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Conversations with SGS

Overview

Conversations with SGS is a series of sessions for faculty in administrative roles in graduate education at the unit level to come together to share experiences, lessons, and incorporate best practices into our work. See below for information about the 2025–2026 sessions, including registration links, panelists/presenters, and highlights from our past sessions.

Sessions

Winter 2026

The programming for Winter 2026 will be online via Microsoft Teams. Registration is required.

Session #1 — Towards a culture of constructive disagreement in graduate education

Join the SGS team for a lecture and conversation with Dr. Jane Freeman on the topic of effective disagreement in the various contexts of graduate education. Participants will have the chance to share and discuss their own  experiences in a session oriented towards practical strategies for constructive disagreement.

Moderator:
Sarah Sharma, Acting Vice Dean, Research and Program Innovation, School of Graduate Studies
Presenter:
Jane Freeman, Director and Professor, Teaching Stream, Graduate Centre for Academic Communication, School of Graduate Studies

Tuesday, February 10, 2026
10–11:30 a.m. ET

Session #2 — Mentoring Challenges in Graduate Education: A cross-divisional panel discussion

Join SGS for a candid discussion with faculty experts and the Centre for Graduate Mentorship & Supervision in a cross-divisional panel to discuss emerging challenges and various gray areas in the mentoring dynamic.

Moderator:
Sarah Sharma, Acting Vice Dean, Research and Program Innovation, School of Graduate Studies

Presenters:
John Peever, Vice-Dean, Students, School of Graduate Studies
Aziza Kajan, Director, Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision, School of Graduate Studies
Keir Moulton, Associate Professor and Graduate Chair, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts & Science
Marcelo Vieta, Associate Professor, Adult Education and Community Development and Chair, Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
Michelle Wong, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream and Graduate Program Director, Dental Anaesthesia Graduate Program, Faculty of Dentistry

Tuesday, March 31, 2026
10–11:30 a.m. ET

Session #3 — Graduate education and panic culture

Pandemics. AI. Free speech. How is graduate education at the University of Toronto impacted by mounting panics? Join us for a candid conversation with esteemed leaders as they reflect and share their experiences of leading through panic.

Moderator:
Sarah Sharma, Acting Vice Dean, Research and Program Innovation, School of Graduate Studies

Presenters:
Joshua Barker, Dean, School of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost, Graduate Research and Education
Timothy C. Y. Chan, Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, Strategic Initiatives
Charmaine C. Williams, Dean and Professor, Sandra Rotman Chair in Social Work, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

Tuesday, April 21, 2026
10–11:30 a.m. ET
Due to unforeseen circumstances, this Conversations with SGS event has been cancelled. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

Session #4 — AI in Focus: Reflections from the 2025-26 year

A cross divisional panel

Tuesday, May 12, 2026
10–11:30 a.m. ET
Registration available soon

Session highlights

Winter 2026

This section will be updated after Winter 2026.

Fall 2025

Session #1 — The Role of SGS in Graduate Education

Come join the SGS Dean, Professor Joshua Barker, and the SGS leadership team in discussing the role of SGS as a central service, as well as a hub of promising practices for the graduate ecosystem. Learn the current priorities at SGS and come inform us of what is working in your units and how we can better support the work that you do.

Presenters:
Joshua Barker, Dean, School of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost, Graduate Research and Education
Brian Desrosiers-Tam, Assistant Dean, School of Graduate Studies
Sarah Sharma, Acting Vice Dean, Research and Program Innovation, School of Graduate Studies
John Peever, Vice-Dean, Students, School of Graduate Studies
Sarah Peake, Director, Student Academic Services, School of Graduate Studies
Laura Stathopoulos, Director, Graduate Awards and Financial Aid, School of Graduate Studies
Rachael Cayley, Director, Centre for Graduate Professional Development, School of Graduate Studies
Jane Freeman, Director and Professor, Teaching Stream, Graduate Centre for Academic Communication, School of Graduate Studies
Aziza Kajan, Director, Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision, School of Graduate Studies

Tuesday, September 16, 2025
10:00 AM — 11:30 AM ET

Session #2 — AI and the (New) Challenge of Assessment

Come join your colleagues from across university disciplines to explore the potential value of alternative modes of assessment in the age of AI. This is not a conversation about best practices or ethical AI, but a re-thinking of assessment in general and how graduate education might evolve in response to these emerging challenges.

