In the past, universities embraced a model where parents were discouraged from being involved in their child’s life as a university student. Over the past fifteen years, this belief has started to evolve and the University of Toronto has acknowledged how critical families and supporters are in a student’s life and transition to post-secondary education.
The Orientation, Transition and Engagement team receives many inquiries from parents and supporters of incoming students, especially over the summer months. In May 2021 the team embarked on a project to support students’ successful transition to U of T by providing resources like the Parents and Supporters Handbook, the Parents and Supporters Website and two Parents and Supporters webinars. The website and webinars aim to be one place for parents and supporters to find information about how to best support their student in succeeding at university.
In the first year, more than 230 parents and supporters participated in two webinars held in July and August 2021. These webinars were recorded and are available on the Parents and Supports website for any who could not attend.