School of Graduate Studies E-News: March 2011

GRADSCHOOL e-news: March 2011

Important Dates

• March 11
Last day to vote in Governing Council election

• March 16
March convocation diplomas ready for pickup

• March 17
Deadline for name Changes for June Convocation


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need-to-know

Congratulations to March graduands
Though there are no ceremonies for those who chose to convocate in March, you still deserve our congratulations! Your diploma will be available for pick up in person at the Office of Convocation as of March 16. You may also authorize someone to pick it up on your behalf or arrange to have your diploma delivered.

Looking forward to June Convocation
The deadline to request name changes/corrections for students planning to convocate in June has been extended to March 17. To convocate in June, Masters students must have completed all coursework and submitted a thesis (if required) and doctoral students must have submitted a final approved thesis no later than April 21.

money matters

Tuition tax receipts
T2202A forms are tuition and education receipts issued for income tax purposes to all students who paid tuition in the previous calendar year. The forms are available on the Student Web Service. Forms are not mailed but can be viewed and printed online.

Tax information for international students
Revenue Canada will conduct three information sessions organized by the Centre for International Experience (CIE) to outline the requirements and process of completing an income tax return for international students for the year 2010. Forms will be available at the sessions. Registration is required.

SGS University-wide awards
Through the generous support of various donors, a number of endowments have been established at the School of Graduate Studies. Each year a number of internal awards are made available from these endowments to provide support to graduate students. Current information regarding the 2011-12 University-wide awards competition will be available the SGS website in late March.

news

Canada’s first Google fellow making breakthroughs in computer science
Ilya Sutskever’s fingers hover over his keyboard as he considers the blinking cursor on the monitor in front of him. The computer-science Ph.D. student is compelled by the idea of making computer programs capable of learning from experience.

These Boots Are Made for Walking
Jennifer Hsu, a Ph.D. student in the department of biomedical and mechanical engineering, wants to make winter walking safer for everyone, but especially for older people. She’s studying how people walk in treacherous cold-weather conditions and what sorts of devices might help them stay upright and in control.

New course evaluation framework proposed
The University of Toronto is reviewing course evaluations to determine how they can be more effective. The Course Evaluation Framework Implementation Group is looking for feedback on a proposed framework - if you have some thoughts on course evaluations, email them to course.evaluations@utoronto.ca.

upcoming events

Governing Council graduate student representatives
Governing Council elections are underway. Graduate students elect two representatives, one for the Physical and Life Sciences and one for the Humanities and Social Sciences. A list of candidates is available on the Governing Council website. Online voting ends Friday, March 11 at 5:00pm. Mail ballots also have a March 11 return deadline. Election results will be announced on March 15.

Graduate Students’ Union elections
Elections will take place in March for the five executive positions on the Graduate Students’ Union (GSU). Information about an all-candidates meeting and voting procedures will be posted on the GSU website.

Hart House Theatre presents Yellow Face
Yellow Face is a head-spinning backstage comedy from the Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang in which mistaken racial identities collide with family, media and politics. This ferociously funny, utterly unreliable memoir chronicles David Henry Hwang’s struggle to define racial identity in the mixed-up melting pot of contemporary America. March 4-12, 2011, tickets are $25, or $15 for students and can be purchased through Uofttix.

Health and Human Rights Conference
The 2011 Health and Human Rights Conference is about the challenges of maternal health and local and international perspectives. Speakers from fields such as medicine, journalism, economics, environment health, and political science will provide a platform for discussion on a wide spectrum of maternal health issues. March 19-20, 2011, early bird registration $23, or $18 for students, available until March 4.

supports & resources

New! Gradlife feature articles
The Gradlife website is now offering monthly articles with advice and tips to help enhance your graduate school experience. Read up on topics such as how to get a positive graduate school experience, and how to balance family and graduate school.

Tracking and completion of the GPS Program
Do you expect to successfully complete the Graduate Professional Skills Program this winter session? You must submit your GPS Tracking & Completion Form no later than April 22 to ensure you receive your transcript notation this spring.

Students are expected to track their own progress in the GPS program. Download the Tracking and Completion Form from the “Completing GPS” section of the Portal Community. List all offerings you have completed and submit the form as per the instructions.

ELWS courses, workshops & consultations
A few seats are still available in the March courses offered by the Office of English Language and Writing Support (ELWS). Courses are free, non-credit and available exclusively to U of T graduate students. ELWS also offers free single-session workshops and one-on-one writing consultations.