Staff

U of T expands support for trans and nonbinary employees with $10,000 gender affirmation benefit

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 13:22:35 +0000

U of T expands support for trans and nonbinary employees with $10,000 gender affirmation benefit

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 10/24/2022 - 09:22

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(Photo by Polina Teif)

Alexander Nathan

Topic

Our Community

Sexual & Gender Diversity Office

Staff

In what is an important step for the health and well-being of the trans and nonbinary community, the University of Toronto recently adopted gender affirmation care benefits coverage for both non-unionized employees and staff who are members of the United Steelworkers Union.

Through benefits provider Green Shield Canada, U of T now offers a $10,000 lifetime gender affirmation benefit. This additional coverage, which took effect July 1, comes two years after Green Shield worked with U of T’s Sexual & Gender Diversity Office to co-ordinate community outreach and consultation on how best to provide gender affirming care to its plan members.

Allison Burgess, director of the Sexual & Gender Diversity Office, recently spoke to U of T News about the evolution of this benefits coverage and how the addition may impact members of U of T’s trans and nonbinary community.

What is gender affirmation coverage?

Gender-affirming care, as defined by the World Health Organization, includes a range of interventions – be they social, behavioural, psychological or medical – that are designed to support or affirm an individual’s gender identity when that may conflict or not align with the gender assigned at birth. These interventions can be quite expensive depending on what range of care is accessed.

While some elements, such as hormone care, have been covered by our benefits packages in the past, many other medical procedures, surgeries or items have not been covered. The expansion of gender-affirming coverage means that employees have access to financial support for what isn’t covered by OHIP and, ultimately, this means that our employees and/or their eligible dependents can access care that they may not have been able to otherwise.

Does this coverage fill a lot of gaps?

Yes, the coverage does fill a lot of the gaps that were previously not covered under our benefits plan.

For example, OHIP recently added coverage for top (or “chest”) surgery, but only the surgery itself is covered – not chest contouring, even though that is a very common need.

Then there are many, many other kinds of surgeries, supports and devices that are needed that have not been covered. Green Shield’s offering also includes reimbursement for core surgeries not covered by provincial or territorial coverage – services that assist in the physical alignment of the individual’s transitioned gender, and surgical enhancement of the individual’s features that follows their accepted gender ideal (examples include vocal surgery, chest contouring/breast construction, laser hair removal, and nose surgery).

The range of care that each individual needs is so vast that for some, this could cover everything while for others it will not, but $10,000 have a really positive financial impact.

Overall, this is a really big improvement. Does it cover everything? No. Some items such as shapewear are not considered medical items and are traditionally sold in sex toy stores or other non-medical settings. Or sometimes an item might not be medical grade, even though it serves the person’s needs in terms of gender affirmation. This is not about Green Shield not wanting to cover the costs for the items, but rather reflects a systemic limitation within our health-care and insurance systems more generally.

We know there is always more to do, but this is a truly significant change and step forward in terms of being able to affirm our trans and nonbinary staff.

What did people do prior to this coverage? Why is it so important?

In the past, people paid out of pocket or they simply didn’t have access to the care. I’ve seen lots of people doing fundraisers for surgeries. Some have also fought for coverage. They’ve argued for items to be covered by a Healthcare Spending Account, for example. But having to make a case for this is a lot of exhausting work.

When someone has to argue for things that are essential – things that are critical to the core parts of who they are and that can significantly impact their experiences of navigating through the world and coming to work – it can be an extraordinary burden. There are corners of the medical profession that are thinking about how to do better with trans-affirming care, but so many of our institutions are steeped in a gender binary. There are multiple layers of institutional and historic transphobia that play out in these individualized moments of an employee seeking the care they need for themselves or their family.

What consultation was undertaken before this change occurred?

In 2019 Ian MacEachern, director of benefits, pension and payroll, the Benefits team and I completed a landscape assessment to see what was available. I knew that a framework for trans-affirming care existed but did not see a lot of companies offering it.

That summer we were contacted by individuals from Green Shield Canada who were deeply committed to adding trans-affirming care to their coverage. They were trying to figure out how to get it done and wanted community feedback on what needed to be included to make the coverage meaningful. So, in collaboration with Queer U of T Employees (QUTE), we sent a call out to our community and the Sexual & Gender Diversity Office facilitated three focus group sessions: one for trans and nonbinary employees and faculty; one for employees and faculty with trans and nonbinary dependents (children, partners etc.); and a third for both.

