Residence Life
For many students, living in residence is the highlight of their first year of university. The convenience of living close to classes and campus services, the opportunity to make lasting friendships and for involvement in numerous activities designed specifically for them, together with the support offered by staff, make residence life an excellent option for many students. There are also challenges, given the close proximity in which students live and the diversity of backgrounds and lifestyles that each resident brings to the community. Both the challenges and advantages of residence life make for an excellent transition from life at home to independence.
The Residence Life Team
If the student in your family lives in one of U of T’s many residences, you can be assured that they are surrounded by a fully-trained support staff team.
Each residence has at least one full-time live-in professional staff member (usually a Dean of Students/Director of Residence, and/or Residence Life Coordinator) who deals immediately with any serious issues and concerns. The professional staff, in turn, train and supervise a team of upper year and graduate students who live in the residence amongst the students and serve as dons or residence advisors (RAs).
Dons and residence advisors receive extensive training and are able to:
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identify students in any difficulty and refer them to the appropriate office or service for help
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help resolve disputes between residents
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enforce community standards and codes of conduct
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offer programs and activities to build a strong sense of community within the residences
If you sense that your student needs someone to talk to about concerns or problems, please encourage them to speak to their Don or RA. If their concerns are serious, the Don/RA will take the appropriate steps to provide the needed support.
Communication with Students in Residence
Please note that our staff are not normally permitted to reveal any information about students living in our residences to anyone, including their parents. We understand that this can feel frustrating for you, especially if the student in your family is not communicating frequently with you, but student confidentiality is protected by law. Please see our student confidentiality section for more information.
In emergency situations in which you need to get in touch with your student, please contact the residence he or she lives in directly and efforts will be made to contact the student on your behalf.
► see also Residence Tips for Families and Students Living in Residence
U of T RESIDENCES:
ST. GEORGE CAMPUS
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO AT SCARBOROUGH
