The University of Toronto established an Anti-Asian Racism Working Group (AARWG) to review the practices, processes, policies and resources available at the University and make recommendations to support the University’s response to anti-Asian racism. The Working Group will be conducting consultations with members of the University community to inform their recommendations about how to create an inclusive environment where Asian community members feel safe, welcome and respected.

As part of this consultation process, the Working Group invites all interested members of the University community to participate in a series of focus groups to discuss concerns and share recommendations related anti-Asian racism at the University. 

Focus groups will be conducted either virtually or in-person and last 90 minutes each.   

Please visit the Working Group website for full details of the available focus group dates and times. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please email anti.asian.racism@utoronto.ca.   

We have been made aware that international students are being targeted in travel booking scams where fake travel booking sites are promising cheap flights abroad.

How the Scam Works:

1. Once the student uses the site to check flights they are contacted by a site “agent” either through on online chat function or by WhatsApp.
2. The agent helps to complete the “booking”.
3. In reported cases an actual booking is created with a confirmation that can be verified on the Airline’s website.
4. Once the payment information is submitted the booking is cancelled by the “agent” and the student loses the money that was paid for the flights.
5. The student then tries to reconnect with the agent or the booking “agency” but gets no response.

Here are our best tips to help you avoid getting scammed:

• Whenever possible, book directly with the airline or hotel. This is this best way to avoid getting scammed by a fake third party organization.
• If you want to try to use a third party booking agency, choose one that is well-known and has a reputable brand.
• Conduct basic research. Search the “booking agency” on a trusted review site such as TripAdvisor or ScamAdviser to see if people have been scammed by them. The links will show examples of what you might find…
• Verify that the site is using a top-level domain (TLD) name that uses the .com suffix; not .org or .net, and that the website is not a misspelling of a legitimate business. (For example: Xpedia.ca instead of Expedia.ca)
• If you decide to use the service, make sure that the page you are entering your payment information into is secure. A secure website uses encryption and authentication to protect your transaction. The URL will begin with “https” and include a padlock icon, also known as an SSL certificate.
• When booking a flight online, chose paying with a credit card over a bank card. Many credit cards offer fraud protection services. If you submit your banking information into a fraudulent site the scammer will now have access to your bank account.
• After you make an online reservation, always call the airline or hotel company afterward to confirm. If there is no record of your reservation, it’s better to know sooner rather than later. You’ll be able to alert your credit card company, report the fraud, and still have time to book a proper reservation.

Still in doubt? Ask someone you trust or consult with a member of the University of Toronto International Student Team:

• University of Toronto Mississauga: https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/international/about-us/contact-us
• University of Toronto Scarborough: https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/utscinternational/immigration
• University of Toronto, St. George Campus: https://internationalexperience.utoronto.ca/contact-us/

Do you enjoy walking outdoor and meeting new people? Let’s Hike T.O. is a diversity-focused hiking group in the city and is looking for new volunteer hike leaders. You don’t need any experience and will go through full training including first aid to ensure you are ready and prepared to lead groups of people on hikes around Toronto.

Last summer, Sport & Rec partnered with, and continues to partner with, Let’s Hike T.O. to run hikes for our students during the warmer months. Become a hike leader yourself and run some hikes for Let’s Hike T.O.!

Open to all UofT students! Find more details and apply at bit.ly/hikeleaderapp. Applications are open until November 30!

The Hart House Finance Committee hosts monthly workshops, and November 29^th 12-1pm session will be the last workshop of the semester.

The topic is on navigating personal finance while in school. They will discuss about developing healthy financial habits, setting a budget and some tips and tricks participants might have and want to share with others. It will be a peer-to-peer to discussion guided with Chartered professional accountants of Canada.]

Register Here: https://harthouse.ca/events/navigating-personal-finance-while-in-school/.

Overcoming the Messaging that Your English “Isn’t Good Enough” workshops

Have you ever been in a situation where you were made to feel like your English was “not good enough”? Has there been a time when you felt reluctant to participate fully in a conversation or feared that you would not be understood? Where do these messages come from and how can we address them? In this interactive session, we will discuss our identities and inner thoughts as they relate to communicating in English as an additional language (EAL). The workshop will cover topics such as the legitimacy of global Englishes, accents, and dialects; the benefits of multilingualism in academic learning; and translanguaging as a valid practice for integrating your language strengths. 

For undergraduate students: Thursday, November 17th, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (virtual) – Register on CLNx

For graduate students: Thursday, November 24th, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (virtual) – Register on CLNx

The Health & Wellness Peer Support Service is now open! Every Wednesdays to Fridays, we invite international students to drop in either virtually or in-person, for 1:1, confidential support sessions by trained fellow UofT St. George students. Check this webpage for further updates!

The Pathways to Wellness Group is an inclusive, supportive and uplifting space to learn strategies for managing your well-being. This group is run by BIPOC facilitators for BIPOC and QT2SBIPOC students. Group sessions provide an opportunity for developing skills while also building community with other students from diverse backgrounds. The group consists of six sessions run weekly and is open to all students. Students can join all sessions or pick sessions that feel relevant for them.  

How the program works:   

The group alternates between Tuesdays and Wednesdays, starting Oct. 12^th.  Counsellors will host weekly group sessions from 11am-12:30pm on Zoom.   

Each group is 1.5 hours long and covers a variety of topics including:   

1. Achieving goals and activity scheduling  
2. Stress Management skills  
3. Skills for changing difficult thoughts and emotions  
4. Creating New Behaviour Patterns
5. Self-Compassion and Validation strategies  
6. Accepting Difficult Thoughts and Emotions

Facilitators  

• Shari Chan MSW, RSW, Counsellor with Health and Wellness  
• Liz Montgomery M.Ed, RP, Counsellor with Health and Wellness.  