Green Shield Canada asked a series of questions about the gaps in services, what was needed, how people felt about their interactions with Green Shield and any issues that had surfaced relating to gender – and so on. Their goal was to improve both what they offered and their service orientation.

The staff at Green Shield were incredibly grateful for the feedback they received from the U of T community. These sessions set them up for success by giving them a significantly more informed perspective and allowed them to relay people’s real stories and make a convincing case for change. The staff at Green Shield have told me directly how deeply grateful they are to all those who participated in that consultation.

Where should employees go to find out more information about this?

For specifics around your coverage, it’s best to contact Green Shield. For questions about or challenges with seeking gender-affirming care, any member of the U of T community is always welcome to reach out to the Sexual & Gender Diversity Office. While we don’t administer this coverage, we’re always happy to help investigate and hopefully resolve any concerns, systemic or otherwise, related to gender or sexuality. We’re here to support our community and recognize that even with this tremendous change, there is still more work to do. We look forward to hearing feedback on this care and learning whether it is meeting our community’s needs.

U of T honours two “giants of civil service”

ksoobria — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 19:08:15 +0000

U of T honours two “giants of civil service” ksoobria Thu, 07/22/2021 - 15:08

When the Landmark Project is completed, the plaza in front of Convocation Hall will include granite stones that pay tribute to the contributions to the University of Toronto of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sheila Brown and Senior Legal Counsel Steve Moate.

U of T celebrated the careers of Brown on June 28 and Moate on June 30 as they neared their retirement from the university. Colleagues, friends and family “gathered” by way of Zoom and presented Brown and Moate with the granite stones as a show of thanks for their decades of service.

“U of T’s staff – who I often think of as our civil service – are essential to the operation and life of our university. Sheila and Steve are two giants of this community who have made an indelible and very positive impact over the course of their brilliant careers,” said U of T President Meric Gertler.

Brown obtained a B.A. from McGill University and then joined U of T in 1973. “They put me in front of a manual typewriter and I got to work,” she said. Over the next 48 years, she built her expertise in financial administration through a series of positions throughout U of T, including executive assistant to a former Chief Financial Officer, CFO in the Faculty of Medicine and Controller and Director of Finance for the university. During this time, she also earned her MBA from U of T and served on the board of the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO), including two terms as President.

Brown was appointed the university’s CFO in 2005 and “distinguished herself as a consummate professional who has consistently adhered to the highest standards,” said Gertler.

Among her many achievements, she was praised for playing a key role in establishing the new University Pension Plan (UPP), which launched earlier this month after years of planning. The UPP – which includes U of T, Queen’s University and the University of Guelph – is the first of its kind in Ontario's university sector.

“Sheila’s work on the UPP will come to be seen as one of her crowning achievements,” said Gertler. “You can imagine that effecting the transfer and management of our pension assets and management of member services to the UPP was an absolutely massive project. It has positioned us and our employees extremely well for the long term.”

Scott Mabury, Vice-President, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships, called Brown a “trailblazer” in the Canadian university sector, noting her innovation in using the bond market to access external financing in support of the University’s academic objectives. “That strategy enabled U of T to build much-needed physical infrastructure and it inspired other Canadian universities to do the same.”

Pierre Piché, Controller and Director, Financial Services, and one of Brown’s closest colleagues, canvassed the staff of the Financial Services Division for their thoughts. Among the tributes – “Sheila has a passion for supporting the university’s academic mission through administrative excellence.” “She leads with integrity and compassion.” “She helps us develop our own leadership skills, both internally and externally.” “You can count on Sheila to develop a culture of trust, openness and inclusion.” “She always encourages debate on various issues and takes the time to listen to points of view.” “You have been a model for a generation of women in the financial world.”

Moate attended University of Toronto Schools, obtained his B.A. at U of T’s Trinity College and his law degree from the university’s Faculty of Law.

He was called to the Bar in 1984, and practised employment law with the firm Hicks Morley until 2001. He was appointed as its first Director of Research, and later became a partner. He joined U of T in 2002 as Employment Relations Legal Counsel and was appointed Senior Legal Counsel in the Office of the President in 2006.