Presenters:
Rhonda McEwen, President and Vice-Chancellor, Victoria University
Jimmy Fraigne, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Cell and Systems Biology
Jane Freeman, Director and Professor, Teaching Stream, Graduate Centre for Academic Communication, School of Graduate Studies
John Paul Ricco, Professor, Department of Visual Studies, University of Toronto Mississauga

Tuesday, October 21, 2025
10:00 AM — 11:30 AM ET

Session #3 — Graduate Academic Appeals

Come join the SGS and legal teams in learning about graduate academic appeals, from the role of graduate faculty leaders in informal mediation, to the role of the Graduate Department Academic Appeals Committee (GDAAC), and to the role of the Graduate Academic Appeals Board (GAAB). Please invite your GDAAC Chairs to attend this event as well.

Presenters:
John Peever, Vice-Dean, Students, School of Graduate Studies
Leora Jackson, Legal Counsel, Office of University Counsel

Tuesday, November 18, 2025
10:00 AM — 11:30 AM ET

Session #4 — Disciplining AI: the Changing Nature of Graduate Research Across the University

Join your colleagues from across the university as they discuss insights and findings from the SGS Survey for Graduate Chairs on Generative AI in Graduate Research & Education.

Presenter(s):
Ashley E. Bruce, Professor and Graduate Chair, Cell & Systems Biology, Faculty of Arts & Science
James Cahill, Associate Professor, Cinema Studies Institute and Department of French, Faculty of Arts & Science
Deepa Kundur, Professor & Chair, The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering
Partha Mohanram, Professor, Accounting, and Vice-Dean, Research, Resources and Interdivisional Programs, John H. Watson Chair in Value Investing, and the Director of the CPA Ontario Centre for Accounting Innovation Research, Rotman School of Management

December 9, 2025
10:00 AM — 11:30 AM ET

Winter 2025

Session #1 — Facilitating Student Success on Scholarships

Come join SGS and your peers in discussing how to help graduate students write successful fellowship applications, with a focus on tri-council applications. This session is open to all faculty.

Presenter(s):
Jane Freeman, Professor, Teaching Stream, and Director, Graduate Centre for Academic Communication, School of Graduate Studies
Vina Goghari, Vice-Dean, Research and Program Innovation, School of Graduate Studies
Melanie Newton, Chair, Graduate Program, and Professor of History and Caribbean Studies
Anthony Ruocco, Professor, Graduate Chair and Director of Clinical Training, Department of Psychological Clinical Science
Michael Saini, Professor, Factor-Inwentash Chair in Law and Social Work
Laura Stathopoulos, Director, Graduate Awards and Financial Aid, School of Graduate Studies
Mark Taylor, Professor and Associate Chair, Graduate Studies, Department of Chemistry

February 25, 2025
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM ET

Session #2 — Making the Most of the (Annual) Supervisory Committee Meeting

Come join SGS and your peers for a discussion on how to make the most of the (annual) supervisory committee meeting and more generally help students complete their doctoral degrees in a timely manner.

Presenter(s):
Trevor Moraes, Professor, Department of Biochemistry,Temerty Faculty of Medicine
John Peever, Vice-Dean, Students, School of Graduate Studies
Amanda Uliaszek, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator, Graduate Department of Psychological Clinical Science 
Rebecca J H Woods, Director of Graduate Studies, Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science, and Associate Professor, Department of History

March 18, 2025
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM ET

Session #3 — Mental Wellness and Accessibility

Come join the SGS team and the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students to have a conversation about mental wellness and accessibility at U of T and in graduate education.

Presenters:
Christina Bartha, Senior Executive Director, Student Mental Health Systems, Policy and Strategy
Heather Kelly, Executive Director, Student Life Programs and Services
Eduardo Souza Rodrigues, Associate Professor, Department of Economics
John Peever, Vice-Dean, Students, School of Graduate Studies


April 15, 2025
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM ET

Session #4 — Reviewing the Final Oral Examination: Discussion of Emerging Recommendations

Join SGS in a special Conversations with SGS session to discuss the emerging recommendations submitted by the Final Oral Examination (FOE) Review Working Group. Come learn about the recommendations and provide feedback to inform FOE regulations going forward.

Presenter:
Joshua Barker, Dean, School of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost, Graduate Research and Education
Vina Goghari, Vice-Dean, Research and Program Innovation, School of Graduate Studies

May 13, 2025
11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET

Session #5 — Setting up Postdoctoral Scholars for Success

Come join SGS and your peers in discussing how to set up our postdoctoral scholars for success.

