The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is dedicated to helping all UTSC graduate students enhance their writing, teaching and other professional skills. To this end, CTL works with its partners to provide a range of programming to foster graduate students’ academic success and professionalism, preparing them to enter the job market with a competitive edge.
CTL is active in developing workshops, training sessions and campus events that are connected with two tri-campus programs: the Graduate Professional Skills program (GPS) and the Teaching Assistants’ Training Program (TATP). In addition, CTL’s Graduate Writing Support offers UTSC graduate students one-to-one help with their writing and editing, either in individual appointments or through electronic formats (email or Skype).
CTL Offerings for Graduate Students
Writing tutorials offer individual feedback from a professional writing instructor. Bring in an assignment at any stage in the writing process and learn what you are doing well and how you can improve. All forms of writing are welcome: thesis sections, manuscripts for publication (or re‐submission), course papers and assignments, grant proposals, cover letters/resumes and applications, proposals for committee meetings, presentations, etc
We offer 50-minute tutoring sessions. For Winter 2024, there will be a mix of online and in-person appointments.
To book a writing tutorial, go to WCOnline and select the Grad Writing Support Winter 2024 Calendar from the drop down menu.
Instructions for Booking, Cancelling and Attending: Sign in to WCOnline using your UTORid. Available tutorials appear as white boxes. To book, just click on the white box that fits your schedule, answer a few questions and you’re signed up. Once you’ve booked a tutorial, it will appear as a yellow box. You will receive an email reminder of your appointment and your tutorial will show as a yellow box.
If you need to cancel your tutorial, just click the yellow box and click Cancel My Appointment.
When it's time for your tutorial, log in to WCOnline (using the link above) and click on the yellow box that is your tutorial. In the new window, click the red text Start or Join Online Consultation and the web interface will open. For in-person appointments, come to AC-313 and a Resource Centre Assistant will direct you.
To book a virtual appointment, you can also email Emil directly (emil.marmol@mail.utoronto.ca). Note that postdocs will also need to email Emil for either in‐person or virtual consultations.
Just Write: Wednesdays (9:00am-4:00pm in Room AC324). Please register in advance.
If you’re looking for a dedicated space to work each week, consider signing up for Just Write! Just Write is a weekly, in-person, graduate writing group which offers a collaborative and distraction-free space for you to focus on your current writing project. Sessions will be structured with frequent breaks and one-on-one writing support. Most importantly, Just Write will allow you to focus on your work with the built-in accountability and social support of writing with others. Winter session runs from January 10 – April 10. Coffee and lunch will be provided for those who register at least three days in advance.
Register by emailing Emil at emil.marmol@mail.utoronto.ca.
The Graduate Professional Development (MyGPD) program helps you choose the skills you need to build a narrative of your career path as a graduate student. CTL and its campus partners organize annual MyGDP workshop series and conferences, with new seminars added regularly throughout the year. These events help build skills that complement your discipline, such as research, data visualization and networking.
For details about current MyGPD offerings and to register, please visit the CTL events site for graduate students and TAs: https://clnx.utoronto.ca/home/utsceventaggregator.htm.
Also look in your inbox for our weekly Wednesday emails to grads, listing upcoming grad events from CTL and other organizations. You do not have to be enrolled in MyGPD to participate in these events, and graduate students from any U of T campus are welcome.
Some highlights of the MyGPD program include:
Flexibility: You can attend MyGPD workshops through U of T and also organize your own professional development experiences. Workshops are listed in three ways: By type (Core and Elective), skill area (Personal Effectiveness, Research Skills, Teaching Competency, Public Scholarship), and format (Synchronous and Asynchronous).
Credits: Three hours of instruction = one GPS credit. Sometimes seminars are shorter than 3 hours and include a take-home activity. To get a GPS transcript notation, be sure that 10 of your MyGPD credits are from synchronous (live) courses and at least 10 of your credits are from CORE GPS sessions, organized directly by U of T. All MyGPD workshops organized through the CTL count as Core, unless otherwise indicated.
Recognition: At the end of your professional development journey, you write a reflection piece about how your experiences have helped you become the professional that you want to become. Upon completing this, plus credits equal to about 60 hours of work, you get a Graduate Professional Skills notation on your transcript about your achievement.
Format: At present, meetings are held using Zoom and require a computer with a microphone and webcam. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
All meetings are recorded to the cloud for accessibility purposes so that students unable to attend the session can watch later. The instructor will use their discretion to turn off recording when necessary. If you have confidentiality concerns, please turn off your camera, mute your mic and tell the instructor.
Click here to download a MyGPD tracking form. Quercus login required. On the page, click on "A completed application form".
More details are on the MyGPD Quercus page (login using UTORid required). If you have questions, feel free to contact Dr. Greg Sharzer, Graduate Student Coordinator, at greg.sharzer@utoronto.ca.
Every year in the fall term, CTL offers an afternoon event with seminars and a panel discussion that aim to better prepare graduate students for a competitive job market, while examining the opportunities and challenges that exist in today’s labour market. Attendance is also worth MyGPD credit.
The tri-campus Teaching Assistants’ Training Program (TATP) aims to enhance the teaching skills of both teaching assistants (TAs) and graduate students who are not TAs. The program’s offerings help TAs improve their effectiveness in tutorials and in grading. In addition, the credit workshops are intended to benefit any students who seek to develop their preparation and credentials for teaching responsibilities later in their careers.
For details about current TATP credit workshops and to register, please visit the Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation TATP site.