“Steve has served this institution with dedication and distinction,” said Gertler. “His loyalty to U of T stems from a deeply rooted commitment to the university’s mission, a belief in the importance of what we are doing – and whom we are doing it for. This commitment is evident in everything Steve does, from expansive files like the University Pension Plan or free speech to those matters that touch on individual students and their lives. Steve’s contributions have advanced the university’s mission immeasurably.”

All speakers at the celebration attested to Moate’s ability to analyze legal matters clearly – and to do so with civility.

Said Provost Cheryl Regehr, “I have been exceptionally fortunate to have worked with one of the finest lawyers in the field in Steve Moate. His calm wisdom and strategic mind were invaluable to me.”

Long-time colleague Nora Gillespie, Senior Legal Counsel, Division of the Vice-President and Provost said, “Steve is a consummate lawyer and a truly gentle person. It has been awesome to have him as a colleague. His brilliant legal mind, unimpeachable integrity, impeccable writing and total dedication to the university and his colleagues are unparalleled.”

Kelly Hannah-Moffat praised how Moate could understand the nuances of university policy and its relevance to students, faculty, staff and librarians.

“You can cut through the complexity of any issue and define precisely and succinctly what the key elements are and what we need to address,” said Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture.

“Beyond this, you have brought a sense of kindness to the workplace that I greatly admire. You’ve matched your commitment to this institution with a genuine concern for those you work with. Thank you for doing everything you can to create a culture of caring at U of T.”

And how are Brown and Moate feeling as they approach a new chapter in their lives? Both are deeply thankful to the U of T community.

“The university is a wonderful place to work and have a career,” said Brown. “For administrative staff such as myself it’s endlessly fascinating because U of T is large and diverse and there is such a wide range of opportunities. U of T creates environments where you’re always finding something interesting to do. This has been a wonderful ride for me. To be part of this and to see the university change and grow and succeed, makes me feel privileged to have been part of it.”

Moate referred to his long association with U of T, from high school through his post-secondary years and much of his career. “Some might say, ‘That guy does not think far outside the box.’ I prefer to say, ‘If I have found a very good thing, I stick with it.’ This is a great university. It has the highest standards because it is comprised of people with the highest standards. It is dedicated to the pursuit of truth and knowledge and I’m excited and optimistic about its future. It’s been a great honour to have worked and studied here and to have been shaped by U of T in so many ways.”

U of T honours two “giants of civil service”

Paul Fraumeni

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'Talent, creativity and commitment': U of T students, faculty and staff receive Awards of Excellence

noreen.rasbach — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 04:00:00 +0000

'Talent, creativity and commitment': U of T students, faculty and staff receive Awards of Excellence

noreen.rasbach Mon, 04/29/2019 - 00:00

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The winners of the 2019 Awards of Excellence gather for a photo at Thursday's ceremony, where President Meric Gertler praised them for their contributions to U of T (photo by Gustavo Toledo Photography)

Topic

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Faculty of Medicine

Graduate Students

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Staff

Trinity College

Undergraduate Students

University of Toronto students, faculty and staff were honoured with 2019 Awards of Excellence at a ceremony last week, with U of T President Meric Gertler praising the winners for the “incredible depth and breadth” of their contributions to the university.

“The fact that we consistently rank among the world’s top universities is really a testament to the brilliant research and teaching happening every day on our three campuses,” said President Gertler.

“And it’s entirely due to the talent, creativity and commitment of our individual faculty members, staff and students.”

Supported by the University of Toronto Alumni Association (UTAA), the Awards of Excellence program comprises nine separate, prestigious awards for faculty, staff and students. The oldest award, the John H. Moss Scholarship for undergraduate students, was created in 1921, and the most recent addition, the Jill Matus Award for Excellence in Student Services, was established in 2016.

This year, the awards were presented on stage by President Gertler, Chancellor Rose Patten and Scott MacKendrick, president of the UTAA, with David Palmer, U of T's vice-president of advancement, serving as master of ceremonies.

President Gertler said this year’s faculty winners have raised awareness of unconscious bias, advanced human rights and improved Ontario’s health-care system, among their long list of accomplishments. Staff winners, he added, have promoted student wellness, reimagined alumni relations and worked to bridge racial divides in sports.

