: The Do’s and Don’ts in Expert Opinions

SPEAKER: Neil Abbott, LLB.

DATE: Tuesday November 15, 2011

TIME: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Registration, light meal, networking
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Lecture

LOCATION:University of Toronto, Department of Civil Engineering, 35 St. George St., Galbraith Building,(on east side of St. George St., third building north of College St.) Room :GB202

COST: CSCE Members: $10 CSCE Student Members: $5
Non-CSCE Members: $25 Students: $15

Neil Abbott is a partner in Gowlings’ Toronto office and the Toronto chair of the Firm's Recovery Services National Practice Group, and founding chair of the Firm's National Construction Practice Group. Neil attended University of Western Ontario, BA and Osgoode Hall Law School, LLB

His expertise includes negotiating and drafting construction contracts, tenders and bidding, enforcement and prosecution of liens, including trial of actions across the province. Neil provides construction management advice, which includes termination of contracts and retention of completion contractors. He has litigated claims on labour and material payment bonds, performance bonds and bid bonds. Neil is also an expert in dealing with deficiency and warranty claims for both commercial and residential properties.

Neil is the legal education advisor for the Canadian Geotechnical Engineers Association

Neil will present a lecture entitled: Do Not Take Your Expert Report for Granite! - This lecture provides an overview of “dos and don’ts” in Expert opinions.

To reserve a place, contact Zeina Elali by email at Zelali@ellisdon.ca with CSCE LECTURE in the subject line. Please provide your name, company, contact number and designation (CSCE Member with registration number, CSCE Student Member with registration number, Non-Member or Student Non-Member). Registration is requested by Friday Nov 11, 2011. Payment is at the door.

NOTICE

Please advise the CSCE National Office, of any updated information, including your email address, by sending an email to info@csce.ca Please indicate member information update in the subject line and include your name and membership number along with the updated information.