University College, University of Toronto
Encyclopedia
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 colleges such as Trinity College
and St. Michael's College
, both of which later became part of the University of Toronto.
University College is one of two places in the University of Toronto that has been designated a National Historic Site, along with Annesley Hall
of Victoria College
. It is home to the oldest student government in Canada, the Literary and Athletic Society.
of the Province of Canada
, Reformist politicians led by Robert Baldwin
wrested control of King's College from the Church of England
in 1849 and renamed it the University of Toronto. Baldwin envisioned that denominational colleges would soon decide to affiliate themselves under the secular University of Toronto "with some vague status, perhaps as divinity halls". His hopes were dashed when the Presbyterian Queen's College
in Kingston
opted to stay independent. Baldwin resigned as premier in 1851, leaving his successor, Francis Hincks
, to find another way to persuade the denominational colleges. Hincks decided that the university should adopt the collegiate university
governance model, used for centuries at Oxbridge
and more recently at the University of London
.
On April 22, 1853, University College was created as the first constituent college of the University of Toronto, inheriting the teaching functions and resources of the former King's College, while the university itself became an examination body. Frederick William Cumberland
was appointed in 1856 as the university architect to design and oversee the construction of the college's new building, completed in 1859. Until Wycliffe College
joined the university in 1889, University College was the only member college within the University of Toronto, and therefore the principal of the college was also the de facto chief of the entire university. The following year, Knox College and Victoria College
also joined the University of Toronto.
University College was severely damaged by a fire that gutted the entire eastern wing and the college library on February 14, 1890. The fire spread rapidly when servants accidentally dropped two kerosene lamps on a wooden staircase at around 7 p.m. while preparing the illumination for an annual college exhibition. In Ottawa, Edward Blake
, the university's chancellor and a member of parliament, interrupted his speech to inform the House of Commons
, "The great institution, the crown and glory, I may be permitted to say, of the educational institutions in our country is at the moment in flames ... and is now, so far as its material fabric goes, a ruin tottering to the ground." Only about 100 books were rescued before the fire consumed more than 33,000 volumes at the college library. Despite the initial fears, University College recovered from the fire with remarkable ease and speed. Wycliffe College and Knox College both offered space for classes to accommodate displaced students. The board of trustees commissioned a swift restoration of the structure with insurance compensations and additional investments. Within two years, the library was replenished with donations from institutions throughout the British Empire.
On February 15, 1895, more than seven hundred University College students attended what was then described as the "largest mass meeting in the history of the University" to discuss the government's dismissal of William Dale, the popular professor of Latin at the college. William Lyon Mackenzie King
, a senior undergraduate who would later become Prime Minister of Canada
, introduced a successful motion at the meeting to "abstain from attendance at lectures at University College until a proper investigation be granted by the provincial government into the difficulties existing at the university." During the boycott of classes, professor of history George MacKinnon Wrong
wrote to Chancellor Blake in England that only one student turned up at one of his lectures. The strike continued until February 20, when students voted to return to classes after the government agreed to call a commission of inquiry.
In 1968, University College was designated a National Historic Site of Canada, in recognition of its historical role in creating the collegiate system at the University of Toronto, and as one of the earliest examples of the collegiate model at universities in the Commonwealth.
and William George Storm
. The selection of architectural styles was the result of “a tangle of disagreements and concessions, political as well as artistic”, including the college's emphasis on freedom from denominational control. Cumberland met the requirements asked of him after taking part on a research and experience based trip to Europe in February 1856: “This course of action was consistent with Victorian architectural practice when new public buildings were being planned, which was to carefully study applicable building forms and adapt them, to the requirements of the job at hand. The design committee led by Cumberland initially designed a Gothic
structure, but Governor General Edmund Walker Head
disliked the style and suggested Italian
instead, later changing his preference to Byzantine.
The design committee would eventually include Norman
, Romanesque Revival
, and “faint traces of Byzantium and the Italian palazzo” styles in the design. In particular, the Byzantine, Norman and early English styles were deemed “fitting for educational institutions”. Cumberland chose Norman Romanesque as the main influence because he thought it was the most appreciate for the topography in Canada. To achieve a picturesque approach, Cumberland ignored the classical symmetry and deliberately gave an asymmetrical architectural expression. The building was an unconventional combination of varied parts incorporating British design for educational structures in England and Ireland.
