These awards encourage and recognize returning and graduating students who use their talents and creativity to make voluntary contributions to the world around them. Innis College recognizes that its students demonstrate leadership in many contexts, including the College, the University of Toronto, and their communities. To receive an in-course award, the recipient must register at Innis College in the subsequent academic year. To receive a graduating award, the recipient must have graduated in November 2023 or be graduating in June 2024.
How to Apply
The deadline to apply is 15 April 2024 at 11:59pm EDT. Applications must be submitted using our online application form (will be available by mid-February 2024).
Parts to the Application
– Completed application form;
– A list of your active involvement both inside and outside U of T with clubs, committees, groups and leadership roles, and a list of all awards received while in university (we recommend you submit a résumé or curriculum vitae [CV]);
– A 3000-character (maximum) statement indicating your eligibility in relation to the conditions of the award(s) you are applying for and highlighting your key achievements. You may be required to submit a statement for leadership shown in up to four areas: at the Innis Residence, Innis College, University of Toronto, and within the larger community beyond U of T; and any supporting documentation (not mandatory; not to exceed three pages);
– One letter of recommendation from someone who can confirm your leadership activities. Referees can submit a reference using our online form. Please ensure you provide them with your UTmail+ address, as they will be required to enter it on the reference form.
Feel free to seek any advice or ask any questions of Innis College staff at the Office of Student Life or Registrar’s Office. You can ask about any award criteria, for advice on putting together a strong application, about submission requirements, etc.
Awarding Body
The award body is the Recruitment, Admissions and Awards Committee, which is a subcommittee of the Innis College Council. Members of this adjudicating committee are asked to complete anti-bias training prior to reviewing applications.
Results
Students can expect to hear results by June. The value of the award will first be applied to outstanding tuition fees. See the award tables in this document for details on when payout will occur. Please ensure that you have added direct deposit in ACORN or that you have a valid Canadian mailing address on ACORN, as award cheques may be mailed to that address.
Award Table Legend
The following legend should be used for the two award tables that immediately follow this section.
– “Timing of payment” indicates when the payment will occur. Any award categorized as “Fall” requires re-registration in the subsequent Fall academic session.
– “Value” refers to the approximate award value, based on previous values. It should be used as an estimate only.
– “Leadership Shown” indicates what leadership and community engagement the award recognizes: awards may look at contributions to Innis College life, contributions at Innis and on campus generally, off-campus volunteer work, or a combination thereof. Awards at Innis has all Innis awards and conditions.
– “Grades” indicates a grade minimum requirement of the award in addition to leadership shown. Most recent grades are used. Some awards indicate academic merit as part of the consideration. In these cases, applicants must minimally complete their most recent academic session (which would typically be the current Fall-Winter session) “In Good Standing.”
– “Financial Need” indicates whether the award criteria includes financial need, which is explained in more detail in Financial Aid section below, along with the meaning of acronyms such as OSOTF (Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund).
Returning Student Leadership Award Table
| Award Name | Timing of Payment | Value (approx.) | Leadership Shown | Grades | Financial Need | Other Notes |
| Audrey Perry Student Life Award | Fall | $750 | Innis College and/or U of T | In Good Standing | No | Must be living off-campus |
| Edward Moss Davidson and Hilda Ruth Rous Davidson Award – OSOTF | Fall | $900 | anywhere | Merit considered | Yes (OSOTF) |
|
| Edward Moss Davidson and Hilda Ruth Rous Davidson Scholarship | Fall | $2,400 | anywhere | CGPA 3.5 | ||
| Harold Innis Foundation Prize | Fall | $750 | beyond U of T | CGPA 2.0 | Yes (OSOTF) |
Activity must be done outside the requirements of a course |
| Innis College Alumni Scholarship | Fall | $2,500 | Innis College | CGPA 3.5 | No | Must have carried min 3.0 credits in the qualifying academic session (F/W) |
| Innis College GRADitude Award | Fall | $375 | beyond U of T | Merit considered | Yes (OSOTF) |
Must have completed at least 4.0 but no more than 13.0 credits by the end of current session |
| M. “Fuzz” Friend Memorial Award | Fall | $2,350 | Innis Residence | CGPA 2.0 | No | Must be a past or current student in the Innis Residence |
| Robert Patrick Student Initiative Award | Spring | $1,000 | Innis College Student Society, Innis College Council or Innis Residence Council | In Good Standing | No | Open to Innis College undergrad students or U of T students living in the Innis College Residence. A student can receive this award only once. |
| Roxanne Chee Family and Friends Award at Innis College | Fall | TBD | Anywhere | n/a | Considered | Preference will be given to Black and/or Indigenous students and/or student with financial need |
| Sandy Tse Memorial Scholarship for Innis College Students | Fall | TBD | Innis College | In Good Standing | No | |
| Taddle Creek Residence Life Award | Spring | $2,500 | Innis Residence | In Good Standing | Considered | Must live in the Innis Residence for the current Fall/Winter session |
| Wasser Achievement Award | Fall | $750 – $1,000 | anywhere | Merit considered | No | |
| Wasser Leadership Scholarship | Fall | $2,000 – $3,000 | anywhere | In Good Standing | No | Can receive only once. Recognizes cumulative leadership. Requires 14.0 credits by the end of current session. |
Graduating Student Leadership Award Table
Please note that students must be graduating in June 2024 or have graduated in November 2023 to be eligible for these awards.
