Our administration office is closed and all the work is done remotely. You can still leave messages on our main phone (416 978 4884) as our Graduate administrator can listen to them at distance. The best, however, is to reach us all via email.
The Summer Latin Program has started and all our Summer Latin courses are being given online. Please contact our graduate administrator for further details.
All our Fall courses will be given online and, for some of them, when possible, also in person. See the program fall course list.
Training for TAships and Course Instructorships can be found on the TATP website.
PIMS Library and UofT Libraries are closed. Keep an eye on UofT Libraries for news updates. Robarts curbside pickup for faculty, students and staff is possible for books housed in Robarts that are not available through the HathiTrust Emergency Temporary Access Service (ETAS). You can make a request using a Get Help button in the catalogue record for a book you would like. If your request is successful, you will be notified by email and can pick the book up at Robarts. St. Michael's is offering the Kelly Library Curbside Pickup Service. When you find an item owned by the Kelly Library and listed in the UofT Library Catalogue, click on the blue “Get Help” button in the lower right corner. If the item is not available digitally through the HathiTrust Digital Library, you will be able to make a request to borrow the print book or DVD from the Kelly Library. You can find more information on the Kelly Curbside Pickup information page.
Moreover, for our CMS students: CMS and PIMS collaborate to provide digital access to some of the PIMS resources. See the memo below.
Digital-Access-to-PIMS-Memo.pdf
Interlibrary loans will also try to help you for your research; do not hesitate to reach out to them. Moreover, many publishing houses and journals made their publications in free access. Check their websites. See also, among other sites, the National Emergency Library and OpenAccess.
Given that there exists far more resources online than the UTCat lets us see, if you need any assistance or have questions, a great person to contact is the liaison librarian for your discipline. No one is specifically in charge of medieval studies but Graham Bradshaw would be happy to help. If he cannot help you himself, he will find another librarian. Dr Greti Dinkova-Bruun (PIMS library) and Richard Carter (Kelly Library) would also be happy to help.
PhD defences, Special Field Exams, and Annual Committee meetings
For the time being, all will be done online, and not in person. Students are responsible for organizing the SFE and their annual committee meetings. Contact the graduate administrator if you have any question.
For Latin Exams: please read the memo regarding the CMS Latin exams and the memo on the practice and mock Latin exams.
Possible sources of financial help for CMS students
There exists various emergency funds on campus and outside campus for Graduate students:
- FAS Graduate Students Emergency Bursary. This Bursary is now managed via CMS. Fill up this form and send it to Rhonda Marley. The forms will be reviewed on Friday and the results being made known the following Monday.
- School of Graduate Studies’ Emergency Grant
- School of Graduate Studies’ Emergency Loan programs
- Canadian Government: for help from the Government that might be useful to Graduate Students, see the FAS Graduate Students Emergency Bursary.
Moreover:
The Student Executive Committee has also created a fund: the Student Executive Committee COVID-19 Relief Fund offers limited funds from the SEC budget to all CMS students (particularly MAs, P5 and unfunded PhDs, international students, and student parents) to help defray emergency expenses, lost income, rent, food, medication, and other costs incurred or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Requests can be for as little as 20$. Please email any member of the student executive committee to apply or for more information.
AND
The CMS Executive Office has created a CMS Emergency Fund for PhD students outside of the funded cohort, to help them with the current situation. Only an annual meeting report (with the statement that you are in a “Satisfactory Standing”) and a rationale are required to apply. There is no deadline. Evaluations and payments are done weekly.
Moreover, there exists, at least for this year, CMS awards to support writing and completion for students who will be in P6-P8 this coming September. These awards amount to $4,000 (with one instalment of $2,000 in the Fall and the other one in the Spring). The deadline to apply was June 15.
Also keep an eye on SSHRC News.
Finally, whatever group you are in, do not hesitate to contact us.
Health and Wellness
If you feel distressed in these difficult times, please see U of T's resources for Caring for Your Mental Health.
In addition to the regular University Student Crisis Number (only during office hours: 416-946-7111), OISE has compiled a list of city resources especially for COVID-19 coping, with 24/7 emergency counselling services (the Gerstein crisis centre has been especially recommended):
See as well, for graduate students, the Guide to Working From Home for Graduate/Postdoctoral Researchers and, for their supervisors, the Strategies for Graduate Mentoring and Supervision at a Distance.
Also see the University’s Employee and Family Assistance Program.
Each step to take in case you are worried regarding COVID-19
(see Self-Assessment by Ontario Public Health)
All employees and students should monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms as listed in the University’s COVID-19 FAQs
- If experiencing symptoms, please follow the directives detailed on the Toronto Public Health website including self-isolating, taking the available Self-Assessment and following the recommendations for seeking additional care from their primary care provider, Telehealth or nearest hospital based of their symptoms
- If one of you (Faculty, student or staff member) is contacted by a Public Health authority with regards to COVID-19, please contact the University’s Occupational Health Nurse.
- If any student is sick or self-isolating, please advise your supervisor or the Interim Director and Acting Manager.
- If any Faculty member or staff is sick or self-isolating, please contact Interim Director with Suzanne and Michael and complete the Employee Absence Self-Declaration form, available in the HR Service Centre and linked below:
- If advised by Public Health that you are to self-isolate, you must confirm with Public Health that you are clear to resume normal activities prior to returning to work or study.
If you think someone you know might have it
“Remember that privacy is important: If you or someone else in your unit believes or suspects that a member of your unit may have been infected with COVID-19, we are not to share this information with others unless asked to do so by a Public Health Authority.”
Papers to be completed by faculty who feel flu-like symptoms or are in self isolation
“In order to track COVID-19 related absences as advised by public health, we request that all faculty, staff and librarians who are absent due to flu-like symptoms or are self-isolating complete the Employee Absence Self-Declaration form, available in the HR Service Centre and linked below:
- Appointed Faculty & Staff and Librarians Employee Absence Self-Declaration form
- Please continue to inform your Manager, Chair, or Division Head through normal processes if you will be absent due to illness, including cold or flu-related absences.”
Travels
See U of T's Safety Abroad Website
What if research-related travel needs to be reimbursed?
The tri-council is allowing reimbursement of canceled travel fees. See the Research Services website regarding Faculty. For students, please contact us, cc-ing at least two persons, for instance the graduate administrator and Interim Director.
Here is the website with news from the University and FAQ. For SGS, check School of Graduate Studies information and for HR, HR & Equity COVID-19.
Please also refer to the Government of Canada travel advisories and Toronto Public Health advisories as this is an evolving situation.
Please also read this message on internet scams.
