University of Toronto Scarborough

The University of Toronto Scarborough, also known as U of T Scarborough or UTSC, is one of the three campuses that make up the tri-campus system of the University of Toronto. Located in the Scarborough district, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the campus is set upon suburban parkland next to Highland Creek. It was established in 1964 as Scarborough College, a constituent college of the Faculty of Arts and Science. The college expanded following its designation as an autonomic division of the university in 1972 and gradually became an independent institution. It ranks last in enrolment size among the three University of Toronto campuses, the other two being the St. George campus in Downtown Toronto and the University of Toronto Mississauga.

University of Toronto Scarborough
Former names
Scarborough College (1964–1983), University of Toronto Scarborough Campus (1983–1996), University of Toronto at Scarborough (1996–2006)
TypeSatellite campus
EstablishedOctober 6th, 1964[1]
PrincipalWisdom Tettey[2]
DeanWilliam Gough[3]
Academic staff
260[4]
Students14,547[5]
Undergraduates14,171[5]
Postgraduates376[5]
Location
Toronto
,
Ontario
,
Canada

43°47′01″N 79°11′8″W
CampusSuburban, 123 hectares (300 acres)[4]
Websitewww.utsc.utoronto.ca

Academics of the campus are centred on a variety of undergraduate studies in the disciplines of management, arts and sciences, whilst also hosting limited postgraduate research programs. Its neuroscience program was the first to be offered in the nation. The campus is noted for being the university's sole provider of cooperative education programs, as well as the Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Through affiliation with the adjacent Centennial Science and Technology Centre of Centennial College, it also offers enrolment in joint programs.

The campus has traditionally held the annual F. B. Watts Memorial Lectures, which has hosted internationally renowned scholars since 1970. Its nuclear magnetic resonance laboratory was the first of its kind in Canada, allowing the campus to conduct influential research in the environmental sciences. The original building of the campus was internationally acclaimed for its architectural design. The Dan Lang Field, home to the baseball team of the Toronto Varsity Blues, is also situated at the campus.

History

The 152-hectare (380-acre) land along the valley of the Highland Creek was purchased in 1911 by Toronto-based businessman Miller Lash, who developed the site into his summer estate with a mansion, today known as the Miller Lash House. The mansion included 17 rooms, a barn, a coach house, and three houses for his staff to dwell. Over the following years, over 100 acres of the estate was also used as farmland. Following the death of Miller Lash in 1941, the estate was acquired by E. L. McLean, an insurance broker, in 1944 for $59,000.[6] He made new additions to the estate, including a swimming pool and change room, and a retaining wall made in stone.

About 82 hectares (200 acres) of property was later purchased from McLean, just before his death, by the University of Toronto for about $650,000 in 1963, as part of the university's regional expansion. The groundskeeper of the land would continue to reside in the Highland Creek valley for the next 29 years. McLean's additions to the Miller Lash House, which would eventually become the residence of the campus's principal, were modernized and 28 hectares (70 acres) of surrounding land north of the estate were also acquired. The University of Toronto established the Scarborough College as part of the institution's collegiate university system and declared the campus a branch of the Faculty of Arts and Science. D. C. Williams was appointed as the principal of Scarborough College and the planned Erindale College, as well as vice-president of the university. The college's faculty, consisting of 16 members, was also established and headquartered at the main campus in Downtown Toronto. First classes were held at Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute and Old Biology Building at the St. George campus.[7] Designed by John Andrews, the first building of the campus began construction the following year.[8] Due to delays in construction after a strike among workers, the Scarborough College opened in temporary classes at the main campus to 191 full-time students in 1965. The first building was completed in time for the following academic year.

