Masks, ventilation and vaccines: Three key ways U of T is preparing for a safe return to in-person activities
With Ontario beginning to lift COVID-19 restrictions as experts predict we’re past the peak of the latest Omicron-driven wave, universities and colleges across the country are preparing to return to in-person learning activities with appropriate safety measures in place. That includes the University of Toronto, which will resume some in-person learning and activities across its three campuses on Feb. 7. Read more at UofT News.
Canada’s largest geoexchange system is being built below Toronto
Ron Saporta, chief operating officer, property services & sustainability, discusses the construction of the system, which is part of the Landmark Project. Read more on BlogTO.
‘He’d be thrilled to see this’: U of T’s massive geoexchange project built on pioneering work of late prof
U of T is constructing Canada's largest urban geoexchange field under King's College Circle – a technology built in part on the pioneering work of Engineering's Frank Hooper (photo courtesy of U of T Facilities & Services). You can read more at UofT News.
U of T piloting free menstrual products in campus washrooms
Facilities & Services, in partnership with the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students, is developing a new program that is aimed at advancing equity and enhancing the campus experience. In the first phase of this program, the Caretaking Services team is installing 75 free menstrual product dispensers in female, male, and gender-inclusive washrooms in seven buildings on campus. The dispensers will provide the community with access to free pads and tampons. Read more on the F&S website or subscribe to the F&S newsletter, Plugged In.
Six ways you can make your home office more sustainable
With much of the U of T community working and studying from home right now due to the pandemic, the Sustainability Office is sharing some easy steps to make your temporary home workspace more sustainable. Read more in the F&S Plugged In newsletter and on their website.
Message from COO re. Facilities & Services over the University holiday closure
Message from Ron Saporta, Chief Operating Officer, Property Services & Sustainability, U of T Facilities & Services As always, Facilities & Services is committed to your safety, security, and comfort. We appreciate and value your partnership to ensure a smooth holiday closure period. The last day for regular F&S services at the St. George campus is Tuesday, December 21. Services will resume on Monday, January 3. You can find more information about requesting facilities support for the holiday closure period on the F&S website. Best wishes for the remainder of the semester, and for a safe and restful holiday season! Ron
IT@UofT Strategic Plan Annual Report (2021) released
The IT@UofT Strategic Plan Annual Report (2021) was released on November 25, 2021. It highlights ITS’ work and achievements and our collaborative efforts with unit and divisional partners from September 2020 to August 2021. Since our last report, we have been called upon to continue evolving our response to urgent academic and workplace needs, plan our recovery as we return to campus and reset our priorities to leverage digitally enabled workflow and business process capacity. Highlights profiled in this report feature key projects that advance our strategic initiatives and support our core values. Despite the exceptional challenges we have faced, together with the IT@UofT community, our [...]
Isaac Straley named CISO of the year
(Photo by Lisa Sakulensky) Isaac Straley, the University of Toronto’s chief information security officer (CISO), has been named CISO of the year at the CISO Forum Canada 2021. You can read more here.
UofT News: Scott Mabury highlights U of T’s sustainability efforts at Toronto Region Board of Trade event
University of Toronto research in clean-tech and renewable energy will help organizations in the Toronto region and across Canada achieve net-zero emissions – while generating thousands of new jobs, says Scott Mabury, U of T’s vice-president, operations and real estate partnerships. At the same time, U of T’s own ambitious carbon-reduction plan will serve as a model for other universities and institutions, Mabury told members of the Toronto Region Board of Trade during a panel discussion last week. You can read more here.
All aboard the GO-VAXX bus
This month Facilities & Services partnered with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Metrolinx to bring a GO-VAXX pop-up vaccine clinic to the University of Toronto’s St. George campus. Over the summer, U of T hosted a vaccine clinic in the Exam Centre that administered 55,964 doses, including pop-ups in community hot spots and nearly 1,600 members of Indigenous communities before wrapping up in September. The GO-VAXX bus on the corner of Willcocks and St. George (photo by Skyler Huang) Read more about this great initiative and partnership here.