An outstanding US$22.5 million gift to the University of Toronto from the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program will provide opportunities for up to 67 scholars from Sub-Saharan Africa to receive a world-class education over a five year period, with the first cohort of ten students beginning this fall (2013).

Participants in the program have demonstrated academic talent but face significant economic barriers that would otherwise prevent them from pursuing a higher education.

The scholars will receive a scholarship equivalent to the costs related to attaining an undergraduate degree in Arts and Science or Engineering, including travel, tuition, textbooks, housing, food, and living expenses. They also receive financial, academic, social, and post-graduation support which will enable them to build experiences and competencies critical for academic success.

“New College is an excellent environment for an international exchange such as this,” says New College Principal Yves Roberge. “With globally-focused academic programs such as African Studies, Caribbean Studies and Equity Studies, we have a number of faculty members who can mentor the young scholars. Our International Foundation Program also offers unique expertise in transitioning international students to U of T and preparing them for success in their chosen programs of study.”

New College places a high priority on providing opportunities for students to study abroad regardless of income, citizenship status and other equity factors.  For over a decade, the College has facilitated international learning experiences through initiatives such as the Namibia Service Learning Internship Program, which offer service learning placements directly and indirectly related to Namibia’s HIV and AIDS epidemic. Students have also traveled to countries such as Belize, Guyana, Ghana and Ethiopia through International Course Modules, which incorporate intensive international experiences into the framework of existing undergraduate courses.

The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program helps to further this mandate by providing students from Africa with an ‘international experience’ in Canada. While participants benefit from studying at Canada’s premier university, New College benefits from the diversity they bring to the campus.

In addition, the College has been allocated $1M toward its Boundless campaign as part of this initiative, bringing our current campaign total to $5.6M on a goal of $6M. The Boundless campaign is the largest fundraising initiative ever undertaken by a Canadian University, and presents us with an exciting opportunity to opportunity to advance our exceptional undergraduate programs and physical spaces while sharing the stories of those whose contributions have made New College such a special place to live, work and study.

Students who are part of the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program will be arriving at the College in August for an orientation session. They will then be housed here or at Woodsworth College. Both Colleges look forward to welcoming them as part of our incoming class in 2013.

For more information about the program, see:

http://www.utoronto.ca/mcfscholars/

http://boundless.utoronto.ca/campaign-updates/mastercard-foundation-scholars-program/

Article by Philip Cox

I’m Modele Kuforiji, a third-year student completing an English major with a minor in Zoology and Anthropology. I believe that a true university experience involves direct involvement in the university culture and community, which has led me to join a number of student groups on campus. I have also had the privilege of holding leadership positions in some of these groups, including work as the Public Relations Officer of the Black Students Association, and as a coordinator for the New College Student Centre.

One day earlier this year I received an email from the Office of Student Life and Leadership at New College, inviting students to submit proposals for topics that could be presented at the CCSL. With assistance from Emily Reed, the Associate Dean at New College’s Office of Student Life and Leadership, I submitted my proposal and was selected to participate in the conference. Another student, Laurel Chester, was also invited to participate and to present her topic. With funding from New College to cover expenses, we flew to British Columbia for the conference.

One of my strongest impressions from the conference was when UBC Associate Vice-Principal of Students Ian Cull said in his keynote address: “It’s not about you, it’s about them.” I’ve always believed that being in a position of leadership allows you to be creative in forming a sense of community. It allows you to explore ways that you can bring your community (whomever you define as community) together through experiences that will leave a lasting impression on the community members. Hearing Ian Cull’s comment made everything thereafter click.

Another point that impressed me was from a workshop run by UBC student Jon Chiang, which explored interpersonal relationships through the lens of ‘the sensitive guy.’ It led me to realize that I had confused leadership with the need to be in control. Jon’s presentation allowed me to really tap into what was missing from my leadership style, and that was compassion. As a student in a leadership role, it is easy to forget that the people we are working with are relying on us to help forge the collective vision of the community to which we belong. As leaders we should try to understand where everyone fits into the team, by utilizing everyone’s strengths.