Presenters:
Joshua Barker, Dean, School of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost, Graduate Research and Education
Marie-Josée Fortin, University Professor, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Arts & Science
Alison Keith, University Professor, Department of Classics, Faculty of Arts & Science, and Director, Jackman Humanities Institute
Nana (Hyung-Ran) Lee, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, and Director, Graduate Professional Development, Departments of Biochemistry, Immunology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine

May 27, 2025
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM ET

Fall 2024

Session #1 — The Role of SGS in Graduate Education

Come join the SGS Dean, Prof. Joshua Barker and the SGS leadership team in discussing the role of SGS as a central service, as well as a hub of promising practices for the graduate ecosystem. Learn the current priorities at SGS and come inform us of what is working in your units and how we can better support the work that you do.

Presenter(s):
Joshua Barker, Dean, School of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost, Graduate Research and Education
Brian Desrosiers-Tam, Assistant Dean, School of Graduate Studies
Vina Goghari, Vice Dean, Research and Program Innovation, School of Graduate Studies
John Peever, Vice-Dean, Students, School of Graduate Studies
Sarah Peake, Director, Student Academic Services, School of Graduate Studies
Laura Stathopoulos, Director, Graduate Awards and Financial Aid, School of Graduate Studies
Rachael Cayley, Director, Centre for Graduate Professional Development, School of Graduate Studies
Jane Freeman, Director and Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Graduate Centre for Academic Communication, School of Graduate Studies
Aziza Kajan, Director, Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision, School of Graduate Studies

September 19, 2024
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM ET

Session #2 — Graduate Academic Appeals

Come join the SGS and legal team in learning about graduate academic appeals, from the role of graduate faculty leaders in informal mediation, to the role of the Graduate Department Academic Appeals Committee, and to the role of the Graduate Academic Appeals Board. Please invite your GDAAC Chairs to attend this event as well.

Presenter(s):
John Peever, Vice-Dean, Students, School of Graduate Studies
Leora Jackson, Legal Counsel, Office of University Counsel
James Phillips, Professor, Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law

October 30, 2024
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM ET

Session #3 — Graduate Faculty Membership

Come join SGS and the Office of the Vice-Provost Faculty and Academic Life in learning about Graduate Faculty Membership, including revisions to the guidelines, new tools, and best practices in implementation.

Presenter(s):
Joshua Barker, Dean, School of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost, Graduate Research and Education
Heather Boon, Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life and Professor, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy
Vina Goghari, Vice Dean, Research and Program Innovation, School of Graduate Studies
Melodie Buhagiar, Associate Director, Academic Policy & Process, Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life

November 19, 2024
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM ET

Session #4 — Civil Discourse on Campus

Come join Professor Randy Boyagoda, Provostial Advisor on Civil Discourse, in a discussion about what more the University should be doing to strengthen a culture of civil discourse on campus, including the cultivation of dialogue across different points of view and the discussion of challenging subjects. We are particularly interested to discuss how this intersects with graduate education and training. Please feel free to invite any faculty you think would be particularly knowledgeable about or interested in this topic.

Presenter(s):
Professor Randy Boyagoda, Provostial Advisor on Civil Discourse

November 26, 2024
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM ET

Session #5 — Graduate Student Inclusion in Grants

Come join SGS and your peers in discussing how to incorporate graduate students meaningfully into your grants and tips for building them into your budgets.

Presenter(s):
Rita Kandel, Professor and Chair, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Alison Keith, Professor, Department of Classics, Faculty of Arts and Science, and Director, Jackman Humanities Institute
Kang Lee, Professor, Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
Lisa Rumiel, Director of Research Services, Faculty of Arts and Science

December 3, 2024
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM ET

Winter 2024

Session #1 — Understanding and Reviewing the Final Oral Examination

Description:
The Final Oral Examination (FOE) is one of the most important milestones in the professional trajectories of students and their supervisor(s). Come join the School of Graduate Studies in discussing the premise behind the current practices, as well as clarification of areas of confusion. Moreover, the Office of the Vice-Dean, Research and Program Innovation, along with the Program Completion Office, is undertaking a review of the current Final Oral Exam regulations and guidelines to make sure it meets the needs of the evolving landscape of unit practices and needs. As a first step in our review we invite you to this important conversation, so we can learn what is working for you and what you would like to see revised within the SGS guidelines.