Like most Romanesque buildings, University College has extremely thick masonry walls, built of many types of brick and stone layered upon each other. The main materials include wood, stone, brick, slate, iron, mortar, and tile. Only about one third of the exterior is stone, with the rest being a very pale yellow brick produced at a brickyard on Yonge Street. University College has the characteristic arched and rounded windows as well as huge, cavernous facades. A major feature of University College is arches laid out in series and sets. The arches are semicircular, and consist of small columns that provide the structural support to hold up vaults on the side of walkways. There is much ornamentation, especially in the form of stone carvings, liberally applied on the walls, arches, columns and façades of the building. Carved images include nature, animals, mysterious creatures as well as the college shield and motto. The building also features several stained glass
windows, including the rose window
by Robert McCausland.
Some of the basic original layout plans remain at University College today. The focal point of the structure is at the south façade, where the stone tower at the center of the composition contains the main entrance of the college. The quadrangle and cloisters are enclosed within elaborately carved walls faced with stone, "felicitously sited amid landscaped grounds". Until the Laidlaw Wing was completed in the 1960s, University College was a U-shaped structure that was open on the north end. Before the fire of 1890, the building was laid out such that the east wing provided access to the convocation hall, the museum and the library, and contained an entrance to the quadrangle. Residences and dining halls, classrooms, and public reading rooms were on the west range of the structure. The chemistry laboratory was relocated at the southwest range, in the present Croft Chapter House, because it was more logical than in the first study which was in the north. Today, the west wing is no longer used as living quarters, which are now provided by the college's three dedicated residential halls, while the convocation functions have long since been moved to Convocation Hall.
University College houses several academic programs within the University of Toronto, further varied by major, minor and specialist concentrations, including Canadian studies
, drama
, health studies, and sexual diversity studies. Until 2009, the college also housed the cognitive science
program. The college houses a number of visiting fellows who take residence and office at the college. University College is also home to the Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies in the Munk School of Global Affairs
.
University College hosts five sets of annual public lecture series. The Alexander Lectures, founded in 1928 and named for English professor W.J. Alexander, focuses on literature over four successive lectures. The Graham Lectures, established in 1930, explores scientific topics from astronomy to zoology in a non-technical manner. The F.E.L. Priestley Memorial Lectures in the History of Ideas are interdisciplinary, encompassing topics in social science and humanities such as literature, economics, history, geography, philosophy, theology, science, political science, as well as applied fields such as business, law, and medicine. The Stubbs Lecture, founded in 1988, focuses on Greek, Latin, or English literature. The Teetzel Lectures concentrates on art and architecture over three successive days.
The Laidlaw Library is the main library of University College. Although the college had a general-interest library before the fire of 1890, the modern Laidlaw Library is specialized in subjects related to the college's in-house academic programs in the humanities and social sciences. It comprises a main collection of 35,000 volumes and secondary collections in literature and poetry.
The newel in the east staircase is a wooden Griffin. The griffin is a magical creature that is a mix of a lion and an eagle. Some students believe that touching the Griffin will bring good luck, such as passing their exams with great marks.
Diabolos' is University College's not-for-profit coffee bar that has been overseen by the Lit and student-run since 1966. It provides fair trade
coffee
, tea
, vegan and vegetarian products to University College students. It is located in University College's Junior Common Room and is open Monday to Thurs 8:30am - 6pm and Friday 8:30am - 4pm.
dating back to 1854. Established in 1854 as the Literary and Scientific Society and renamed The University College Literary and Athletic Society in 1921 it merged with the University College Women's Undergraduate Association in 1958 to become representative of all students attending the college.
Every student of University College is a member of the society. The Lit's mandate is to provide services, host events, facilitate student involvement, represent the student body, and foster a sense of community among students in the college. The Lit is also responsible for Orientation Week for incoming first-years, the student-run Diabolos' coffee bar, and the annual Fireball formal, commemorating the 1890 fire which destroyed the college.
The 2010 Fireball, Reminisce, reportedly cost $49,000 and was criticized in an opinion piece in the University of Toronto's campus newspaper, The Varsity.
The Gargoyle
, established in 1954, is the student newspaper of University College, named after the gargoyle statue in the college building. It is staffed by an editorial collective of undergraduate students, as well as a group of staff and regular contributors.
The college's three residence buildings hold about 720 students, and are fully co-ed, although Whitney started out as the women's residence and Sir Daniel Wilson's as the men's. A third residence, Morrison Hall, was added in 2005. Demand for places is high for a number of reasons: most rooms are singles, the community life is accepting and diverse and most main academic buildings are right across the street. Off-campus students can participate in the residence community life by becoming associate members of one of the houses.