The college included a 6,000-square-foot (560 m2) television production studio. This was for a unique video lecturing system the college was initially planned to have, that relies on the use of closed circuit television for teaching purposes.[9] The system grabbed international media attention, and was complimented in the 1967 edition of Time.[10] However, the video lecturing system was abandoned after it was condemned for the lack of communicability of students with instructors. In 1972, the campus was reorganized as a separately governed division of the university's Faculty of Arts and Science, developing its own curriculum. In 1973, it became the first post-secondary institution to adopt a course credit system in Ontario and the first cooperative education program was established. The campus adopted its present official name in 2006 after being renamed University of Toronto Scarborough Campus in 1983 and University of Toronto at Scarborough in 1996. The initials UTSC comes from the former name and continue to be used by the university to distinguish the campus from University of Toronto Schools (UTS).

Grounds

Campus

For much of its existence, the University of Toronto Scarborough was described as a "mid-sized university campus".[11] It sits on 123 hectares (300 acres) of land, forming the west side of the Highland Creek neighbourhood. It is bounded entirely by Morningside Avenue to the west. Its eastern, northern and southern borders are not definite, however; the campus grounds extend north slightly south of Highway 401 and south slightly north of Old Kingston Road. Its eastern boundary is Military Trail while south of Ellesmere Road and slightly further east while north of Ellesmere Road. Unlike the university's downtown campus, the University of Toronto Scarborough is located in a suburban area, consisting of residential houses along its eastern side and urban forestry on its southern and western side. The neighbourhood's namesake river runs through the southern portion of the grounds and its valley consists of pedestrian trails that link the campus to nearby parks and neighbourhoods.

Transit bus service by the Toronto Transit Commission, GO Transit, and Durham Region Transit connect the campus to nearby transportation hubs.

Architecture
Looking west: Science Wing ahead, Bladen Building on the left, and the Arts and Administration Building on the right.

The Andrews Building, the first completed building of the campus named after its designer, John Andrews, was built in a brutalist architectural style and completed in 1964.[12] The interiors were made to mimic streets of a city, with wide hallways and balconies on upper floors. The building is divided into two wings, known as the Science Wing and the Humanities Wing. The Meeting Place, a large atrium at the center of both wings, is often used to hold events.[10] The design of the Andrews Building, along with its unique closed circuit television teaching system, were targets of international acclaim during the decade.[13]

The 1970s and onward saw new buildings being designed in a modernist style.[14] The Recreational Wing, now known as the Bladen Wing (named after Vincent Bladen, former dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science) was completed in 1972. The Recreation Wing (R-Wing) housed the University of Toronto Scarborough Library, then known as the Vincent W. Bladen Library. The N'Sheemaehn Child Care Centre, one of the university's non-profit child day care facilities, opened in 1990. An underground corridor completed in 1995, known as the Hall of Excellence, connects the R-Wing (Bladen Wing) and the H-Wing (Humanities Wing).[15]

Double cohort brought challenges to the teaching, study and residence spaces at the campus due to increase in first-year enrollment. In response, the Academic Research Centre (ARC) and Joan Foley Hall were constructed.[16] The ARC was built in 2003 as an extension of the Bladen Building with a copper finish. It allowed for the relocation and expansion of the library to its present state and introduced the campus's first 300-seat lecture theatre, which has since held the Watts Lecture series, after formerly being held in the Meeting Place. The Doris McCarthy Gallery, also found in the ARC, exhibits works by local artist and campus alumni, Doris McCarthy. The Student Centre was opened in 2004 through a project that was initiated and funded by students. Constructed using 18 tonnes of recycled steel from a demolished gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum, the three-storey Student Centre earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification as well as a Green Design Award from the City of Toronto.[17] The Social Sciences Building, home of the Department of Social Sciences, also opened in 2004 as the Management Wing but took its present name after the completion of the Instructional Centre in 2011, which became the new home of the Department of Management, the Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, and offices of cooperative education programs. Brick and limestone were used to create the Arts and Administration Building, completed in 2005,[18] which holds the principal's office.[19] The Science Research Building, where post-graduate research facilities and a lecture hall are located, is an extension of the Science Wing that was completed in 2008.[20]