As for student honourees, President Gertler said they “combined exceptional academic performance with co-curricular leadership, on campus and well beyond.

Read about all of this year's winners here

U of T News spoke with five award recipients about their work and contributions to the university.

Jillian Sprenger

John H. Moss Scholarship winner

Jillian Sprenger (second from left) with President Meric Gertler, Chancellor Rose Patten and Scott MacKendrick (photo by Gustavo Toledo Photography)

A fourth-year Trinity College student majoring in global health, Jillian Sprenger has already conducted original research, produced a documentary film on climate refugees, undertaken five independent projects and secured funding to travel to Myanmar, Taiwan, Ecuador, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka.

A triathlete and former member of the Varsity cross-country and track and field teams, she also mentors high school students through U of T’s Global Ideas Institute. Her professors praise her ambition and willingness to step out of her comfort zone.

The John H. Moss Scholarship will help support her in graduate school, where she plans to study medical biophysics at U of T in the fall.

“If there is something that you love, I think you make time for it, and I’ve always been someone who has a lot of things on the go at once,” said Sprenger.

“It doesn’t feel like work, it’s fun.”

Mama Adobea Nii Owoo

Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award winner

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Mama Adobea Nii Owoo, a PhD candidate at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, speaks five languages and is working to strengthen Indigenous languages in her native Ghana.

Nii Owoo says the former British colony promoted English as the official language at the expense of the country’s Indigenous languages, which has created barriers to education and hampered the growth of literacy.

Drawing on lessons learned from Canadian Indigenous language initiatives, Nii Owoo’s thesis includes a documentary film on the education of teachers in Ghana, and she founded the non-profit Afroliteracies Foundation to create free print and video lessons in English and Gã for teachers in Ghana. She is also working on two children’s books.

“Teachers are the closest actors to education and a lot of us take the language of instruction for granted,” she said.

“But at the end of the day, when education is carried out in a language that people do not understand, it brings many more challenges.”

Ike Okafor

Jill Matus Award For Excellence In Student Services

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

A senior officer in service learning and diversity outreach at the Faculty of Medicine, Ike Okafor is responsible for many groundbreaking initiatives – including the Community of Support and the Black Student Application Program, which have helped more than 100 students facing systemic barriers get into top-ranked medical schools, from U of T to Yale, in just the last four years.

Colleagues say Okafor’s visionary idea of supporting students years before they apply to medical school has created real change and new opportunities. As a role model and dedicated leader, students laud him as fair, moral and hard-working.

“I think it’s a question of the society we want to live in,” Okafor said. “I feel if we are able to reduce barriers, it’s going to benefit everyone and enhance the quality of life in general.”

Barbara Dick

Chancellor’s Award (Influential Leader)

Barbara Dick (second from left) with President Gertler, Chancellor Patten and Scott MacKendrick (photo by Gustavo Toledo Photography)

As assistant vice-president of alumni relations, Barbara Dick has overseen an exponential increase in alumni engagement since her appointment in 2011, with a ten-fold increase in alumni volunteer engagement and a tripling of registrations for U of T’s Alumni Reunion.

A U of T graduate herself, Dick is known for using innovative programming to cultivate relationships with alumni, particularly more recent graduates.

“Your interest in engaging with the university three years after graduation is motivated by different needs than when you’re in your 30s and have a young family, versus when you’re a retiree and have more time on your hands,” Dick told U of T News. “We try to take a segmented approach that speaks to where our alumni are in their lives.”

Dick has also been credited with effectively leveraging the university’s global network of alumni in efforts to recruit the best international student talent.

“We provide our alumni with a long-distance opportunity to make a real difference and support our mission in a meaningful way,” she said.

Janelle Joseph

Chancellor’s Award (Emerging Leader)

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

The lead author of three books about race and sport in Canada, Janelle Joseph is focused on how gender, race, and ethnicity relate to power. She has advocated for faculty and staff training on unconscious racial bias and created an undergraduate elective course on race and indigeneity.

Joseph is director of academic success in the Division of Student Life and assistant director of the transitional year program. She leads the Learning Strategist Community of Practice and chairs the board of stewards for Hart House. Colleagues attest to Joseph’s exceptional rapport with her students and staff, and praise her for compassionate and positive leadership that encourages others to strive for more.

