New Graduate Student Checklist

UTORid 

Admitted students can access university resources once they convert their JOINid to a UTORid. The UTORid is a digital credential at the University, used to access University systems and resources. The UTORid provides access to various services, including UTmail+, Quercus, library resources, online article databases, Microsoft365 applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and Skype, UT Zoom Pro, WiFi on campus and more. 

TCard 

Students are required to retrieve their personal TCard once they arrive on campus. The TCard is a physical identification/credential for on-campus purposes. It includes the student’s photo, UTORid, student number or personnel number, and a barcode. Data from/on the card is used to verify/grant access to relevant services and facilities like libraries, athletic facilities, exams, meal plans, printing services and more. 

UT Mail+ 

Students of the University of Toronto are eligible for UT Mail+. This email and calendar service is activated alongside the UTORid. Students receive all communications from the Department, the School of Graduate Studies and the University of Toronto through it. Students will receive access to UT Mail+ upon activating their UTORID. Students may activate their official University of Toronto email address by logging into UT Mail+. 

Policy on Official Correspondence with Students 

Under University Policy, students are required to maintain a University based email account (i.e., ending in mail.utoronto.ca), record it in ACORN, and regularly check for messages. That account may be forwarded to another personal account, but it is the University account to which the University will send official correspondence.  

Note: It is your responsibility to ensure that your email address, mailing/permanent address, and telephone numbers are up to date at all times. 

OISE and SGS Resources for New Students

Students should also review the following: 

• OISE: Newly Admitted Students
• School of Graduate Studies (SGS): Getting Started as a New Student

Note

OISE is a large graduate faculty. Unlike most ‘graduate units’ across the university (which is SGS lingo for an academic department), OISE has its own Registrar’s Office and Student Experience (ROSE). While most graduate students at U of T will go to SGS for services, OISE students are able to receive these services in-house at OISE. With this in mind, when navigating the U of T graduate landscape, we recommend starting with LHAE and OISE material first and then proceeding to SGS as a secondary step. If you very find yourself confused or struggle navigating university services, please don't hesitate to reach out to the LHAE Graduate Liaison Office (Doctoral Students: lhae.doctoral@utoronto.ca; Masters Students: lhae.masters@utoronto.ca). We are happy to provide guidance, direction, and support

Details on how to satisfy or clear admissions conditions can be found on the Newly Admitted Students webpage.

A list of Important Dates can be found on the Registrar’s Office & Student Experience (ROSE) webpage. To ensure important deadlines are not missed, students should familiarize themselves with the OISE Important Dates page. Examples of important dates include, but are not limited to: course enrollment start dates, course add/drop deadlines, registration deadlines, University closure dates, the start and end of each term, etc. 

The new online LHAE Student Handbook is your leading resource to guide you through your time as a student at the Department of Leadership, Higher, and Adult Education. We recommend you bookmark and browse this information now and return to it when needed.  The handbook covers the following topics:

• About Us
• Rules, Regulations, and Forms
• The Role of the Faculty Advisor vs Thesis Supervisor
• Important Dates and Sessions
• Getting Started
• Registration and Tuition Fees
• Stop out leave and leaves of absence
• Attendance Status and Course Load
• Course Selection
• Degree Requirements
• Academic Support
• Research
• Awards
• Financial Matters
• Professional development
• Space and Facilities
• Security and Personal Safety
• Health and Wellness
• Resources for Students

The OISE Bulletin contains OISE specific information, including course descriptions of all OISE courses for the past 5 years. Note that not all the courses are available every year.

The SGS Calendar contains authoritative information on your program requirements so be sure to familiarize yourself with those and plan courses accordingly.

To officially register, students must either pay tuition and incidental fees, or register without payment (fee deferral) on ACORN. Students must adhere to the university’s registration deadlines to avoid late registration fees and penalties. 

Guide to Reading Your Invoice

Course Enrolment 

Enrolment is different than registration. To enroll in courses, new students must first satisfy their admission conditions, as outlined in their admission letter. Once the conditions are satisfied, students may enroll in courses using ACORN. For additional information, including enrollment dates, please refer to the Important Dates section of the OISE Bulletin.  

Student Responsibility
While academic advisors, faculty, and staff are available to assist and advise, it is ultimately the student's responsibility to keep personal and academic information up to date at all times, and to follow all University, SGS, departmental, and program regulations, requirements and deadlines. ACORN makes it easier for you to check and correct this information. If questions arise about requirements, policies, and procedures, you are responsible for seeking answers to these questions from staff and advisors.

