New College, University of Toronto
Encyclopedia
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in Canada. One of the larger colleges with nearly 5000 students, it stands on Huron Street in the historic campus' west-end, nestled alongside the major Science research buildings. The university press, the Window, is a member of CUP
Canadian University Press
Canadian University Press is a non-profit co-operative and newswire service owned by almost 90 student newspapers at post-secondary schools in Canada. Founded in 1938, CUP is the oldest student newswire service in the world and the oldest national student organization in North America. Many...
.
History
Founded in 1962, New College was the first college to be created within the University of Toronto since the federation with VictoriaVictoria University in the University of Toronto
Victoria University is a constituent college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1836 and named for Queen Victoria. It is commonly called Victoria College, informally Vic, after the original academic component that now forms its undergraduate division...
, Trinity
University of Trinity College
The University of Trinity College, informally referred to as Trin, is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1851 by Bishop John Strachan. Trinity was intended by Strachan as a college of strong Anglican alignment, after the University of Toronto severed its ties with the Church of...
and St. Michael's
University of St. Michael's College
The University of St. Michael's College is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1852 by the Congregation of St. Basil of Annonay, France. While mainly an undergraduate college for liberal arts and sciences, St. Michael's retains its Roman Catholic affiliation through its postgraduate...
Colleges. The name of the College was initially to be "New King's College," an homage to University College
University College, University of Toronto
University College is a constituent college of the University of Toronto, created in 1853 specifically as an institution of higher learning free of religious affiliation. It was the founding member of the university's modern collegiate system, and its secularism contrasted with contemporary...
, which had been known as King's College before receiving new royal charter.
2008 financial woes
In 2008, New College decided it was necessary to raise residence fees by approximately 20% for the 2008–2009 academic year.The "New New" residence, built 2002–2003, had been financed by the College itself, with the loan on the building anticipated to be paid back through residence fees collected from all three buildings. However, the projected room occupancy (and thus, rent collected) was more optimistic than turned out to be the case. Between the lower-than anticipated income and the fact that the two older buildings were over 40 years old and in need of substantial and increasing maintenance, the College found itself running a substantial operating deficit, anticipated at $2.3 million a year.
Financial woes were not unknown to U of T colleges. For example, a few years earlier the federated St Michael's College
University of St. Michael's College
The University of St. Michael's College is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1852 by the Congregation of St. Basil of Annonay, France. While mainly an undergraduate college for liberal arts and sciences, St. Michael's retains its Roman Catholic affiliation through its postgraduate...
had a similar need for money (although for different reasons) and had sold off a substantial parcel of land to private developers to help with its finances. New College does not have similar land-holdings to sell off; indeed, short of the University itself bailing out the College, increased student fees are one of the few ways to make up the shortfall. Another solution, aggressively put into place by Principal Rick Halpern and Director of Business Services Ron Vander Kraats, was an aggressive policy of cost containment coupled with entrepreneurial efforts to increase revenue in the summer period. Current financial projections show the residence breaking even by 2014.
Namesake cousins
New College shares with Trinity CollegeUniversity of Trinity College
The University of Trinity College, informally referred to as Trin, is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1851 by Bishop John Strachan. Trinity was intended by Strachan as a college of strong Anglican alignment, after the University of Toronto severed its ties with the Church of...
, St. Hilda's College, and University College
University College, University of Toronto
University College is a constituent college of the University of Toronto, created in 1853 specifically as an institution of higher learning free of religious affiliation. It was the founding member of the university's modern collegiate system, and its secularism contrasted with contemporary...
, the distinction of being Dominion cousins to namesakes in the UK. It is named after New College
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, upon which the College system at the University of Toronto is itself modelled.
Character
Designed under the "multi-faculty" concept, 4,500 of its students are from the Faculty of Arts & ScienceUniversity of Toronto Faculty of Arts and Science
The Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto is one of Canada's largest and most prestigious arts and science teaching and research institutions. With almost 22,000 undergraduate and 3,000 graduate students, Arts and Science represents over half the student population on the...
with the rest drawn from Applied Science & Engineering
University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering
The Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering is an academic division of the University of Toronto devoted to study and research in engineering. Founded in 1873 as the School of Practical Science, it is still known today by the longtime nickname of Skule...
, Physical Education and Health, and Pharmacy. In fact, what is now known as Innis College
Innis College
Innis College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Toronto. It is one of the University of Toronto's smallest colleges in terms of size and the second smallest college in terms of population with approximately 1870 registered students...
, the second "multi-faculty" college, was originally designed as another wing onto New College before it was built separately in 1964.
Housed in an integrated "serpentine" design, New College consists of three halls: Wilson Hall, Wetmore Hall, and a new hall aptly named New Building built in 2003. Employing an integrated approach to living, 857 living units are built in the upper floors; the lower floors include the library and reading room, computer labs, staff offices and lecture theatres, dining halls, and recreation lounges. The New Building also has the William Doo Auditorium and a mini-gym.
