Chair, First Year

MEMORANDUM                                                                                                                                  2012/13-01                  

To:           Chairs and Directors                                                                     

                  Faculty Administrative Offices

                  

From:     Cristina Amon, Dean

Date:      July 24, 2012

Re:         Chair, First Year

               

I regret to announce that Professor Kim Pressnail will end his term as Chair, First Year on September 30, 2012, for personal reasons.  Kim started his term on October 1, 2011 and I am grateful for his steady and thoughtful leadership of Outreach, Recruitment and First Year over this past year.  Kim will return to his duties in Civil Engineering and I know you will join me in thanking and wishing him great success in all his future endeavours.

I will be initiating the process for selecting a new Chair, First Year shortly.  In the meantime, I welcome any nominations for membership on the Advisory Committee or for the position itself.  Comments and nominations can be sent to me via email at: dean@ecf.utoronto.ca.

SGS: Ontario Graduate Award (OGS) changes for 2013-14

SGS Award Announcement

Re:                         Ontario Graduate Award (OGS) changes for 2013-14  

Date:                     July 20, 2012

To:                          Graduate Coordinators; Graduate Administrators; Business Officers

From:              Kerri Huffman; Associate Director, Student Services – Graduate Awards and Financial Aid

CC:                   SGS     

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The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities has recently announced that the administration of the OGS Awards will be transferred to participating universities for the 2013-14 academic year.

At this time The University of Toronto will become responsible for the intake, processing, adjudication and awarding of the scholarships. The Ministry will continue to set OGS eligibility criteria and program policies.

The Ministry will continue to support 3000 scholarships province-wide which will be allocated to participating universities based on their share of the graduate population.

Information about the applications, competition timeline and awarding process will be forwarded to all units as it becomes available later this summer.

Please direct all questions regarding the OGS changes to Kerri Huffman at kerri.huffman@utoronto.ca or 416 978-8576.

Kerri Huffman

Associate Director, Student Services - Graduate Awards & Financial Aid

School of Graduate Studies

University of Toronto

Rm 214, 63 St. George

Toronto, ON   M5S 2Z9

P   416-978-8576

F   416-971-2864

Undergraduate Engineering Research Day (UnERD)

Dear faculty,

We would like to let you know that the Undergraduate Engineering Research Day (UnERD) will be taking place on August 15. This event provides an excellent opportunity for students to present their research and gain experience in preparing abstracts and scientific presentations.

We ask that you encourage any undergraduate students working in your research groups to submit abstracts to be a part of this event. Abstract submission is now open and will continue until July 20th.

Resources on how to write an abstract and more information about UnERD can be found at http://unerd.skule.ca. Questions can also be emailed to 2012unerd@gmail.com.

Thank you very much,

2012 UnERD Committee

Coursera

PDAD&C#5, 2012-13

To:   PDAD&C

From: Cheryl Misak, Vice-President & Provost

Date: July 17, 2012

Re:   Coursera

I am pleased to announce that the University of Toronto is joining Coursera, an innovative new platform which will expand the UofT's offerings of open access online courses and learning materials.  Coursera (www.coursera.org) was developed by professors at Stanford University and it was launched earlier this year by Princeton University, Stanford University, the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania.  This exciting project unlocks the possibilities of open access education. 

Initially, three internationally renowned departments and faculties at the UofT will offer pilot open access not-for-credit courses through Coursera. The courses include video lectures with interactive quizzes, interactive assignments and collaborative online forums (https://www.coursera.org/#utoronto).  

.     Learn to Program: The Fundamentals; Learn to Program: Crafting Quality Code; and, Neural Networks for Machine Learning will be offered through our Computer Science Department in the Faculty of Arts and Science;

.     The Social Context of Mental Health and Illness will be offered through the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work; and,

.     Aboriginal World Views in Education will be offered through the OISE UT

These five pilot courses are part of Open UToronto, http://www.utoronto.ca/about-uoft/openutoronto.htm. The University will use its experience with the Coursera education platform to design further improvements to its online and open access offerings.

