39 MB - University of Toronto Magazine

34-38,40-44 3/2/05 5:33 AM Page 35The University of Toronto is aiming to securea place among the top 10 public universitiesin the world, and has laid out an ambitiousagenda for how to achieve its goal.Over the next five years, Canada’s largest universityintends to improve the experience of its50,000 undergraduate students – both inside andoutside of the classroom. Students will take moreseminar classes, have increased opportunities towork on research projects with their professorsand enjoy better prospects of studying abroad.With a click of a computer mouse, they’ll be ableto register and pay for courses, obtain coursematerials – even book a tennis court – online.They’ll be offered more chances to participate inathletic, co-curricular and community activities,which, in turn, will help them foster a closeraffinity to their school.To develop scholarship in emerging fields,U of T plans to expand its expertise in interdisciplinarysubjects such as ethics, public policy,culture and immigration. It will make communityinvolvement – both locally and nationally – centralto its mission. And it will continue to strive towardequity and diversity in all of its activities.“The Stepping Up academic plan has been anenormous undertaking,” says Professor Vivek Goel,vice-president and provost. “What has emergedrepresents a culture shift for the university. WithStepping Up, we have developed a plan that willresult in a renewed spirit at U of T with a strongemphasis on enhancing the student experience.”As you’ll find in the following articles, each ofwhich discusses one of the five major goals of theuniversity’s Stepping Up plan, undergraduatesare already getting a taste of U of T’s future.ILLUSTRATION: MAURICE VELLEKOOP/PHOTOGRAPHY: KEVIN KELLYSPRING 2005 35