Group Schedule:  Register through CLNx  

Module 1:  Achieving goals and activity scheduling  

Wednesday, Oct 12th, 2022: 11am-12:30pm  

Registration Link: https://clnx.utoronto.ca/home/slevents.htm?eventId=47497   

Module 2:  Stress Management Skills  

Tuesday Oct 18th, 2022: 11am-12:30pm  

Registration Link: https://clnx.utoronto.ca/home/slevents.htm?eventId=47498   

Module 3: Skills for changing difficult thoughts and emotions

Wednesday, Oct 26th, 2022: 11am-12:30pm  

Registration Link: https://clnx.utoronto.ca/home/slevents.htm?eventId=47558   

Module 4: Creating new behaviour patterns 

Tuesday, Nov 1st , 2022: 11am-12:30pm  

Registration Link: https://clnx.utoronto.ca/home/slevents.htm?eventId=47560 

Module 5:  Self-Compassion and Self-Validation  

Wednesday, November 9th, 2022: 11am-12:30pm  

Registration Link: https://clnx.utoronto.ca/home/slevents.htm?eventId=47559   

Module 6: Skills for accepting difficult thoughts and emotions

Tuesday,  November 15th, 2022: 11am-12:30pm 

Registration Link: https://clnx.utoronto.ca/home/slevents.htm?eventId=47565 

Hart House is excited to present our first CHANGEMAKERS event of the season: Kimahli Powell: LGBTQI+ Individuals & the Search for Home – Rainbow Railroad, LGBTQI+ People, and the Human Right Defenders on the Frontlines. The issues revolving around migration, displacement, and the refugee experience are timely and relevant—with news stories and articles published almost daily about the current issues migrants and displaced individuals are facing around the world.

Our Changemakers event features a conversation between our Hart House Warden, John Monahan, and Rainbow Railroad’s Executive Director, Kimahli Powell. Together, they will discuss the issues LGBTQI+ individuals face, and the ways Rainbow Railroad and local organizations are helping those who are displaced or facing persecution.

Join us in person or virtually. Please use the link below to register. For those joining our in-person event, you are welcome to join us for a free dinner and refreshments.

We look forward to seeing you at this event, either at Hart House or virtually.

CHANGEMAKERS – LGBTQI+ Individuals & the Search for Home

Wednesday, October 26

6 pm – 7:30 pm

Hart House – East Common Room

Virtual (Zoom)

Registration Required.

Among the many benefits of being a U of T student is free visits to the museums and art galleries around campus, and it is one you should definitely take advantage of! Here is a list of 6 museums and art galleries on and around campus you must not miss out on, and a guide to help you decide which ones to visit first depending on what you are interested in!  

1. The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) 

Location: Bloor and Queen’s Park (100 Queen’s Park) 

About: The ROM is one of Canada’s largest museums, showcasing art, culture, and nature from all around the world. If you are interested in arts, archaeology, sciences, and history, then this place is definitely for you!  

Currently Happening: Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature (an exhibition you must not miss if you are a J.K. Rowling fan!) 

Benefits: Admission is free on Tuesdays for all Post-Secondary Students! All you need is your Student I.D. Card. Click here for more information on admissions at the ROM.  

2. The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) 

Location: Dundas and McCaul (317 Dundas St West)  

About: The AGO, also one of the largest art museums in North America, focuses mostly on contemporary art by Indigenous, Canadian, and Europeans artists. If you are into sculptures, paintings, and all sorts of artworks, then this place is definitely for you!  

Currently Happening: Faith and Fortune: Art Across the Global Spanish Empire (an exhibition happening till October 10^th, so make sure to pass by as soon as you can!) 

Benefits: Admission is free for everyone on Wednesdays from 6 pm to 9 pm, and free for everyone below 25 years old all the time! Click here for more information on admissions at the AGO.  

3. The Gardiner Museum 

Location: Bloor and Queen’s Park (111 Queen’s Park) 

About: The Gardiner Museum showcases all different types of ceramics and clay art. On top of that, not only you can go take a look at the different sculptures exhibited, but you can also enroll in ceramics classes!  

Currently Happening: Crafting Narratives (exhibition featuring the artworks of YWCA members, happening till October 30^th!)  

Benefits: Admission is free for everyone on Wednesdays from 4 pm to 9 pm, and free for students all the time! All you need is your student I.D.!  Click here for more information on admissions at the Gardiner Museum.  

4. The Bata Shoe Museum  

Location: Bloor and St. George (327 Bloor St West) 

About: The Bata Shoe Museum is an unusual and unique kind of museum you definitely must check out! As the name implies, it is a museum that displays all sorts of shoes. Whether you’re into shopping, or arts (or both!), this place is definitely an attraction you cannot miss out on! 

Currently Happening: Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting Edge Kicks (All about digitally designed and 3D printed shoes and sneakers)  

Benefits: Admission is free for everyone on Sunday, and is discounted on other days for all students, so make sure to have your student I.D. with you! Click here for more information on admissions at the Bata Shoe Museum.  

5. Art Museum at Hart House (On St. George Campus) 

Location: U of T St. George Campus (7 Hart House Circle) 

About: Also known as the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, it is one of the art galleries on campus accessible for everyone and showcases all different types of arts! Make sure to pass by and check out the exhibitions happening there!  

Currently Happening: Drift: Art and Dark Matter (Make sure to check it out before October 8^th!) 

Benefits: Free for everyone! 

6. Art Museum on University College (On St. George Campus) 

Location: U of T St. George Campus (15 King’s College Circle) 

About: Another art museum accessible to everyone on campus! 

Currently Happening: As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic 

Benefits: Free for everyone!  

Statement from the Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture in response to the death of Mahsa Amini.