In addition to UofT, other universities joining Coursera today are the California Institute of Technology, Duke University, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, the University of Edinburgh, Georgia Tech, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Johns Hopkins University, Rice University, the University of California San Francisco, the University of Virginia and the University of Washington.  According to Coursera, their platform to date has seen 680,000 students from 190 countries and more than 1.55 million course enrolments across its 43 courses. 

Provostial Committee on Open UToronto

PDAD&C#4, 2012-13

TO:                  Principals, Deans, Academic Directors & Chairs

FROM:             Cheryl Misak, Vice-President & Provost

DATE:              July 16, 2012

RE:                   Provostial Committee on Open UToronto

As members of the University community are aware, the landscape in which universities operate is shifting rapidly with the development of online credit courses, open access to scholarly publications and, most recently, massive open online courses (MOOCs).  The University of Toronto is launching a new initiative, Open UToronto, to ensure that we maintain and enhance our role as a leading institution for teaching, learning, and research and to maximize opportunities for our students, faculty and the University as a whole.  A Provostial Committee has been established to guide the development of Open UToronto principles and practice.  The Committee will consult with members of the University community and will provide strategic advice and guidelines regarding on-line and open access resources and courses.

Open UToronto Committee Membership

Cheryl Regehr, Vice-Provost, Academic Programs (Chair)

Avi Hyman, Director, Academic & Collaborative Technologies (I+TS) & Institutional Strategist for Academic Technology (CTSI) (Administrative Lead)

Larry Alford, Chief Librarian

Dimitri Anastakis, Associate Professor, Divisions of Plastic and Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine

Lee Bailey, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics and ICCIT, University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM)

Marilynn Booth, Dean, School of Continuing Studies

Ruth Childs, Associate Dean, Innovations and Opportunities, Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)

Kenneth Corts, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Education, Rotman School of Management

Katharine Dunlop, Undergraduate student, Trinity College

Avram Englert, Undergraduate student, University College

Rick Halpern, Dean and Vice-Principal (Academic), University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC)

Julie Hannaford, Associate Librarian for the Humanities and Social Sciences Director, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) Library

Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-Dean, Undergraduate, University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM)

Laurie Harrison, Director, Online Learning Strategies (I+TS)

Alison Keith, Professor and Chair, Department of Classics, Faculty of Arts & Science

Peter Lewis, Associate Vice President, Research

Susan McCahan, Vice-Dean, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering

Melody Neumann, Senior Lecturer, Department of Cell & Systems Biology, Faculty of Arts & Science

Seamus Ross, Dean, Faculty of Information

Suzanne Stevenson, Vice Dean, Teaching & Learning, Faculty of Arts & Science

Chirag Variawa, Student Governor, Graduate Student, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

James C. Wallace, Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Charmaine Williams, Associate Dean, Academic & Associate Professor, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

Presidential Search Committee

Memorandum to:   Governing Council

Members of the Academic Board

Members of the Business Board

Members of the University Affairs Board

Members of the College of Electors

Principals, Deans, Academic Directors, and Chairs

Professionals, Managers, and Confidential Staff

President, UTFA

Presidents of Employee Unions

Presidents of APUS, GSU, UTSU (SAC), UTMSU and SCSU

President, University of Toronto Alumni Association

Alumni of the University

From:                       W. David Wilson

                                 Chair, Presidential Search Committee

Date:                        July 19, 2012

Re:                           Presidential Search Committee

(a)   Invitation for Submissions on the Position Specification for the President

(b)   “Town Hall” / Listening Sessions

(c)    Engagement of Search Consultants

                                                                                                                                               

The Presidential Search Committee would like your input and advice on a position specification and role profile for the new President of the University of Toronto.  Once we have compiled and synthesized the input we receive, we will then issue a formal call for nominations.

