TST Graduate Students' Association (TGSA)

*The following and further information can be found on the Health and Dental Page*

With non-conjoint students losing access to ROSI/ACORN, students in non-conjoint programs can no longer be automatically billed for their UTSU fees. TGSA worked with UTSU to arrange an opt-in process so that non-conjoint students would be able to continue their coverage. UTSU has also opened up enrolment to TST students in part-time degree programs, meaning that all TGSA members can now have access to Health & Dental plans offered by UTSU. Exciting! The opt-in period to have benefits for the 2018/2019 school year runs from September 1st – October 1st. Part-time students and students in non-conjoint programs who want benefits must enrol themselves (and their partners and/or dependant children) in this period. All TGSA students must pay the $38.08 UTSU association fee along with the fees for their coverage listed below. The coverage costs are as follows:

Please follow the process outlined below to enrol:

1. Obtain a PDF copy of your financial statement from ACORN/ROSI/the new Student Information System showing you have paid your fees for the 2017/2018 school year. If you do not have access to such a statement, please ask your college registrar to write you a letter confirming your current enrolment in a TST degree program.
2. Visit the enrolment page on UTSU’s student care website
3. Select the first option on the drop-down menu, as per the screenshot below. Select this option even if you are full-time and in spite of the fact that we are not undergraduate students. (The reasons we are listed this way are complicated and by the time we get the website fixed the enrolment period might be over, so please just roll with the error. There is no change in cost.)
   
4. Fill out the required information and click “Enrol Yourself”.
5. Provide the additional details required to complete your profile.
6. Select the coverage you would like for yourself. You have a choice to enrol in Health & Dental together, or just one if you only require one type of coverage. Note: Your dependants can only be added to plans in which you yourself are enrolled. You cannot enrol yourself in just health or just dental & have your dependants enrolled in both. 
7. On the following page you will upload your confirmation of current enrolment (that PDF we told you to get in step one).

8. The next page will give you the option of adding eligible spouses/dependant children.

9. To add dependants to your plan, enter their details. Note: Your dependants can have less coverage than you, but not more. E.g. If you want Health & Dental coverage for yourself, but only Dental coverage for your spouse or children, you can indicate so when you list your dependants. 

10. Confirm all the details you have entered are correct and click submit. You will get an email confirming the receipt of your information.

11. Once studentcare.ca has confirmed your eligibility you will be contacted about providing payment, which can be made by debit or credit card. Due to the number of students opting in you may not be contacted until after the enrolment period is over. That’s ok. Your coverage will be back-dated to September 1st once your eligibility has been confirmed and your payment has been processed.

In an attempt to raise awareness to the issue of Sexual Violence and Harassment, this summary of the University of Toronto’s Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment policy, prepared by a fellow TST student, was sent to TGSA members through the TGSA list-serv.

If you are an enrolled student at the University of Toronto and would like more information on how to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and violence, please enroll in the University of Toronto’s “Sexual Violence Education and Prevention Module”, which can be found on Portal.

If you are a TST student and would like to speak to a TGSA Board member about this topic, please feel free to contact your college rep or an exec. member.

The TGSA Board has become aware of concerns surrounding UofT’s most recent policy on mandated leave. While we are waiting to receive a copy of the policy to review, we are researching more about the policy itself and potential resources, as well as communicating with relevant offices.

In the meantime, please take a look at other student organizations’ responses, including UTSU (https://www.utsu.ca/tag/mandated-leave-policy/) and GSU (https://www.utgsu.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Opposition-to-the-University-Mandated-Leave-of-Absence-Policy.pdf).

We will continue to advocate and support the needs of all TGSA members. For questions or concerns, please contact your TGSA College Representative. We appreciated your patience and shared commitment to all students on this matter.

-TGSA Exec.

College Reps contact information:

Emmanuel College – Gina Bae (ginajy.bae@mail.utoronto.ca)
St.Michael’s College – Fiona Li (tgsa@utoronto.ca)
Regis College – Liam Farrer (liam.farrer.@mail.utoronto.ca)
Knox College – Mike Anderson (mj.anderson@mail.utoronto.ca)
Trinity College – Robbie Walker (rob.daywalker@gmail.com)
Wycliffe College – Carolyn Mackie (carolyn.mackie@mail.utoronto.ca)

April & AGM Agenda

The TGSA Board works behind the scenes at TST to support students during their graduate studies. We do this through advocacy, liaising with TST and U of T administration, planning professional development seminars, funding travel grants for conferences, and building scholarly community through social and academic events. The Board is looking towards the upcoming 2018-2019 academic year and is looking for some new members to assist us in fulfilling our mandate and serving the graduate student community at TST.

Board membership involves attending monthly meetings and assisting with events put on by TGSA. Depending on the role, it may also involve attending external meetings within specific colleges or departments. Appointments are for a two-year term. Specific details and job descriptions can be found in TGSA’s Constitution and in our Policies and Procedures. Being a Board member is a great way to contribute to the TST community and to develop your skills in academic service and administration.

The TGSA Board is seeking nominations to fill open seats for the 2018/2019 academic year. The following seats are open for nominations: President, Vice President Academic, Treasurer, Biblical Studies, History, Knox College, Wycliffe College, and program representatives for MA, DMin, and ThM.

The nomination period will run from March 7th to 23rd. Students interested in serving on the Board should find two peers within the TST graduate student community to nominate them for one of the vacant seats. Nominations are to be submitted to Robyn Boeré, TGSA’s CRO, via email at r.boere[at]mail.utoronto.ca by March 23rd at 11:59pm. Nominations (and the results of any elections, if necessary) will be ratified at the TGSA Annual General Meeting on Wednesday April 4th.

If you have any questions about serving on the Board or about the nomination process, please reach out either to our CRO or to tgsa[at]utoronto.ca

At our TGSA Board meeting yesterday our Chief Returning Officer announced the results of our referendum questions. 62 people voted, which meant quorum was reached. Neither question received the number of votes needed to take effect, so TGSA will not be pursuing a change in its constitution or its student union membership as a result. Thank you to everyone that voted and for the members of the Referendum Committee for their work throughout this process.