“All of us have to become a little bit uncomfortable, because complacency allows the status quo to continue,” said Joseph. “We all have to challenge our assumptions and try to think differently.”

Andrea Sass-Kortsak

Vivek Goel Faculty Citizenship Award

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Andrea Sass-Kortsak, an associate professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, was a leader in establishing occupational hygiene as a formal profession. She spearheaded the founding of a regulatory body, the Canadian Registration Board of Occupational Hygienists, which sets national standards for professionals who prevent workplace hazards.

Sass-Kortsak was also a significant force in the development of Dalla Lana, where she led curriculum renewal, developed an enrolment tracking system and shared best practices across divisions. Among her many other achievements, she developed a PhD funding policy and was a leader in the Safety Abroad initiative to provide risk-management support for students who travel.

“As an educator, my primary passion has always been teaching and the development of our profession,” she told U of T News.

Stealing the show: Conference aimed at event professionals first of its kind on campus

sungjimi — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 14:27:15 +0000

Stealing the show: Conference aimed at event professionals first of its kind on campus sungjimi Wed, 03/20/2019 - 10:27

From organizing staff retirement parties to receiving a foreign dignitary on campus, you can bet event planners at the University of Toronto have been working hard behind the scenes.

Main Event, an upcoming conference for event planning professionals at U of T, is formally bringing together all the internal staff who are involved in organizing events. The April 2 conference is being organized by the Office of the President and will be the first of its kind for the university.

“There’s a lot of creativity across the three campuses when it comes to event planning. I think the challenge is meeting the objectives of the local division and also giving it that consistent U of T brand,” says Bryn MacPherson, assistant vice-president in the Office of the President and chief of protocol.

For example, as the chief of protocol, MacPherson often gets questions from staff about how to receive guests or dignitaries in a consistent manner befitting of the university.

“I think that’s something many U of T event planners are looking for: a way to ensure best practices are shared broadly across the university,” she says.

Stevie Asselstine, manager of donor relations and advancement at the Rotman School of Management, says she’s looking forward to expanding her network at Main Event. Prior to her role at Rotman, where she is the sole alumni event planner, Asselstine worked in the central division of university advancement with a team of six event planners.

“A lot of my former DUA coworkers have gone on to other divisions so I know that I can call on them for ideas, which is great, but I know that not everybody has that,” says Asselstine.

In addition to networking, Main Event will feature skills development sessions such as speechwriting and will address topics ranging from complying with accessibility standards to managing disruptions from the public. Special guests will include President Meric Gertler and Stewart Wheeler, the chief of protocol of Canada, who will deliver the keynote.

MacPherson says a newly created U of T Event Professionals Group is already prompting conversations among U of T staff who are looking to bounce ideas off of their colleagues. The group, run as an Office 365 team, is intended to be a reliable network and community for event planning professionals at the university and will help facilitate interoffice collaboration.

“There are conferences and associations outside of the university, but we thought, why not harness the expertise we have within the university and share with one another?” says MacPherson.

Stealing the show: Conference aimed at event professionals first of its kind on campus

An on-campus announcement about the Canada Research Chairs program is an example of an event co-ordinated by U of T staff. Kirsty Duncan, the federal minister of science and sport, is pictured. Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn

Jenny Rodrigues

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U of T staff form group to learn about Indigenous history and teachings

hjames — Wed, 20 Dec 2017 05:00:00 +0000

U of T staff form group to learn about Indigenous history and teachings

hjames Wed, 12/20/2017 - 00:00

Cutline

OISE Staff Indigenous Alliance members Anil Purandaré and Lise Watson (photo by Hannah James)

Author legacy

Hannah James

Topic

City & Culture

Indigenous

Staff

Truth and Reconciliation

It was an inspiring lecture that prompted Lise Watson to start a group at University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education to learn more about Indigenous history, cultures, traditions and teachings.

Watson, a U of T alumna and staff member in the registrar's office at OISE, attended a talk by Jonathan Hamilton-Diabo, U of T’s director of Indigenous Initiatives who co-chaired the university's Truth and Reconcilaiton steering committee.

“He was saying, ‘It’s really up to non-Indigenous people to educate themselves. It’s not up to us to teach you what you need to know,'” recalls Watson.

“I really took that to heart.”

So now, on their lunch breaks and after work, a group of OISE staffers often go off together to take in a lecture on Indigenous history, visit an Indigenous art exhibit or have a bite to eat at an Anishinaabe restaurant.