Advice on Position Specification

At present, we are seeking your ideas on:

•         the principal strengths upon which the University should build over the next five to ten years;

•         the principal challenges that the University will face in that period;

•         the implications of those strengths and challenges for the new President, in two senses:

-          the President's specific personal priorities in the near- and long-term, and

-          the specific priorities the President should ensure are achieved by others in the University community;

•         the key strengths and characteristics the Committee should therefore be seeking in a new President.

We have agreed, as a Committee, that the position profile developed in 2004 could serve as a reference point for beginning the discussion.  The profile can be found at the following url:

http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/Assets/Governing+Council+Digital+Assets/Boards+and+Committees/Governing+Council/Position+Specification.pdf.

Listening Sessions

The Committee is arranging an extensive schedule of consultations over the next several weeks, which will include a listening session at each of the three campuses.  The dates and times for these are as follows:

St. George	Thursday, September 20, 2012 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Location:  Council Chamber Simcoe Hall, 2nd Floor
Scarborough	Friday, September 21, 2012 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Location: Council Chamber, Room AA 160 Arts and Administration Building,
Mississauga	Monday, September 24, 2012 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Location:  Council Chamber, Room 3130 William G. Davis Building

The views of all members of the University community, as well as those beyond our community who are knowledgeable about and interested in the University of Toronto, are important to the success of the search.  We hope you will be able to join members of the Committee at the listening session planned for your campus or, if that is not possible, that you will be able to attend one of the other two listening sessions.

Search Consultants

Following a formal Request for Proposals and a rigorous selection process, we have engaged the firm of Spencer Stuart to assist the Search Committee in its work.  The Spencer Stuart team will include Dr. Sharon Rudy and Ms Kristine Johnson who will bring enormous experience to our search.

As consultants, the team is expected to provide objective advice, professional expertise, and support to the Committee and to provide assistance in the organization and coordination of a range of search activities over the next few months.  The consultants, like the Committee members, are committed to the Committee’s Charter of Expectations.  As part of their work, they will be actively involved in the various consultation meetings which will be scheduled over the next many weeks into the Fall, including the campus listening sessions.

Submissions

Your views and those of your colleagues are critical to the Committee’s work and we look forward to hearing from you.  Please submit your suggestions in writing to:

Mr. W. David Wilson

Chair

Presidential Search Committee

Office of the Governing Council

Room 106, Simcoe Hall

University of Toronto

Toronto, ON  M5S 1A1

You may also provide your input by e-mail to presidentialsearch@utoronto.ca.  We would appreciate your submissions as soon as possible and before October 5, 2012.  Submissions will be treated as confidential to the Search Committee.  We recognize that many faculty, staff and students will be away over the summer and, in order to afford them the opportunity to provide input to this process, we will send another communication in early September.

Thank you very much for your contribution to this important process.

New Assistant Provost

PDAD&C#6, 2012-13

To:   PDAD&C

From: Cheryl Misak, Vice-President & Provost

Date: July 19, 2012

Re:   Appointment of Assistant Provost

I am extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Archana Sridhar as Assistant Provost, as of August 1, 2012.  Archana comes to the position with a wealth of achievement and experience.

She received her Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Harvard Law School in 2001 and in 2006-07 was a Fulbright Fellow in Guatemala, investigating the legal frameworks of Guatemala's philanthropic sector, focusing on its tax system and nonprofit regulation. She has published several peer reviewed articles and policy reports, and is also co-founder of The South Asian Philanthropy Project, a charitable organization which fosters philanthropy among South Asians in North America.

Archana is currently Assistant Dean, Graduate Program, in the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto. Before that, she was Associate Director of the Jay and Barbara Hennick Centre for Business and Law at York University and Assistant Dean for Research and Special Projects at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.  She has practised tax and non-profit law as an attorney in Boston and also served as Senior Director of Foundation & Corporate Relations for the humanitarian organization ReSurge International.

Please join me and the Vice Provosts in extending a warm welcome to Archana. She will be in transition, apportioning her time between the Faculty of Law and the Office of the Provost, until the end of August.