Meeting amazing student leaders from across Canada has caused me to reflect on how I can put all my inspiration to use. Next fall (September 2013) I will be the acting President of the Black Students Association, where I hope to help emerging student leaders and those who don’t necessarily see themselves as leaders to understand that there isn’t one single archetype for a leader – they already possess the personality traits and skill sets required to make a difference.

Thank you to New College and the Canadian Conference on Student Leadership for allowing me the opportunity to gain a new skill – the drive to be an amazing student leader.

Article by Modele Kuforiji

Since 1989, the Arbor Awards have celebrated the volunteers who have made outstanding contributions to enhancing the university experience of students, faculty, staff and other alumni. The Awards are one way of thanking these volunteers and letting them know that their gift of time, energy and expertise do not go unnoticed.

New College is proud to share the names of our 2012 Arbor Award recipients:

Fides Coloma

Fides Coloma has been a mentor in the New College Career Mentorship Program since 2006. A devoted friend of New College, Fides has been an inspiration to the many 3rd and 4th year students she has mentored. A Team Manager for Policy Development with the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long Term Care, Fides has offered invaluable insight to students considering their future career goals, and utilized her personal network to connect her mentees with professionals from their chosen field.

Richard Lee

Professor Emeritus Richard Lee has a long history of providing students with rich international experiences. Since 1997, Dr. Lee has coordinated a summer internship program in Namibia that offers students from Anthropology, Human Biology, Pharmacy, The Faculty of Physical Education and New College an opportunity to work with organizations dealing with vital social and health issues. Post-retirement, as a fellow of New College, Dr. Lee has continued his contributions to the Namibia program and created new student experiences in Belize. As a Visiting Scholar at Galen University, Dr. Lee has provided opportunities for U of T students to visit Indigenous community organizations and to research Indigenous organizing using resources at Galen University and relevant community organizations. We are deeply appreciative of Dr. Lee’s on-going efforts to build a quality international program for U of T students. His outstanding contributions have provided a rich educational environment relevant to our overall goal of producing global citizens who can relate their knowledge to the larger world.

Jesslyn Maurier

Since 2006, Jesslyn Maurier has served as a mentor in the New College Career Mentorship program and has helped provide students interested in pursuing a career in Law with invaluable guidance as they worked toward this dream. A New College alumna, Jesslyn completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1998 and her J.D. in 2001. Currently a lawyer with Bennett and Jones LLP, Jesslyn’s mentees have praised her open and supportive nature, noting the lasting impression she made in their transformative years.

Front Row (left to right): Jesslyn Maurier (New ’98), Principal Yves Roberge, Professor Emeritus Richard Lee and Fides Coloma.
Back Row (left to right): Past award recipients New College Alumni Council President Colin Swift (New ’80), Dr. Jeff Bloom (New ’72) and Paul Lindblad (New ’81).

If you are a New College residence student that requires support on your wired network connection or phone.  Please report your request to the Wilson Hall front desk @ 416-978-8877.  A ticket will be issued for residence network support.

This was the sort of question that compelled the conscientious Director of Business Services to incorporate sustainability goals into the planning process for all renovation and construction projects at the College. The results are as simple as they are effective: old lighting fixtures throughout New College’s buildings have been fitted with new LED lights to minimize energy consumption, and ‘occupancy sensors’ that turn the lights on only when movement is detected.

Another small initiative with big rewards is the addition of five filtered water bottle refill stations to compliment pre-existing water fountains. Coupled with a policy against disposable water bottles, the stations have saved over 110,000 bottles from the landfill between June and December 2012.

A recent article on Sustainable UofT’s blog which offers readers an “eco-tour” of the College, draws particular attention to the solar film installed on the cafeteria’s windows to reduce the amount of heat absorbed from the sun in the summer, which decreases the need for air conditioning to regulate indoor temperatures. Solar sensors have also been installed to detect natural lighting levels from the sun and adjust indoor light settings accordingly, keeping the spacious room well lit while minimizing energy consumption whenever possible. A more recent article discusses the role that a team of 30 engineering students has played in these endeavours.

“New College is certainly taking big steps towards making the residence more environmentally friendly,” the article notes. “Both the building managers and the students hope to continue to bring forward new ideas to improve sustainability at New College.”

