Woodsworth College, Toronto

Woodsworth College
University of Toronto
Woodsworth College's residential building
Location	119 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates	43°39′59″N79°23′57″W / 43.66639°N 79.39917°W / 43.66639; -79.39917
Motto	Propositi tenax (Latin)
Motto in English	"Firm of purpose"
Established	1974;52 years ago (1974)
Named for	J. S. Woodsworth
Principal	Carol Chin
Dean	Liza Nassim (of students)
Undergraduates	6000
Website	wdw.utoronto.ca

Woodsworth College is a constituent college of the University of Toronto on its St. George campus in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is among the largest of the seven colleges in the Faculty of Arts and Science. It is also the newest of the colleges at the University of Toronto, created in 1974. Woodsworth College's arms and badge were registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority on October 15, 2006. ^[1]

The college was founded to serve part-time students exclusively, specifically adults pursuing studies in Arts and Sciences, and transfer students. Since 1999, Woodsworth has welcomed direct entry students. Woodsworth College is home to approximately 5300 students.

The college is named after politician and clergyman James Shaver Woodsworth (1874–1942).

Academics

Academic programs

These programs combine courses from a number of different academic departments in the Faculty of Arts and Science.

• Millie Rotman Shime Academic Bridging Program and the Diploma to Degree Program
• Digital Humanities (Minor program)
• Summer Abroad
• International Summer Program
• Woodsworth One

Certificate programs

This program is for students who have already completed an undergraduate degree.

• TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)

Visiting student program

Woodsworth oversees the Visiting Student Program in the Faculty of Arts and Science. This program allows students from other North American universities to come to the University of Toronto and complete credits towards degrees at their home institution.

Woodsworth College

International student exchange

In 1972, Woodsworth was administering the Summer Program to Siena, Italy. It was the first destination, followed in 1997 by Hong Kong.

Woodsworth College's Summer Abroad Program sends approximately 900 students to 16 destinations worldwide. In 2020, the destinations were: Australia, Central Europe, China, Ecuador, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Peru, South Africa, South Korea, Spain and there was a Science Abroad option. In 2021, the program was run virtually. Plans are underway for travel again in the summer of 2022.

Student life

Student residence

Woodsworth College Residence Building

Woodsworth Residence opened in 2004 and was designed by the architectural firm Architects Alliance. The residence, located at 321 Bloor Street West, towers over the Perly-Rae gates at the northern entrance of the St. George campus. The building is a 17-storey glass tower housing 371 students.

Prior to the construction in 2004 of the Woodsworth College undergraduate residence, the site at 321 Bloor Street was occupied by the Graduate Student Residence, also known as the St. George Apartments. The four-storey U-shaped residence, built in 1926, was designed by the firm of Paisley & Marani and was in the City of Toronto's Inventory of Heritage Properties. In 2000, a new residence was built for graduate students at the Graduate House on Harbord St.

Woodsworth College Residence has a student council (Woodsworth Residence Council) composed of students who live in the residence including floor/house reps.

Woodsworth College Residence is a mixed-use building. While the upper floors are dedicated to student housing, the ground floor accommodates Rotman Commerce's Academic Services. ^[2] The ground floor also contains a commercial lease facing Bloor Street West. Lecture halls and classrooms occupy the basement of the building, which are used by the Rotman School of Management. ^[3]

Students' association

The Woodsworth College Students' Association (WCSA) is the representative body of students at the college.

The association's board consists of its president, six vice-presidents, and twenty-four directors.

WCSA organizes events such as orientation (Orientation Week) for first-year students, weekly WCSA Wednesdays, the annual Red Party along with the year-end Woodsworth Gala (Formal). It also provides a great number of services and activities throughout the year.

The office of the WCSA is located at: WW 103, 119 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ^[4]

References

1. Arms and Badge of Woodsworth College
2. "Rotman Commerce Contact Information, Office Hours, Map". Rotman Commerce. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
3. "Arts & Science 2015-2016 Fall-Winter Session Timetable offerings for: Rotman Commerce [RSM courses - includes MGT201H1]". www.artsandscience.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2015-09-03.
4. "WCSA". mywcsa.com. Retrieved 2015-09-03.

Further reading

• Martin L. Friedland 'The University of Toronto: A History' (Toronto: University of Toronto Press © 2002)
• Robin Harris 'A History of University of Toronto' (Toronto: University of Toronto Press © 1970)
• Rick Helmes-Hayes 'Forty Years, 1963-2003: A History of the Department of Sociology, University of Toronto.' (Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press, 2003, 215 pp.)
• Professor Brian McKillop, 'Matters of Mind: The University in Ontario, 1791-1951' (Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press 1951)
• Marian Packham '100 Years of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto: An Illustrated History' 1908–2008, (Toronto: University of Toronto Press © 2008)

External links

Official website