Gerstein Science Information Centre

In photos: As U of T navigates a safe return to campus, here are a few (of the many) places we've missed

geoff.vendeville — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 13:49:28 +0000

In photos: As U of T navigates a safe return to campus, here are a few (of the many) places we've missed

geoff.vendeville Fri, 09/03/2021 - 09:49

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Clockwise from top left: U of T Mississauga’s stone bridge, U of T Scarborough’s Valley Land Trail, Gerstein Heritage Reading Room and the Trinity College quad (photos by Randy Landicho, Nick Iwanyshyn, Diamond Schmidt Architects, Diana Tyszko)

Geoffrey Vendeville

Topic

Our Community

Gerstein Science Information Centre

UTogether

Hart House Farm

Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research

The ��Ƶ’s labs, libraries and classrooms are stirring back to life, preparing to safely welcome students, faculty, staff and librarians back to campus this fall.

More than 15,000 students are entering the first year of their programs across the three campuses. In addition, many second-year students, who spent much of last year studying virtually due to public-health restrictions, will be looking forward to setting foot on campus for the first time.

Others, including upper-year students, are no doubt looking forward to revisiting their old haunts once it is safe to do so – from Diabolo’s café beside University College’s Junior Common Room to the 500-metre nature trail in U of T Scarborough’s backyard.

Here are just a few of the places we've missed over the past 19 months.

Philosopher’s Walk

(Photo by David Lee)

The elegant Bennett Gates on Hoskin Avenue mark the southern entrance of Philosopher’s Walk, a footpath that runs north-south along the ravine of subterranean Taddle Creek behind the Royal Ontario Museum and Royal Conservatory of Music.

The walk, one of many green oases on campus, provides students with respite from the hustle and bustle of downtown Toronto, whether they're taking a shortcut to their next class or pondering the meaning of life.

U of T Mississauga’s stone bridge

(Photo by Randy Landicho)

Overlooking an ornamental pond, U of T Mississauga’s picturesque stone bridge looks like a scene from an Impressionist painting.

It’s believed that Reginald Watkins, a wealthy businessman and bachelor from Hamilton, Ont. who once owned much of the property now belonging to U of T Mississauga, built the bridge and artificial pond in the early 20th century. The concrete-bottomed pond has been the home of many aquatic species, including, for a time, a pair of snapping turtles.

Gerstein Heritage Reading Room

(Photo by Diamond Schmitt Architects)

A 2008 renovation to the heritage wing of the Gerstein Science Information Centre that aimed to restore the reading room to its state in 1892 revealed neo-gothic, hand-carved wooden trusses and a skylight that had been hidden for nearly a century.

Students looking for a quiet place to hit the books can find comfy leather chairs and ample desk space in the reading room, which is encircled by black-and-white photographs of famous alumni.

The Valley Land Trail

(Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

The 500-metre trail linking U of T Scarborough to the Highland Creek Ravine has become a premier destination on campus since it opened two years ago.

In an interview with CTV News, Wisdom Tettey, vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough, said the path, which is accessible year-round and equipped with wheelchair charging stations, reflects the university’s commitment to inclusivity.

At the same time, Tettey said, it is meant to encourage students to take in the beauty of the campus’s surroundings and foster an appreciation for nature.

University College

(Photo by Diana Tyszko)

One of the most Instagram-worthy backdrops on the St. George campus is University College, U of T’s founding college.

The Romanesque Revival-style building took inspiration from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, with construction beginning in 1856 and wrapping up three years later – a time when Toronto was a town of just 30,000 people.

Improvements to UC continue to this day, with the college having recently undergone a major restoration project that involved returning the college’s library to its original location. Beyond the front doors, meanwhile, U of T is in the midst of work on the Landmark project, which aims to make the historic core of St. George campus greener, more accessible and more pedestrian friendly.

Bamboo Garden

(Photo by ��Ƶ)

The bamboo garden at the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research on College Street is often included in lists of U of T’s hidden gems. The indoor garden is an ideal spot to relax and unwind before class at the heart of the downtown campus – particularly during the cold winter months when greenery can be hard to come by.

Trinity College quad

(Photo by Diana Tyszko)

The Trinity College quadrangle has a medieval knot pattern that sets it apart from the university’s other enclosed courtyards.