Acting Chair, Graduate Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Science

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 appointment:

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Professor Richard DiFrancesco

Acting Chair, Graduate Department of Geography

July 9, 2012 to June 30, 2013

I thank Professor DiFrancesco for his willingness to serve the University in the furtherance of graduate education.  I am sure that you will join me in congratulating him.

With my best wishes,

Brian

New Vice-Provost and Dean of Arts, Trinity College

PDAD&C#3, 2012-13

To:   PDAD&C

From:       Andy Orchard, Provost, Trinity College

Date:       July 16, 2012

Re:   Appointment of New Vice-Provost and Dean of Arts, Trinity College

                                                                       

Provost Orchard and the Board of Trustees are pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Michael Ratcliffe as Vice-Provost and Dean of Arts of Trinity College effective July 1, 2012.

Michael Ratcliffe graduated from the University of Glasgow with an Honours B.Sc. in Biochemistry in 1976 and obtained his Ph.D. in Immunology from University College, London in 1980.  He was appointed Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at McGill University in 1986, Associate Professor in 1991 and Professor in 1998.  In 2001, he was appointed Professor and Chair of the Department of Immunology at the University of Toronto and Senior Scientist, Molecular and Cell Biology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. He became an Associate of Trinity College in 2002 and a Fellow of the College in 2008, and has been a member of the Senate since 2009. 

Professor Ratcliffe is the recipient of several research awards and is a member of national and international immunology societies, grant review panels, and editorial boards, as well as hospital and university committees.

He is the author of 87 peer-reviewed publications, a prominent speaker at major national and international conferences and has been an invited lecturer at universities around the world.  His laboratory has a long-standing interest in defining the molecular processes that regulate the development of the B lymphocyte lineage and has had continuous funding from the Canadian MRC (subsequently CIHR) since its establishment at McGill University.    Professor Ratcliffe is a full member of the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Toronto and has supervised 42 graduate students over his academic career.

Trinity College and the Department of Immunology at the University of Toronto have collaborated in offering a specialist programme in immunology since 1985-86 and a major programme since 2009-10.  

In memoriam: Rodney White

The School of the Environment mourns the loss of Professor Emeritus Rodney White (Geography). He was Director of the former Institute for Environmental Studies from 1994 to 2005 and helped found the Centre for Environment in 2005, which has sinced evolved to the School of the Environment. He will be missed.

By Ian Burton

Vigorous and active professionally; always engaged in caring deeply for his loving family and greatly appreciated by his many colleagues, students and friends, esteemed Professor Emeritus Rodney (Rod) White died peacefully at St. Michael's hospital July 5th 2012 after a very short illness. He leaves his devoted wife Sue, daughters Kathryn and Alyson, sons-in-law Tim Laceby and Shaun Parker and grandchildren Isabelle and Oliver.

Born in Preston, Lancashire in 1943 Rodney was educated at the Universities of Oxford, Pennsylvania State, and Bristol. Before coming to Canada, Rodney held teaching posts at Northwestern University, (US), and the University of Ibadan (Nigeria). Arriving at the University of Toronto in 1974 Rodney quickly established himself as an internationally renowned authority in transdisciplinary and international research. This included a diverse range of topics in urban and environmental infrastructure and management, adaptation to climate change and environmental liability and the insurance industry. Later in his career he collaborated with others in research and teaching on risk analysis and environmental finance, and helped in the founding of the Centre for Environment, which has since become the School of the Environment. Rod undertook field work in Africa from Senegal, to Ghana and Kenya, as well as in China and Vietnam and had wide international experience. He was Professor of Geography from 1974, and served for 10 years as Director of the (then) Institute for Environmental Studies. In this role he had a reputation as a leader with a heart: always clear headed, focused, a good listener, attentive, brilliant with an elegant simplicity and with a deep concern and understanding for his students.