Hutton House is one of six residential division within the Sir Daniel Wilson Residence at the University of Toronto
. The residence was built as a men's residence in 1954. Hutton House is named after Maurice Hutton, a University College, University of Toronto classics professor. He also acted as Principal of University College, University of Toronto from 1901 to 1928. During 1906 and 1907 he was acting President of the university.
Collegiate university
A collegiate university is a university in which governing authority and functions are divided between a central administration and a number of constituent colleges...
of the University of Toronto
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...
, 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 colleges such as Trinity College
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 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...
, both of which later became part of the University of Toronto.
University College is one of two places in the University of Toronto that has been designated a National Historic Site, along with Annesley Hall
Annesley Hall
Annesley Hall is the all-female residence at Victoria College, University of Toronto campus. The residence is a National Historic Site located across from the Royal Ontario Museum....
of Victoria College
Victoria University, 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...
. It is home to the oldest student government in Canada, the Literary and Athletic Society.
History
Shortly after taking power in the first responsible governmentResponsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
of the Province of Canada
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
, Reformist politicians led by Robert Baldwin
Robert Baldwin
Robert Baldwin was born at York . He, along with his political partner Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, led the first responsible ministry in Canada, regarded by some as the first truly Canadian government....
wrested control of King's College from the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in 1849 and renamed it the University of Toronto. Baldwin envisioned that denominational colleges would soon decide to affiliate themselves under the secular University of Toronto "with some vague status, perhaps as divinity halls". His hopes were dashed when the Presbyterian Queen's College
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
in Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
opted to stay independent. Baldwin resigned as premier in 1851, leaving his successor, Francis Hincks
Francis Hincks
Sir Francis Hincks, KCMG, PC was a Canadian politician.Born in Cork, Ireland, he was the son of Thomas Dix Hincks an orientalist, naturalist and Presbyterian minister and the brother of Edward Hincks orientalist, naturalist and clergyman.He moved to York in 1832 and set up an importing business...
, to find another way to persuade the denominational colleges. Hincks decided that the university should adopt the collegiate university
Collegiate university
A collegiate university is a university in which governing authority and functions are divided between a central administration and a number of constituent colleges...
governance model, used for centuries at Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
and more recently at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
.
On April 22, 1853, University College was created as the first constituent college of the University of Toronto, inheriting the teaching functions and resources of the former King's College, while the university itself became an examination body. Frederick William Cumberland
Frederick William Cumberland
Frederick William Cumberland was a Canadian engineer, architect and political figure. He represented the riding of Algoma in the 1st and 2nd Ontario Parliaments and in the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1872....
was appointed in 1856 as the university architect to design and oversee the construction of the college's new building, completed in 1859. Until Wycliffe College
Wycliffe College
Wycliffe College is an Anglican Church of Canada seminary federated with the University of Toronto. It is evangelical and Low church in orientation. On the other hand, the University of Toronto's other Anglican college, the University of Trinity College is Anglo-Catholic in outlook. While being an...
joined the university in 1889, University College was the only member college within the University of Toronto, and therefore the principal of the college was also the de facto chief of the entire university. The following year, Knox College and Victoria College
Victoria University, 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...
also joined the University of Toronto.
University College was severely damaged by a fire that gutted the entire eastern wing and the college library on February 14, 1890. The fire spread rapidly when servants accidentally dropped two kerosene lamps on a wooden staircase at around 7 p.m. while preparing the illumination for an annual college exhibition. In Ottawa, Edward Blake
Edward Blake
Dominick Edward Blake, PC, QC , known as Edward Blake, was the second Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1871 to 1872 and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 1880 to 1887...
, the university's chancellor and a member of parliament, interrupted his speech to inform the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
, "The great institution, the crown and glory, I may be permitted to say, of the educational institutions in our country is at the moment in flames ... and is now, so far as its material fabric goes, a ruin tottering to the ground." Only about 100 books were rescued before the fire consumed more than 33,000 volumes at the college library. Despite the initial fears, University College recovered from the fire with remarkable ease and speed. Wycliffe College and Knox College both offered space for classes to accommodate displaced students. The board of trustees commissioned a swift restoration of the structure with insurance compensations and additional investments. Within two years, the library was replenished with donations from institutions throughout the British Empire.
