Last chance to check out the Fall 2020 Virtual Orientation Site on Quercus

Welcome—or welcome back—to the University of Toronto’s School of Graduate Studies! In choosing to dedicate yourself to graduate studies here at U of T, you are part of a diverse and extensive team of global leaders in teaching, research, and innovation. We are excited and proud to have you as part of our community.

Graduate school is a very busy time, and a graduate education at U of T offers unparalleled professional and personal opportunities to learn and grow in myriad ways. To help you discover and navigate the many offerings and supports available at U of T during these uncertain times, the School of Graduate Studies is excited to share the SGS Virtual Orientation Site.

Please note: We will be taking down this site soon to prepare for your new colleagues commencing their studies in January 2021. Don’t worry if you missed it—much of the content and videos will be saved to the SGS GradHub.

About SGS Virtual Orientation

We designed the virtual orientation as a course on Quercus, U of T’s online teaching and learning environment. This new format will give you a chance to explore and, for new students, get familiar with using the platform before classes start. For returning students, it may provide a refresher or expose you to new information and resources you haven’t seen presented virtually before. It will allow everyone to continue to access the orientation materials in your own time.

The SGS Orientation Site links you to pre-recorded and live events focussed on introducing you to the many U of T programs and offerings relevant to all graduate students. In the site, you will learn about important information, such as your Dental and Health benefits, and find multiple occasions during which you can ask questions and meet new people. Each live event has its own registration process and login—all details can be found on the Orientation Site. Make sure to check back often, as the site is constantly being updated.

Official SGS Welcome Event

The keystone event of orientation took place on September 8, 2020. At this official welcome, students had a chance to meet the SGS Dean and Vice-Deans, hear from experienced graduate students, and ask questions. In case you missed it, you can watch the livestream of on the Official School of Graduate Studies Orientation Session page of the Virtual Orientation Site.

Accessing the SGS Virtual Orientation

In order to access the Orientation site on Quercus, you must activate your UTORid and create a password.  

Steps to activating your UTORid

  1. Locate your UTORid and Secret Activation Key on the acceptance letter you received from the School of Graduate Studies. You may also receive the Secret Activation Key virtually from the TCard office.
  2. Click here to activate your UTORid.
  3. Input your UTORid and Secret Activation Key, then create your own password.

Once your UTORid is activated, you will be able to access the SGS Orientation Site website.

About your UTORid

Your UTORid (with password) is your key to a number of U of T services including: UTmail+, UTORexchange, campus wireless, ACORN (your student information service), Quercus (U of T’s academic technology toolbox, powered by Canvas, where you can access course content, view your course progress, and submit assignment files), library services, UTAlert, and more. Quercus can be accessed via a web browser or via the Canvas app.

If you have any questions about your UTORid, please visit the UTORid website or contact the Information Commons Help Desk.

Next Steps

You soon will receive your first instalment of the Student Life 9 New Things newsletter and the SGS Gradschool e-news newsletter which will announce the GradHub, a new resource filled with useful information that will be relevant now, as you start your studies, and throughout your graduate career here at U of T. Stay tuned for that!

Many things look different at U of T this year due to the pandemic. We invite you to learn how U of T is preparing for Fall 2020 and explore SGS’s Looking Ahead page as you prepare for this exciting new stage of your career. If you have any questions as you get set up, don’t hesitate to reach out to your graduate unit or SGS.

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