University of Toronto Athletics

Student-Athlete and Team Support
Academic Expectations
Academic Services
Student Heatlh Services
Financial Aid


A) Student-Athlete and Team Support

The University of Toronto is committed to whole person development. Students are at a crucial stage of their intellectual, physical and social development. Athletic skill development should be encouraged alongside:

• Intellectual accomplishment, professional preparation and critical reflections;
• Self-knowledge about health and well-being;
• Interpersonal and intercultural awareness and communications;
• A commitment to personal excellence, fair play, ethical behaviour and a lifetime of involvement in physical activity; and,
• Various educational sessions and support services are available to teams and individual student-athletes in order to enhance whole person development.

Examples of the educational services that may be offered include:

• positive team building
• diversity training
• stress management
• coping with performance anxiety
• orientation and transition experiences
• body image and eating disorders
• communication
• time management
• nutrition
• off-season strength and conditioning
• strength training basics.

B) Academic Expectations

The Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education and the University of Toronto are committed to both academic and athletic excellence.

We strongly encourage student-athletes to:

1.    Set priorities and plan ahead.
2.    Make every effort to attend all classes, labs and tutorials for each course.
3.    Fulfill all course requirements on time.
4.    Know and adhere to all academic requirements and deadlines including prerequisites and add/drop dates.
5.    Know all academic regulations that apply to intercollegiate eligibility.
6.    Get to know the resources and student support systems on campus, starting with professors.
7.    Ask for help when needed.

Academic Conflict Policy:
Coaches and staff make every effort to ensure practice and competition schedules consider the academic needs of student-athletes. There will, however, be occasions when academic and athletic commitments conflict. The following outlines the procedures student-athletes must follow when there is a conflict between academic and athletic events. It is the responsibility of the student-athlete to identify these conflicts well in advance, and notify the coach and/or professor as early as possible.

If practice conflicts with a class:
The student-athlete is expected to honour the academic commitment and inform the coach well in advance of the conflict.

If practice conflicts with a test:
Tests are occasionally scheduled outside regular class times. In these cases, the student-athlete must inform the coach, as early as possible, but academic commitment takes priority.

If competition conflicts with class time:
The student-athlete is expected to honour the athletic commitment and to advise the professor of the conflict as early as possible. The student must keep up with missed work. In the event the class time has an academic evaluation component (mandatory tutorial, PRA rotations, etc.), please request an academic conflict letter.

If competition conflicts with a test or exam:
The academic commitment has priority and the student-athlete is expected to honour that commitment. Student athletes are expected to talk with the professor about alternate arrangements. If required, student athlete will receive an Academic conflict letter of support from Vadim Levin at the beginning of the season.


C) Academic Services

The University of Toronto offers a range of academic services for all students. Consult your academic counselor in your department, faculty or individual college for a list of available resources. The following are services frequently used by students and student-athletes alike:

Academic Support for Athletes Program (ASAP)
ASAP is the formal academic support program for Varsity Blues student-athletes. ASAP provides students with the opportunity to work closely with a peer group and peer-mentors covering a wide range of undergraduate disciplines, including kinesiology, commerce and the life sciences. The program provides resources to ensure student-athlete success in their academics including a peer study and support group, peer mentors, staff advising sessions, and study space in the Blue & White Room at Varsity arena.   

The full ASAP program is available to student-athletes in the university division of the sport model, but all student-athletes have access to the tutoring from ASAP mentors and the Blue & White Room. 

Blues Engineering
Blues Engineering is a student-led group, with strong links to both the athletic department and the Registrar's Office at the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, that supports all Varsity Blues engineering student-athletes. The group sets up studying sessions, mentorship opportunities with senior students in the same discipline and arranges special events. For more information, please visit their website. 

Online Educational Workshops
All student-athletes have access to online educational workshops via Quercus, with topics such as:
•    Academic Integrity Reading & Note Taking
•    Procrastination & Time Management Writing – Essays & Assignments

The Writing Centre
University website: www.writing.utoronto.ca

St. George campus:
•    Innis College Writing Centre, Innis College, Rooms 315 and 321
•    New College Writing Centre, Wilson Hall, Rooms 2045 and 2047
•    St. Michael's Writing Centre, Kelly Library Learning Commons
•    Trinity College Writing Centre, Trinity College, Academic Resource Centre, Room 3
•    University College Writing Centre, University College, Rooms 259E, 259F, and 259G
•    Victoria College Writing Centre, Northrop Frye Hall 103, Rooms A and B
•    Woodsworth College Academic Writing Centre, Woodsworth College, Room 214

If you are taking a course in French or philosophy, you may be eligible to work with a specialized writing centre. Call the Department of French at 416-926-2302 for information about its services for this academic year. To arrange an appointment with the Philosophy Essay clinic, email eric.correia@utoronto.ca

Learning Skills & Career Centres

St. George campus:
Academic Success Centre, Reception at Room 150, Main Floor

Mississauga Campus:
Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre, Room 3251
 
Scarborough Campus:
CTL Writing Support, Room AC210, Academic Resource Centre (across from the library). 

