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Message from the Vice-Provost
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As we reach the end of the year, I want to thank you for the energy and care you continue to bring to teaching and learning across our three campuses. This month’s newsletter highlights opportunities to recognize colleagues through our teaching awards, advance student success through upcoming retention and progression initiatives, and deepen community-engaged learning. I hope you find time for rest and reflection over the break, and I look forward to continuing our work together in the new year.
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Teaching Awards & Grants
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Teaching Awards: Last Call for Nominations
The recording from our November 27th workshop, The Path to Recognition: Crafting a Compelling Teaching Award Nomination, is now available. This session was intended for academic administrators and University staff involved in preparing a teaching award nomination.
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President's Teaching Award In Action
Open Doors on Teaching offers University instructors an opportunity to observe the classroom practices of past recipients of the President’s Teaching Award, all members of the President’s Teaching Academy. The program supports a culture of openness, collaboration, and continuous improvement by creating space for instructors to learn from one another and enhance the student learning experience.
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Three faculty members are participating this year:
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- Charlie Keil, Professor of Cinema Studies, Faculty of Arts & Science – Tuesday, January 6 from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.
- Robert Austin, Professor, Teaching Stream, Centre for European and Eurasian Studies, Munk School – Thursday, January 15 from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- Jonathan Rose, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Friday, January 23 from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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Next Generation of Teaching Leaders: 2025 ECTA Recipients
U of T News recently profiled the six recipients of the 2025 Cheryl Regehr Early Career Teaching Award, showcasing their innovative approaches to teaching and their contributions to student learning. The feature spotlights Professors Shelby Riskin, Naomi Levy-Strumpf, John De Backere, Aditi Mehta, Lisa Zhang and Lauren Cramer.
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Teaching & Learning
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Call for Proposals: 2026 Teaching & Learning Symposium
Teaching today brings many competing priorities, tools, and trends. With information constantly shifting, it can be challenging for educators to identify what truly supports meaningful learning. Signal to Noise: Tuning in to What Matters in Teaching (May 13–14, 2026) invites U of T instructors, staff and librarians to share research, practices and lived experiences that help clarify what works and minimize distractions to create space for impactful teaching.
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Student Success
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Retention and Progression Initiatives: Call for Proposals
Deadline for applications: Wednesday, January 21
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The Office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education, invites proposals for retention and progression initiatives that focus on summer melt, successful first year completion, middle years transition and last mile to graduation. These funds are intended to support small pilot projects with first-entry undergraduate divisions in the 2026-2027 year. Projects should address one of the priority areas, identify a population of interest, have a thoughtful intervention, and a clear measurement strategy.
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Experiential Learning
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Centre for Community Partnerships (CCP) Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) Course Fund
Winter deadline for applications: Friday, January 30
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The Centre for Community Partnerships (CCP) offers small grants of up to $500 per course to support instructors teaching community-engaged learning (CEL) courses at the University of Toronto. This funding can be used for CEL courses to 1) recognize community partner engagement, 2) address barriers to student participation, and 3) support innovation in CEL.
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What Kind of University Do We Want? Interrogating Community, Crisis and Hope through Community-Engaged Learning (CEL)
Wednesday, January 28, from 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. via Zoom
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This is the first conversation of our Critical Conversations in CEL: Bridging Theory and Practice series. Our invited speakers, Michael Classens (U of T), Kari Grain (UBC), and Am Johal (formerly SFU) bring deep expertise at the nexus of community engagement, climate crisis and critical pedagogy. As scholar-practitioners, they will collectively interrogate, reframe and mobilize three key concepts resonant for our community-engaged learning pedagogy and practice in this moment: “community,” “hope” and “crisis.”
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Artificial Intelligence
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New AI Community in Microsoft Teams
We’re pleased to share that a new AI Community is now available in Microsoft Teams. This space brings together colleagues from across U of T to explore AI in an open and supportive environment. It offers a place to exchange insights, ask questions, and connect with others interested in the evolving role of AI in teaching, learning, and daily work.
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All monthly AI Roundups have now moved into this community. Recordings, materials, and resources will be housed there going forward, making it easier to access everything in one place.
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- You may instead join the team by clicking "Join or Create Team" in the top-right corner of your Teams application, and entering the access code: zhym742
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Explore U of T's Cogniti AI Virtual Tutor in Two Upcoming CTSI Sessions
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Thursday, January 15, from 12:10 - 1:00 p.m. via Zoom
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Friday, January 23, from 11:30 - 12:00 p.m. via Zoom
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Learn about U of T's Cogniti AI Virtual Tutor platform in two CTSI sessions this January. On January 15, discover how Cogniti enables you to create course-specific AI tutors aligned with your pedagogy, with built-in safeguards for student learning. Then on January 23, hear Professor Michelle Arnot share practical insights from implementing Cogniti in two pharmacology courses, including unexpected benefits and challenges. Both sessions include time for discussion and questions.
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News from the OVPIUE
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Welcome Back Tegan Mannisto, Teaching Initiatives Coordinator, OVPIUE
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Tegan returned to the OVPIUE in November after an 18-month parental leave. She has resumed her role as Teaching Initiatives Coordinator, supporting the teaching awards and grants portfolio, contributing to teaching initiatives projects, and leading team communications. Welcome back, Tegan!
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