New College is most attractive to students who wish to live near many of the central facilities of University of Toronto such as Robarts Library
Robarts Library
The John P. Robarts Research Library, commonly referred to as Robarts Library, is the main humanities and social sciences library of the University of Toronto Libraries and the largest individual library in the university...
, Sidney Smith Hall, the Athletic Centre, and the Lash-Miller chemical laboratories. Recently, with the newly finished New College Residence Hall garnering design awards for its red-bricked nod to New Urbanism
New urbanism
New Urbanism is an urban design movement, which promotes walkable neighborhoods that contain a range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s, and has gradually continued to reform many aspects of real estate development, urban planning, and municipal land-use...
, the College is an attractive home to university life in the campus' west-end.
Student life
New College boasts an extremely multi-cultural student body, with more than three-quarters of its students drawn from the ranks of new Canadians. Both the Residence Student's Council (serving students who live at the college) and the New College Student Council (serving both residents and commuters) plan activities which highlight the college's diversity. A highlight of the year, usually held in the winter term, is Mosaic. Mosaic is an evening of music, dance and performance, featuring multi-ethnic themes. The Student Council generally uses the William Doo Auditorium for Mosaic, and also for other events such as movie nights, musical concerts, and miscellaneous themed nights such as CasinoCasino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
Night.
For students in residence at New College, their social life is aided by their floor residence council. The floor residence council organizes restaurant trips, movie nights, field trips (trapeze training, rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
, bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, etc.) and other activities. Each residence floor is benefited by its don. New College dons are graduate students who live with the undergraduates and provide advice and support to the students. The New College Residence Council oversees student life specifically for students who live in residence.
Residence student life is also anchored largely around the college's cafeteria, whose food services are run by the privately owned Aramark
Aramark
Aramark Corporation, known commonly as Aramark, is an American foodservice, facilities, and clothing provider supplying businesses, educational institutions, sports facilities, federal and state prisons, and health care institutions. It is headquartered at the Aramark Tower in Center City,...
company. The dining area is quite large, with a number of different foods available at each mealtime. Vegetarian, Vegan and Halal
Halal
Halal is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
(though not Kosher) meals are offered, though students may need to request these items at each meal.
In 2008 the College replaced the Dean of Residence position with a new Director of Student Life. This senior administrator is charged not only with running the residence operation but developing student life programming that integrates the over three thousand commuting students into the larger New College community. In addition, the College's social justice and equity mandate is now woven through many of its extra-curricular programs, a development furthered by the 2009 appointment of a service learning coordinator.
Specialization
New College pursues a mandate around equity and social justice -- and most of its programs reflect this mission. The College continues to maintain its connections with the field of engineering and the life sciences. Many of its early officers were from science backgrounds, including Wilson from Engineering and Ivey from Medicine. Today, like many of the colleges at the University of Toronto, it co-ordinates a number of academic degree programmes, Human Biology being an especially prominent program for aspiring MD's. New College is also home to an Aid Centre for Mathematics, Statistics and Economics/Finance. In recent years, the College has developed new programmes in area studies (South Asia, Africa, Caribbean), Equity Studies, Women's Studies, Jungian Psychology, and Socially Engaged Buddhism. In recent years, it has made major efforts to develop a range of internships and field placements, believing that service learning is a valuable complement to the traditional classroom experience. These now include work in southern Africa (Namibia and Zambia) around HIV/AIDS, equity placements in the area of disability study and advocacy, and internships with the Steelworkers Injured Worker Program and Job Action CentreNew Faces
The New Faces Drama Society has been a traditional part of New College student life for years. The Society was recently resurrected during the 2009-2010 school year after disappearing around 2005. This new group of students, led by Jameson Glas reformed New Faces with a few minor productions in the hopes that future New College students would keep the tradition going strong. These productions included a murder mystery and a New College Drama Festival which featured three student written, directed and acted one-act plays. One of these one-act plays was also featured in the Hart House Drama Festival.New College Red Hot
One of the more popular songs during "frosh week".New College Red Hot,
New College Red Hot,
New College R-E-D red, H-O-T hot,
We can't help the stuff we got,
Aahah, Aahah, Aahah, Aahah, Aahah.
New College Red Hot,
New College Red Hot,
New College R-E-D red, H-O-T hot,
We can't help the stuff we got,
Aahah, Aahah, Aahah, Aahah, Aahah.
New College Fight Song
Song traditionally sung during "frosh week" at U of T by New College students.Toronto has a college at its university.
It's great and cool and wonderful,
Amazing to a T.
I'll tell you who it is and then I'm sure that you'll agree,
We're better than the rest.
Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah New College!
Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah New College!
Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah New College,
We're better than the rest
Now Vic's an okay college,
Like some old and lonely aunt.
UC is aged and boring now,
Trin only likes to chant.
St. Mike's claims they won't have sex,
The hardhats simply can't,
We're better than the rest!
Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah New College!
Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah New College!
Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah New College!
We're better than the rest.
Now Innis is a silly place,
they plainly all are nuts!
Another starts with 'W',
We really thought it shut.
UTM and TSC,
You didn't make the cut!
We're better than the rest!
Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah New College!
Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah New College!
Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah New College!
We're better than the rest!