Principal’s Message
Welcome to Senior College, an academic home for retired Faculty and Librarians, as well as their spouses. Central to every aspect of Senior College is the diversity of its members – whatever your background, be it arts, history, humanities, literature, medicine, political science or science (for example), Senior College offers a full program of activities that will engage your mind in a collegial setting.
The academic programs of Senior College include weekly lectures, a monthly book club and colloquia, and both an annual and a biannual symposium. A number of social activities are also offered, including an annual Summer Solstice party, restaurant outings, local excursions and “Meet your colleagues” sessions, all of which allow participants to get to know each other in a more informal setting. Upcoming events are advertised in the weekly newsletter sent to all members, as well as on the “Events” page of this website which also includes listings of past activities. Many of the weekly lectures and symposia talks can also be viewed on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQY-r-TIhX8bARITp-KpN6Q).
With the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, many of the activities of Senior College moved to an online format. Although we have now returned to in-person activities for the weekly lectures, the colloquia and the symposia, we have also developed a hybrid format that permits online attendance by Senior College Fellows for many of these sessions; these options allow members a choice of how they wish to attend, most notably for those Fellows who are of out-of-town or unable to travel. Of note, the book club remains online only, due to its tremendous success with this format. However, regardless of whether you attend in-person or online, these highly interactive sessions are always lively!
We have now reopened Senior College Centre in a limited way (4th floor, 256 McCaul Street). The Colloquia have returned to meeting there in-person (only) and, with the upgrading of the audio-visual system in the meeting room in the fall of 2024, it is anticipated that many more activities will be planned, including art shows and small group meetings and activities. All members of Senior College are welcome to use the Centre – please contact us at senior.college@utoronto.ca if you wish to book our meeting room or plan an activity.
Senior College remained both vibrant and active over the ‘Covid years’, under the leadership of our past-Principal, Michael Hutcheon and with the efforts of an amazing group of volunteer Chairs and Committee members. Amongst many notable accomplishments during this time, Senior College members raised funds to endow two Senior College Peter Russell Scholarships in Lifecourse, Aging and Retirement, in honour of the found of Senior College, Peter Russell. Open to students enrolled in the Department of Health and Society at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, the first scholarship was awarded in 2023-2024.
Whether you are a general member, a Fellow or are interested in becoming a Fellow, Senior College provides a vibrant home for intellectual engagement with like-minded individuals!
Patricia L. Brubaker, Ph.D., F.R.S.C., F.C.A.H.S.
Principal, Senior College