Interest around experiential and work-integrated learning has grown in recent months, as departments look to enhance the variety of experiences they offer both undergraduate and graduate students. The President’s Three Priorities identify the expansion and especially the promotion of existing experiential learning opportunities as central to the University of Toronto’s reinvention of undergraduate education and to the preparation of graduates for lifelong success on the labour market.

As the University continues to affirm the enduring value of a broad education, there is growing demand from both undergraduate and graduate students to be able to acquire a variety of experiences while pursuing their studies. While the University administers a variety of well-established curricular and co-curricular opportunities across the institution, there is room to increase support for those instructors looking to launch new experiential and work-integrated learning initiatives.

Acknowledging the University’s and the province’s shared interest in growing experiential learning opportunities, the University is forming a Task Force on Experiential and Work-integrated Learning, which will bring together key internal stakeholders to increase the institution’s capacity to adapt to the changing landscape. It will achieve this objective by working in three areas of focus on experiential education, while remaining open to new issues as they might arise:

1. Organization of existing institutional data
2. Growth of opportunities on campus
3. Planning and capacity-building for new opportunities

The Task Force’s membership will include:

Professor Susan McCahan, Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education (Co-Chair)
Professor Locke Rowe, Vice-Provost, Graduate Research & Education and Dean, School of Graduate Studies (Co-Chair)
Mr. Josh Ames, Graduate Student, Faculty of Arts & Science
Mr. Elliot Campbell, Undergraduate Student, Faculty of Arts & Science
Professor Alexandra Gillespie, Chair, Department of English and Drama, University of Toronto Mississauga
Ms. Marilyn Johnson, Aboriginal Community Partner Liaison, Centre for Community Partnerships, Division of Student Life
Mr. David Newman, Senior Director, Student Experience and Interim Director, Centre for Community Partnerships, Division of Student Life
Mr. Simon Pratt, Director, Policy & Analysis, Office of Government, Institutional, and Community Relations
Ms. Susan Soikie, Director, Arts & Science Co-op, University of Toronto Scarborough
Professor Ashley Stirling, Director, Experiential Education, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education
Professor Markus Stock, Chair, Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures, Faculty of Arts & Science

For questions or more information, please contact:

Nicholas Dion
Senior Projects Officer
Office of the Vice-President & Provost
nicholas.dion@utoronto.ca