Parent Handbook

Attending university will be an exciting time for your child – and, by extension, for you. It is, however, a period when students can encounter financial, academic, social and personal challenges. We would like to take the opportunity to offer you some advice on how you can support your child during his or her university career.

Choosing Courses and Programs

An undergraduate degree in any area of study at the University of Toronto will lead to a wide spectrum of post-graduate options, so it is important that your child choose a program that suits his or her abilities and interests equally. Part of choosing a program of study is the exploration of different courses, and it is increasingly the case that students adjust their courses and programs as they go to suit emerging interests and untapped abilities. Trinity College has academic advisors on staff in the Registrar’s Office to help students in making decisions about course and program selection, and the University of Toronto’s Career Center is an excellent resource for students who want to discover how the skills they master at university apply to future educational and career choices. The college’s Academic Dons, accomplished senior PhD students, are also a valuable resource and can discuss programs and courses in their own area of study.

Grades

One of the biggest concerns for students entering university (and their parents) is whether their grades will drop. Half of all first-year students entering Trinity College will have achieved at least a 90% average in high school, and yet only a very small number of students in the Faculty of Arts and Science graduate with an average as high. The class average in most first- and second-year courses is approximately C+ (67-69%). Adjusting to this new reality is one of the greatest concerns for first-year students. It is important to keep in mind that any grade between 85 and 100% has the same grade-point value of 4.0, the highest value on the University’s scale. In fact, an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.8 from this university will provide a student with admission to almost any graduate program or professional faculty. Further, a B+ average of 77%, or a 3.3 GPA, earns students graduation with distinction and will still place them in a competitive range for most post-graduate study.

It is often the case that the first evaluation students receive is well below their expectations and below the average grade that they will achieve over the course of their undergraduate career. It is important that students not overreact when they receive their first evaluation in a course. This can be quite stressful, but should be used as an instructive experience in the adjustment to university (“Okay, how do I improve this grade?”) and not as a defining moment. Students in this situation should speak with someone in the Registrar’s Office who can outline the services available at the University to help with this transition. Again, an appointment with one of our Academic Dons is often a good idea, either for specific one-time advice or because many students have found that establishing an ongoing mentoring relationship with a Don can be highly supportive.

Academic Progress

With the flexibility that U of T offers in terms of summer study and the length of time that a student has to complete a degree, many students will now vary the traditional pattern of five courses per year quite a bit. Although a five-course load can be important for admissions to medical programs, generally don’t be concerned if your child is talking about dropping courses. It is better that students analyze their situation and drop a course in which they are doing poorly then to have a failing grade on their transcript. Equally, catching up can impose such strenuous workloads and pressure late in a term that work in other courses suffers. This active engagement and constant assessment of their standing in courses will ensure that students are making responsible choices that will result in a better academic transcript. If this situation arises, or if you are aware that your son or daughter is encountering unforeseen health or social difficulties, you should always encourage your student to speak to someone in the Registrar’s Office. The procedures for accommodating such difficulties provide more flexibility if these matters are dealt with in a timely fashion, and with documentation that is up to date and not after the fact. Students should also be mindful that there are deadlines for dropping courses (the academic and financial deadlines differ) and that they should familiarize themselves with these dates at the beginning of the year.

Finances

Offer your child the benefit of your experience with financial matters. Before the beginning or each year, you should also have an open and honest conversation about how much financial support you will provide, and what your student should do if he or she encounters a financial emergency. Typically, university students finance their education through a number of sources: part-time work, parental support, government loans and grants. The University of Toronto has an excellent grant system and its policy on student financial support states: “No student admitted to a program at the University should be unable to enter or complete the program due to lack of financial means.” This is an extremely important policy, but it is not a blank cheque. For example, the university requires that Canadian students qualify for student loans and assumes that International students arrive in the country with sufficient financial resources for the year.

The grants awarded as a result of the University’s financial commitment to students are tied to the government loan assessments of the Canadian Student Loan/Ontario Student Assistance Program (CSL/OSAP), and these assessments do not reflect the full range of actual expenses incurred by a student. They also assume quite a bit of financial support from parents, as well as some savings from the summer employment of each student. To support this further, Trinity has also developed its own effective bursary program. If your student demonstrates financial need, the College is committed to helping your child achieve as balanced a budget as possible. Make sure that your son or daughter makes an appointment to see an advisor in the Registrar’s Office regarding our bursary program.

Student Life

Whether students are commuting or living in residence, they will have access to an amazing co-curricular experience that will enrich their university education. They can get involved in social activities, student government and a countless number of student clubs. The co-curricular experience allows students to gain leadership skills and make lifelong friendships. It is easy for students, especially commuting students, to beat a retreat from campus as soon as classes are finished – or those living at the College to go back to their residence room – but class time is only one component of the university experience. Encourage your child to become fully immersed as a student. Such involvement should be seen as an integral component of a student’s university education.

Safety and Security

U of T is, in many ways, its own community, but it is also right in the middle of the country’s largest city. Both the College and the wider University have a strong safety record, but students need to be aware of their surroundings, take charge of their own safety and use common sense: travel with friends, lock doors, beware of unfamiliar individuals, stay in well-lit areas, for example. Students in residence benefit from 24-hour staffing at the Porter’s and Portress’ lodges at Trinity and St. Hilda’s residences, and U of T’s Walksafer Program is also a great way for students, both resident and commuting, to get safely around campus in the evening.

Achieving Independence

While we want you to take an active role in your child’s education, we have to stress that the University views students as adults, and our primary relationship is with them. They must engage with the university on their own and take responsibility for their academic career and all that it entails. We will not call you to report problems and we can’t share confidential information with you if you call. We are, however, more than happy to listen to parents and can request a follow-up interview with a student when that seems advisable; we can also speak to you about policy and the services available to your child, so that you can be better informed when speaking with your son or daughter. Besides the Registrar’s staff, the individual particularly charged by the college with providing support and counselling in these broad areas is our Dean of Students, and the college’s Chaplain is also a very experienced personal counsellor. Dean Kelley Castle is the College Dean for all students, not just those who reside in our residences. Although your desire to help is great, and you also have a lot invested (emotionally and financially), as a general approach you can often help best by listening, supporting, and encouraging your child to approach us with difficulties or questions.

Have a pre-university discussion

Here are some things parents should discuss with children before they begin first year, and maybe before the beginning of each year:

How often they will visit or call?
How they will handle their finances and what support will you offer?
Their academic plans and expectations for the year;
Their fears and anxieties about university;
What will they do if they run into difficulty of any kind?
Life skills like budgeting, shopping, laundry, etc.;
Issues of behaviour (their expectations, your expectations; issues pertaining to drugs and alcohol);
For commuting students – how often will they stay on campus and when will they call or be home? Be flexible here so that they don’t feel they have to come home right after class.

Resources and Support

The College and the University have many support services in place to help your child deal with academic, personal and financial issues. As a rule, the Registrar’s Office or the Dean of Students Office should be a student’s first stop. We will offer assistance where we can and provide the appropriate referral to another service if necessary. For first-year students we also have a First-Year Advising Program that includes summer group sessions on course enrolment, one-on-one counselling in the fall and spring terms, and spring group sessions on program selection.

Here are some useful services: