Primer on Student Services & Academic Supports 2018-2019

Posted: October 03, 2018

BOOKMARK THESE STUDENT RESOURCES 2018-2019

Are you a new student at Trinity or a returning student? Do you commute? Do you live in residence? If you answered yes to any of the above, this article is for you. With the start of the new academic year, this is the perfect time to get to know (or re-acquaint yourself with) all of the terrific student services and academic supports that are available to students at Trinity College.

TRINITY COLLEGE ACADEMIC RESOURCE CENTRE

Trinity’s Academic Resource Centre (ARC) provides a central location where students can access many of the College’s academic supports: Writing Centre, on-site accessibility advisor and learning strategist support. Check the appropriate sections below for information on hours and how to make appointments with each of these services. The ARC is located on the lower level of the main Trinity Building, next to the Archives.

TRINITY’S CAREER AND ACADEMIC ADVISOR

Trinity’s Career and Academic Advisor Jon Bray provides advice on academic and career related matters, including program and career exploration, graduate and professional school applications, and job search support and strategy. Jon is also involved in Trinity’s mentorship program. Contact the Office of the Registrar to make an appointment.

OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR

This is your first stop for all things related to your academics and post-graduation planning. The Office of the Registrar offers all Trinity students advising on academic, financial, career-related, and personal matters. The advisors will listen, offer answers, options, clarification, and advice, and can also refer you to other more specialized services offered by the University of Toronto.  Email, call, or drop by to make an appointment to see someone if you have questions, have encountered difficulties, or simply want to talk to someone about your plans.

OFFICE OF THE DEAN OF STUDENTS

The Office of the Dean of Students is responsible for non-academic student life at the College, with the ultimate goal of fostering the well-being and academic success of Trinity students. In addition to managing the Residence Life Experience for the College, this office provides all Trinity students with educational and social programming, leadership and civic engagement opportunities, and many other avenues of out-of-classroom learning. Included in this is this year’s new programs and events centered around Health and Wellness with Trinity’s Associate Director, Community Wellness (see the Health & Wellness section below).

ACADEMIC DONS

Trinity’s Academic Dons are graduate students who live in residence and provide academic counselling and support for ALL Trinity students, whether or not you live in residence. The Dons also provide critical non-academic support for students, and create and ensure a safe and supportive residence community. The Academic Dons implement various types of programming for all students, so watch for more information throughout the year.

PEER ADVISORS

Peer Advisors are upper-year Trinity students who provide guidance and advice to first-year students throughout the academic year. They provide unofficial advice and assistance in the selection of programs and courses, so if you are studying a subject for which there is no Academic Don, or if you are just looking for advice from someone who has been through it before, talk to a Peer Advisor.

THE JOHN W. GRAHAM LIBRARY

The John W. Graham Library is available to all Trinity students for help with your library needs, including research support and instruction in information-seeking strategies, group study spaces, and computer workstations.  Meet your Personal Librarian!  You can drop in with your research inquiries or set up an appointment for help with in-depth research questions. 

MATH AID CENTRE

The Trinity Math Aid Centre is staffed by PhD students in the Department of Mathematics – if you need help with a math class or the math portion of any other class, make an appointment with the Math Aid Centre or visit during their drop-in hours.

WRITING CENTRE

The Writing Centre provides instruction in, and objective criticism of, written course assignments in any discipline. Staff there can advise you on the organization, argumentation, documentation, grammar, and style of your written work, and are happy to speak to you at any stage of the assignment from conceptualization to final draft.

NEW – ACCESSIBILITY ADVISOR

Trinity is very pleased to welcome Alexa Quach as our first on-location Accessibility Advisor this year. Alexa will be working out of the Academic Resource Centre on the lower level of Trinity College, next to the Archives. Accessibility Services at U of T has partnered with Trinity to provide an on-location advisor at the College with the hope of reducing barriers to accessing service and accommodations. Students seeking accommodations will be seen by our on-location advisor, or by an advisor at the central Accessibility Services office, as appropriate to their circumstances. In order to meet with an Accessibility Advisor, the first step is to register with Accessibility Services through their new online intake system. 

