Faculty Advisor

All students at Ontario Institute of Technology are assigned a faculty advisor. These helpful mentors are responsible for overseeing the academic as well as the extracurricular and social development of each student assigned to them; they also provide the main contact between the College and students’ families. Students are encouraged to refer any problems, scholastic or otherwise, first to them. As necessary, the faculty advisor will draw the student’s teachers and other staff with specialized knowledge or skills into the discussions and meetings to resolve students’ issues.

Specifically, faculty advisors will assist you with many aspects of your educational life:

• Preparing educational goals to match your career plans and future aspirations
• Assist with course selection, and give additional support in the event of academic difficulties
• Organizing extracurricular activities
• Liaison with parents and teachers
• Provide any needed assistance to help improve study habits and academic performance
• Offer information about admission requirements to Canadian colleges and universities and help you choose programs best suited to your personal ambitions.

You will be meeting your faculty advisor at least once a week. Your faculty advisor will have access to all of your academic information and will monitor your performance and attendance. He/she will record observations of your achievements as well as of your character and behaviour in the provincial report card; he/she will also provide you with a letter of reference at your request. The faculty advisor is the person you should contact first if you need to resolve some issues with instructors.

If for some reason you wish to change your faculty advisor you should contact the Principal in writing.

University Placement Counsellor

The test will serve both to determine whether students have acquired the reading and writing skills considered essential for literacy, and to provide confirmation that those students who have completed the test successfully have attained the provincial expectations for literacy. The test will identify those students who have not demonstrated the required skills and will identify areas in which these students need remediation.

As students progress they are encouraged to discuss specific questions about courses or seek detailed counselling about course selection and their program of study that relate to specific universities and degree programs. Students are encouraged to see the Director of University Relations and Counselling.

The Foundation Year or Grade 11 is the time when students start to give closer attention to the selection of a university, a career, and their final high school program of study. At this time, the Director of University Relations and Counselling assumes a greater responsibility for academic counselling with the student.

To assist students and their parents in finalizing these choices, an evening meeting devoted to University Preparation course selection is held in the Winter Term. The Faculty Advisors supervise the submission of course selection materials, and will arrange individualized counselling with the Director of University Relations and Counselling as requested.
As students enter Grade 11, they should begin to give careful consideration to their choice of a university for undergraduate study. This year provides ample opportunity for doing research in the University Placement Office and on the Internet, visiting university campuses, and attending meetings held at OIT with admissions officers from Canadian, American, and British universities. Grade 11 also provides several additional opportunities to take standardized tests (SAT I and II) in order to improve performance.

The Autumn Term of the senior year (Grade 12) is the time when students make final decisions about their academic futures, and university applications are filed. For this reason, an intensive counselling program occurs at this time. More detailed information about the program is sent to students entering Grade 12, but in general terms it consists of a personal interview with a university placement adviser, an information session with representatives of all the Ontario universities, a series of meetings with admission officers from post-secondary institutions in other provinces and the United States, and visits to college campuses for a first-hand look. Those who decide to apply to selective American colleges or universities overseas are provided with comprehensive assistance. By the time the Winter Term begins, students generally have made appropriate and realistic choices, and can begin awaiting the arrival of admission decisions.

The Academic Review Committee

The Academic Review Committee meets regularly to consider students’ special needs and requests for exemption from College policies regarding course selection, class assignment, extended absence, and so forth. Any such requests must be made in writing (with supporting documentation) to the Faculty Advisor and the Dean and co-signed by a parent/guardian to indicate approval.

The Committee comprises the Principal, Vice-Principal, the Dean/Provost, the Registrar, the Director of University Relations and Counselling, Director of International Education and Program Director. The Committee will frequently consult with a student’s faculty adviser before arriving at a decision, which is then communicated in writing to the family and the student him/herself.

Student Service Coordinator

Our dedicated and highly qualified Student Services Coordinators are always available to help with your transition to life in Canada. They will help you with:

• Obtaining a student authorization to study in Canada
• Extending your student authorization
• Obtaining multi-entry permit
• Providing assistance with all aspects of life in Toronto, including suggestions about where to eat, where to shop, how to use the public transport network and anything else you would like to know
• Finding appropriate housing in Toronto
• Preparing application packages for the universities of your choice