Expansion

Since 2009, the university has undertaken a proposal to substantially expand the campus north of Ellesmere Road, starting with the construction of the Instructional Centre, funded by Canada's Economic Action Plan, completed in 2011. The Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (built 2014) was one of the main venues of the 2015 Pan American Games and 2015 Parapan American Games.[13] The Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre brought pool facility to campus and significantly expanded the size of the gym. The Parapan American Games also brought an addition of seven accessible tennis courts to the Highland Creek valley. The Environmental Science and Chemistry Building, completed in summer 2015, was the third building to open in the north grounds.[21] The most recent addition to campus architecture is Highland Hall, built on the footprint of the old gym and athletic centre. Highland Hall houses the Registrar's Office, Admissions & Recruitment, and an Event Centre. Plans for expansion in the near future include a second Instructional Centre,[22] a new student residence,[23] and an indigenous house.[24]

Academics
The University of Toronto Bookstore operates a branch at Scarborough.

The campus is primarily an undergraduate institution, thus it attracts the most direct-entry applicants from secondary schools among the university's three campuses.[25] The campus has 14 academic departments:[26]

  • The Department of Anthropology
  • The Department of Arts, Culture and Media
  • The Department of Biological Sciences
  • The Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences
  • The Department of English
  • The Department of Historical and Cultural Studies
  • The Department of Human Geography
  • The Department of Language Studies
  • The Department of Management
  • The Department of Philosophy
  • The Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences
  • The Department of Political Science
  • The Department of Psychology
  • The Department of Sociology

The Centre for Critical Development Studies is an extra-departmental unit. Students are diversified among concentrations that are specialist degrees, as well as the common majors and minors. The cooperative education programs, which place students for up to three semesters in workplaces pertaining to their field of study, are unique to the campus in the University of Toronto. Joint programs with Centennial College, that award both a university degree and a college diploma, are offered in journalism, new media, paramedicine, industrial microbiology, and environmental science.[27] Service-learning course is also offered.[28]

Eleven departments of the campus contain programs that award a Bachelor of Arts degree. The department of Anthropology offers interdisciplinary programs in health studies and on the subject of humanity. At the Department of Arts, Culture and Media, courses in visual and performing arts, new media, and journalism are taught. It is also one of the only two universities in Ontario that grants an undergraduate degree in arts management. The department of English provides study on English literature and film studies. Centre for Critical Development Studies offers both arts and science degree on international development issues. The Department of Language Studies offers courses in non-English languages, linguistics, and psycholinguistics. Department of Historical and Cultural Studies teaches African studies, classical studies, global Asia studies, history, food studies, religion, and women's studies. The department of Human Geography oversees programs in city studies, physical and human geography. The department of philosophy offer programs in philosophy and ethics. Department of Political Science includes programs in political science, public law, and public policy while the Department of Sociology offers courses in sociology and migration studies.

The university has five departments in the sciences, which award a Bachelor of Science degree. The Department of Biological Sciences offers programs and courses related to the biological and life sciences; it houses at least one Biosafety level 3 laboratory.[29] The Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences teaches computer science, mathematics and statistics. The Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences oversees programs in physics, astronomy, environmental sciences and chemistry. The Department of Psychology includes programs in psychology, mental health and neuroscience. The department of Anthropology could also award Bachelor of Science degree, in addition to Bachelor of Arts degree.

The Bachelor of Business Administration with co-op option degree is also unique to the campus. It is awarded by the programs in the Department of Management, which offers specialist degrees with fields in marketing, human resources, finances, accounting, information technology and economics.

Four graduate programs are based on the campus. The Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences offers masters and doctoral degrees in environmental science. The Department of Psychology offers an MA and PhD combined program in clinical psychology. The most recent graduate program offered through the Department of Management is the Masters of Accounting and Finance which provides accreditation pathways for both the CPA and CFA designation.