| Award Name | Timing of Payout | Value (approx.) | Leadership Shown | Grades | $ Need | Other Notes |
| Innis Classes Graditude Scholarship | Spring | $200 | Innis College | Highest CGPA among candidates | No | |
| Innis College Recognition Awards | N/A | N/A | Innis College | CGPA 2.7 | No | Award of distinction (no monetary value) |
| Mary Ann Duffy Graduating Student Award | Spring | $11,000 | beyond U of T | CGPA 3.0 | No | Students identifying as female |
| M. “Fuzz” Friend Memorial Award | Spring | $2,350 | Innis Residence | CGPA 2.0 | No | Must be a past or current student in the Innis Residence |
| Robert Patrick Student Initiative Award | Spring | $1,000 | Innis College Student Society, Innis College Council or Innis Residence Council | In Good Standing | No | Open to Innis College undergraduate student enrolled in the Faculty of Arts and Science or a U of T student living in the Innis College Residence. A student can receive this award only once. |
| Taddle Creek Residence Life Award | Spring | $2,500 | Innis Residence | In Good Standing | Considered | Must live in the Innis Residence for the current Fall/Winter session |
| Wasser Achievement Award | Spring | $750 – $1,000 | anywhere | Merit considered | No | |
| Wasser Leadership Scholarship | Spring | $2,000 – $3,000 | anywhere | n/a | No | Can receive only once. Recognizes cumulative leadership. Requires 14.0 credits by the end of current session. |
Others Awards Available
There are several awards that relate to leadership that may or may not require a nomination. Please read this section for more information.
Dean Garry Spencer Award
Awarded to a first-year student in the Innis Residence who has completed the academic year in good standing and who has contributed to the life of the Innis Residence. A CGPA of 1.5 or higher is required. The value of this award varies from year to year and is approximately $1,950.
Innis Emerging Leader Award
Awarded to an outstanding first-year Innis College undergraduate student not living in the Innis Residence in the current academic year who is an emerging leader. Recipients are considered based on nominations made by their peers. If you would like to be considered for this award (and you are unsure if you have been nominated by a peer), you can contact the ICSS and/or the Dean of Students at Innis College sometime in the winter term. The value of the award is $500. The nomination portal is now open and the deadline to apply is 7 April 2024 at 11:59pm EDT.
Innis Residence Leadership Award
Awarded to an outstanding full-time, first-year undergraduate student living in the Innis Residence in the current academic year who is an emerging leader. Recipient may be a first-year student from the Faculty of Arts and Science or from a first-entry professional faculty. Recipients are considered based on nominations made by their peers. If you would like to be considered for this award (and you are unsure if you have been nominated by a peer), you can contact the IRC and/or the Dean of Students at Innis College sometime in the winter term. The value of the award is $500. The nomination portal is now open and the deadline to apply is 7 April 2024 at 11:59pm EDT.
Innis Paper Award
Awarded to the editor of the Innis Herald newspaper. This award is distributed in the fall and the value of this award is approximately $1,000.
