Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Quick Links

• General Information about Ulife
• Recognition, Renewal, Services: Bank Letter, Booking Space
• Using Ulife
• Funding
• Student Life Offices
• Help and Questions

General

1. What is Ulife?

The Ulife website is the central source of a large and diverse collection of over 800 student clubs, organizations, and activities on all three U of T campuses.

Entries include film appreciation clubs, debating societies, sports teams, social activism, drop-in classes, and research opportunities and awards.

You can browse the site or search by keyword and sort by campus. U of T developed Ulife to help students benefit to the fullest from their university experience, including life beyond the classroom.

Ulife is also where you apply for recognition of a student organization through your campus student life office.

2. How do we start a club or group on campus?

Group recognition information can be found in the next section. If your group's application for recognition is successful, a notice of recognition will be sent indicating that the recognition was approved. Should your group wish to attain an official letter of recognition, please see below.

Step-by-step instruction on how to apply can be found at How To Apply.

As you look into starting a group, familiarize yourself with the resources we provide to Recognized Campus Organizations, such as the ULead programming based on leadership development and building knowledge about how to operate campus groups.

Recognition, Renewal and Services

3. Why should my group apply for recognition on Ulife?

Student groups at U of T must apply for formal recognition in order to adhere to the University of Toronto’s Policy on the Recognition of Campus Groups. Recognized groups enjoy several benefits, including:

• The right to use the University's name in your group's name

• Use of University facilities at a no or lower cost compared to external organizations

• Free access to web services (web site hosting) for the group

• Online listings on the Ulife website

Groups are also required to submit annual renewal applications on Ulife in order to maintain these benefits.

4. By applying for recognition through Ulife, is my group also recognized by student unions on the UTSG, UTSC, and UTM campuses?

No. Approval of your group via Ulife gives your group recognition by the University of Toronto. You'll find more information about student union recognition from the links below:

UTMSU

UTSU

SCSU

5. Our group has submitted an application for recognition. How long does it take for the application to be processed?

Due to a HIGH volume of applications and staff transitions, applications can take up to 5 weeks to be processed. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Applications missing complete contact information, group details, and the group's constitution can delay the process further.

Revisions to a group's constitution or missing group information can extend the processing period. During peak application periods from August to October, the recognition process can take up to two weeks. Your group should receive a follow-up notice either from respective student life or affairs office.

St. George campus questions can be made to the Office of Student Life at groups.officer@utoronto.ca or 416-946-7755. You can also visit the Ulife and Ulead Resource Centre at 21 Sussex Avenue, 5th Floor, Room 516 for assistance in person.

At UTM, contact the Centre for Student Engagement at studentorganizations.utm@utoronto.ca 

At UTSC, contact the Office of Student Experience and Wellbeing at campusgroups.utsc@utoronto.ca. Please visit the Student Centre, SL 157 in person for additional assistance.

6. How do we write our club’s constitution?

Campus group leaders need to have a copy of the group's current constitution in an appropriate digital format (pdf, rtf, txt, doc, docx), that follows the guidelines provided by our office. We strongly recommend using the template in order to speed up processing time. A copy of the guidelines, called Creating a Group Constitution, is available from the link below. The Student Life website also has a template constitution groups can use.

UTSG: Refer to and download the Constitution Template to begin!

UTSC: Refer to their campus-specific constitution template found on the Department of Student Life website.

UTM: Refer to their campus-specific constitution template found on Student Group Resources.

7. We don’t have a copy of our group’s old constitution. How can we get one?

You may request a copy of your group’s constitution by contacting your Student Life office.

St. George campus questions can be made to the Office of Student Life at groups.officer@utoronto.ca. You can also visit the Ulife and Ulead Service Centre at 21 Sussex Avenue, 5th Floor, Room 516 for assistance in person.

Please check Question #25 for our office hours.

At UTM, contact the Centre for Student Engagement at studentorganizations.utm@utoronto.ca 

At UTSC, contact the Office of Student Experience and Wellbeing at campusgroups.utsc@utoronto.ca. Please visit the Student Centre, SL 157 in person for additional assistance.

8. Our campus group has recently updated its constitution by holding a referendum. Do we submit the new constitution to Ulife?

Yes. The official version of your group constitution is the one submitted to the respective student life or affairs office. If your group updated the constitution or held a referendum to change your group's constitution, please submit a copy to the university office to maintain your status as a recognized campus group. We also request that your group date stamp when the constitution was approved by your group.  

9. When does our group’s recognition from the previous year expire?

Your group’s recognition from the previous year expires on September 30 each year, after which your group will not be able to use university services until your group renews its recognition.