A prolific author of books and scholarly papers Rodney leaves a strong and enduring legacy both within and well beyond the university community he so much enjoyed. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the School of the Environment at the University of Toronto online at https://donate.utoronto.ca/environment. Please select Environment Trust and indicate Rodney's name under additional information to support his interest in enhancing the education of students in pursuing environmental initiatives.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, July 10 at 2.30 p.m. at St. James the Less, 635 Parliament Street in Toronto. Flags will be flown at half-mast in his honour on the three University of Toronto campuses that day.

Dr. Ian Burton is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Geography and former Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies (1979-1984).

New Faculty Orientation & Back to School Series for New and Returning Faculty

TO:         Principals, Deans, Academic Directors & Chairs

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

DATE:             July 11, 2012

RE:         New Faculty Orientation & Back to School Series for New and Returning Faculty

I am pleased to announce a series of upcoming events for new and returning faculty hosted by the Office of the Vice-President and Provost and the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI), in partnership with the Office of the Vice-President Research, Dual Career Connection and the Family Care Office.  We encourage you to share this information with your new and returning faculty.

New Faculty Orientation Session

August 27, 2012

10:00am - 4:00pm (Main Dining Room, Faculty Club)

(NB: This day and the following sessions are for new tenure and teaching stream faculty)

Getting Started at the University of Toronto 10am - 11:45am (Main Dining Room, Faculty Club) In this morning session, new faculty will be introduced to the University of Toronto's structure, organization, culture and students. Information will also be provided on topics and resources that support teaching at U of T. 

(NB: This session is open to ALL new tenure and teaching stream faculty.)

Lunch and Roundtable Discussions with the President's Teaching Award Winners 11:45am - 1pm (Main Dining Room, Faculty Club) Participants will have an opportunity to meet with UofT's President's Teaching Award winners over lunch (which will be provided).

(NB: This session is open to ALL new tenure and teaching stream faculty.)

Break-out Sessions:

1:00pm - 4:00pm

Research Orientation (Main Dining Room, Faculty Club) In this session tenure-stream faculty will be provided with an overview of the resources available to support their research. They will be introduced to the range of funding opportunities and have a chance to ask questions about related protocols and procedures.

(NB: This session is open to tenure-stream faculty only.)

Creating a Successful Career Path as a Lecturer (Primrose Room, Faculty Club) Teaching-stream faculty are invited to attend this session for information on the career path of the lecturer and to hear from colleagues who will share their experiences and strategies for success.

(NB: This session is open to teaching-stream faculty only.)

Orientation for Partners and Spouses of New Faculty (Main Lounge, Faculty Club) Faculty Relocation Services and Dual Career Connection will provide partners and spouses of new faculty with an orientation to the city and an introduction to the job search process.  Resource people will be on hand to answer questions about housing, schools, immigration and benefits. If required, childcare will be available for children under 6 years of age.  Please request it when you register, giving the age(s) of your child(ren).

Welcome BBQ for New Faculty and their Families 4:00pm-6:00pm (Main Dining Room & Patio, Faculty Club) This year's orientation series will include a BBQ for new tenure and teaching stream faculty, their partners and families at the Faculty Club. The Family Care Office will provide activities for children during this event.

Please note: New tenure and teaching stream faculty will receive a personalized invitation via email to register and attend the New Faculty Orientation on August 27th and to participate in the Back-to School Workshop Series, August 28-30th.  A registration link will be provided in the email. 

Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation's Back-to-School Workshop Series

(NB: These sessions are open to all new and returning faculty) From August 28-30, 2012 the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation will host a series of "Back-to-School" sessions on a range of teaching topics.

