U of T’s revitalized labs bring new possibilities for research
A rendering of the new labs at the Faculty of Dentistry: “The new space will allow for sharing of research and cross-pollination of ideas between researchers," says Dean Daniel Haas (courtesy of Stantec Consulting Ltd.) More than a year after the announcement of what University of Toronto President Meric Gertlercalled “an historic investment in Canadian science and innovation,” U of T’s revamped research labs are beginning to take shape. The announcement of the Lab Innovation for Toronto (LIFT) project was made in July of 2016, with nearly $190 million in funding to upgrade nearly half of U of T’s research labs over [...]
Where does it all go? A look at composting on campus
While college approaches differ, efforts are strong across U of T By Josie Kao (The Varsity) Published: 7:38 am, 30 October 2017 under News MAX XI/THE VARSITY The majority of colleges at U of T, as well as the university as a whole, operate successful composting programs. However, the extent of their operations differ and there is no unified approach. But as Ron Swail, Chief Operations Officer, Property Services & Sustainability — a role specific to UTSG — said, “We’re always looking to improve our program, we’re always looking to improve and expand composting.” Innis College, New College, St. Michael’s College (SMC), [...]
Portal to be replaced by Canvas in 2018
New online learning hub expected to be implemented by September By Keith Cheng Published: 7:41 am, 30 October 2017 under News JING TEY/THE VARSITY Following a comprehensive consultation, U of T has selected Canvas as its next online learning management system (LMS), replacing Portal. Canvas will undergo quality testing in the coming months and is expected to be completely implemented by September 2018. The project was undertaken by the Academic Toolbox Renewal Initiative that, as its website states, sought to find a LMS that was less “clunky and out of date,” a critique people often have of U of T’s current system, Portal, which has [...]
U of T buys land CAMH operates on
CAMH will remain on land until 2038 with option for additional 20-year renewal From The Varsity By Pranav Srikanth Published: 7:35 pm, 4 October 2017 Modified: 9:31 pm, 4 October 2017 under News STEVEN LEE/THE VARSITY In August, U of T purchased the property that houses the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health at the corner of College Street and Spadina Avenue. The four acre property consists of three buildings: the main 15-storey CAMH building at 250 College Street, and two buildings on Russell Street, all built in 1968, in addition to a parking garage and a house used as an office [...]
U of T needs 2,300 new beds by 2020 to meet housing demand, says housing report
Housing expansion projects met with opposition by City of Toronto By Alex Tough Published: 4:52 am, 25 September 2017 under News Tags: City of Toronto, Residence City staff opposed the university’s proposed residence at Spadina and Sussex. SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY Almost 2,300 additional beds will be needed by 2020 to reach the increased demand for student housing at UTSG, according to a housing issues report published in support of an amendment to the St. George Secondary Plan. A residence demand analysis attached to the report claims 908 new residence spaces will have to be created to meet demand for first-year undergraduate students in three years’ time. [...]
Faculty and staff to follow student switch to Office 365
University aims to make transfer smoother than summer snag By Jillian Schuler, The Varsity Published: 4:44 am, 25 September 2017 under News Tags: Office 365 JULIEN BALBONTIN/THE VARSITY University of Toronto faculty and staff will be upgrading to the Office 365 software over the course of the fall semester. Following the issues that came with transferring email data over the summer, the U of T administration is looking to make sure this process is as smooth as possible. “Office 365 is the same environment that the students have been in for quite a while now,” said Bo Wandschneider, U of T’s Chief Information Officer. Wandschneider [...]
U of T launches new startup space in the heart of Toronto’s Discovery District
Entrepreneur Tricia Jose, Impact Centre Director Cynthia Goh and U of T President Meric Gertler cut the ribbon on U of T's new ONRamp facility as RBC CEO David McKay (fourth from left) and other U of T and RBC officials look on (photo by Chris Sorensen) With the official launch of a new co-working space for startups, the University of Toronto and its partners are taking another bold step toward establishing Toronto as a nexus of innovation in Canada. More than 200 people packed U of T Entrepreneurship’s new ONRamp facility today for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony for [...]
Black Friday: How It Played Out, An Eyewitness Account
by Alex Dault, NGSIS Program Assistant “If we make it to 9:10 am, we’ll be okay.” Miki Harmath utters these words at 8:54 AM, August 4th in the EASI war room. The room is lit up with projections of ACORN log-on stats and server usage. There is a box of untouched doughnuts and muffins on the table but no one has much of an appetite. All eyes are glued to the screens indicating the load balance of the four servers and the steadily increasing number of users attempting to access the system. Laurel Williams, IT Analyst and Java Build Coordinator, [...]
University of Toronto acquires key parcel of land
'This investment will benefit future generations of faculty and students' (Image courtesy Michal Kuzniar, assistant planner, Campus & Facilities Planning and Google Earth) The University of Toronto is laying the groundwork for future academic initiatives, acquiring a key parcel of land located within the footprint of its St. George campus. The purchase of the four-acre site bordered by College Street and Spadina Avenue will allow the university to shape the future use of a prominent gateway to its campus. The site’s current tenant, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, which is one of U of T’s fully affiliated [...]
From the Varsity: Beyond email transfers Bo Wandschneider, U of T’s new Chief Information Officer, discusses a stressful first week on the job and more
By Aidan Currie Photo by JOHN GUATTO, Courtesy of THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO The University of Toronto’s new Chief Information Officer, Bo Wandschneider, assures us that technological advancements and integration are part of the university’s long-term future. In conversation with The Varsity, Wandschneider discussed the experience he brings to the table, “cultural changes,” and his stressful first week on the job. When U of T announced the hiring of Wandschneider on March 15, 2017, a news brief on the Information Technology Services (ITS) website described him as a “truly collaborative leader” and a “visionary thinker and effective strategist.” This was put to [...]