University of Toronto
Template:Infobox University2 Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto (U of T), in Toronto, Ontario, is the largest university in Canada and one of the most important scholarly publishers in North America.[1]
For 11 years in a row, U of T has been ranked the top medical doctoral research university in Canada by Maclean's. U of T attracts some of the world's most renowned scholars and was ranked by The Scientist as the best place to work in academia outside the United States. Research InfoSource also ranks U of T as the top research university in Canada [2]. Over the last two decades, its faculty members have received almost a quarter of all national awards although they represent just over seven per cent of Canada's university professors.
U of T attracts top students from across Canada, as well as a signficant number of international students. It has produced some of the great minds for the nation, including four Prime Ministers, two Governors General, and numerous internationally recognized academic and business leaders. It has the most Nobel Prize-winning graduates among Canadian universities.[3]
As Canada's pre-eminent research institution, the University of Toronto is widely acknowledged as one of the world's finest publicly funded universities.[4]
History
Early years
The University was established on March 15, 1827, when King's College at York (Toronto) was granted its Royal Charter. King's College became the University of Toronto in 1849. Several other universities joined the University of Toronto, becoming "federated" with it. The federated universities are St. Michael's, Victoria, and Trinity. University College is the name of the original portion of the University of Toronto from before federation. The other colleges were created later, to accommodate the school's growing size.
Activism
The University has borne witness to much activism over the years. The 1960s saw the creation of Rochdale College, a large high-rise residence where many students and staff lived, though it was "officially" not connected to the university. Rochdale was established as an alternative to what had been seen as the traditional, authoritarian, and paternalistic structures within universities.
In the fall of 1969, after Pierre Trudeau decriminalized homosexuality, the first gay and lesbian group in Toronto or on any Canadian campus — the University of Toronto Homophile Association — was formed. Jearld Moldenhauer, a research assistant at the Faculty of Medicine, placed an advertisement in The Varsity, asking others to join in setting up an organization. While the first meeting drew a meager 16 people — 15 men and one woman — the group quickly established a significant profile within the community and the city at large. Two decades later, David Rayside, a professor of political science, would organize the Committee on Homophobia. Ten years after that, he would help introduce a sexual diversity studies program at University College, to much success.
Student life
Despite the prevalence of a wide variety of student interest groups and related organizations (likely more than in any other Canadian university), U of T suffers from the same impersonal atmosphere that plagues other large universities. Most students live off-campus, and for many the U of T experience is limited solely to attending classes. This has resulted in a general lack of school spirit and the disconnection many of its students feel from the school and other students. This lack of community has been detrimental to the solicitation of financial support from alumni. However, the school's rich and varied culture is available to those students who seek it out.
The university is represented in Canadian Interuniversity Sport by the Toronto Varsity Blues.
Campuses
The St. George (downtown) Campus has a rich architectural history, making it a popular attraction for visitors to the city, as well as a common location for shooting movies. It is informally bounded by Spadina Avenue to the west, Bloor Street to the north, Bay Street to the east, and College Street to the south. The campus is well-served by public transportation (TTC), namely by the Spadina, St. George, Museum, and Queen's Park subway stations.
At the other end of the Greater Toronto Area is the University of Toronto at Scarborough (UTSC) or Scarborough College, approximately 30 kilometres east of the downtown campus. The 300 acre (1.2 km²) campus is on Highland Creek in the Scarborough area of eastern Toronto, on Military Trail, near Highway 401 and Morningside Avenue. Both of these campuses are considered by students as second tier parts of the university network. Their admission standards are somewhat lower. All three campuses are undergoing massive construction, with over 25 facilities recently completed, uprgraded or in the works. These capital expansion projects are designed to increase study space as well as attract top-level talent. The study space requirement is in large part due to the cancellation of OAC and predicted increases in enrollment. Complete list of colleges and divisionsFederated universities
Constituent colleges
Professional and graduate faculties
Colleges and faculties comprising the Toronto School of Theology
Other academic units
Former affiliated collegesSenior Officers of the University of TorontoList of Chancellors
List of presidents
Noted graduates and facultyAcademics and scholars
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