A path through the handsome Henderson Tower leads to Philosopher’s Walk. At the beginning of the fall semester the quad is usually abuzz with activity, from orientation events to students carrying mini-fridges into residence.

Those who look carefully overhead might catch a glimpse of bees circling the hives tended by the U of T Beekeeping Education Enthusiast Society (U of T B.E.E.S.).

Hart House Farm

(Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Many students are familiar with Hart House, the student centre that opened in 1919 and is home to a gym, track, six-lane pool, archery range and UC Follies, the student theatre troupe that once included Saturday Night Live producer and U of T graduate Lorne Michaels.

But there’s more to Hart House than the building on the St. George campus. Hart House has owned a 150-acre farm on the Niagara Escarpment in the Caledon Hills that has been a country getaway for students since the mid-20th century. The farm produces maple syrup that people can buy at Hart House’s front desk, or taste in the Gallery Grill’s famous crème brûlée.

It has also served as the site of one of Canada’s first land-based learning courses, where students learned about Indigenous health.

10 things you need to know about the fall semester at U of T

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 20:24:21 +0000

10 things you need to know about the fall semester at U of T

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 09/10/2020 - 16:24

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(photo by Johnny Guatto)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Global Lens

Back to School 2020

Gerstein Science Information Centre

Undergraduate Students

As students, faculty, staff and librarians return to the ��Ƶ for the fall semester, they’ll discover much that is new – about their physical environment, learning experience and the way they engage with campus services and activities.

In response to the ongoing pandemic, U of T has implemented an array of new measures, protocols and procedures that aim to deliver a vibrant, world-class educational experience while keeping students, staff, faculty and librarians safe and healthy.

From how to grab a bite to eat to when to wear a face mask, here are 10 things you need to know about the fall semester at U of T:

Remote learning and working

(photo by PeopleImages via Getty Images)

U of T is offering a mix of remote and in-person classes this fall in an effort to provide an enriching learning experience while protecting the health and safety of students, staff, faculty and librarians.

More than 90 per cent of undergraduate courses now offer a remote option. The shift was planned meticulously over the summer months, with more than 100 educational technologists working closely with faculty and staff to ensure that thousands of fall courses offer a high-quality virtual experience.

At the same time, activities that require an on-campus presence – including research, lab work, group projects and certain seminars and lectures – will be carried out in-person in physically distanced environments. The blended approach recognizes that some instruction is best delivered in person and that some students may be better equipped to participate in remote learning than others because of access to technology or living arrangements. The university has also prioritized the re-opening of libraries on all three campuses to ensure that students have access to computers, internet and related services such as printing and scanning.

University staff, too, will continue to work remotely wherever possible to help promote physical distancing and contribute to U of T’s wider effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Mask policy

(photo by Johnny Guatto)

Students, faculty, staff, librarians and visitors to all three U of T campuses are asked to wear a non-medical face mask – or other face covering such as a scarf, bandana or balaclava – in all indoor common-use spaces. The university’s mask policy takes its cue from similar rules implemented by the City of Toronto and City of Mississauga.

To help support community members, U of T is distributing two masks each to all students, staff, faculty and librarians. Details on where to pick up your mask can be found at U of T’s UTogether site. Signage reminding members of the university community to wear masks will be found on locations across the three campuses.

Physical distancing in classrooms and buildings

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

From lobbies, elevators and stairwells to classrooms, labs and lounge areas, U of T’s indoor spaces have been carefully mapped and equipped with aids to promote adequate physical distancing of at least two metres – in keeping with public health guidelines.

While many courses will be delivered virtually, some will continue to be delivered in-person and the classrooms in question have had seats removed or blocked off to ensure physical distancing among students and between students and their lecturers, professors and teaching assistants.

Lobbies and stairwells have also been marked with signage to direct foot traffic, while elevators and common areas are subject to capacity limits.

Kiosks and offices where various university services are offered will be fitted with shields to ensure distancing between staff and their clients, while gym equipment at the Athletic Centre will be spaced a generous four metres apart for added safety in that environment.

Online COVID-19 self-assessment

Beginning Sept. 8, students, staff, faculty and librarians can utilize an online self-assessment tool to help them make informed decisions about going to campus during the pandemic.

The UCheck tool guides users through a series of questions, including whether you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, have travelled abroad or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. The tool can be accessed by using a UTORid and takes only a few minutes to complete.

