Welcome to Orientation Week at OISE!
September 2 to 5th, 2025
We’re so excited to welcome you to the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto!
Orientation Week is your chance to:
- Meet other new students
- Learn about your academic program, department and student supports
- Get comfortable with campus life before classes begin
We’ve designed events to help you feel supported and ready for success.
Key Dates & Schedule
All of the sessions will be held at OISE (252 Bloor Street West). Explore events tailored to your specific academic program and department. Please refer to the schedule below for details.
Keep an eye on your UTmail+ inbox for more event details and RSVP information. Don’t miss this chance to connect—mark your calendar and plan to be there!
Date: TBD
Location: To be announced
This event is hosted by OISE's Registrar’s Office & Student Experience team. Kick off your time at OISE with this welcoming event open to all new students — no matter your program or department.
This session brings together the full incoming graduate community and features:
- A big-picture introduction to OISE and the student experience
- Welcoming remarks from key staff and leadership
- An overview of essential supports and services
- Opportunities to meet peers across departments
Recommended for all incoming students before attending your department-specific events.
International Students' Pizza Party
Date & Time: Friday, August 29 from 5 to 9:00 p.m.
Location: OISE Nexus Lounge (OISE 12th Floor)
Come and meet your fellow international students while enjoying an evening of fun games and delicious pizzas! Mark your calendar now and more information will be shared with you!
Details for APHD’s orientation will be posted here shortly.
MT – Black Future Educator Pathways (BFEP) Cohort Orientation
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Location: OISE Library
Special welcome sessions and cohort launch activities.
Master of Teaching (MT) Program Orientation
Date & Time: Friday, September 5 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: TBD
A full-day orientation introducing you to program expectations, practicum planning, and community building.
C&P and LLE Program Orientation
Date & Time: Friday, September 5 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location: OISE Library
Join faculty and peers in the Curriculum & Pedagogy and Language & Literacies Education programs.
Department Orientation & Breakout Sessions
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 4 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Location: OISE Library
A departmental welcome followed by breakout sessions for each program area.
Departmental Welcome & Guest Speakers
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 4 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Location: SJE Lounge, OISE Building (12th floor)
Engage in critical discussion, meet faculty, and hear from inspiring guest speakers.
Student Resources
Student Guide
The Student Resource Guide provides a summary of information on student services and supports available at OISE.
Self-Guided Audio Tour
This audio tour was created to give you a feel of the OISE building. Led by one of our student ambassadors, you can take a virtual walk around, explore the key areas of OISE, and learn some neat facts about our spaces.
Frequently Asked Questions About Orientation
OISE Orientation events will be held in person, while some department and program events will take place online. Watch your UTmail+ email inboxes for details.
Both! It is possible that some orientation events will take place over Zoom 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 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