It is this commitment that earned New College a ‘4 key’ rating (out of 5) from the Green Key Eco-Rating Program this winter. The program is designed to recognize accomplishments in environmental management and corporate social responsibility, with thousands of organizations participating across North America.

Assessments for the program examine areas such as food and beverage operations, engineering, and corporate environmental management to measure the implementation of sustainable practices such as water and energy conservation, solid waste management, community outreach and indoor air quality.

The Green Key program was helpful in identifying areas of the College where there is still room for improvement. Towards this end, a team of Engineering students have been invited to investigate the buildings’ infrastructure in the spring and make recommendations on new energy efficiencies as part of their coursework.

“The best part,” Vander Kraats says excitedly, “is that we’re reducing our carbon footprint, improving our student facilities, and giving our future engineers practical work experience all at once. We hope that, with the help of New College students, we will be able to win that elusive ‘fifth key’ quite soon.”

article by Philip Cox

The important thing to remember is to be proud of your work, no matter what it is. I’m proud of my contributions to The New. I’m proud of my comics, my lame jokes and my how-to’s. I’m proud that my work got published for people to read at their leisure, and it makes me glad that my post might’ve made even one person’s day a little brighter. It gets a little frustrating hearing your friends say “I skimmed it” or “I forgot to read it” or “I’ll take a look later.” But there’s always someone reading, whether it’s a New College resident, a stranger, or even my mom. Working for The New gave me a chance to pursue my interest in professional writing, and to get a taste of having my work published. It certainly was a wonderful experience. Had I not joined The New team, I wouldn’t have the resources I have, nor would I be as involved with our college as I am. Working with Francesca and Philip (our lovely editor) was delightful – the playful jabs and awkward silences and weird conversations at the weekly meetings were actually a highlight of my year.

2 semesters and 4 hair colours later and I haven’t changed a bit.

Without the blog, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’d still be that scared little first year who knew nothing about the city or university life outside ‘The Sims’ (Honestly though – my Sims have better grades than me. How is this fair?). Now I’m going into my second year with some great new friends, memories, high hopes, and better grammar, thanks to Phil’s merciless editing.

Thank y’all so much for reading. You guys are awesome.

I’m gonna miss working for The New… and I’ll miss you too.

Goodbye.

Signing off,
#Laura

When I applied to blog for The New last year I didn’t really know what I was signing myself up for. When I saw the post on the New College website, “Bloggers wanted: PAID POSITION,” it just caught my eye for some reason (not sure why…) so I applied for the job, and was lucky enough to land it. I had never blogged before in my life, the only social media platform I used was Facebook, and I wasn’t sure whether I had much to say that other people would actually be interested in. After doing this job for a year and a half, I’ve grown into my blogging style, found new things I’m interested in, broadened my social media horizons, and I’ve realized that if you think you have something cool to share, someone else will probably find it cool too.

Blogging opened my eyes to how much I love food…and how much I love to talk about it..and instagram it…oops

Just so you know, these blogs don’t write and post themselves.  We have a serious process in place, filled with deadlines to meet, editing to be done, wordpress training, blogger assignments from time to time, and intense weekly meetings (one of our last meetings ended with a heated discussion revolving around the fact that I use a microwave to make oatmeal …if you can’t stand the heat, don’t talk about using a microwave in a blog meeting). While it doesn’t always run like clockwork, we try to keep our blogging mentor (he doesn’t like being called our “boss”) happy by sticking to our submitting-editing-posting schedules. It can feel like a lot of work at times, but writing about things I’m passionate about makes it really worth it (as does including mean girls GIFs whenever and wherever I can..)

Seriously though, it has been a pretty sweet job over the past 3 semesters. Being a blogger means you sometimes have to step outside of your comfort zone and try new things. There was one day last semester when #L and I appeared on the radio, I explored Toronto on the hunt for good food during Winterlicious, and I even went to my first ever Varsity Blues football game just so I could blog about it.

And so comes to a close my last post ever for The New. I want to thank everyone for sticking around and reading our posts from week to week To the New Bloggers of next year, good luck and have fun with it!

#Francesca