Orientation Week
Get Ready for Your First Week!
Thank you for choosing the University of Toronto for your studies, and welcome to the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) family!
Student Orientation takes place at the start of the Fall term. It offers in-person and online activities to connect you with the University of Toronto, OISE, your academic program and your academic department. It is a great way to meet your peers, get comfortable on campus and learn about all the support services you have access to as an OISE graduate student.
Watch your UTmail+ email inboxes for further event details and links to RSVP. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect. Mark your calendar and plan to join us!
A Note About Safety:
For everyone’s safety and comfort, hand sanitizer and masks will be available at in-person events. We strongly encourage participants to wear masks when on campus. If you are experiencing symptoms or have been directed to isolate by a healthcare provider, please do not attend the event in-person. Instead, take advantage of the online and live-streamed elements of the event.
Join Us for Orientation Week (September 2023)
Details on the Fall 2023 Orientation events are in progress. This web page will be updated as information becomes available.
Student Resource Guide
The Student Resource Guide provides a summary of information on student services and supports available at OISE.
Frequently Asked Questions About Orientation
OISE Orientation events will be held in-person, and online. Some activities will be hybrid, allowing for both in-person and online participation. Watch your UTmail+ email inboxes for details.
Both! Some events will take place over Zoom and/or Microsoft Teams.
Zoom
To ensure you have full Zoom functionalities and to reduce technical issues, you should:
- Claim a free U of T issued Zoom Educational Account.
- Install the free Zoom desktop application, instead of running it on a web browser, to your computer.
- Join a Test Zoom meeting,
- Read Zoom FAQs or access the University of Toronto Zoom Knowledge Base.
- Configure UTORvpn if Zoom is blocked in your country.
Microsoft Teams / Office
All U of T students get free access to Microsoft Office 365 (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and more). Take full advantage of this by installing Office 365.
In the coming weeks, you will find orientation schedules, Zoom/MS Teams links and additional resources on this web page.
You may also receive orientation planning, schedules, and links directly via email from your department or program.
Orientation is a joint effort between several Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) areas. The following are important groups and acronyms you should familiarize yourself with.
Registrar's Office & Student Experience (ROSE)
The ROSE provides information on admission, digital forms, course registration, account information, fee payments, student financial budgeting advice, counselling, accommodations, career services, the OISE Student Success Centre (OSSC), professional development, convocation, and more. ROSE also organizes the OISE-wide Welcome Events and Information Fair.
Your Department (LHAE, SJE, CTL, APHD)
There are four unique departments at OISE, and every program falls under one of them. Each department’s title explains the type of programming they offer. If your department is hosting orientation events, it is likely that you will receive further information via email. The four departments: Applied Psychology & Human Development (APHD), Curriculum, Teaching & Learning (CTL), Leadership, Higher & Adult Education (LHAE), and Social Justice Education (SJE).
Collaborative Specialization
Some students may choose to be a part of a collaborative specialization as well. If your collaborative specialization is hosting orientation programming, you will receive more information via email.
School of Graduate Studies (SGS)
SGS Orientation activities are meant to help you connect with the broader graduate community. Visit the SGS Orientation website to learn more about their orientation events.
For students who cannot attend SGS events in-person or prefer to engage virtually, SGS has a Orientation Quercus site where students can access additional practical information, such as administrative processes for their programs, recordings of orientation day sessions as well as links to synchronous/asynchronous content and workshops. Students can opt-in to the course if they wish and will have access to the content for one year.
All U of T/OISE graduate students have access to resources, programming and services offered through SGS. Such as: academic, professional, awards, international experience, events, Gradlife, and more.
- Graduate Centre for Academic Communication (GCAC)
- Centre for Graduate Professional Development (CGPD)
- SGS Awards & Funding
- Centre for International Experience (CIE)
- SGS Events Calendar
- Gradlife
University of Toronto Graduate Student Union (UTGSU)
The UTGSU represents all U of T graduate students and advocates for improvements that increase the quality of the graduate student experience, including: improved student access to mental health support, increased funding, improved academic support and resources, and more.
UTGSU provides many services for their members, including but not limited to: tax clinics, health, dental, and travel insurance, conference bursaries, confidential academic appeal support and conference, and academic engagement grants.
Registration for Orientation will be available soon. You will receive further information and registration details for your department or program specific orientation programming directly in your UTmail+ email.
Make sure your UTORid and UTmail+ email are set up!
UTORid is short for University of Toronto ID. Your UTORid is necessary for accessing everything online at U of T/OISE. Therefore, you must set up your UTORid as soon as possible.
As you set up your UTORid, you will also set up your UTmail+ (short for University of Toronto email).
You will receive many orientation event invites, and it can be overwhelming! But, every incoming student has unique needs and may prioritize things differently. We recommend the following priority order.
Priority #1
- Registrar's Office and Student Experience (ROSE) at OISE
- Your Department, Program, or Collaborative Specialization at OISE
Priority #2
- School of Graduate Studies (SGS) at U of T
- University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU) at U of T
Priority #3
- All other U of T/OISE group orientation events