Presenters:
Vina Goghari, Vice-Dean, Research and Program Innovation, SGS
Laura Stathopoulos, Director, Graduate Awards and Financial Aid, SGS
Lisa Haley, Senior Advisor & Manager, Graduate Program Completion and Postdoctoral Services, SGS

February 13, 2024
10 AM–11:30 AM ET

Session #2 — Generative AI in Graduate and Post-Doctoral Training

Description:
Generative AI has brought with it both opportunities and challenges for graduate and post-doctoral training. Opportunities exist in writing, idea generation, summarization, analysis etc. However, issues of academic and ethical integrity also exist. Come join us for an introduction to generative AI and a conversation on its transformative role in graduate education. Moreover, we look forward to learning how these developments in generative AI are impacting training in your areas, and where we can be of support.

Presenters:
Susan McCahan, Vice-Provost, Academic Programs and Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education
Alison Gibbs, Director, Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation
Vina Goghari, Vice-Dean, Research and Program Innovation, SGS

March 19, 2024
10 AM–11:30 AM ET

Session #3 — Celebrating Excellence in the Design and Delivery of Graduate Education

Description:
Come learn about projects being done by your colleagues that enrich the learning experience of graduate students in both our research-based and professional degree programs, that create positive, innovative changes in the design and delivery of graduate education. Projects were supported by the SGS Graduate Education Innovation Fund (GEIF), and cover domains of experiential learning; interdisciplinary learning; technical innovation; Indigenous ways of knowing; diverse cultural perspectives; decolonization, anti-oppression, and anti-racism pedagogies; professional development; and public scholarship. Come engage in a stimulating discussion of program renewal with your colleagues.

Presenter:
Vina Goghari, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Professor, Psychological Clinical Science, Psychology, and Psychiatry
Vice-Dean, Research and Program Innovation, SGS
Associate Editor, Schizophrenia Bulletin
Associate Editor, Clinical Psychological Science
with
Jeannie Miller, Elizabeth Page-Gould, Erin Styles,
Lydia Wilkinson and Sherry Yu

April 16, 2024
9:30 AM–11 AM ET

Fall 2023

Session #1 — The Role of SGS in the Graduate Ecosystem: What SGS Can Do for You

Description:
Come join the Dean of SGS, Joshua Barker and the SGS team in discussing the role of SGS both as a central service, as well as a hub of promising practices for the graduate ecosystem. Learn what are current priorities in the Dean’s and Vice-Deans’ portfolios. Also, learn what our five centre and service directors can do for you and your students. Come inform us of what is working in your units and how we can better support the work that you do.

Participant(s):
Joshua Barker, Dean of SGS & Vice-Provost, Graduate Research and Education
Vina Goghari, Vice-Dean, Research and Program Innovation, SGS
John Peever, Vice-Dean, Students, SGS
Rachael Cayley, Director, Centre for Graduate Professional Development, SGS
Jane Freeman, Director, Graduate Centre for Academic Communication, SGS
Aziza Kajan, Director, Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision, SGS
Sarah Peake, Director, Student Academic Services, SGS
Laura Stathopoulos, Director, Graduate Awards and Financial Aid, SGS

September 19, 2023
9:00 AM–10:30 AM ET

Session #2 — Graduate Academic Appeals

Description:
Come join the SGS and legal team in learning about graduate academic appeals, from the role of graduate faculty leaders in informal mediation, to the role of the Graduate Department Academic Appeals Committee (GDAAC), to the role of the Graduate Academic Appeals Board (GAAB). Learn how to set up the process for success at the Department level, as we share observations from our learnings at the second level up of the Graduate Academic Appeals Board (GAAB). Please invite your GDAAC Chairs to attend this event as well.

Participant(s):
John Peever, Vice-Dean, Students, SGS
Leora Jackson, Legal Counsel
James Phillips, Senior Chair, Graduate Academic Appeals Board

November 14, 2023
9:00 AM–10:30 AM ET

Session #3 — Understanding Graduate Student Funding at U of T

Description:
Graduate student funding is often identified as a key priority for graduate units and divisions. Yet the way graduate students are funded can vary greatly from division to division, graduate unit to graduate unit, and program to program. This complexity can make it challenging for graduate leaders to understand the graduate student funding landscape as a whole, communicate to their students and faculty where their unit fits into this wider landscape, and take actions required to improve funding in their own domain.

This Conversations with SGS session is designed to inform graduate leaders about the overall landscape of graduate student funding and where they fit into it. It will describe: a) the foundational policies related to graduate student funding; b) how funding practices differ by program type and SGS division; c) opportunities to support international and underrepresented groups; d) why graduate funding is so pinched right now; e) what levers are available for making improvements to graduate funding at U of T.