Tuesday, August 28 2012

9am - 12noon            Setting the Tone for Success: The First Day and Beyond

1pm - 4pm         Discussion Techniques to Support Active Learning

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

9am - 12noon            Assignment Design

9am - 12noon            Getting Started: Building Your Portal Course

1pm - 4pm         Elements of Effective Lesson Planning

Thursday, August 30, 2012

10am - 12noon     Myths & Realities about Grading

1pm - 4pm         Supporting Student Learning: What Instructors Can Do and Who Else Can Help

1pm - 4pm         Getting Started: Building Your Portal Course

To register for the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation's Back-to-School workshop series, please visit: http://www.teaching.utoronto.ca/about_ctsi/servicesexpertise/ctsi-workshops/b2s-2012.htm. 

For more information on any of these events, please contact Thuy Huynh, Programs Coordinator, CTSI at 416-946-3325; thuy.huynh@utoronto.ca or Bethany Babinchak, Program Assistant, CTSI at 416-946-3799; bethany.babinchak@utoronto.ca.

USW 1998 Casual Unit: Agreement ratified

To:       PDAD&C

Professional & Managerial Staff

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

Re:       Agreement ratified between U of T and USW Casuals Unit, Local 1998

---

We are very pleased to announce that the tentative agreement between the University and United Steelworkers (USW) Casuals Unit, Local 1998 was ratified Thursday, July 12, 2012, by a majority of the employees who voted in that bargaining unit.
The USW Casuals Unit, Local 1998 represents casual administrative and technical employees at U of T.

Business Board will review the agreement at an upcoming meeting.
The Memorandum of Settlement will be posted shortly.

Membership of Vice-President and Provost Review / Search Advisory Committee and Call for Submissions

Memorandum to:     Governing Council

Members of the Academic Board

Members of the Business Board

Members of the University Affairs Board

Members of the College of Electors

Principals, Deans, Academic Directors, and Chairs

Professionals, Managers, and Confidential Staff

President, UTFA

Presidents of Employee Unions

Presidents of APUS, GSU, UTSU (SAC), UTMSU and SCSU

From:                        David Naylor

                                   President

Date:                         July 9, 2012

Re:                             Membership of Vice-President and Provost Review / Search Advisory Committee and Call for Submissions

                                                                                                                                               

Earlier this Spring, I wrote to inform you that the Governing Council had approved the extension of Professor Cheryl Misak’s term as Vice-President and Provost to December 31, 2012.  Following a call for nominations for individuals to serve on the representative Review / Search Advisory Committee, I have now established the Committee which I will chair.  Its members are:

Professor Grant Allen (Chair, Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering)

Ms Alexis Archbold (Administrative Staff Governor; Assistant Dean, Students; Faculty of Law)

Ms Katharine Ball (Undergraduate Student, Faculty of Arts and Science; President, Arts and Science Students Union)

Professor Alexandra Gillespie (Department of English and Drama, University of Toronto at Mississauga)

Professor Avrum Gotlieb (Faculty Governor; Senior Academic Advisor to the Dean and Acting Vice-Dean, Graduate Affairs, Faculty of Medicine)

Professor Ellen Hodnett (Faculty Governor; Chair, Academic Board; Faculty of Nursing)

Professor Harry Krashinsky (Department of Management, University of Toronto at Scarborough)

Mr. Gary Mooney (Lieutenant Governor-in-Council Governor)

Professor Yves Roberge (Principal, New College)

Ms Maureen Somerville (Alumni Governor)

Ms Rumeet Toor (Doctoral Student, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education)

Mr. Louis Charpentier, Secretary of the Governing Council, will serve as Secretary to the Committee.

The Committee’s first task is to undertake the usual and customary review and advise me on the portfolio of the Vice-President and Provost.  Given that Professor Misak is eligible to be re-appointed, the Committee will also consider whether to recommend re-appointment or to proceed with a search.  The Committee will be meeting in the coming weeks and welcomes submissions from the University community.

Submissions should be sent in confidence to:

Louis R. Charpentier

Secretary of the Governing Council

Room 106, Simcoe Hall

27 King’s College Circle

University of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1

Submissions may also be sent by e-mail to l.charpentier@utoronto.ca or fax to 416-978-8182.  The deadline for submissions is September 28, 2012.