10a. When and how does our group renew its recognition?

The primary and secondary contact persons must update the primary and secondary contacts for the new team transitioning in. Only the primary and secondary contacts listed on ULife can do this, so the new team is able to renew their recognition.

The primary and secondary contacts of your group can renew your group’s status with via Ulife typically before September 30, but renewals for applications are accepted from July through October. At UTSC, this time period is from April/May until October and clubs will be contacted when the renewal period begins.  We only accept online applications from Ulife.

The current Primary/Secondary Contact of the group may log in using their UTORid and password and submit the following updated information: main contact person, executive, signing officer, group description, and constitution. The "Renew Application" button is available only to the Primary Contact. Please do not submit a new application for your group if it already exists on the Ulife website.

NOTE: The contact person for your group should identify the new person and the group's two signing officers in the renewal application. Failure to provide such information can cause delays in processing future requests! 

10b. What if we are unable to connect with the previous primary or secondary contact?

If you cannot get a hold of the primary or secondary contact of the group to renew the group or update the information, you must arrange to provide our office with proof/documentation that you are the new primary contact/secondary contact. We recommend the following: an email from the past executive team stating that you are the new contact, website updates, or meeting minutes of elections.  This proof/documentation must be sent to: groups.officer@utoronto.ca

11. My group wants to apply for recognition. Is there a deadline?

No. Applications for campus group recognition are accepted throughout the year. The application period for a new academic year typically starts in August, with recognition expiring on September 30 of the following academic year. Groups that are seeking to renew their recognition must do so before the September 30 expiry date in order to ensure that access to University services continues uninterrupted.

12a. How do I create a Ulife listing for a course union, student society or academic society?

Course Unions, Program Unions, and Student/Academic Societies are listed on Ulife. To create a listing on Ulife for these groups, you must first be recognized as a Course Union through the Arts and Science Students' Union (ASSU) or the Graduate Students' Union (GSU).  Then, please contact the Campus Groups Officer at groups.officer@utoronto.ca for assistance with creating the Ulife profile for your Course Union.

Course Unions, Program Unions, Student Societies and Academic Societies are not subject to annual recognition, and so no application for recognition is necessary.

12b. My Course Union's Ulife profile is out of date. How can we update this information?

The current primary and secondary contact of the group are expected to update the group leader list when there are new group leaders. To do this, log into Ulife with your UTORid and password, find your group under "My Groups" and then click on "Manage Group Leaders" in the green lefthand menu.  Then delete all obsolete contacts and add the new contacts.  You need to ensure that there are only and at least one primary and one secondary contact for your group.

If all leaders have moved on, please contact your campus administrator (groups.officer@utoronto.ca if you are on UTSG) and mention the FULL name of your organization, and provide proof that you are the authorized leader of the organization (such as a link to your Course Union's listing on the GSU or ASSU website, or the executive list your own group's website). 

13a. How do we get web space?

Both new and returning campus groups may apply for web spaces. We no longer offer U of T email addresses (UTORmail) or U of T Listservs (UTORlist). Once your group is recognized, the contact persons for your group may apply for webspace services by logging into Ulife, clicking on the “My Groups” button, selecting the appropriate group, and then clicking on the “Request Group Services” menu item.

Your group may request any or all of the following services:

• Web space: We are happy to offer recognized student groups access to WordPress, a state-of-the-art publishing platform which will help your group communicate with members, the University community, and the wider world.
  o After approval of the web space request, a follow-up email will be sent containing additional information on accessing WordPress or other changes that may be required. Please visit Student Life Campus Web Groups for more details. Only the Group Leaders designated by the Main Contact person as Executive and Signing Officer may access the web space service. Please direct any questions regarding your group's Web Space to groups@mail.studentlife.utoronto.ca. Be sure to check-out the FAQ for Campus Groups Web Space
• Web space is unfortunately no longer available for UTSC groups.
• UTORmail: No longer available.
• UTORlist: No longer available.
• Portal space: No longer available.

13b.  Where can we get help with our webspace once it is approved?

14. How do we book space on campus for group meetings or events?

St. George Recognized Clubs & Groups: As of January 1, 2016, primary or secondary contacts of recognized campus groups will no longer have to apply for reimbursement of 50% of their basic a/v expenses. Instead, Academic + Campus Events will automatically apply a 50% discount at the time of booking.  Recognized campus groups will continue to be responsible for the other half of the a/v fee. The discounted portion of the fee will be paid by the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students.  This process will be subject to an annual administrative review.  