The OISE Staff Indigenous Alliance, or OSIA, was also a response to Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action, and U of T's own report calling on the university to take action to improve its relationship to Indigenous peoples.

“I really took the TRC report seriously. It’s been a big passion for me for a long time,” says Watson.

Read the full U of T TRC steering committee report

Watson has been seeking out Indigenous education since she was an undergraduate student at U of T in the 1980s, studying anthropology. She says it was on a summer road trip across Canada when she realized just how little she knew about Indigenous cultures and people in her own country. Some European travellers in northern Ontario asked her about the First Nations communities in the area and she realized she had no answers for them. When she returned to U of T that fall to continue her studies, Watson says she took every Indigenous studies course that was on offer at that time.

Since OSIA's founding in March, its members – and there are about 40 of them so far – have organized group tours to U of T's Art Museum to see Kent Monkman's Shame and Prejudice exhibit and attended U of T’s inaugural Orange Shirt Day to commemorate residential school survivors. They also participated in Blanket Exercises, where blankets representing the land are placed on the floor and participants are taken on a guided walk from pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance.

OSIA members Gladys Lim and Anil Purandaré tuck into piled-high plates at PowWow Cafe in Kensington Market (photo courtesy of OSIA)

Anil Purandaré, a member of OSIA and staff member at OISE, says he is committed to educating himself about Indigenous peoples in Canada by attending events and training sessions at the Native Canadian Centre, participating in First Story walking tours to learn about local Indigenous history, and by reading as much as he can, including the national Truth and Reconcilation Commission's final report.

“I have studied it intently,” he says.

Read Canada's TRC report summary

When Watson invited him to join OSIA, Purandaré was happy to get involved.

He says that while he's pleased to see efforts to acknowledge Indigenous perspectives and presence by, for example, reading land acknowledgements at meetings, without a deeper understanding of what these gestures mean, they risk being empty ones.

“If it’s just about checking a box on a checklist when someone’s just reading a prepared statement for a land acknowledgement, what’s the impact really?”

OSIA visited Jaime Black's REDress art installation at U of T, which addresses missing and murdered Indigenous women across Turtle Island (photo by Hannah James)

Purandaré says OSIA has been a great way to get his colleagues to talk about what role they can play in reconciliation. "It provides opportunity for people who might not otherwise engage to think about the issues, to have some exposure to those kinds of thoughts and issues in a fairly accessible way."

Watson is hoping to expand OSIA's membership beyond OISE staff.

For more information you can find OSIA on Facebook.

U of T and CUPE Local 3261 reach two tentative agreements

lanthierj — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 16:27:55 +0000

U of T and CUPE Local 3261 reach two tentative agreements

lanthierj Fri, 09/15/2017 - 12:27

Topic

Our Community

CUPE

Staff

Negotiators for the University of Toronto and CUPE Local 3261 have arrived at two new tentative agreements.

“I am pleased to announce that tentative agreements were reached early this morning between the university and CUPE Local 3261 Full-Time & Part-Time and Casual units,” said Kelly Hannah-Moffat, U of T’s vice-president of human resources and equity.

The two CUPE Local 3261 bargaining units represent approximately 1,200 full-time, regular part-time and casual service workers including caretakers, grounds staff, laboratory animal technicians, hospitality workers and athletic attendants.

Information meetings for employees in both bargaining units will be held at all three campuses during the week of Sept. 18, followed by a ratification vote later that week.

“It’s important for all CUPE Local 3261 members to attend one of the information meetings and to vote,” Hannah-Moffat said. “A lot of hard work has gone into reaching these agreements, and I’d like to thank all those involved for their time and dedication.”

This round of collective bargaining between the university and CUPE Local 3261 began on April 28.

The university has 23 collective agreements with 11 different unions; 13 agreements are up for renewal in 2017. Members of the United Steelworkers voted on Sept. 11 in favour of a new collective agreement with the University of Toronto.

USW members ratify agreement with U of T

lanthierj — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 00:37:40 +0000

USW members ratify agreement with U of T

lanthierj Mon, 09/11/2017 - 20:37

Topic

Our Community

Staff

Members of the United Steelworkers have voted in favour of a new collective agreement with the University of Toronto.

