Roy McMurtry Community Outreach Donship at Trinity College for 2010-2011
Applications are invited for the Roy McMurtry Community Outreach Donship at Trinity College in the University of Toronto for 2010-11.
General Information
Trinity College appoints academic dons in a variety of disciplines. Through formal and informal activities, academic dons provide support for undergraduates in their disciplines and encourage the overall academic and personal development of students. Innovation and initiative are encouraged. Academic dons live in residence at the College and have student life responsibilities as well as academic responsibilities.
The College also appoints some dons with primarily student life responsibilities (80%); academic responsibilities in areas that fit the academic background and expertise of these dons constitute 20% of their appointment.
The community outreach responsibilities of the donship here advertised have an academic component (described in the final sentence of the next paragraph) and will constitute 70% of the appointment; student life responsibilities will constitute 30% of the appointment.
Community Outreach Responsibilities
The Roy McMurtry Community Outreach Don will establish connections between the College and other organizations and programs in the broader community. Under the supervision of the Dean of Arts and the Dean of Students, he/she will offer training and guidance to students who wish to become involved with outreach programs that are already in place, and will oversee new student initiatives for community outreach projects. An annual budget of up to $3,500 will be available, and the Community Outreach Don will make recommendations to the Dean of Students for its use in supporting student outreach initiatives. He/she will provide practical and academic guidance in the area of community outreach and social justice.
Student Life Responsibilities
All Trinity dons play an essential role in enabling the College to provide an appropriate standard of care and quality of life in the College's two residences. As senior members of the College's residential community, dons are expected to be visible and approachable. They are expected to engage with the Trinity community by helping to foster a safe, secure, diverse, vibrant and cooperative residence environment that is conducive to academic success and personal development.
Student life responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Encouraging an academic atmosphere, mutual respect, and cooperation in residence so that the rights and needs of all students to study, learn, and rest are met;
- Assisting with supplying information on residence life and College and University facilities, including support services (e.g., those offered by the Registrar's Office, the chaplain and the broader University community);
- Helping to maintain reasonable levels of conduct, safety and security, including upholding the Trinity College Code of Student Conduct;
- Serving as an initial contact for resident students who are in emotional, psychological, physical, social, economic, or academic difficulty, and referring such students when appropriate to the professional services offered by the College, the University, and the wider community;
- Responding to crises of a varied nature (e.g., illness) in accordance with guidelines provided by the College during dons’ training;
- Meeting regularly with the Dean of Students to advise him/her on problems in the residences;
- Serving as role models for students;
- Serving as "duty dons" on rotation and reporting any incidents to the Dean of Students;
- Assisting with the orientation of new students and with certain College events as requested;
- Promoting interaction between faculty and students by such means as “High Table” nights.
Time Commitment
The total time commitment is normally 12-15 hours per week on average. The Community Outreach Don will normally spend 8-10 hours per week on average fulfilling his/her community outreach responsibilities and 4-5 hours per week on average fulfilling his/her student life responsibilities.
Residence Requirements
Dons will be required to move into residence before central dons’ training (August 23-26, 2010) and to remain in residence during both terms of the 2010-2011 academic year, until the day following the end of the spring examination period. Dons are not required to be in residence during the winter break between terms.
Reporting Relations
The Community Outreach Don reports to the Dean of Arts and the Dean of Students. For matters relating to his/her general terms of employment and to the provision of academic guidance to students in the area of community outreach and social justice, he/she reports to the Dean of Arts; for matters relating to the other aspects of his/her community outreach responsibilities (see above, “Community Outreach Responsibilities”) and to the student life component of his/her employment, the Community Outreach Don reports to the Dean of Students.
Restrictions
Dons are not permitted to accept other employment (with the exception of Teaching Assistantships) or to take on commitments with external organizations that would require their absence from College for more than a few days.
Compensation
Dons are paid at a rate comparable on an hourly basis to the rate of pay for SGS (School of Graduate Studies) II Teaching Assistants. Compensation is sufficient to cover the cost of room and board for eight months in a College suite (this cost is deducted at source), as well as statutory Employment Insurance and Canada Pension Plan deductions (but not income tax deductions, if any).
Qualifications
Applicants should be enrolled in (or applying for admission to) a graduate or second-entry professional program, or pursuing post-doctoral studies, at the University of Toronto. They should have experience (preferably leadership experience) in community outreach programs/activities. In addition, they must have excellent academic records. Tutoring or TA experience is an asset, as is residence experience.
Applications
Candidates should apply to Professor Derek Allen, Dean of Arts, Trinity College, 6 Hoskin Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1H8. Applications may be submitted by email to Dean Allen c/o Ms. Herma Joel (herma@trinity.utoronto.ca) and should include a covering letter, a curriculum vitae, an undergraduate transcript and (if applicable) a graduate transcript. The covering letter should explain the applicant’s qualifications for, and interest in, the position. In addition, applicants should arrange for two letters of reference to be sent by email to Dean Allen c/o Ms. Joel. The deadline for receipt of application materials is March 12, 2010. Short-listed applicants will be interviewed in the week of March 15th or March 22nd.
Trinity College encourages applications from all qualified individuals and seeks to appoint a team of dons who reflect the diversity of the College's students.