D) Student Health Services

Student-athletes must cope with the stressors typically experienced by other students, as well as those associated with being a competitive student-athlete.

Stressors may include but are not limited to:
•    moving to a new city;
•    making new friends;
•    choosing courses and a major;
•    adjusting to the intensity of training at a competitive university level;
•    attending practices, games and tournaments;
•    coping with poor or unfamiliar levels of athletic and academic performance;
•    injuries.

Counselling Services
Navi is a virtual agent that help students navigate mental health supports at the University of Toronto. Navi is an informational tool for wayfinding, and does not provide advice, counselling nor does it make any diagnosis. If students would like to speak to someone, Navi highlights a suite of resources that students can connect with 24/7.
 

Varsity Blues Embedded Counsellor	Counselling Services	U of T Telus Health Student Support	Good 2 Talk
Varsity Blues student- athletes have access to an embedded counsel- lor five days a week. Appointments will take place at i-School (Faculty of Information).	Counselling services are also avail- able on campus for students of the University. They include short-term crisis counselling and brief psycho- therapy for individuals, couples and groups, learning skills lectures and workshops, and individual consulta- tion on academic skills matters.	U of T Telus Health Student Support provides University of Toronto students with immediate and/or ongoing confidential, 24-hour support for any school, health, or general life concern at no cost to students. Ongoing support is available over the phone in 146 lan- guages. Immediate support is available over the phone in 35 languages and over chat in simplified Chinese, Korean, Arabic, Spanish, English and French.	Good2Talk is a free, confidential and anony- mous helpline providing professional counselling and information and refer- rals for mental health, ad- dictions and well-being for post-secondary students.
Contact Health & Well- ness at 416-978-8030, press option 5 – and mention that you are a Varsity Blues student- athlete. This will put you in the queue.	St. George Campus Health & Wellness Centre   Mississauga Campus Health & Counselling Centre   Scarborough Campus Health and Wellness Centre	Call 1-844-451-9700 Outside of North America – 001-416-380-6578   Chat or call with the Telus Health Student Support (THSS) app Download the THSS app on the Apple App Store or Google Play.	Call 1-866-925-5454   Visit: www.good2talk.ca

Accessibility Services
Accessibility Services office assists in navigating disability related barriers to academic success by providing supports and accommodations for learning.
Generally speaking, the steps/process to access the accommodations and services offered by Accessibility Services across all three campuses is as follows:
 

UTM	St. George	UTSC
Students will need to contact the Accessibility Services office directly for any general inquiries, and in order to book appropriate appointments and will be triaged as per individual circumstances. Services include note-taking, test/exam accommodations, counselling, and workshops.	They strive to create a safe and comfortable community for students where they can navigate their disability and related barriers, facilitate peer support and winteractions, and provide various academic and social opportunities. You can book an appointment by phone, or in person. Make sure to have all your documentation ready in time for your appointment, & due to the size of the St. George campus, always make sure to sign up as early as possible each year!	For general inquiries, setting up appointments, or inquiring on your existing accommodations, you will need to contact the front- desk and will be directed accordingly. Services include note-taking, test/ exam accommodations, counselling, and workshops. Make sure you have all of your documentation ready in time for your appointment
Room 2037B, Davis Building 3359 Mississauga Rd.   Contact information: access.utm@utoronto.ca 905-569-4699	455 Spadina Avenue 4th Floor, Suite 400   Contact information: accessibility.services@utoronto.ca 416-978- 8060	AccessAbility Services, Arts & Administration Building 1265 Military Trail   Contact information: ability@utsc.utoronto.ca 416-287-7550

E) Financial Aid

The Faculty has a work-study program – the largest on campus. Many colleges and faculties on campus offer bursaries; please check with the financial aid staff at your registrar's office for more information.

Leadership & Employment Opportunities
The Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education provides hundreds of full and part-time paid, work-study and volunteer leadership positions and experiences. These leadership opportunities provide a variety of ways for students to gain valuable career related experiences, learn new skills, contribute to their education and have an enjoyable time while studying at U of T. For more information, visit https://kpe.utoronto.ca/about/working-kpe