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
, a senior undergraduate who would later become Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, introduced a successful motion at the meeting to "abstain from attendance at lectures at University College until a proper investigation be granted by the provincial government into the difficulties existing at the university." During the boycott of classes, professor of history George MacKinnon Wrong
George MacKinnon Wrong
George MacKinnon Wrong was a Canadian clergyman and historian.Born at Grovesend in Elgin County, Canada West , he was ordained in the Anglican priesthood in 1883 after attending Wycliffe College. In 1894, as successor to Sir Daniel Wilson, he was appointed Professor and head of the Department of...
wrote to Chancellor Blake in England that only one student turned up at one of his lectures. The strike continued until February 20, when students voted to return to classes after the government agreed to call a commission of inquiry.
In 1968, University College was designated a National Historic Site of Canada, in recognition of its historical role in creating the collegiate system at the University of Toronto, and as one of the earliest examples of the collegiate model at universities in the Commonwealth.
Grounds and architecture
The main building of University College was built between 1856 and 1859, designed by architects Frederick William CumberlandFrederick William Cumberland
Frederick William Cumberland was a Canadian engineer, architect and political figure. He represented the riding of Algoma in the 1st and 2nd Ontario Parliaments and in the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1872....
and William George Storm
William George Storm
William George Storm was a Canadian architect who designed a number of prominent monuments in Toronto.He was born in England and immigrated to Canada while still a child and was raised in Cobourg, Ontario. His father was a contractor and introduced him to the building trade. He apprenticed first...
. The selection of architectural styles was the result of “a tangle of disagreements and concessions, political as well as artistic”, including the college's emphasis on freedom from denominational control. Cumberland met the requirements asked of him after taking part on a research and experience based trip to Europe in February 1856: “This course of action was consistent with Victorian architectural practice when new public buildings were being planned, which was to carefully study applicable building forms and adapt them, to the requirements of the job at hand. The design committee led by Cumberland initially designed a Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
structure, but Governor General Edmund Walker Head
Edmund Walker Head
Sir Edmund Walker Head, 8th Baronet, KCB was British colonial administrator.He was born at Wiarton Place, near Maidstone, Kent, the son of Reverend Sir John Head, 7th Bt. and Jane Head. He was educated at Winchester College and Oriel College, Oxford. He succeeded to his father's title in 1838...
disliked the style and suggested Italian
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
instead, later changing his preference to Byzantine.
The design committee would eventually include Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
, Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
, and “faint traces of Byzantium and the Italian palazzo” styles in the design. In particular, the Byzantine, Norman and early English styles were deemed “fitting for educational institutions”. Cumberland chose Norman Romanesque as the main influence because he thought it was the most appreciate for the topography in Canada. To achieve a picturesque approach, Cumberland ignored the classical symmetry and deliberately gave an asymmetrical architectural expression. The building was an unconventional combination of varied parts incorporating British design for educational structures in England and Ireland.
Like most Romanesque buildings, University College has extremely thick masonry walls, built of many types of brick and stone layered upon each other. The main materials include wood, stone, brick, slate, iron, mortar, and tile. Only about one third of the exterior is stone, with the rest being a very pale yellow brick produced at a brickyard on Yonge Street. University College has the characteristic arched and rounded windows as well as huge, cavernous facades. A major feature of University College is arches laid out in series and sets. The arches are semicircular, and consist of small columns that provide the structural support to hold up vaults on the side of walkways. There is much ornamentation, especially in the form of stone carvings, liberally applied on the walls, arches, columns and façades of the building. Carved images include nature, animals, mysterious creatures as well as the college shield and motto. The building also features several stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows, including the rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
by Robert McCausland.
Some of the basic original layout plans remain at University College today. The focal point of the structure is at the south façade, where the stone tower at the center of the composition contains the main entrance of the college. The quadrangle and cloisters are enclosed within elaborately carved walls faced with stone, "felicitously sited amid landscaped grounds". Until the Laidlaw Wing was completed in the 1960s, University College was a U-shaped structure that was open on the north end. Before the fire of 1890, the building was laid out such that the east wing provided access to the convocation hall, the museum and the library, and contained an entrance to the quadrangle. Residences and dining halls, classrooms, and public reading rooms were on the west range of the structure. The chemistry laboratory was relocated at the southwest range, in the present Croft Chapter House, because it was more logical than in the first study which was in the north. Today, the west wing is no longer used as living quarters, which are now provided by the college's three dedicated residential halls, while the convocation functions have long since been moved to Convocation Hall.