Upon completing the self-assessment, users either receive a green notification indicating that they are OK to visit campus, or a red notification signaling that they should not go to campus as well as information about who they should contact and links to further information.

Members of the U of T community are strongly encouraged to complete a self-assessment on a regular basis – for most students, staff, faculty and librarians, that means every time you visit campus. Students living in residence and others who regularly spend time on campus should complete the assessment daily. It’s recommended that you check your status every five days, even if you are not visiting campus.

A focus on cleaning and hygiene

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Classrooms and libraries will be cleaned at least five times a week, while high-touch surfaces such as doorknobs and elevator buttons will be disinfected twice a day. Staff are using a special, chlorine-based cleaning solution approved for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Hand hygiene is a crucial part of the fight against COVID-19, which is why the university installed thousands of touchless hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipe dispensers across the three campuses and added paper towel dispensers in washrooms.

Staff have also inspected ventilation equipment in all buildings and have made upgrades where possible to mitigate the spread of the virus in indoor spaces.

Time for takeout

(photos by Jackie Shapiro/Ancillary Services U of T)

Menus at dining locations across U of T have been redesigned to make them as takeout-friendly as possible, with food services staff working to expand the range of fresh, packaged and quick-service options.

Students on the St. George and U of T Scarborough campuses can now use a mobile app to order their food so that they don’t have wait in line. Students can order both a la carte and customized dishes using the app.

At U of T Mississauga, cutlery will be wrapped for protection, condiment stations will offer single-use condiment packets, while milk and milk alternatives will be handled only by staff behind the counter. U of T Mississauga is also introducing a new service called Sally, which lets you create fresh, customized salads through a vending machine.

Vending machines across campus have also been restocked to offer hot and cold snacks and drinks.

Large seating areas at cafeterias and restaurants around campus will be reconfigured to encourage physical distancing, while outdoor seating areas could be set up, weather-permitting.

Libraries and bookstores

(photo by Mai Lu)

The Robarts and Gerstein libraries on the St. George campus will reopen their doors, with floors one to five on Robarts and the main floor on Gerstein available to students looking for a quiet place to study. Furniture in study areas will be spaced or blocked off to facilitate physical distancing.

The main floor at the U of T Mississauga library will reopen and the third floor may be reopened for study purposes depending on need. Two floors of the U of T Scarborough library will also reopen to offer study areas for the fall semester.

Students will have access to all electronic resources available through the library’s catalogue, including e-books, online journal article databases, primary source databases and streaming videos. Access is also provided to 2.5 million books and other references through the online repository, HathiTrust.

Even library books will not be exempt from quarantine requirements, with libraries at all three U of T campuses set to quarantine all books that are physically borrowed for at least three days after they are returned.

As for bookstores, the St. George and Scarborough locations remain open with new safety and physical distancing protocols, while the Mississauga bookstore reopened on Sept. 1.

All customers will be asked if they have COVID-19 symptoms and must practise physical distancing and follow the one-way direction signs through the store. The number of customers in the store at any given time will be limited and all staff and customers will be required to wear masks. Plexiglass protective shields will create physical separation between customers and staff at payment stations.

Cash payments will not be accepted. Check the bookstore website for updates.

Residences and quarantine accommodations

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Living in residence is a special and memorable part of the university experience, which is why U of T residence staff have worked hard to ensure that residence life remains vibrant, enjoyable and safe amid the new health and safety measures necessitated by the pandemic.

Physical distancing and occupancy limits will be observed throughout the fall, with no more than one student assigned to a room. Exceptions may only be made for siblings or students with specific medical concerns that require accommodation.

As is the case elsewhere on campus, residence buildings will see more frequent cleaning and disinfecting, added hand sanitizer stations and Plexiglas shields at kiosks and counters where student services are provided. Move-in days are being staggered over multiple days to reduce crowding.

The university will also provide access to quarantine spaces for students who won’t be living in residence but need a place to quarantine as per government regulations. International students are asked to contact their registrars to obtain a letter of support and ensure they have confirmation of their enrolment before finalizing travel plans.

Athletics

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OUR DOORS OPEN SEPTEMBER 8 and we are excited to see you again! ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Here is what to expect when you visit the Athletic Centre this Fall. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Registration begins tomorrow! ⁣

A post shared by U of T Sport & Rec (@uoftsportandrec) on Sep 2, 2020 at 8:28am PDT

Gyms and sports facilities at all three campuses will reopen in September with new health and safety measures, which include users having to book a time slot for their workout – a policy that helps control the number of people in the gym at any given time – and wear masks in the building, except during physical activity.

