Arts & Science Student e-News, March 2011
Aqeela Nanji

In Focus: Aqeela Nanji

Aqeela knew she wanted to be involved in sustainability and social justice from the first day of her first year – the only question was how.

More about Aqeela Nanji...




Important Dates

• April 7
Classes end

• April 8-11
Study period; no tests or examinations in this period

• April 12-29
Final examinations in S and Y section code courses

• April 22
Good Friday: University closed

• April 25
Presidential holiday; University closed




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Need-to-know

2011 Summer Courses

New this summer - intensive courses! The Faculty is offering an array of H courses in a new format this summer - 3-week intensive versions. The summer session is a great time to pick up courses that you may have missed this fall/winter or courses that you may need or want to take before next September. The tentative 2011 summer timetable is now available, and the final version will be available the week of March 21.

ROSI closure

ROSI will not be available from Friday, March 18 at 6:00pm to Sunday, March 20 at noon, and Friday, April 1 at 6:00pm to Saturday, April 2 at noon due to system and operating software upgrades.

LWD - Late Withdrawal

A remedy is available for students who are having real difficulty in courses. If you are hopelessly behind or have not done any tests or assignments in one or more classes, you should talk to your College Registrar immediately about the Late Withdrawal (LWD). The deadline for contacting your College Registrar is the last day of classes in this term, but you should make the move before that if you are way behind.

Arts & Science Council elections

Elections for next year’s student representatives for Arts & Science Council will be held March 31 and April 1.

Academic Integrity

The hectic year-end rush of papers and assignments is almost upon us. This is the time when most academic offences occur because some students get desperate, take risky decisions or become sloppy with documentation on their essays. The last thing any student wants is to suffer the consequences of those bad decisions. If you are struggling or behind, consult your College Registrar about legitimate remedies and stay away from desperate or sloppy behaviour. Such behaviour does get caught out, and the consequences can be severe – the penalties for offences are always worse than the original problem the student was trying to avoid. Getting advice and making a good decision is always the better option.

Subject POSt admission

As you may recall, Arts & Science is going to eliminate the use of GPA as a criterion for admission to limited enrolment POSts and replace it with course marks in required introductory courses. However, admission requirements to POSts in the April/May program season this year will be those published in the 2010-2011 Calendar, which still uses GPAs. (The exception is the Commerce program, which will apply course marks to those holding the Commerce Guarantee but GPAs and minimum course marks in required courses for those applying without the guarantee.) The “no-GPA” method will begin in 2012.

Information & advising

Remember, if you are having academic difficulty or just have a question, your reliable first stop for advice and information is your College Registrar’s office. If you have specific questions about courses or programs, you are encouraged to contact departments and programs directly for answers.

Money Matters calculator and receipts

Tax receipts for tuition

T2202A forms are tuition tax receipts issued to all students who paid tuition for courses in the previous calendar year. These show the amount of tuition that can be deducted for income tax purposes as well as the number of months eligible for the education deduction. T2202A are available on ROSI. Select "tax forms" on the main menu to retrieve yours.

Summer OSAP

If you're planning to take courses this summer, remember that you must have a course load of at least 60 per cent in each term to qualify for OSAP. In the summer, this means that you must be enrolled in 1.5 courses or more. To be eligible for an OSAP fee deferral for the summer, applications must be submitted by late March. For details about OSAP applications, contact your college registrar's office.

News Chile on map with pushpin

Geology students spend reading week in Chile to study evolution of the Earth

When people talk about evolution, it’s often about humans and the organisms around us — monkeys, birds, fish, and so on. But during reading week, a group of students in a second-year geology course had the opportunity to examine important phenomena in the evolution of Earth itself, onsite in Chile as part of the Internationalized Course Modules (ICM) program.

Connecting to workplace at home more stressful for women: sociologists

Communication technologies that help people stay connected to the workplace are often seen as solutions to balancing work and family life. A new study, however, suggests there may be a “dark side” to the use of these technologies for workers’ health – and these effects seem to differ for women and men.

Time to speak up about your University experience

In March more than 40,000 undergraduate students will be asked to participate in one of two very important surveys: the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and The Globe and Mail's University Report Card. The results of these surveys are used to identify the strengths of a U of T education as well as identify shortcomings and establish priorities for change.

If you receive an invitation to participate in either of these surveys, please respond promptly. Your opinions matter!

Awards and Honours David Berkal

University College student wins Dean’s Student Leadership Award

University College student David Berkal, founder of Operation Groundswell, co-founder of the Canadian Roots Exchange and a member of the Canadian Studies Student Union, is the winner of the 2011 Dean’s Student Leadership Award from the Faculty of Arts & Science.

Computer scientist wins Herzberg Canada Gold Medal

Computer science professor Geoffrey Hinton, considered one of the world’s foremost researchers in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence, has been awarded the 2010 Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering.

Arts Council Awards for Student Engagement in the Arts

Do you know someone who shows exceptional engagement in the arts at U of T? How about you? The University of Toronto Arts Council Awards for Student Engagement in the Arts are designed to recognize outstanding contribution by students to the arts community at U of T. The award is open to any currently registered University of Toronto student at any of the three campuses. The deadline for nominations is Friday, May 6.

Something to do

Mentorship opportunities

The First in the Family Peer-Mentor Program is now recruiting first-generation, upper-year students as mentors for the 2011-2012 academic year. Mentors receive training to develop leadership and group facilitation skills and share the knowledge and skills with first-year students who are also the first in their families to attend university.

The First-Year Learning Communities (FLCs) Program is currently hiring Peer Mentors for the 2011-2012 academic year. If you are an upper year student in Computer Science, Commerce, Economics, Life Science, Philosophy or Social Science who is looking to get involved, FLC wants you! For more information or to download an application please visit www.flc.utoronto.ca.

Access Denied: Medicine, Trust, and Experimental Treatments

Do patients with advanced disease have a right to new and unproven medications? This public forum, co-sponsored by the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, examines the intersections of science, patient self-determination, and patient protection.

Is biotechnology a bad idea?

Ten years ago, at the request of the Canadian government, a scientific panel of the Royal Society of Canada published a report on food biotechnology urging precaution. Now, with the 58 recommendations made by the panel still being ignored, Dr. Eric Darier, Director of Greenpeace in Quebec, is asking why the government continues to claim that its policies are science-based, and how a science-based democracy can be established.

Sustainable Energy Fair

The Sustainable Energy Fair will showcase innovations in sustainable living and current green technologies through educational and interactive exhibits from various community organizations, companies, researchers and student groups. Highlights will include our discussion panel on Ontario’s Long-Term Energy Plan and free, sustainable eats! March 16, 10:30am-4:30pm, Bahen Centre for Information Technology, 40 St. George St.

For detailed listings of events and opportunities for students, be sure to check out Ulife at www.ulife.utoronto.ca.

Support Systems apples

Celebrate food - it's good for you!

March is nutrition month in Ontario, and there's lots happening on campus. As part of Nutrition month, Health and Wellness will be hosting a Nutrition Fair. Learn about healthy food options on campus, vegetarianism, fitness and nutrition. Or speak with a dietitian to get your nutrition questions answered. Thursday, March 17, 11:00am-2:00pm, Bahen Centre for Information Technology, 40 St. George Street.

Breaking down barriers

Join Hart House and Students for Barrier-free Access in celebrating a week of excitement, education and empowerment! Accessibility Awareness Week is a week of events to promote breaking down barriers and accessibility on campus. Some events require registration.

Child care reimbursement for extra and co-curricular activities

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

Distributed on Friday, March 11, 2011   |   ©2011 University of Toronto