Course Offerings 

To access a comprehensive list of LHAE and OISE courses offered in each session, please refer to the Course Enrollment page of the Registrar’s Office website.  

Students are responsible for ensuring they’ve completed the degree requirements in a timely manner. Information on program requirements, milestones and timelines can be found by following the links below. 

Adult Education & Community Development Program

• Master of Arts in Adult Education & Community Development 
• Master of Education in Adult Education & Community Development 
• Doctor of Philosophy in Adult Education & Community Development 

Educational Leadership & Policy Program 

• Master of Arts in Educational Leadership & Policy 
• Master of Education in Educational Leadership & Policy 
• Master of Education in Educational Leadership & Policy (Online/Hybrid Cohort) 
• Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership & Policy 
• Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership & Policy 
• Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership & Policy (International Education Leadership & Policy Field) 

Higher Education Program 

• Master of Arts in Higher Education 
• Master of Education in Higher Education 
• Master of Education in Higher Education (Education in the Professions Field) 
• Master of Education in Higher Education (Higher Education Leadership Field) 
• Master of Education in Higher Education (Student Development & Student Services in Higher Education Field) 
• Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education 

All students are assigned a Faculty Advisor upon admission and identified on your offer letter. Their contact information can be found on the LHAE website, under “People.”

Your Faculty Advisor helps the student with planning course selection and academic issues associated with the program.

If you are in a thesis program, your Faculty Advisor may or may not become your Thesis Supervisor; to learn about the difference please see the LHAE Student Handbook available on the LHAE website, under “Current Students.”

• QUERCUS/Canvas = U of T’s current online learning portal
• ACORN = Accessible Campus Online Resource Network, your online student services website
• S G S = School of Graduate Studies
• R O S E = O I S E Registrar's Office and Student Experience
• L H A E = Leadership, Higher and Adult Education  
• A E C D = Adult Education and Community Development  
• E L P = Educational Leadership and Policy  
• H E = Higher Education 
• C S E P = Collaborative Specialization in Educational Policy
• C I D E = Comparative International Development Education (collaborative specialization)
• W L S C = Workplace Learning and Social Change (collaborative specialization)
• M R P = Major Research Paper
• D S A = Department Student Association

Visit the OISE Newly Admitted International Student website.

The University of Toronto Centre for International Experience can provide information and help as well. 

Learn about how to pay your fees outside of Canada.

The University of Toronto Housing Office and Off Campus Housing website can help!

The University of Toronto also offers Graduate Student-only housing and Student Family Housing.

Learn how to use ACORN, the University of Toronto's online student services system for adding and dropping courses, viewing your fee invoice, deferring your fee payments, etc.

Learn how to access your student account.

Here is a step-by-step guide to using ACORN. 

Information on Academic Integrity, Ethics, and Conduct Policies can be found on the University of Toronto, Academic Integrity website.

For domestic students, find information about your extended health and dental plan on the University of Toronto Graduate Student Union website. TIP: Students with existing coverage may be eligible to opt-out.  

For international students, find information about your health insurance plan on the University of Toronto, Centre for International Experience website.

Various Departments of Student Life at the University of Toronto support student needs. The LHAE Departmental Students Association (LHAEDSA) is comprised of students from each of our three programs: Adult Education and Community Development, Educational Leadership and Policy, and Higher Education.The LHAE Departmental Student Association (DSA) can be reached at lhae.dsa@studentorg.utoronto.ca. 

Students on Seven (SOS) is the Program Association for the Adult Education and Community Development program within LHAE. Contact Information: studentsonseven.OISE@gmail.com   

The Graduate Students' Association (GSA) represents and advocates for graduate student interests at O I S E. Coordinating Departmental Student Associations (DSA), as well as promoting links between graduate students and the institute’s administration is an important part of their mandate. 

As an O I S E student and a member of the OISEG A, you are automatically a member of the University’s Graduate Student Union (UTGSU) when you pay your incidental fees. The GSU provides a wide range of services for graduate students, including political representation at all levels of university government and assistance in cutting through bureaucratic red tape. In addition, the Union manages the GSU Supplemental Health Insurance. It also runs a bar and a gym for graduate students out of its office on 16 Bancroft Avenue.