Students looking to lift weights at the Athletic Centre on the St. George campus will notice that equipment is spaced four metres apart, with weights and machines moved to the spacious field house. The Olympic-sized swimming pool will reopen with reduced occupancy.

At U of T Mississauga, students can sign up for one-on-one consultations with a trainer over Zoom as well as a six-week running program called RunUTM. Outdoor sports fields and courts are scheduled to reopen for use in September with new health and safety protocols.

Students at U of T Scarborough can access exercise facilities at the Pan Am Sports Centre. As is the case at other U of T gyms, students must book an appointment and wear a mask while in the building.

All Varsity and tri-campus competitions are suspended for the semester, but an array of mainly outdoor intramural sports are available to students. An e-sports league, which proved a huge hit with students over the summer, will return in the fall, with students able to showcase their e-sports skills in games including NBA 2K20, FIFA 20, NHL 20 and Madden NFL 20.

TCards

Students, faculty, staff and librarians on the St. George campus who require new or replacement TCards to access buildings, labs, meal plans and other services can book an appointment via CLNx to obtain their TCard.

New students are asked to submit a photo via MyPhoto. Once a photo is approved, students can set up a remote or in-person appointment via CLNx. Students who live in residence will be provided with their TCards in residence after they have had their photo approved via MyPhoto.

The U of T Scarborough TCard office will issue TCards if they are required for use in the fall semester. Students, faculty and staff can request this service by emailing tacrdoffice@utsc.utoronto.ca Student Housing and Residence Life will arrange distribution of TCards to students who live in residence.

The U of T Mississauga TCard Office will issue or replace TCards on an as-needed basis for building access, meal plans and other essential services. Anyone requiring a new or replacement TCard is asked to open a ticket at the I&ITS Service Portal (log in with UTORid).

U of T Libraries recognizes six undergraduate students for outstanding research

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 20:22:36 +0000

U of T Libraries recognizes six undergraduate students for outstanding research

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 08/06/2020 - 16:22

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Clockwise, from left to right: Emma Sullivan, Tegan Ridge, Kiera Farrell-Beaulieu, Braden Zufelt, Sally Walker-Hudecki and Colin Stewart

Allison Ridgway

Topic

Our Community

Gerstein Science Information Centre

Robarts Library

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Cheryl Regehr

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Hospital for Sick Children

Innis College

St. Michael's College

Trinity College

U of T Libraries

Undergraduate Students

University College

Victoria College

Emma Sullivan, a third-year undergraduate student at the ��Ƶ, had never heard of Pelizaeus Merzbacher Disease (PMD) before starting as a research student in the lab of Ronald Cohn at the Hospital for Sick Children.

Now, not only is she familiar with the rare, genetic nervous system disorder, she is one of six winners of the 2020 Patricia and Peter Shannon Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize for her research paper on genetic treatment options for the disease.

“This project required me to utilize countless softwares, databases and online tools, which was an incredible learning curve for me,” says Sullivan, a student at Victoria College who is pursuing a double major in cell and molecular biology, and health and disease.

“The most important thing I learned through this process is to ask questions. Either as experts or sounding boards, discussing complications with others helped me several times to adjust my perspective so I could find information where I hadn’t previously been looking.”

Sullivan’s fellow Undergraduate Research Prize winners demonstrated similar novel approaches in their work. U of T Libraries awards six prizes of $1,000 each year to undergraduate students from all campuses and disciplines for research they conducted while completing coursework.

“It is wonderful to see our talented students utilizing the wealth of information available at the libraries,” says U of T Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr. “I was particularly impressed by the students’ innovation at navigating the various resources, exemplifying the extraordinary undergraduate work happening at the ��Ƶ.”

This year’s winners – all Faculty of Arts & Science students – are Kiera Farrell-Beaulieu (second year, Innis College), Tegan Ridge (fourth year, St. Michael’s College), Colin Stewart (fourth year, University College), Emma Sullivan (third year, Victoria College), Sally Walker-Hudecki (second year, Trinity College), and Braden Zufelt (fourth year, Trinity College).