For St. George Campus:

Groups recognized by ULife can book rooms free of charge through Academic and Campus Events (ACE). The rooms available range from small classrooms to large lecture halls, and other spaces in between.

• The Primary or Secondary contacts on the Ulife website will be permitted to make space bookings. We encourage all groups to make sure that their contact information is up to date for this purpose.
• Your first stop is the Campus Room Finder. This tool allows you to search rooms managed by the Office of Space Management (OSM), Hart House and Student Life.
• While the Campus Room Finder includes a number of great spaces, U of T has a lot of rooms that are not included in the tool. Use this list to get a better picture of where to look for other campus space. Note that colleges, faculties and departments have different policies and their own administrators, so review carefully before making a request.
• For full information regarding room bookings under the policy on the recognition of campus groups, click here: http://osm.utoronto.ca/recgroup.html

For UTM groups:

• UTM has a number of spaces for campus groups to meet, including the Student Centre. Visit the UTM Student Group Recognition page for details.
• The Student Centre is the preferred location for student organization activities at UTM – groups can request Student Centre space by contacting the UTMSU office, in room 100 of the UTM Student Centre. If a suitable space is not available in the Student Centre, a UT+UTM-recognized group’s designated public contact can submit a room booking request form. (Not all booking requests can be met due to space limitations on campus. Please request space at least five working days in advance of your event and do not promote a location until its availability is confirmed).  Tables in the Davis Building Meeting Place, CCT link, North Building cafeteria, and Instructional Centre lobby may be booked with the Office of Student Affairs by submitting the Table Permit Request form at least three days in advance.

For UTSC groups:

• Detailed instructions for how to book space at UTSC can be found on the website of the Office of Student Experience and Wellbeing.

15. How can our campus group advertise our events?

Advertising your group’s events on campus takes time and planning. There are many ways to go about it, but here are a few suggestions:

• Word of mouth remains the most powerful advertising tool today.
• Use social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and others.
• Post your group’s event on the University’s event calendar.
• The events listed on Ulife are drawn from the central U of T events calendar. Leaders of campus organizations are automatically granted the privilege to post to this calendar and do not need to request posting privileges. To post an event, your group’s contact person simply logs on to the U of T events calendar using their UTORid and password.
• There is no means of directing an event to appear specifically on the Ulife events calendar. Events will automatically rotate on the Ulife events calendar once you have entered them into the U of T events calendar. The U of T events calendar has an extensive FAQ to help with any questions you might have.
• Post the event on your group’s website.
• Advertise your group’s event in the campus media. Campus media organizations can be found in Ulife by selecting “Media” in the “Areas of Interest” menu above.
• Host an information table on campus to recruit members, highlight your group’s activities, and promote your group’s events.
• Poster on campus
• There are special boards placed around campus for posting of posters and notices. Any organization, group or individuals, who deface University property, including the walls of buildings and the building identification and directional signs, will be billed for the relevant costs to remove any posters plus repair costs.  AT UTSC, these boards are managed by the SCSU.
• Toronto Hydro has asked the University to inform all recognized campus groups that posters must not be attached to hydro poles.

Also, check out this video for pro tips!

16a. Are recognized campus groups permitted to use the U of T logo or crest?

Recognized campus groups or any campus organization at the University of Toronto are not permitted to use the U of T logo or crest without the expressed written consent by the Trademark Licensing Office in any of their promotional/printed materials (whether online or in publication format) or on merchandise.  Organizations are also not allowed to produce materials with the University of Toronto logo or name for sale / profit.  For more information, or to discuss/review designs, please contact the Trademark Licensing Office at trademarks@utoronto.ca or 416-978-3098. 

 

16b. Are recognized campus groups permitted to manipulate or put stickers on student T-cards for membership purposes?

Absolutely not!

Some campus clubs organizations are providing members with stickers to put on their TCard’s in order to identify club membership and affiliation. We are asking that all campus organizations stop this immediately. When stickers are affixed to a TCard they can cause damage to card reader machines that are costly to repair and replace. Adhering stickers and/or punching holes into TCards will also damage and may deactivate the card. Altering a TCard is prohibited under the card’s terms and conditions and so individual students that are found to have stickers on them are being charged a card replacement fee.

 

If you have any questions or concerns- please contact the TCard office at tcard.office@utoronto.ca or (416) 946-8047.

 

Using Ulife

17. How do we update our group’s executive or council member information?

Once your group is recognized, the contact person for your group may change this information by logging into Ulife, clicking on the “My Groups” button, selecting the appropriate group, and then clicking on the “Manage Group Leaders” menu item. From here, you can add and edit your group’s leaders by changing details under Membership Information (signing officer, executive, etc.).

