University of Toronto

Información

     Established in 1827, the University of Toronto is Canada's largest university, recognized as a global leader in research and teaching. U of T's distinguished faculty, institutional record of groundbreaking scholarship and wealth of innovative academic opportunities continually attract outstanding students and academics from around the world. U of T is committed to providing a learning experience that benefits from both a scale almost unparalleled in North America and from the close-knit learning communities made possible through its college system and academic divisions. Located in and around Toronto, one of the world's most diverse regions, U of T's vibrant academic life is defined by a unique degree of cultural diversity in its learning community. The University is sustained environmentally by three green campuses, where renowned heritage buildings stand beside award-winning innovations in architectural design.

     At the University of Toronto, we are committed to being a leader among the world’s best
public universities in teaching, research and engagement with our community and society.
Our academic plan, Stepping UP, sets goals for building on our foundational strengths
and for addressing our institutional challenges. Each year, the University evaluates its
progress and publishes Measuring UP, a comprehensive performance report. This summary
provides an overview of the 2006 edition of Measuring UP.

     Stepping UP articulates five priority objectives for the University. Our goal to enhance
student experience is the most important of these priorities: we strive to provide every
student with the opportunity for an outstanding and unique experience at the University
of Toronto. That means building the remaining four priority objectives (summarized
below) around what makes us unique among universities – including our size and
breadth, our diversity, the quality of our students and faculty, and our location in the
Greater Toronto Area.

• Link Teaching and Research: U of T’s research breadth and strength are key features
for our students, faculty and staff. We aim to ensure that all students benefit from
engagement in leading edge scholarship.

• Promote Interdisciplinary, Interdepartmental and Interdivisional Collaborations:
U of T has a rich tradition of collaborative scholarship that enhances the student
experience both in teaching and exposure to research. The depth and breadth of our
academic departments, centres, and institutes allow U of T to offer a unique approach
to interdisciplinary research and teaching – something that smaller or less diverse
universities would be hard-pressed to replicate in such a broad array of areas.

• Outreach and Engagement in Public Policy: To fulfill our responsibilities as public
stewards of knowledge and to encourage students to apply their learning and extend
their university experience into their civic lives, U of T participates in local, national
and international public policy creation and community outreach.

• Equity and Diversity: Our student population is even more diverse than that of the
city of Toronto, itself one of the most diverse cities in the world. Only here can
students live and study in a milieu that comprises such a wide range of cultures,
ethnicities and religious traditions. Our commitment to equity creates the conditions
for students, faculty and staff to maximize their creativity and contributions, thereby
supporting excellence in all dimensions of the institution.
This year we have seen continued excellence in many areas and encouraging growth
in others. In particular, our outstanding research record continues to set the standard for
publicly-funded universities. This depth of research, in conjunction with the breadth of
our programming (we offer over nine hundred different degree programs), gives students
opportunities for an unparalleled educational experience.
We are beginning to see progress on student experience measures and we understand,
given the scope of the changes we are seeking to make, that more significant progress
will take more time and continued effort.We are confident that our institution has the
strength and resolve to rise to this challenge and to succeed in becoming a globally
recognized student-centred research University.

•    Students (FTE):
     o    50,219 undergraduate
     o    10,991 graduate

•    International students (FTE):
     o    4,704 undergraduate
          1,736 graduate

•    Faculty:
     o    2,159 tenure/tenure-stream
     o    380 teaching stream
     o    5,461 clinical/status only/adjunct

•    Staff: 9,216

•    Alumni: 421,506

•    Undergraduate programs: 841

•    Graduate programs: 520

•    Doctoral programs: 75

•    Professional programs: 42

•    Operating budget: $1.3 billion

•    Research grant and contract support: $853.857 million

•    Library: Over 18 million holdings and one of the top 5 research libraries in North America

Locations
•    St. George campus: 49,797 students
•    U of T at Scarborough: 9,081 students including joint programs with Centennial College
•    U of T at Mississauga: 10,500 students including joint programs with Sheridan College
•    Institute for Aerospace Studies in north-west Toronto
•    Koffler Scientific Reserve at Jokers Hill, King Township

Research Achievements
•    developed first electronic heart pacemaker, artificial larynx, single-lung transplant, nerve transplant and artificial pancreas
•    isolated gene that allows plants to grow in salt water
•    developed the chemical laser
•    developed the anti-blackout suit, later adapted to create the astronaut space suit
•    created the infant cereal Pablum

Economic Impact
•    108 spin-off companies
•    15th-largest employer in the Greater Toronto Area
•    In 20005-06, U of T's overall estimated economic impact on the GTA economy was $5.4 billion