Application Instructions
ENV400Y5 is a work placement/internship course. Some of the goals of the course are to exposeyou to work situations in which environmental expertise is required; to integrate you into the local environmental community; to provide an opportunity to make career contacts; and to develop skills that will help you succeed in the workplace.
Application deadline is TBD.
We work very hard to find a placement that suits your needs, skills, career aspirations, and transportation options. Please note, however, that there are no guarantees concerning the type of placement that you will receive. In the past, students have been placed in industry (environmental consulting and other industries); municipal government (e.g., City of Mississauga Parks and Planning Depts.); provincial government (e.g., Ontario Ministry of Environment); federal government (e.g., Environment Canada); resource and utilities sectors (e.g., Ontario Power Technologies); conservation authorities (e.g., Credit Valley Conservation); and non-governmental organizations (e.g., EcoSource, Sierra Club, YWCA), among others.
The placement will require a volunteer work commitment of 200 hours. This is equivalent to approximately one day per week for the school year. There is considerable flexibility in how this commitment is fulfilled; for example, you and your employer might decide that two half-days per week is a more suitable arrangement. You will be responsible for getting yourself to your workplace. You may work with employees on-site, or you may work in teams with other UTM students, or you may work independently. It is absolutely crucial that you conduct yourself as a professional in all dealings with your employer; you are a representative of the University of Toronto in the community. In all cases, your work is seen as a real contribution, not a make-work project. Please note that no money is involved; this is an academic placement only. However, you will have complete safety insurance coverage for the time you spend on the job.
The class will only meet six or seven times throughout the academic year; once you have been accepted into the course you will be given a detailed schedule with the meeting dates and other course information. Some of the class meetings are organizational; others are practical skills sessions. There will be small assignments associated with the practical sessions. The first official class meeting will take place in the first week of the academic year in September. Attendance at all class meetings is required and comprises part of the course mark. It is particularly important for you to attend the first class meeting. At the end of the academic year you will be asked to submit a written report and give an oral presentation concerning your work throughout the year. Your mark is based partly on these final reports; partly on assignments, attendance, and participation; and partly on the supervisor’s assessment.
Important: Please use only your utoronto.ca e-mail address for all course-related correspondence, and check it regularly (at least once per day). If you have a message for voice mail on your phone, please make sure that it is professional in tone, and that you only answer your phone when you are free to speak, in a quiet location, with a potential supervisor.
Application Instructions
To be available soon.
Required items checklist:
- The application form (fill/save or print pdf)
- Statement of interest (one page or less, in the form of a cover letter), addressing the question: What do you hope to get out of this course, and where do you think you are headed in your career path?
- Your resume, updated
- A list of courses that you have taken, and that are relevant to your placement (Course code + name, e.g.: ENV201H5 Environmental and Resource Management)
- Academic record from ROSI (printout or pdf; an official transcript is not required)
- Photo of yourself, head-shoulders (so we can learn your name; not for publication)
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIVACY (FIPPA)
Policy for Soliciting Personal Information on
Student Application Forms
The University of Toronto respects your privacy. Personal information that you provide to the University is collected pursuant to section 2(14) of the University of Toronto Act, 1971. It is collected for the purpose of administering admissions, registration, academic programs, university-related student activities, activities of student societies, safety, financial assistance and awards, graduation and university advancement, and reporting to government agencies for statistical purposes. Portions of: your digital resume; information related to marks in your undergraduate courses; and your personal contact information will be shared with potential work placement supervisors, as needed for the purpose of securing a work placement. At all times it will be protected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. If you have questions, please refer to www.utoronto.ca/privacy or contact the University Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Coordinator at McMurrich Building, room 104, 12 Queen's Park Crescent West, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8.