The campus is also home to various interdisciplinary research centres and extra-departmental research clusters that are unique to the university. These include the:[30]

  • Centre for Biological Chemistry
  • Centre for Ethnography
  • Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress
  • Centre for Planetary Sciences
  • Culinaria Research Centre
  • Environmental Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Centre
  • Integrative Behaviour and Neuroscience Group
  • Plant Cellular and Molecular Processes Group

In 2022, the Ontario government announced that University of Toronto Scarborough would provide medical training as well. The campus will receive 30 undergraduate seats and 45 postgraduate positions.[31]

Student life

Student centre
The Student Centre is a landmark for student activities at the campus.

The Student Centre is a three-story 48,000-square-foot (4,500 m2) building, where the office of the Scarborough Campus Students' Union (SCSU), office of Student Affairs of the University of Toronto Scarborough, as well as other offices of student clubs and organizations, are located. It also contains a television lounge, food court, health and wellness centre, and multifaith prayer room.[32] The Rex's Den is a pub and dine-in restaurant located in the first floor of the Student Centre. It was formerly operated as The Bluffs, which opened subsequently after the opening of the Student Centre but re-opened with its present name and improved service in 2009.[33]

Media and Greek life

Student media on the campus include Radio Forward (formerly Fusion Radio), the campus's student-run internet radio station, and The Underground, the campus's official student news outlet. The campus also receives distributions of The Varsity.

Greek life at University of Toronto Scarborough includes two sororities: Chi Sigma Xi multicultural sorority [34] and Delta Alpha Theta - Gamma chapter. In addition to this there is also one fraternity Xi Alpha Pi multicultural fraternity.[35] None of these organizations has a house. As per their policy, the University of Toronto does not officially recognize fraternities or sororities.

Residences

Student residence is located primarily in the southernmost part of the campus, consisting mostly of townhouse-style homes and the Student Centre. The first residence area, the Student Village, which was able to accommodate 250 students, was opened in 1973 after pressure from traveling students.[36] The townhouses are split into different halls, each bearing a different type of wood's name, in alphabetical order. These 'Phase 1' houses, the ones originally part of the Student Village, include Aspen, Birch, Cedar, Dogwood, and Elm hall. The next 'Phase 2' halls erected include Fir, Grey Pine, Hickory, and Ironwood hall. 'Phase 3' are the townhouses located north of the main campus, near the Science Research building, include Juniper, Koa, Larch, and Maple Hall. Over 600 people can live in the townhouses.[37] The townhouses feature shared common areas, kitchens, and bathrooms for students.

The four-story-high Joan Foley Hall, opened in 2003, is the first apartment-style residence complex on campus, named after the campus's first female principal. It accommodates 230 people.[38] It is a suite-style dorm with shared common areas, kitchens, and bathrooms per unit. The building is equipped with an elevator. It is located in the Southern Residence area.

The Student Residence Centre, a white building located next to Joan Foley Hall, is where the administration for the housing is run, and acts as a common area for all residence students. It handles all mail for students, and has some supplies such as garbage bags and light bulbs available for students to use.

All housing has both shared and single bedrooms available, as well as housing periods dependent upon semester. Student housing has a 'first-year guarantee' where first-years who apply before a certain deadline are guaranteed to find housing.

Notable alumni
Main article: List of University of Toronto Scarborough alumni

The campus has educated a fair number of noted persons involved in a variety of fields.