Completing Your Application
The Activities List
We require a list of all your activities and what they involve. Lay out all your extra-curricular, volunteer work – clubs, organizations, teams, community groups, etc. Make sure you distinguish volunteer work from paid work. Also, make sure you distinguish any work done for academic credit. Most of these awards focus strictly on volunteer, extra-curricular activities. And remember: we want a list of what you were actively involved in.
You can use a résumé/CV template or list the activities. If you do a simple list, please still briefly describe your role(s) and use strong, active statements to indicate what you did and what you achieved – as you would in a résumé. If you decide only to list selected roles/activities you’ve done, remember that you are applying for awards that assess your leadership and community engagement, so pick well. Innovations, successful collaborations, great commitment in energy and time, advancement and earned roles of greater responsibility – these are all things that the committee will be looking for. When you list your awards, be sure to indicate the full name of the award, the year in which it was received, and the value (if applicable).
The Statement – Fuzz & Taddle
For the M. Fuzz Friend Memorial Award and the Taddle Creek Residence Life Award, you will be required to answer the following question:
1. Describe the initiatives and the contributions you’ve made to the Innis Residence and how you believe the Residence has benefited. (3000-character maximum, including spaces)
Successful candidates show exceptional, active involvement, making a difference in residence life, rather than showing participation in activities.
Additionally, the Fuzz award considers your “cumulative” contributions to the Innis Residence. You may not only be able to identify trends or patterns in your contributions, like in the types of roles you played, but you may also be able to speak to what this says about you, and what is important to you.
If you apply for other leadership awards that consider contributions at Innis College, please do not repeat what you have written here in other sections. Your residence contributions will be considered for other awards (if applicable).
The Statement – All Other Awards
For all other awards, you will be required to submit 1-3 statements describing your leadership role(s) and key achievement(s). You may be required to submit a statement for leadership shown in up to three areas: Innis College, the University of Toronto, and within the larger community beyond U of T. Depending on which awards you select to be considered for, the appropriate statement boxes will appear. Each statement section has a 3000-character limit, including spaces.
The statement is a bit like a cover letter for a job: think about what you are applying for and write with that in mind. Always assume the reader of your statement is asking, “Can I write a good promotion piece based on the information in this statement?” Try to avoid listing things – you will have already given us a list. Instead, try to ask yourself the kinds of questions that will help summarize your experience, development and passion. Craft your statement(s) with care. Good grammar, correct spelling, and a clear organization of your thoughts help.
You can reflect on what community engagement, volunteering and leadership mean to you, looking back over your years of service and personal experience. Keep in mind questions such as: What kind of person am I or have I become? What is important to me in my volunteer work? How do I sum up the positive impact I have made?
There is no single best way to write a statement, but you must try to indicate how all your activities fit together and show you to be an accomplished, committed leader.
Letter of Recommendation
One supportive letter of recommendation from someone who can confirm your leadership activities is required. Pick an individual who can comment on key work and accomplishments. You can show them your statement(s) so they know what you are going to focus on.
Referees can submit a reference using our online form. You are responsible for providing this individual with the online reference form and your UTmail+ address, as they will be required to enter your email address on the reference form. The referee must complete the reference by the deadline to apply for the award, which is 15 April 2024 at 11:59pm EDT. It is your responsibility to ensure that your letter of recommendation is submitted by the application deadline. You will receive a confirmation email once the reference letter is submitted.
Supporting Documentation
You can include documents that verify activities (certificates, event brochures, final projects, etc.) but that will be of secondary consideration. These documents are not mandatory and must be no longer than three pages if submitted.
Financial Need
When an award requires or has preference for “financial need,” we need to know whether a student is lacking adequate funds to go to school, which is usually indicated by receiving a student loan like OSAP. Receiving OSAP is a very straightforward way to meet this criterion, especially with awards that have OSOTF (Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund) or OTSS (Ontario Trust Student Support) funding. Awards with this kind of funding have financial need AND Ontario residency as requirements, both shown by OSAP. We can check if you have OSAP for the current academic year and, therefore, you do not need to submit extra documentation.
With that said, if you feel you qualify as having financial need, even without OSAP, book an appointment prior to the deadline to apply for these awards by calling 416-978-2513 to talk about your situation with the Financial Aid Advisor at Innis College. You could submit a grant application to show your budget, which then could be considered by the Financial Aid Advisor.