We recognize that many faculty, staff and students will be away over the summer and, in order to afford them the opportunity to provide input to this process, we will send another communication in early September.

New Course Evaluation Framework and Online Administration System

TO:         Principals, Deans, Academic Directors & Chairs

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

RE:         New Course Evaluation Framework and Online Administration System

Please circulate to all pre-tenure and pre-promotion faculty.

During the fall and spring term of this year a number of departments in the Faculty of Arts and Science and at the University of Toronto Mississauga and the Faculty of Nursing have been piloting the new online course evaluation system in parallel with the existing paper-based system.  This pilot has been extremely helpful in informing revisions that need to be made to both the course evaluation framework and the online system.

Over the summer, course evaluations in the Faculties of Arts & Science, Nursing and Engineering, along with UTM and UTSC will go fully online.  Online course evaluations are administered through a secure system that requires a student to enter their UTORid password.  They can be administered in classes where WiFi or cell networks are available and students can access them from laptops, tablets and phones as well as desk top computers.  One of the benefits of the new course evaluation framework is that students' response rates can be tracked across divisions and best practices incorporated into the process to encourage higher participation rates.

Course evaluations are just one component of teaching assessment at the University of Toronto.  Any comprehensive teaching evaluation system will include means for triangulating the information provided by course evaluations through mechanisms such as regular peer review, instructor self-assessment or teaching dossiers.  However course evaluations provide an important mechanism for students to give feedback on their learning experiences in the courses they enroll in and are useful for assessing course content, the performance of the instructor and achievement of course objectives. 

The Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation (CTSI) on the St. George Campus, the Centre for Teaching and Learning at UTSC and the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre at UTM will continue to work with all pre-tenure and pre-promotion teaching stream faculty members to assist in the preparation of teaching portfolios.  CTSI will prepare course evaluation reports at the request of individual faculty members that compare evaluations on both the new and old systems for the purposes of tenure and promotion.

Pre-tenure or pre-promotion teaching stream faculty who joined the University while another course evaluation system was in place and who do not wish to use the online system, can be provided with an alternative.  The online system can accommodate paper printouts of the evaluations which can then be entered into the system via ScanTron.  Divisions are expected to establish a system to ensure that the forms are kept secure and that the confidentiality of raw materials is maintained.  In these instances, it is recommended that faculty members consult with CTSI regarding factors that might influence course evaluations using both paper and online formats.

Summary of the Salary and Benefits Agreement

Summary of the Salary and Benefits Agreement for Faculty and Librarians and Implementation Details for 2011/12 & 2012/13

PDAD&C#71, 2011-12

To:	PDAD&C
From:	Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost Edith Hillan, Vice-Provost Faculty & Academic Life
Date:	June 28, 2012
Re:	Summary of the Salary and Benefits Agreement for Faculty and Librarians and Implementation Details for 2011/12 & 2012/13

---

Click here for PDF version of the memo.

 

http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/Assets/Provost+Digital+Assets/Provost/UTFA+Communications/PDADC_71_SummarySalaryAgreement_June282012.pdf

Provost's Instructional Technology Innovation Fund (ITIF) 2012

PDAD&C#70, 2011-12

To:   Principals, Deans, Academic Directors & Chairs

            All Faculty

            Professional and Managerial Staff

            Educational Technology Staff

From: Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost

Date: June 20, 2012

Re:   Provost's Instructional Technology Innovation Fund (ITIF) 2012

I am pleased to announce that funding is available for the next round of the ITIF (formerly the Instructional Technology Course Development Fund or ITCDF). 

The ITIF is a fund which promotes technologies designed to improve teaching.

It is funded by the Provost and administered by Academic & Collaborative Technology Initiatives, a partnership between the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI), and Information + Technology Services (I+TS).

This year's competition encourages initiatives that promote the enrichment and enhancement of Active and Collaborative Learning, although other kinds of projects will also considered.

For full details, please visit the ITIF website: http://itif.utoronto.ca