While U of T Libraries typically hosts a reception for each year’s prize winners, the event could not be held this year due to a limit on gatherings of people during the COVID-19 pandemic. U of T Libraries is instead celebrating this year’s winners online, where they share what the prize means to them and what they have gained from their research experience.

The winning papers are available to read through TSpace, U of T’s open access digital research repository.

“Winning this prize has been the most significant achievement both in my personal life and in my career thus far at the ��Ƶ,” says Farrell-Beaulieu, who won the prize for her research paper on the opioid overdose epidemic among youth in Ottawa.

Farrell-Beaulieu says her experiences growing up in Ottawa inspired her winning paper, which was completed for the course JGI 216: Globalization and Urban Change.

“Winning this prize shows that my research is going in a positive direction that can lead to an attitude shift in society’s treatment of teenage addiction and mental health,” she says. “It also means hope – for me, my classmates, community members, and the parents of those who passed away – that this crisis doesn’t have to be a permanence in our community.”

Larry Alford, U of T’s chief librarian, says he was “deeply impressed” at the level of research undertaken by the six winners.

“The students especially deserve to be commended for putting together their applications this year under the challenging circumstances of a global pandemic when the university had to quickly move online and classes were in the midst of transition,” he says.

The Patricia and Peter Shannon Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize is made possible due to an endowment by Patricia Wilson and Peter Wilson that supports U of T Libraries in promoting excellence in undergraduate research.

The winners were chosen by a panel of six judges: Christina Tooulias-Santolin, user services librarian at Robarts Library; Mikaela Gray, liaison and education librarian at the Gerstein Science Information Centre; Tracy Zahradnik, engineering librarian at the Engineering and Computer Science Library; Robert Bothwell, professor of international relations at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy; David Cook, professor of political science at Victoria College; and Jenna Gillen, assistant professor of exercise physiology at the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education.

U of T Libraries expands services as Toronto enters Stage 2 of reopening

sungjimi — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 14:25:32 +0000

U of T Libraries expands services as Toronto enters Stage 2 of reopening sungjimi Wed, 07/08/2020 - 10:25

Robarts Library is now offering curbside pickup and the Gerstein Science Information Centre has opened a study space for students who need access to a computer or Wi-Fi – welcome news for library users and for U of T’s library staff.

“Providing a safe and welcoming space to learn and do research is a huge priority for us as library staff,” says Larry Alford, U of T’s chief librarian. “And making available the vast record of research that we house here and to be able to reopen safely – that is a great feeling.”

Launched on June 22, the curbside pickup service is already in high demand. The hope is to expand the pickup service to other campus libraries, once safety protocols allow, Alford says.

“When we had to close our buildings, it was very clear that it was a huge loss in terms of access to print collections that weren’t online and frankly, a loss of access to technology for many students.”

Since early May, the HathiTrust Emergency Temporary Access Service has ensured U of T Libraries users have access to digitized versions of more than 2.5 million of the library’s in-copyright print books, as well as more than 6.7 million public domain and Creative Commons-licensed works. While this was a boon for U of T Libraries and its users, the Trust only has around one-quarter of the university’s entire collection already deposited and available online. The curbside pickup service will provide access to print books from Robarts Library that are not available through the Trust.

Robarts Library was one of the last buildings on the St. George campus to close its doors in March, after the provincial government announced that all non-essential businesses were to shut down to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Alford recalls that on the last day that the library was open, there were still more than 300 people using the library’s limited services.

“The stacks were already closed and only a few of our floors were open, but we still had 300 people on our last day. It goes to show how badly our library users needed the access to hardware, technology, space and services we have.”

On June 18, the Gerstein Science Information Centre’s Wallace Room, which normally seats more than 150 people, opened with five desktop computers available for students to book for three hours at a time, in addition to five bring-your-own device spaces. Alford says the reception for that service has been positive and demand is expected to grow throughout the summer.

“Everything will be done incrementally as we look at taking small steps to do everything safely,” says Alford. “Our priority will always be the health and safety of our community.

“Library staff do this work because we care about our users, we care about supporting research and learning, and making important scholarly resources as accessible as possible.”

Update: As of July 8, the U of T Mississauga Library began to offer curbside pickup service. The U of T Scarborough Library began offering curbside pickup as of July 13.

U of T Libraries expands services as Toronto enters Stage 2 of reopening

Photo by Diana Tyszko

Jenny Rodrigues

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