The Academic Calendar is the official record of the curriculum of the Faculty as approved by the Faculty, including all the courses, programs, certificates, and degrees offered, and policies and rules around academic life. While this information is also seen on other student websites and resources, including Timetable Builder and Degree Explorer, the Calendar is considered the authoritative source.  

The Academic Calendar is published every May for the upcoming academic year and includes any changes that were approved in the previous academic year.  

Changes can be small, like a change to a course title or description, but can also include new courses, changes to program or certificate requirements, and even new programs or certificates or retired programs or certificates. Changes can also include new or modified policies. All approved changes will have gone through planning, consultation, and governance approval before being published. 

When does the information in the Academic Calendar come into effect?

The new Academic Calendar is published in May, and most of the items within it come into effect the September after publication. This means students can rely on the information in the Academic Calendar being in effect from September through to the end of the following August.

All information in the Calendar is in effect as of the Fall of that year, from the point of access into the entity, be it a course or program, and students follow the Calendar where they first enrolled in a program. This means students may follow multiple Calendars for their respective program requirements; Degree Explorer keeps track of this information for students.  

Specifically, when it comes to any new information regarding courses, programs, or degrees offered, this means:

• Courses taken in the summer follow the previous calendar. For Summer 2026, students follow the 2025-2026 Calendar.  
• New courses or changes to courses, including pre-/co-requisite changes, go in effect in September and are in effect during course enrolment which starts in July.  
• Program enrolment for an academic year runs from March to September. This means students enrolling in programs between March 2026 and September 2026 follow the 2025-26 Academic Calendar. Changes to programs – either to rules on how to enrol in the program or to complete the program – as published in the 2026-27 Calendar will be in effect for students who enrol in the program between March 2027 and September 2027.  
• Changes to degree requirements take effect for students entering the Faculty in September. Students who start their studies in September 2026 follow the rules for their degree requirements in the 2026-27 Academic Calendar.

This timeframe applies not only to changes to the curriculum – to degrees, programs, certificates, and courses – but also to rules and policies.

Exceptions

There are certain situations where new course information or program changes go into immediate effect upon the publication of the next Academic Year Calendar (i.e., starting May). They are:  

• Changes to Ancillary Fees – Some courses may charge a special fee to students in the course to offset the cost of specific course materials (for example, lab coats for certain science courses with laboratory work). Fees operate on a different cycle and, if changed, this takes effect starting in summer courses. So be sure to note, when using any Academic Calendar, that ancillary fees listed can change in the Summer at the end of that Calendar’s cycle. 
   
• Special or urgent changes to programs, certificates, or courses  – If for any reason there is a change to courses, programs, and/or certificates that are urgently needed, or which are shown to only benefit students if they come into effect right away, these can take effect as early as the Summer Session when the new Calendar is published.  Such changes may be found on the Publication Updates.  
   
• Changes that affect prospective students in high school – If any change in the Academic Calendar could significantly impact the planning for students in their last year of high school/secondary school, such changes may be published but be delayed by a year (or more) in taking effect, to allow time for students to adjust their studies before coming to the University of Toronto and the Faculty of Arts & Science. 
   

Governing Structure of the Faculty of Arts & Science

Arts & Science Council

The Arts & Science Council is the governing body in the Faculty of Arts & Science. The Council is composed of elected members from the Faculty’s undergraduate and graduate students, teaching staff, administrative and technical staff, and typically meets six times per year. It approves policy for the Faculty in the areas of admissions, curriculum development, evaluation and academic standing, and determines the Faculty’s academic rules and regulations. Budgetary and administrative matters are not within the purview of Council; those responsibilities lie with the Dean of the Faculty. 

The Council has several Standing Committees charged with specific responsibilities to formulate policy and to apply it in specific cases. Those committees are: Undergraduate Curriculum Committees, Graduate Curriculum Committee, Committee on Standing (petitions), Academic Appeals Board, and the Committee on Admissions. There is also an Agenda Committee which oversees the business conducted at each meeting of Council, and which can, in extreme cases, approve items when Council is unavailable and when urgency demands it.

Details on the Council and its sub-committees, along with the Constitution and By-Laws, rules for elections, meeting dates and agendas can be found on the Faculty’s Governance website.

Elections to Council and its Committees

Elections to fill the positions on the Arts & Science Council and its committees are held in the Spring for the following year’s Council and committees. The exception is the election of First-Year representatives, held early in the Fall Term; this time may also be used to fill any seats still empty after the previous Spring.

Notification of the nomination and election dates, as well as nomination forms, will be available on the Faculty’s Governance website.

University and Faculty Leadership

Governing Council & the University of Toronto Senior Leadership

Governing Council of the University of Toronto, established in 1971, oversees the business of the University – its academic programs and planning, its business and finances, and the support for student community.

Governing Council, with this mandate, works closely with senior administrative leadership, including the University’s Chancellor, the President, Vice-Presidents, the Provost and Vice-Provosts.

More about this leadership is available on the following web pages:

• Office of the Governing Council – For information not only on Governing Council, but the various boards and committees that report to it. There is also a link to the University’s policies.
• Office of the President – For more information about the current President, Melanie Woodin, and her priorities in leading the University.
• About U of T – This page introduces you to the senior leadership of the University, with links to small bios to learn about each member.
• Division of the Vice-President & Provost – This page introduces the Vice-President and Provost and lists the many Vice-Provosts and their areas of work to support University life.

Arts & Science Council & Officers of the Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Arts & Science Council, unlike Governing Council for the University, only oversees academic policy and curriculum in the Faculty of Arts & Science. The Dean of Arts & Science manages the business and financial side of the Faculty, supported by Vice-Deans, Associate Deans and senior administration. The Dean’s Office, along with the Office of the Faculty Registrar, and the senior administration of the seven Colleges work closely with student groups and individual students to support communities of learning and engagement.

For more information about the Arts & Science Council, its Standing Committees, and its past and current business, please visit artsci.utoronto.ca/about/faculty-governance.

For more information about the current Dean of Arts & Science, please visit artsci.utoronto.ca/about/glance/leadership-team/dean-faculty-arts-science.

Faculty Officers for July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027

(Academic appointment terms begin July 1 of a given year.)