Welcome from Principal David Cook

It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you to Victoria College on behalf of the professors of the college and the many support staff. Victoria is a college with a long tradition of service, teaching and scholarship. We expect that you will become part of this tradition and share in the excitement of learning and advancing knowledge.

Victoria College participates fully in the University of Toronto and in the Faculty of Arts and Science. So the range of subjects that you can study is unparalleled in Canada. Here at Vic we try and provide a supportive environment for your studies. We have on our campus one of the most up -to-date libraries that is well equipped technologically and has some of the best study space at the University of Toronto. All of our residence rooms are equipped with Internet access.

If you are a first year student I encourage you to give serious consideration to enrolling in one of the first year seminar courses. Victoria offers the largest number of seminars at this level in the University. Each of the seminars reflects the research interests of the professor teaching the course. Each seminar is limited to a maximum of 22 students. It is a way to get to know your professor while being exposed to the leading edge of a discipline. It is also a great way to know your college.

Professors from a wide variety of the Humanities and Social Sciences have their offices on the Victoria College campus. Victoria is also home to the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies, the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and technology and the Centre for Comparative Literature. Whether you are taking courses in one of these units, or a program here at the college in semiotics and communication theory, renaissance studies or in literary studies, or a program that takes you across campus we hope that Vic will be the center of your academic life.

Vic also offers a range of workshops and tutorial sessions for those who wish to improve their skills. We try especially hard to make available help with writing and mathematics. So please do not hesitate to make use of our services.

Coming to Victoria College is also an excellent way to enrich your learning outside of the classroom. From visiting lecturers, to the museums either on or near the campus, or to performances at our new Bader Theatre Vic gives you the opportunity for a liberal education in the finest sense.

I was an undergraduate at Victoria. The friends I met at the college have been friends for life. The studies I took became my profession. I met my wife at the neighbouring college. My path, of course, may not be yours but Vic played an essential role in my life. I hope that the college will in yours.

David Cook
Principal