“I am very pleased to announce that the voting majority of employees who are members of the USW Local 1998 Staff Appointed bargaining unit have approved this agreement,” said Kelly Hannah-Moffat, the university’s vice-president of human resources and equity.

The agreement was the product of negotiations that began in late May and wrapped up in the early morning hours of September 3rd. The new three-year agreement covers the term from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2020, with the majority of changes other than wages and benefits taking effect immediately following ratification.

The USW represents approximately 4,300 full and part time administrative employees across all UofT campuses.

The university has 23 collective agreements with 11 different unions; 13 agreements are up for renewal in 2017.

UTM’s Alison Dias headed to 2016 Olympic Summer Games

lavende4 — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 17:35:23 +0000

UTM’s Alison Dias headed to 2016 Olympic Summer Games

lavende4 Mon, 07/18/2016 - 13:35

Cutline

(Photo courtesy Tennis Canada)

Blake Eligh

Author legacy

Blake Eligh

Topic

When the world’s top tennis players hit the Olympic courts in Rio this summer, the University of Toronto Mississauga’s Alison Dias will be courtside keeping her eye on the ball.

Dias, who is a graphic artist with Information & Instructional Technology Services, is one of two Canadian technical officials who will call the tennis matches at the upcoming Summer Games. She beat out more than 600 applicants to snag one of 80 spots with the Olympic officiating team. As a lines official, Dias will call the ball in or out and assist the chair umpire for men’s and women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles matches.

Dias, who has been involved with the sport for 23 years, is one of a handful of Canadians qualified to chair international tennis matches. She got her start on the tennis circuit as a photographer at the du Maurier Open (now known as the Rogers Cup). She liked being close to the game but wanted to ditch the heavy equipment. “The court officials looked like they were having fun,” she says. “I took a course and a few weeks later, I was on the court as an official.”

Dias has become one of Canada’s top tennis officials, dedicating much of her spare time to her work with the sport. She has officiated matches across Canada, the Bahamas and at the 2012 Paralympics competition in London, and was an assistant referee at the 2015 PanAm Games in Toronto. Dias also trains new officials and is the provincial coordinator for Tennis Canada, managing about 150 tennis umpires across Ontario. Her off-court expertise was recognized with the Excellence Award in 2013.

“I like to see players develop, from being very young to teenagers to professional players,” she says. “As an official, I’ve helped to develop their behavior and discipline.”

Dias brings a sharp eye and long experience to the court, where a typical serve can travel 140 km per hour and the swing of a racquet might reach 70 to 100 km per hour. “It goes much faster than it might seem on television,” she says. “It’s all about putting your eye in the right position at the right time and watching that line to see where the ball will land.”

The high profile of the Games doesn’t faze her. “When you have to make a tough call, your instincts kick in,” she says. “If the player wants to complain, they can complain. You know when you’re right. I’ll have my experience behind me to make those tough calls.”

The Olympics will be Dias’ last big tournament as a courtside official. After five years as a chair umpire, she is training to become a referee, learning how to create match schedules, resolve player issues and supervise rule interpretations. “I’m ready to make the change, and the hands-on aspect appeals to me,” she says. “I’m always looking to learn and grow.”

U of T's Liz Howard, winner of the 2016 Griffin Poetry Prize

lanthierj — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 12:52:13 +0000

U of T's Liz Howard, winner of the 2016 Griffin Poetry Prize

lanthierj Tue, 06/21/2016 - 08:52

Topic

The University of Toronto's Liz Howard is back in the lab but still getting used to the fact that she is this year's winner of the Griffin Poetry Prize – the youngest poet to receive the prestigious award.

“When Tracy K Smith said my name I reflexively doubled over and buried my face in both palms,” the U of T alumna and staff member told U of T News.

“I suppose I had to shut out some of the enormity that was flooding my senses. What I felt and still feel is shock and profound gratitude.”

Howard won Canada's top prize for poetry with her debut book, Infinite Citizen of the Shaking Tent.

The $65,000 award is believed to be the world’s largest prize awarded for poetry.

Listen to a Radio Canada International interview

Read a Globe and Mail interview with Howard

Howard was drawn to biological science beginning in high school and it became the focus of her undergrad studies at U of T.

