Welcome to the 2020–21 Academic Year

The Arts & Science community has shown resilience and determination in the face of these unprecedented times as we begin the 2020–21 academic year. Read Dean Woodin’s welcome message and learn more about U of T's Guide to Fall 2020 resources, the Dean's focus on moving the A&S academic plan forward and our commitment to creating a more inclusive A&S community.

Coming to Campus? Help Keep our Community Safe

For anyone who will be on campus this Fall, don’t forget UCheck, the new U of T self-assessment portal that helps determine your COVID-19 risk status.

Thinking of Planning an Event on Campus?

University events in all facilities and outdoor spaces are permitted only for participants belonging to the immediate University community. Prior to planning an event, connect with your unit head/Chair/Director first. Note that the following steps must be undertaken before the event can be approved.

• Complete an Event Assessment Tool (EAT) which needs to be approved by the Dean, submitted through your unit head 
• Event organizers must track registered guests and log participants for contact tracing purposes
• Capacity must adhere to local public health guidelines and directives
• Non-medical masks/face coverings are required to be worn per U of T’s mask policy
• Food, beverage and alcohol can only be served if organizers can adhere to food and beverage industry protocols
• Events are not allowed in lobbies, foyers or similar open spaces unless to fulfill academic course requirements

Please contact Caroline Rabbat, Christine Weidner and Krista Slade for questions about the event guidelines and Event Assessment Tool (EAT) approval process.

Need Supplies?

If you are having trouble sourcing supplies through your regular means, you can order hand sanitizer, non-medical masks, disinfectant wipes and more from U of T MedStore. Contact info@uoftmedstore.com if you have questions.

New Banner Will Appear When Receiving External Email

The central ITS Enterprise Applications and Solutions Integration (EASI) and Information Security teams are introducing external email notification banners for UTmail+ (Office 365). These banners will appear on all emails originating from outside the University of Toronto and will serve as a warning for faculty, staff and students to be cautious when opening external emails and attachments that could be potentially malicious. After gathering feedback from all three campuses since early 2020, a full roll-out will follow in the upcoming weeks. Please refer to the External Email Banner Project website for details.

Microsoft Rolls Out New Teams Updates for September

The U of T community can expect to see several new feature updates to the Microsoft Teams meeting experience this month, including together mode, lobby updates and increased capacity (max. 300 participants). For a summary of these changes and information on how to enable them, visit the Enterprise Applications and Solutions Integration website. If you haven’t seen these updates yet, don’t panic: it’s a gradual roll-out that will eventually reach all Teams users at the University.

International Student Experience Fund (ISEF) — A&S Process Update

The Office of the Vice-President – International, has released the 2020-21 International Student Experience Fund (ISEF) call for proposals. This Fund supports curricular and co-curricular initiatives that enhance the experience of international students; foster intercultural engagement between international students and all members of the University community; and internationalize the University student experience.

Arts & Science faculty, staff and units who wish to apply for an ISEF Seed or Impact Grant are asked to follow the internal Arts & Science process outlined on the A&S ISEF website. There are updates to this process for 2020-21. Letters of Intent for Impact Grants must be submitted to Thuy Huynh at thuy.huynh@utoronto.ca by September 25.

Call for Steering Committee Applications — Mental Health for Students & Youth Research Initiative

This research initiative is one element of U of T’s new mental health partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and seeks five to eight research faculty to join its Steering Committee. Faculty who are experts in youth and/or student mental health are encouraged to apply to join the Steering Committee. Please visit the call for applications for full details and application instructions.

Fall 2020: U of T’s Plans, COVID-19 Updates & FAQs

Read U of T’s Guide to Fall 2020 on the main UTogether website. And please continue to refer to the following resources, which are updated frequently:

• A&S Student FAQs: A&S-specific answers to questions and concerns from students, updates to academic policies and deadlines, and messages from Dean Woodin to students.
• Research FAQs: A message and answers to FAQs from the Division of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation.
• Top 10 COVID-19 Research Updates and other helpful links: Arts & Science round-up of all COVID-19 related research information, resources, funding opportunities and supports.
• HR & Equity COVID-19 website: Guidance on topics such as telecommuting, flex-time arrangements and pay continuity.

To stay informed, please consider signing up for the Provost's Digest. You can also refer to Government of Canada travel advisories, Toronto Public Health advisories and the University of Toronto website.