Academics
The University College Council is the college's governing body, overseeing administrative, budgetary and academic matters. The principal, in addition to chairing the College Council, serves as the chief executive of the college. Student are represented on the College Council by the leaders of the Literary and Athletic Society and eight additional students.University College houses several academic programs within the University of Toronto, further varied by major, minor and specialist concentrations, including Canadian studies
Canadian Studies
Canadian Studies is a Collegiate study of Canadian culture, Canadian languages, literature, Quebec, agriculture, history, and their government and politics. Most universities recommend that students take a double major and French, if not included in the course...
, drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, health studies, and sexual diversity studies. Until 2009, the college also housed the cognitive science
Cognitive science
Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
program. The college houses a number of visiting fellows who take residence and office at the college. University College is also home to the Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies in the Munk School of Global Affairs
Munk School of Global Affairs
The Munk School for Global Affairs at the University of Toronto is an interdisciplinary academic centre on global issues that integrates research with teaching and public education...
.
University College hosts five sets of annual public lecture series. The Alexander Lectures, founded in 1928 and named for English professor W.J. Alexander, focuses on literature over four successive lectures. The Graham Lectures, established in 1930, explores scientific topics from astronomy to zoology in a non-technical manner. The F.E.L. Priestley Memorial Lectures in the History of Ideas are interdisciplinary, encompassing topics in social science and humanities such as literature, economics, history, geography, philosophy, theology, science, political science, as well as applied fields such as business, law, and medicine. The Stubbs Lecture, founded in 1988, focuses on Greek, Latin, or English literature. The Teetzel Lectures concentrates on art and architecture over three successive days.
The Laidlaw Library is the main library of University College. Although the college had a general-interest library before the fire of 1890, the modern Laidlaw Library is specialized in subjects related to the college's in-house academic programs in the humanities and social sciences. It comprises a main collection of 35,000 volumes and secondary collections in literature and poetry.
Student life and traditions
Legend of Diabolos and Reznikoff
The famous ghost story of the University College, started from the carving "Crocodiles and vermin". The sculptor was a Russian, named Ivan Reznikoff. It is said that he was buried in the northeast corner of the quadrangle. Since then, his ghost has been seen at regular intervals.The newel in the east staircase is a wooden Griffin. The griffin is a magical creature that is a mix of a lion and an eagle. Some students believe that touching the Griffin will bring good luck, such as passing their exams with great marks.
Diabolos' is University College's not-for-profit coffee bar that has been overseen by the Lit and student-run since 1966. It provides fair trade
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
, vegan and vegetarian products to University College students. It is located in University College's Junior Common Room and is open Monday to Thurs 8:30am - 6pm and Friday 8:30am - 4pm.
Literary and Athletic Society
The University College Literary and Athletic Society, colloquially known as the 'Lit', is the oldest student government in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
dating back to 1854. Established in 1854 as the Literary and Scientific Society and renamed The University College Literary and Athletic Society in 1921 it merged with the University College Women's Undergraduate Association in 1958 to become representative of all students attending the college.
Every student of University College is a member of the society. The Lit's mandate is to provide services, host events, facilitate student involvement, represent the student body, and foster a sense of community among students in the college. The Lit is also responsible for Orientation Week for incoming first-years, the student-run Diabolos' coffee bar, and the annual Fireball formal, commemorating the 1890 fire which destroyed the college.
The 2010 Fireball, Reminisce, reportedly cost $49,000 and was criticized in an opinion piece in the University of Toronto's campus newspaper, The Varsity.
The Gargoyle
The Gargoyle (newspaper)
The Gargoyle is the student newspaper of University College at the University of Toronto. It was named after the gargoyle statue in the college building. Students rub this for good luck before tests....
, established in 1954, is the student newspaper of University College, named after the gargoyle statue in the college building. It is staffed by an editorial collective of undergraduate students, as well as a group of staff and regular contributors.
Residential halls
Hutton House is one of six residential division within the Sir Daniel Wilson Residence at the University of Toronto
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...
. The residence was built as a men's residence in 1954. Hutton House is named after Maurice Hutton, a University College, University of Toronto classics professor. He also acted as Principal of University College, University of Toronto from 1901 to 1928. During 1906 and 1907 he was acting President of the university.
Notable alumni
Arts and media
Business
Education
Law
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Literature and journalism
Government
Science and medicine
Athletics
|
Further reading
- Douglas S. Richardson. A Not Unsightly Building: University College and Its History. Mosaic Press for University College, 1990.
- Claude T. Bissell. University College: A Portrait. The University of Toronto Press, 1953.
- Geoffrey Simmins. Fred Cumberland: Building the Victorian Dream. The University of Toronto Press, 1997.
- Martin L. Friedland. The University of Toronto: A History. The University of Toronto Press, 2002.