Introduction to USMC - St. Michael's College and Loretto Residence

The University of St. Michael’s College is one of seven colleges that comprise the University of Toronto’s Arts & Science division. With over 5,000 students and spanning more than 10 acres, St. Michael’s is one of the largest Colleges at the University of Toronto and provides an idyllic home to the 670 students who choose to live in our College residences. Although affiliated with the U of T at the undergraduate level, St. Michael’s remains a university in its own right through its acclaimed graduate programs in the Faculty of Theology. St Michael’s welcomes students from all backgrounds and faith traditions who want to be a part of its community. 

The SMC Residence is organized to help students pursue their degrees in a friendly, supportive, and inclusive environment.  St. Mike’s believes that residence is much more than simply a place to live – it is a time-honored tradition that provides students with an educational experience that cannot be taught in the classroom. Living in a diverse community with people from every region of the world is an enriching experience and one that helps prepare students for success in an increasingly interconnected world.  The St. Michael's College Residence is comprised of 7 different buildings that provide accommodation to approximately 670 students within sixteen different ‘houses’. These houses accommodate between 10 to 50 students studying in a variety of academic programs. 

The Role of the Residence Don

The Residence Don program seeks to engage residence students by connecting them to the St. Michael’s community and providing them with opportunities for personal growth that takes place outside of the classroom. Residence Dons are committed to supporting residence life by organizing events, developing community-building initiatives, and providing mentorship and guidance to individual students. Other responsibilities include:

1. Participate in a Don Rounds System to monitor the residence buildings and to support the community after hours. 

2. Foster a sense of community and support the overall development of students by providing mentorship and guidance.

3. Host "Office Hours" where you will be available to interact with your residents one evening each week

4. Develop residence programming that meets the needs and interests of students, collaborating with your House Council and the St. Michael's Residence Council, or other student groups when possible.

5. Plan and host regular meetings with your house to communicate important information from the Dean of Students' Office, and answer any questions that students may have.

6. Provide support to students in one-on-one check-ins and on an on-going basis, sharing concerns with the Assistant Dean, Residence Life, and providing referrals when needed.

7. Attend all monthly staff meetings with the Assistant Dean, Residence Life.

8. Maintain a presence in the St. Michael's College community, including being present in your house and attending major community building events throughout the academic year.

9. Ensuring that all SMC rules and policies are enforced in a supportive manner, with the understanding that policies in place are for the betterment of students and our community. 

The Importance of Dons

The University of St. Michael’s College is committed to developing student leaders who can communicate the mission and values of the institution through their leadership and example. To this end, Residence Dons serve as role models for our student body and are ambassadors for the University at large. In collaboration with the Dean's Office, the residence dons work together to aid in the formation of the whole student, by supporting multiple aspects of the student experience. 

Qualifications for Residence Dons

1. Must be able to demonstrate values-based leadership, integrity, and exercise good judgment at all times.

2. Must be registered as a full-time student at the University of Toronto in both the Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 terms. This includes students who are on co-op terms. If you will be on a co-op term, co-op placement must be fully remote or must be located nearby St. Michael's College (subject to discretion of the College).

3. Must have achieved at least two years of post-secondary education by the Fall 2025 term.*

4. Must be in good academic standing**

5. Having experience living in residence is NOT a requirement and will not be a factor in screening applicants.

* If you are currently in your second year of post-secondary education, you are eligible as you will be in your third year by Fall 2025 and Winter 2026.

**Only those who meet our cGPA requirement of being "in good standing" as of applying to the Residence Don role will be invited to the Residence Don carousel interview on Saturday, January 25, 2025

Residence Don Training

1. Successful candidates will be required to move into residence approximately 2 weeks before Orientation week begins (Dates to be confirmed)*, to begin an intensive period of training, planning, and preparation before the general student population arrives. 

2. Successful candidates will be required to be present for Move-In Day and Orientation week, to attend and support the Dean's Office as required prior to the start of classes (Dates to be confirmed)*

3. Attendance will be required at two in-service training sessions (in October and in January), which will occur on a Saturday.

4. All Dons must be First Aid and CPR certified by the time they start their tenure in August. St. Michael's College will reimburse training costs up to $120 with a valid receipt.

*Please refer to the University of Toronto's archived academic dates and deadlines to have an idea of when previous years' Orientation weeks were. 

Time Commitment Expectations

Below is a general guideline of what a Don can expect to commit to, in an average month, though it may vary depending on the time of year, or a community's specific needs:

Student Support (12 - 25 hours/month)

- Responding to ongoing and new student concerns
- Mediating House issues and complaints
- Student one-on-ones
- Student outreach & engagement 

Residence Programs (12 - 18 hours/month)

- Office Hours 
- Residence community building program
- Passive programming implementation
- Residence or constituency-wide programs

Meetings (4 hours/month)

- House meetings
- One-on-one meetings with the Assistant Dean, Residence Life
- Full team meetings 
- Constituency team meetings 

Residence Don Remuneration

In return for your services as a Residence Don, you will receive:

1. Room and board for the 2025-2026 Academic Year; including a single room with an ensuite washroom, and a 7-day St. Michael's College Meal Plan

2. USMC Residence Don Apparel

3. University of Toronto Co-Curricular Record (CCR) recognition 

4. Don Training, including SafeTALK and other transferrable training

Application deadline: Sunday, January 12, 2025 at 11.59pm

1. Complete the application form which includes filling in general information, answering the application questions and submitting your resume, cover letter and attaching your cGPA or equivalent (if you are a non-U of T student) below:

2. We require each candidate to submit 2 references. These references should be preferably from someone who understands the role that Dons play and can comment on how your particular skills and abilities would translate to the position.

All References MUST be submitted latest by Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at 11.59pm

Examples of appropriate references include, but are not limited to: a previous or current employer, supervisor or co-worker, your direct former Residence Don, professor, your direct mentor or student leader.

Examples of references that are not accepted include, but are not limited to: friends or family members, classmates, relatives, a Residence Don you had no working relationship with, or references of whom you have no working relationship with.

In order to have your references submit references for you, please send each of them the following link. References should be submitted by using the following link:

Reference Letter Submissions

3. If you are currently a resident at USMC or another U of T college, your current Don is also required to submit an evaluation form for you. Please ask them to use the following link to submit:

Evaluation from Current Don

All evaluations from current Dons (if applicable) MUST be submitted latest by Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at 11.59pm

Current members of the USMC don team will provide an evaluation form and not a reference letter. 

Qualified candidates will receive an email from the interview committee by Friday, January 17th, inviting them to attend a carousel interview on Saturday, January 25th, 2024 (if you apply for donship you must be available to attend the carousel). 

From there, candidates may be invited to attend a formal interview in late January to early February. 

For more information about the Residence Don role at St. Michael's College, please join current members of the Residence Life team for an information session: 

• Thursday, January 9, 2025, 1:00pm - 3pm in Brennan Hall (in front of the COOP)

Please visit our website for more information: http://stmikes.utoronto.ca/smcresidence/

We wish to thank all candidates for their interest in applying for the Residence Don position; however, only candidates who are invited to sit for an interview will be contacted.

Note: If you are a current SMC or Loretto resident, the Dean's Office reserves the right to contact your current don for a reference.