University of Toronto

Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto (U of T), in Toronto, Ontario, is the largest university in Canada.

Student life

Despite the prevalence of a wide variety of student interest groups and related organizations (its 340 student clubs and organizations http://www.news.utoronto.ca/facts.asp are probably more than any other Canadian university), U of T suffers from the same impersonal atmosphere and rates low on surveys of student happiness. Most students live off-campus, and for many the U of T experience is limited solely to attending classes. This has resulted in a general lack of school spirit and the disconnection many of its students feel from the school and other students. Student government is headed by the Students' Administrative Council, and votes for student council generally gets a turnout of below 10%.

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The university is represented in Canadian Interuniversity Sport by the Toronto Varsity Blues. Today, they are not particularly successful, but have a long and storied history, such as winning the first ever Grey Cup. There are six main sports funded by the university: hockey, football, basketball, track and field, soccer, and swimming. The numerous other sports are funded through donations and fees paid by those participating.

Related Topics:
Canadian Interuniversity Sport - Toronto Varsity Blues - Grey Cup

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The school has two main newspapers. The Varsity and The Newspaper. Each college, faculty, and many other groups also publish newspapers. It has a radio station CIUT.

Related Topics:
The Varsity - The Newspaper - CIUT

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Student Activism

The University has borne witness to much activism over the years. In 1895, University College students, led by William Lyon Mackenzie King boycotted classes for a week after the editor of the Varsity student newspaper was suspended for anti-administration articles.

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The 1960s saw the creation of Rochdale College, a large high-rise residence where many students and staff lived, though it was "officially" not connected to the university. Rochdale was established as an alternative to what had been seen as the traditional, authoritarian, and paternalistic structures within universities.

Related Topics:
1960s - Rochdale College

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In the fall of 1969, after Pierre Trudeau decriminalized homosexuality, the first gay and lesbian group in Toronto or on any Canadian campus — the University of Toronto Homophile Association — was formed. Jearld Moldenhauer, a research assistant at the Faculty of Medicine, placed an advertisement in The Varsity, asking others to join in setting up an organization. While the first meeting drew a meager 16 people — 15 men and one woman — the group quickly established a significant profile within the community and the city at large. Two decades later, David Rayside, a professor of political science, would organize the Committee on Homophobia. Ten years after that, he would help introduce a sexual diversity studies program at University College, to much success.

Related Topics:
1969 - Pierre Trudeau - Gay - Lesbian - University of Toronto Homophile Association - University College

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