UofT News: UofT assesses, upgrades classroom ventilation as it plans for in-person learning this fall
An air purification unit equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter is installed in Sidney Smith Hall (photo by Johnny Guatto) The University of Toronto is assessing the ventilation in its classrooms and making upgrades to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment where necessary to ensure a high standard of safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.
St. George campus’s ambitious plan to go “carbon negative” by 2050 is featured in the UofT Magazine
...and you can read more here.
University of Toronto named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers
For the eighth consecutive year the University of Toronto has been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers. The designation recognizes employers who develop exceptional sustainability initiatives that reduce their environmental footprint and create a culture of environmental awareness that empowers employees to contribute – and is attractive to prospective clients. Read more here.
2021 OREP Staff Achievement Awards Program launches!
The Vice-President Operations & Real Estate Partnerships (OREP) has established the annual Staff Achievement Awards Program in order to recognize exceptional staff contributions to the success of their particular unit, the Operations & Real Estate Partnerships portfolio and the University. The program provides Operations & Real Estate Partnerships with an opportunity to thank staff for the valuable work performed throughout the year. Depending on our restrictions at the time, the awards will either be presented at the Than-Q BBQs on August 24 and 25, 2021 and/or virtually on those dates. Outstanding Individual Employee Award Presented to an individual staff [...]
UofT’s Laneway Housing project has been awarded a 2021 Canadian Green Building Award
(Photo: BSN Architects) UofT's Laneway Housing Project has been recognized by a 2021 Canadian Green Building Award! This major achievement is bestowed on only ten projects nationally for all project categories and sizes. A key aspect of this recognition is rooted in the neighbourhood’s visionary planning framework, as well as its high environmental achievement, one of U of T’s first Net-Zero Carbon and Energy project. Winners submissions will be featured in a special awards issue of SABMag following an awards event in early June, so stay tuned!
‘Beautifully designed and beautifully built’: U of T unveils new laneway, infill housing
Two new laneway houses on the St. George campus were designed to animate a quiet alley near Robarts Library, providing a model for future residential development in a city where space is at a premium (photo by Lisa Lightbourn) Read more at UofT News.
Indigenous Landscape design draws on community input, consultations
Knowledge House, a central feature of U of T's Indigenous Landscape project, is a gathering space supported by 13 columns that symbolize the 13 moons of the year (rendering by Brook McIlroy and Mat Winter) The design proposal for a prominent Indigenous space at the heart of the University of Toronto’s St. George campus reveals a place that celebrates Indigenous culture, fosters community and educates visitors about the history of the land and the Indigenous nations who have lived and gathered there for millennia. Read more at UofT News and in a related story at BlogTO.
IT@UofT Strategic Plan Annual Report (2020) Released
Despite COVID-19’s significant challenges, Information Technology Services (ITS) , in partnership with your faculty IT units, was able to embrace the opportunity to drive and deliver transformative work needed to provide technology-enabled services and support University-wide throughout 2020. Now, University of Toronto (U of T) staff and faculty can look back on and review this progress and other updates in the IT@UofT Strategic Plan Annual Report (2020), released by ITS on Nov. 26. The report highlights — selected from more than 300 initiatives currently in progress —align with the strategic plan thematic pillars: People, Solutions and Collaboration. Quick facts: Quercus help [...]
‘In this together’: U of T’s Isaac Straley named to Ontario’s cybersecurity expert panel
Isaac Straley, U of T's chief information security officer, says the scope of the cybersecurity threat faced by universities is unique because they operate in so many different areas, from research labs to bookstores (photo by Lisa Sakulensky) Isaac Straley, a cybersecurity expert and the University of Toronto's chief information security officer, was recently appointed to a new expert panel established by the Ontario government to improve cybersecurity and digital resilience among broader public sector organizations. You can read more here.
Robert Street Field updates
Rendering, Community Play Area / Credit: STUDIO tla Important updates about the project’s progress are available here.