How do we change our group’s contact person or signing officer?

If your group wishes to update its member information, only the contact person that is currently listed for your group may change this information. If you are the Primary or Secondary Contact of the group, BE SURE to update the new leadership on the Ulife page during transition!!

The currently listed Primary or Secondary contact can follow these steps to update and change group leader information:

• Login to Ulife using their UTORid and password
• Click on the button called "My Groups"
• Select the appropriate group to update
• Click on "Manage Group Leaders" item on the left-hand menu panel
• "Add" Group Leaders by including the required information in the available fields and/or “edit” your group leaders by clicking on “edit” under the “Actions” category (as their name will already appear at the bottom of the screen). You can also “delete” members here as well
• Under the "Roles" of a Group Leader, select and save which members are primary or secondary contacts (or ‘Executive Member’)
• Assign signing officer authority, executive status, as required
• Click 'Save' for each member that is updated
• New Primary and Secondary contacts will need to “validate” their identity (ie. UTORid) with the group page by following the link that is sent to them in an email from ulife@utoronto.ca and successfully logging into Ulife.

18. How does our group update its group description?

If your group wishes to update its group information on its Ulife listing, only the contact person that is currently listed for your group may change this information.

The contact person can follow these steps:

• Log in to Ulife using their UTORid and password
• Click on the red button at the bottom of the left-hand menu titled "My Groups"
• Select the appropriate group to update
• Click on "Update Group Profile" item on the left-hand menu panel
• Make changes as necessary and fill out information completely

19. How do I find a particular club or group on campus?

Ulife hosts an online database of Recognized Campus Groups, Student Societies, Course/Program Unions, and other groups. Use the search features of the Ulife website to find what you are looking for.

You can search by campus group, student society, athletic group, course/program union, Hart House groups, and other groups. You can also search by interest and narrow it down by campus.

You can also use Google, by entering a keyword followed by "ULife" in the search. This may bring up ULife related search results of groups you didn't know existed! 

Funding

20. Is there any fund for students with family responsibilities who want to partake in co-curricular activities?

Yes, the Child Care Reimbursement fund is available through the Family Care Office. The Family Care Office has a small fund of money that is available to assist University of Toronto students with family responsibilities who wish to attend co-curricular activities but are unable to because of child care costs.

We also recommend looking into some of UTSU's funding options. 

21. What is the AODA and does it apply to student groups?

The AODA stands for the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. It is Ontario law enacted in 2005 for the purpose of improving accessibility standards for Ontarians with physical and mental disabilities to all public establishments by 2025. It applies to all student leaders of campus organizations at U of T. All student leaders are encouraged to go through the AODA online training modules to better understand the process accommodations with members of the university community.

22. Does this mean student groups have to pay for AODA requested accommodations?

Not necessarily. Student leaders are highly encouraged to include in registration for events the question if any participant of the event requires any form of accommodation in order to fully participate. In addition, student leaders are encouraged that in their planning of their event they budget for accommodations that might arise.

There is assistance for accommodations that may be limiting because of cost. Should there be a participant in your group that requires accommodations (i.e. an ASL Interpreter) that may exceed your event budget, your group may qualify for funding based on the request from the Office of Student Life. Please contact groups.officer@utoronto.ca as early as possible to ensure that arrangements for accommodations can be made ahead of your group's event.

23. Where can our group get funding?

 Some sources for funding for campus groups or their projects are:

• The Student Initiative Fund
• The Faculty of Arts and Science funding initiative known as the Dean's Student Initiative Fund
• Check your student union (UTSU, GSU, and college councils) for more information on their club funding details.
• The Hart House Good Ideas Fund (GIF) is another source of funding for student groups. GIF supports a one-time event that contributes to student life at U of T. 
• Be sure to carefully review the fund criteria before you make your application.
• Still need more funding?  Try looking for grants from community groups outside of U of T.

Student Life Offices (St. George, UTM and UTSC)

24. What is the Office of Student Life?

The Office of Student Life (OSL) aims to support student leaders in accessing group services and leadership training experiences.  The OSL staff have knowledge and expertise to help your group succeed, and to help you make the most of your university experience. There are also respective student life offices at UTM and UTSC. 

25. Ulife Service Centre

The Ulife Service Centre is located at 21 Sussex Avenue, Room 516.  It is a dedicated space student leaders to come in and ask questions! 