Participant(s):
TBC

November 23, 2023
9:00 AM–10:30 AM ET

SGS Graduate Faculty Leadership Orientation

October 4, 2022
9:00 AM–12:00 PM ET

View / Download Agenda (PDF)

Session #1 — Envisioning Graduate Education in the Post-Pandemic Era

Panel:
Vina Goghari, Vice-Dean, Research and Program Innovation, SGS
Josie Lalonde, Director, Student Academic Services, SGS
Emma Thacker, Director (Acting) Graduate Awards and Financial Aid, SGS
Jane Freeman, Director, Graduate Centre for Academic Communication, SGS
Caroline Rabbat, Director, Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision, SGS

November 15, 2022
10:00 AM–11:00 AM ET

Session #2 — Academic and Research Resiliency: Managing Impacted Student Trajectories

Panel:
Vina Goghari, Vice-Dean, Research and Program Innovation, SGS
Josie Lalonde, Director, Student Academic Services, SGS
Emma Thacker, Director (Acting) Graduate Awards and Financial Aid, SGS
Jane Freeman, Director, Graduate Centre for Academic Communication, SGS
Caroline Rabbat, Director, Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision, SGS

November 15, 2022
10:00 AM–11:00 AM ET

Session #3 — Inclusive Pathways: Supporting International Students

Panelists:
Alexie Tcheuyap, Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, International Student Experience
Katherine Beaumont, Senior Director, Global Learning Opportunities & International Student Success, Centre for International Experience
Graeme Hirst, Associate Chair, Graduate Studies, Department of Computer Science
Scott Liao, Academic Director, Full Time MBA

February 21, 2023
10:00 AM–11:00 AM ET

Session #4 — Managing Conflicts and Complaints Related to Graduate Supervision: Role of the Academic Administrators

Presenter(s):
Yana Yunusova, Acting Vice-Dean, Students, SGS
Caroline Rabbat, Director, Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision, SGS

April 17, 2023
10:00 AM–11:30 AM ET

Session #5 — Leveraging Insights from SGS Data Dashboards to Maximize Graduate Program Success

Panelists:
Brian Desrosiers-Tam, Assistant Dean, SGS
Ellen MacPherson, Special Projects Officer, SGS
Grace Zhu, Data Analyst, SGS

June 19, 2023
10:00 AM–11:30 AM ET

Session #1 — Re-imagining Graduate Education 

Joshua Barker, Dean of SGS & Vice-Provost, Graduate Research and Education

Read Session #1 Highlights

Session #2 — Inclusive Pathways: Spotlight on Graduate Admissions

Charmaine Williams, Vice-Dean, Students, SGS
David Burnes, Associate Dean, Academic, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
Ruth Childs, Professor, Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education, OISE
Elizabeth Page-Gould, Graduate Chair, Psychology

Read Session #2 Highlights

Session #3 — SGS Showcase on Services: Spotlight on Graduate Mentorship and Supervision

Charmaine Williams, Vice-Dean, Students, SGS
Josie Lalonde, Director, Student Academic Services, SGS
Laura Stathopoulos, Director, Graduate Awards and Financial Aid, SGS
Jane Freeman, Director, Graduate Centre for Academic Communications, SGS
Jonathan Turner, Manager, Program Completion and Postdoctoral Services, SGS
Caroline Rabbat, Director, Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision, SGS

Read Session #3 Highlights

Session #4 — Program Innovation: Fostering Interdisciplinary Work

Elspeth Brown, Director, Digital Humanities Network
Fiorella Foscarini, Program Director, Faculty of Information
Alissa Trotz, Director, Women and Gender Studies Institute
Tanhum Yoreh, Graduate Associate Director, School of Environment

Read Session #4 Highlights

Session #5 — Program Innovation: Defining Inclusive Excellence

Vina Goghari, Vice-Dean, Research and Program Innovation, SGS
Gretchen Kerr, Dean, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Read Session #5 Highlights

Session #6 — Curriculum Renewal: Decolonization and Diverse Cultural Perspectives

Katherine Larson, Vice-Dean, Teaching, Learning & Undergraduate Programs, UTSC
Angela Mashford-Pringle, Associate Director, Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health

Read Session #6 Highlights

Contact

For more information or questions about Conversations with SGS, please contact:

Sarah Sharma
Acting Vice-Dean, Research and Program Innovation, SGS
sgs.vdeanprograms@utoronto.ca

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