School of Graduate Studies E-News: April 2011

School of Graduate Studies E-News: April 2011

need-to-know

Countdown to June 2011 Convocation
If you plan to graduate in June, the deadline by which all degree requirements must be met is April 21. Master's students must have completed all coursework and submitted a thesis (if required). Doctoral students must have successfully completed their final oral exam and submitted a final approved thesis by the April 21 deadline. OISE students must submit their documents by April 19. Check the OISE Registrars Office schedule for OISE sessional dates.

Dual registration period ends April 21
Dual registered students who were admitted to a Ph.D. program in January with a minimal amount of work to complete in their Master's program have until April 21 to be recommended for the Master's degree. If the Master's degree program requirements are not completed, the Ph.D. registration is cancelled and full-time registration in the Master's program is re-activated.

May session registration
May 6 is the deadline to register for the May session. Final date to enrol in May-June or May-August courses is May 13. Consult the your graduate unit for the first day of summer session classes. Check the SGS Calendar for important sessional dates.

money matters

SGS Awards competition
The SGS 2011-2012 university-wide awards competition opens the first week of April. Check the SGS Financial Awards website for details. Be sure to check with your home department before submitting an application. Some departments choose to collect and submit applications on behalf of their students while others have their students apply directly to SGS.

Tax advice for students
Need to file your tax return? The Canadian Federation of Students offers free access to Ufile.

Balance of degree fees
All degree programs have a minimum period of registration as defined by the graduate unit, which predetermines the minimum total academic fee for each degree program. Many part-time Master's degree students must pay a balance of degree fee prior to graduation. Full-time students who accelerate their programs and finish the degree requirements in less time than the minimum period of registration also pay a balance of degree fee. To find the minimum period of registration for your degree program, refer to the balance of degree fee information on the SGS website.

Doctoral Completion Award
This new award announced by the Provost's Office in April 2010 aims to ensure that meritorious Ph.D. students who are no longer receiving the normal funding from their graduate unit can complete their degree program within time limit. For more information on the 2011 Doctoral Completion Award competition check the SGS homepage Recent News or Ulife in early April.

news

Institute of Medical Science launches new magazine
The Institute of Medical Science inaugurated a new quarterly, IMS Magazine. The magazine strives to unite the Institute of Medical Science by highlighting IMS students and faculty, research, and departmental updates and events.

Phishing - don't take the bait
You just received an email from a U of T helpdesk, or senior administrator asking you to send your password, or log into what appears to be a U of T website. Or have you? Every day the U of T community experiences five to 10 successful phishing attacks.

How Big is Ford Country?
Zack Taylor, a planning consultant who is in his final year of a Ph.D. at U of T, analyzes the municipal election in the 2010 Toronto Election Atlas.

awards & honours

U of T student awarded Microsoft Graduate Women's Scholarship
Congratulations to Ms. Farah Juma, a Computer Science Master's student, on winning the Microsoft Research Graduate Women's Scholarship. This is a competitive and prestigious scholarship awarded to female students in the first year of graduate studies on the basis of academic achievement and research potential. Only ten women's scholarships are awarded within North America.

Law Faculty highlights research of women grad students for International Women's Day Centenary
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, the Faculty of Law chose to highlight four women graduate law students, their research and their advocacy for women's rights. Congratulations to Mary Eberts, Christine Kung'u, Gulnaz Naamatova and Beth Spratt.

upcoming events

Careers in Germany webinar
The German Academic International Network (GAIN) is offering a webinar on April 7, 12:00pm to 1:30pm on Careers in Germany for German students and scholars who are interested in learning more about career opportunities in Germany. Registration is required.

Research in Action Showcase
The 5th Annual Research in Action Showcase (RIA) will take place Friday April 8, 2011 featuring the innovative and diverse research of the Department of Computer Science.

The path to academic careers for women graduate students
The Path to Get There is a full-day event on April 15 for women graduate students and postdoctoral fellows considering an academic career. Free child care is available through the Family Care Office. Register no later than April 9 with the Career Centre or call 978-8000 for more information. Postdocs register with the Postdoctoral Office.

Worldviews International Conference on Media and Higher Education
The Ontario Council of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) has teamed up with the Washington-based Inside Higher Ed, the London and South Africa-based University World News and OISE-University of Toronto to host an international conference examining the complex relationship between media and higher education. This three day innovative event will be held in Toronto from June 16-18, 2011. Details can be found on the Worldviews website.

supports & resources

Child care reimbursement for extra and co-curricular activities
The Family Care Office has a small fund that is available to assist student parents on the St. George campus who wish to attend extra-curricular activities but are unable to because of child care costs.

ELWS: registration for May courses begins April 18
Online registration for May courses offered by the Office of English Language and Writing Support (ELWS) will open on Monday April 18 at 10:00am. ELWS courses are free, non-credit and available exclusively to U of T graduate students. Students may take a maximum of two courses during the May session. Courses fill quickly, so register on April 18 to avoid disappointment.

Graduate Professional Skills
Visit the GPS Portal Community for details of program offerings, including a summer session opportunity to teach with University in the Community, a program established by three Toronto community centres and Woodsworth College to teach university liberal arts courses to those in the community who would not normally consider attending university. A reminder that students are expected to track their own progress in the program. Tracking forms are available on the GPS Portal Community. Submit your GPS tracking and completion form no later than April 22 to ensure you receive your GPS transcript notation this Spring.