“I never thought of myself as science-oriented but that is what I excelled at. I loved, and still do, neuroanatomy, especially. The Latinate words used to name parts of the brain were simply gorgeous to me. What is more beautiful sounding than the ‘bed nucleus of the stria terminalis?’ I was hooked.”

As the research officer of Professor Lynn Hasher’s Aging and Cognition Laboratory, in the department of psychology, Howard manages a staff of research assistants, coordinates experiments, recruits participants, creates ethics applications and reports, and oversees all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the lab.

“I’ve been in this position for nine years, beginning just after undergrad graduation, and have been working part-time since enrolling in an MFA program in Creative Writing via the University of Guelph, now completed,” Howard said. “I also recently started working part-time in Professor Cheryl Grady’s Neurocognitive Aging Lab at UofT affiliated Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care.”

Howard signed up for a poetry class with U of T’s School of Continuing Studies after graduation. In an interview with jacket2.org, Howard said:

"I had just completed a degree in science and I saw this as an opportunity to take a poetry course. I have written poetry since I was very young but I did not pursue it in my undergraduate studies for a complicated set of reasons. Even so, I continued to write and even gave a few quivering open mic readings. This free course presented me with an opportunity to learn more about the craft and receive feedback on my writing.”

She continued with the School of Continuing Studies at U of T, signing up for the Poetry II course with instructor Margaret Christakos, who became her mentor and the supervisor of her master’s thesis at Guelph.

By coincidence, U of T president Meric Gertler has just written a column for U of T Magazine, focusing on the School and the opportunities it provides to our alumni and to the wider community.

“I was absolutely thrilled to hear about Liz Howard winning the Griffin Poetry Prize,” he said. “Literature, the arts and culture will always be crucial to our society, and Liz Howard provides a brilliant example of what an educated, creative mind can achieve when we decide to keep learning after graduation.”

Howard describes literature and science as “twin rigours that have occupied me and continue to grow.

“It is my experience that both are a way to know, know about oneself and the world,” Howard said. “They are in no way mutually exclusive. Synthesis, in everything.

“I pull from the language and theoretical underpinnings of cognitive psychology and neuroscience directly in my work. Poets who have a background in English or critical theory might pull from/be inspired by Beowulf, the works of Homer, or Derrida. I had Kandel et al.’s Principles of Neuroscience. The idea of memory as a reconstructive and plastic process-as in a recollected memory trace is always re-inscribed with the subsequent context of the recollection – I think is a critical concern in my work, if not an ongoing armchair philosophical obsession in my own mind!”

Howard’s work at U of T continues to sustain her work as a poet. “The lab job has enabled me to live in this expensive city. It has also given me unfettered access to U of T’s physical and digital library holdings, very important as research is key in my ‘process’.

But the job is more than a way of making a living or gaining access to one of the top three library systems in North America.

“It has been an inspiration to see graduate students come into the lab and then ultimately defend their dissertations,” Howard said. “To know that I have in some way assisted in that process is very rewarding.

“I remember attending a lab meeting in the recent past at which both Professors Hasher and Grady were in attendance and the research of the young women students in the lab was being discussed. It was a moment of beauty and pride for me. To present in this room of intelligent, ground-breaking women was incredible. Incredible especially to think on how impossible it would have been not too long ago.”

Follow Liz Howard on Twitter

Learning, Leadership & Culture, Centre for

sgupta — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 20:47:18 +0000

Learning, Leadership & Culture, Centre for sgupta Thu, 01/07/2016 - 15:47

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https://ulearn.utoronto.ca

Staff

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Read about all of this year's winners here

Jillian Sprenger

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Mama Adobea Nii Owoo

Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award winner

Ike Okafor

Jill Matus Award For Excellence In Student Services

Barbara Dick

Chancellor’s Award (Influential Leader)

Janelle Joseph

Chancellor’s Award (Emerging Leader)

Andrea Sass-Kortsak

Vivek Goel Faculty Citizenship Award

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Read the full U of T TRC steering committee report

Read Canada's TRC report summary

For more information you can find OSIA on Facebook.

U of T and CUPE Local 3261 reach two tentative agreements

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U of T's Liz Howard, winner of the 2016 Griffin Poetry Prize

Listen to a Radio Canada International interview

Read a Globe and Mail interview with Howard

Follow Liz Howard on Twitter

Learning, Leadership & Culture, Centre for

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