UTM kicks off the new school year
The University of Toronto Mississauga is gearing up for the 2013-14 academic year, and so are the almost 13,000 students who’ll be studying at the campus.
Students attending UTM for the first time can get up to speed on academics, cultural life and more at UTM through a variety of orientation events. Those who have registered for Welcome Day on Sept. 3 will get to meet faculty and staff members from the UTM community and gain information that will help them transition to university. The free all-day event will include an opportunity to learn about your academic department; discover the key services, facilities, resources and people at UTM; an enjoy a complimentary lunch and carnival.
During Welcome Week, which takes place during the first week of classes from Sept. 9 to 13, new and returning students will be able to (re-)orient themselves to student services, organizations and academic life at UTM. Each day from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the CCIT building, different services will be showcased—drop by to see for yourself, or check out the website for more details. Also available online is more information about first-year transition programs for those living in residence, and for those who are the first in their family to attend university.
Among those enrolled at UTM this fall are many international students, including several in their first year who will not only be navigating life at UTM, but in Mississauga. Helping them acclimatize to their new community will be the UTM-City of Mississauga Annual International Student Welcome to Mississauga Event. Taking place 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 13 at the Mississauga Civic Centre, the event will provide those who have registered with a chance to learn about the history of Mississauga, and about services, activities and facilities in the area. The event will also include welcome remarks by Mayor Hazel McCallion, a meet-and-greet that will provide the opportunity to connect fellow UTM students, and a free outdoor movie at nearby Mississauga Celebration Square.
“This event is to help new international students get accustomed to Mississauga—how the city has developed, the cultural and recreational opportunities, nature trails, and the global companies that operate here,” says Joanna Mackie, an International Student Development Officer at UTM’s International Centre. The International Centre will also offer foreign students an international orientation on Sept. 14 and other ongoing transition programs throughout the year—please see the website for more details.
Many students pursuing programs at UTM this fall will be brightening their academic experiences with fun and offbeat courses. Among them are Fantasies, Hoaxes and Misrepresentations of the Ancient World, which will examine archaeology in popular culture, including the anatomy of many significant fictions and outrageous claims from the field. Sex and the City will look at the links between gender and urban environments, and cover topics such as poverty, work, the sex trade and human trafficking.
In Magic and Science, students will explore anthropological texts to understand the differences between magic and science, belief and truth, subjectivity and objectivity, and irrationality and rationality. Students enrolled in Sociology of Food will get a taste of the cultural and structural aspects of food systems, both past and present, and intercultural food practices in Canada. Finally, students who love their tunes will enjoy Psychology of Music, an examination of the psychological foundations of music perception and performance, including the biological and cultural influences on music processing, the theoretical perspectives on the origins of music, and the connections between music and emotion.