STUDENT LIFE ON-SITE PROGRAMS

Our On-Site Learning Strategist, Jonathan Vandor from the Academic Success Centre, is available to meet with Trinity students to discuss time management, study strategies, and more, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.  Appointments can be scheduled by emailing Jonathan at jonathan.vandor@utoronto.ca or by contacting the Registrar’s Office.

Our On-Site Counsellor, Lily Rosenberg from Health and Wellness, is at Trinity throughout the week to offer students mental health support through one-on-one counselling. Lily is available by appointment. Referrals can be requested by contacting the Registrar’s Office, Office of the Dean of Students, or the Health and Wellness Centre.

Our International Transition Advisor, Karen Pak from the Centre for International Experience, will be on-site outside Strachan Hall on Tuesdays from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm. Karen can help new international students with transition-related questions like how to succeed in the U of T classroom, get involved on- and off-campus, make connections, and get access to helpful programs, services, and information. There is no need to make an appointment to meet with Karen – just drop by Strachan Hall on Tuesday afternoon during her on-site hours.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Trinity’s Mental Health Program and the Anne Steacy Counselling Initiative provides a network of support for students with both mental health and general wellness needs. In the role of Associate Director, Community Wellness Ramata Tarawally works one-one-one with students, is involved in health promotion and student engagement as well as connects students with on-campus supports and resources. Ramata works closely with Trinity’s in-house counsellor Lily Rosenberg who provides focused short-term counseling to students.

Students can make appointments with Ramata by email (rtarawally@trinity.utoronto.ca), phone (416-946-4044) or in-person. Ramata’s office is located on the first floor of St. Hilda’s College in room 134 and she also offers daily drop-in hours for students: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm; and Tuesday and Thursday from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm.

MINDFUL MOMENTS

Would you like to be more calm, confident, and connected? Join free weekly drop-in sessions, here at Trinity College, to practice secular mindful meditation techniques that increase your relaxation and focus. Follow this link for more information on the Mindful Moments program.

Time: Tuesdays from 4:10 pm to 5:00 pm
Location: Abbott Room, St.Hilda’s College Residence Building

YOGA

Yoga for Trinity students, faculty, and staff will be held on Thursdays. A limited number of mats will be provided. Come join in!

Time: Wednesdays 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Location: Abbott Room, St.Hilda’s College Residence Building 

NON-RESIDENT MEALS (2018-2019)

Students who are not living in residence are entitled to a number of free meals during the year (10 for part-time students and 15 for full-time students) that are automatically loaded onto your TCard and can be used by swiping your card at Strachan Hall. You can also purchase individual meals or supplementary 10-meal plans at any time from the Office of the Dean of Students.

THE FLEX DOLLARS PROGRAM

Starting September 2018: Trinity Flex Dollars are available to Trinity College students, faculty, staff and fellows/associates. Trinity Flex Dollars can be used at The Buttery and for internally-priced meals in Strachan Hall. The Trinity Flex Dollars program works as a declining cash balance, allowing students, staff, faculty and fellows to load cash onto their TCards. Learn more about Trinity Flex Dollars here. 

GOWNS 

Gowns can be purchased online (the price is $125, tax included) and picked up at the Office of the Dean of Students. If you anticipate rarely using a gown, you may prefer to borrow a gown when you need one – a limited supply is kept on hand that can be borrowed from the Welcome Desk for a specific event by leaving photo ID.

LOCKERS

Lockers at Trinity are rented on a first-come, first-served basis at a fee of $30 for the year ($25 for renewals).  Lockers must be rented at the Office of the Dean of Students with your TCard.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions about any of these resources.

GET INVOLVED WITH THE TRINITY COMMUNITY

The Registrar’s and Dean of Students’ offices will also be offering many joint events, collaborating with resources from all over campus, including the Career Centre, Student Life, Athletics, and various faculties & programs, just to name a few. Throughout the year, we will bring you academic events, social events, career events, health and wellness events, and many more!

Not to mention, there are numerous ways for you to get involved!  From the Trinity College Meeting, and clubs to volunteer and employment opportunities, there’s something for everyone at Trinity. Check out all of the student life links on this page – it includes current volunteer and job opportunities, so check these opportunities!

In the coming weeks, we look forward to meeting and working with all the students at Trinity: new and returning, residence and commuters students. Here’s to another year of opportunities, challenges, accomplishments and terrific memories!