Notable faculty
  • Emily Agard, former biology instructor at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Aisha Ahmad, associate professor in the department of political science at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Maydianne Andrade, ecologist and former professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • R. Michael Bagby, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Brenda Beck, adjunct professor in Anthropology department in the field of South Asian folklore at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Janice Boddy, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Tom Bolton, astronomer and former professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Deanna Bowen, former instsructor in the Department of Arts, Culture & Media at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Mark V. Campbell, Associate Chair of the Department of Arts, Culture and Media at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Leslie Chan, professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Elizabeth Cowper, former chair of the department of humanities at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Irena Creed, vice-principal for research and innovation at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • William J. Crins, lecturer at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Elizabeth Dhuey, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Jeffrey Dvorkin, former lecturer and Director of the Journalism Program at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Modris Eksteins, historian, author, and former professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Nick Eyles, professor of geology at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Donna Gabaccia, history proffessor at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Michael Inzlicht, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Steve Joordens, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Madhavi Kale, associate professor of history at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Bruce Kidd, principal of University of Toronto Scarborough and member of the Canadian 1964 Summer Olympics team
  • Michael Lambek, professor of anthropology at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Tanya Mars, professor of performance art and video in the Department of Arts, Culture and Media in the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Kathy Martin, former assistant professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Daniel David Moses, former teacher, and writer-in-residence at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Tony Nardi, actor, playwright, theatre director, and instructor at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Laura-Ann Petitto, a multiple award-winning cognitive neuroscientist and psychologist who has performed influential research in various branches of neuroscience using humans and chimpanzees.[39]
  • Thy Phu, professor of media studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Bhavani Raman, historian, associate professor and associate chair at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Mahua Sarkar, professor of sociology at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • William Seager, professor of philosophy at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Zindel Segal, cognitive psychologist and professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Myrna Simpson, former research chemist at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • S. J. Sindu, novels and instructor at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Balázs Szegedy, mathematician and former professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Imre Szeman, cultural theorist and professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Daniel Scott Tysdal, poet and lecturer in creative writing at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Fred Urquhart, former assistant professor of zoology at the University of Toronto Scarborough who studied the migration of monarch butterflies[40]
  • Franco Vaccarino, former professor and principal at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Diana Valencia, associate professor of Physics and Astrophysics at the University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Jessica Wilson. professor of philosophy at the University of Toronto Scarborough

References
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  11. "~ Don't neglect satellite campuses when choosing a school". Globecampus.ca. 2009-11-27. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  12. "Atop the valley". University of Toronto Scarborough. Fall 2014.
  13. Grant, Kelly (2010-08-27). "University of Toronto's Scarborough campus to get a major makeover". The Globe and Mail. Toronto.
  14. "Explore UTSC's story of intriguing architecture at Doors Open Toronto". Webapps.utsc.utoronto.ca. 2010-05-21. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
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  17. "Acclaim for UTSC Student Centre Architecture, Design". University of Toronto Scarborough. May 4, 2005. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
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  19. "City of Toronto - Doors Open Toronto". Wx.toronto.ca. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
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  22. "U of T Scarborough Campus to Expand with Second Instructional Centre | UrbanToronto". urbantoronto.ca. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
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  24. DiFrancesco, Alexa, (2020), , Varsity
  25. "Number of first-choice applicants soars at UTSC". University of Toronto Scarborough. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  26. "Academic Departments & programs". University of Toronto Scarborough.
  27. "Joint Programs with Centennial College". University of Toronto Scarborough. 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-11-23. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  28. "About Service Learning & Outreach". Centre for Teaching and Learning, University of Toronto Scarborough.
  29. "Biosafety". University of Toronto Scarborough. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  30. "Centres & Infrastructure | Office of the Vice-Principal Research & Innovation". www.utsc.utoronto.ca. 25 July 2017. Retrieved 2020-12-25.
  31. "Ontario Training More Doctors as it Builds a More Resilient Health Care System". Government of Ontario. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  32. "Acclaim for UTSC Student Centre Architecture, Design". Webapps.utsc.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  33. Ho, Karen K. (22 October 2009). "Student union opens Rex's Den, with more offerings than defunct Bluff's". The Varsity. Archived from the original on 2 November 2009.
  34. "Chi Sigma Xi". chisigmaxi.com. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
  35. "Xi Alpha Pi". Facebook. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
  36. "UTSC History". utsc.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  37. "UTSC - Townhouses". utsc.utoronto.ca/~residences.
  38. "First New Residence in 11 Years Opens at UTSC". Webapps.utsc.utoronto.ca. 2003-11-11. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  39. "The 2007 Best Lecturer Competition presents The Top 10!". TVOntario. 28 May 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-22.
  40. "Where Do You Go, My Lovelies?". University of Toronto Magazine. Retrieved 2020-11-05.
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