If you have any questions or require assistance with anything related to Ulead and Ulife our dedicated student staff would be more than happy to assist you during our office hours. If you need to consult with the Groups Officer for a more detailed inquiry, please refer to the group officer drop-in hours. You can also book an appointment with the Groups Officer at: groups.officer@utoronto.ca

You can call in at 416-946-7780 or you can visit us at 21 Sussex Avenue, Room 516.

Please note, Ulife hours will adjust on a weekly basis. If you would like to guarentee a time to stop by, feel free to email us at sussexclubhouse@gmail.com. 

NOTE: The Ulife Service Centre will remain closed when there are no classes being held at the university (i.e. exam periods and holidays).

26. How can our group get access to printing privileges?

The Ulife Service Centre does not offer printing services at this time, however clubs that are recognized by UTSU should check out their free printing for clubs: https://www.utsu.ca/clubs-services/resources/.

27. How can our group get leadership training? What is Ulead?

The Office of Student Life (Clubs & Leadership Development) offers a variety of leadership development programs and resources designed to expand the skills and knowledge you need to contribute to your group and your community in a very effective way. Some of the programs offered are available to students from all three campuses. For details, please visit the leadership section of the Student Life website.

ULead is a leadership development program for student group leaders that gives you access to a full-length conference, orientation seminar, leadership workshops and networking sessions. The aim is to help foster collaboration and to build an effective student groups on campus. Also, completing the program (i.e. attaining six Ulead points) makes your group eligible to apply for office space.

UTSC clubs will be contactesd about leadership training opportunities by the Clubs Office staff. 

28. How do we apply for office space?

Only recognized campus groups at St. George who have made themselves eligible for office space via the Ulead program may submit an application to the Committee to Allocate Student Activity Space (CASAS) for office space at the Sussex Clubhouse. The applications become available in January and are due March 1. CASAS uses a clubhouse goals-based and merit-based rubric to determine which applications are approved for available office spaces. Check out the currect clubs and groups in the 21 Sussex Clubhouse!

29. How does our group obtain a mailing address at the University?

A mailing address on record for campus group listings is required. The policy requires a primary mailing address for each group which is to be included in our online directory of recognized campus groups.

Groups may request a mailing address from the University of Toronto Students' Union (for UTSU-recognized groups) or Hart House, should these services be available.  If the group cannot achieve a mailing address, they are requested to use a voluntary address for the purposes of correspondence, banking information, etc.

If a group has an office space allocated in 21 Sussex, they can use the 21 Sussex mailing address as well. 

30. How do we open a bank account for our group?

A bank account can be opened by getting a letter from the Office of Student Life indicating your group is recognized by the University. Once your group has this letter, it can take it to the bank with the listed signing officers to open the account in-person.

Each campus group is responsible for selecting which financial institution works best for their group needs. The letter will be made available for pick up at the Sussex Clubhouse after 4-8 bussiness days from submitting the request and confirming the provided details.

In order to request a letter please fill out the form at HERE.

For UTSC clubs, pleas email campusgroups.utsc@utoronto.ca to request a bank letter. 

31. How do we get a copy of our group’s recognition letter?

The Office of Student Life does not automatically generate a letter of recognition for recognized campus groups. If your group requires a letter that confirms its status with the University, please request HERE to obtain an official hard copy version.

For UTSC clubs, pleas email campusgroups.utsc@utoronto.ca to request a letter of recognition.

32. How do we get a Tax Exemption form?

Ulife does not provide tax exemption status or receipts. The place that does provide tax exemption is the Canada Revenue Agency. Very few recognized campus groups hold the status as a charitable organization, and only a handful of student societies have this status. If your group does not have the designation of tax exemption from the Government of Canada then you will not have the ability to be tax exempt.

Online Resources

There are also Ulead online resources that can be helpful to organize your group’s affairs and facilitate your role as a leader. For all other Campus Group questions at St. George, contact groups.officer@utoronto.ca and be sure to include your group's full name. During renewal periods (August to September), responses to inquiries can take up to 2-3 business days. Please be patient!

For Mississauga Campus Centre for Student Engagement, contact studentorganizations.utm@utoronto.ca with any questions

For the Scarborough Campus Office of Student Experience and Wellbeing, contact campusgroups.utsc@utoronto.ca with any questions.

Help & Questions

33. Why can't I make changes to my group profile, or submit an application or request?

The Ulife website works best with the Mozilla Firefox web browser. If you are using Internet Explorer, any requests, updates, or submissions may not work. You can download the free Mozilla Firefox browser.

34. We are having technical difficulties with the Ulife website. What do we do?

Please email your technical questions to ulife@utoronto.ca.