February 10, 2023

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Building Update

Since moving back to 371 Bloor, we have been addressing a range of issues and are striving to make our new space work effectively for staff and students.

Some issues have been raised related to controlling heating, cooling, humidity, and airflow. The automatic building control system which will allow UTS to adjust these variables is not yet fully operational. We are able to make some adjustments. This will be an area we hope to be able to control with greater ease in the future.

At present, electrical changes, such as adding dimmers in classrooms and offices and extra outlets are outside of our base contract with Eastern Construction, but will be implemented this spring, under the direction of UTS Facilities. We have worked to meet office and classroom furnishing requests and will continue to address needs. We are working to complete work needed to facilitate external door access. We also plan to add additional cameras in the halls to ensure security. We are aware of space constraints, specifically relating to meeting spaces. Our goal is to consistently improve the overall working and learning experience at UTS.

This portion of the Staff Update will address issues that have been raised:

QUICK UPDATES FROM FACILITIES

Office Printers and Mini- Fridges

Both items were requested last fall for teacher offices that are located far from the Staff Room, Main Office, or the catering kitchen. We identified 9 offices with adequate space and electrical outlets to accommodate a printer and a small refrigerator. The offices include L311, L209, K 138, L146, 133, 134, 218, 231 and 234.

Printers for these offices were ordered and arrived this week. They are currently being installed.
We have tried to order mini-fridges for teacher offices through our regular supplier; however, getting a volume order through has been problematic due to supply issues. We have just submitted the order to another supplier and expect to get delivery the week of February 20. We will provide an update on delivery as soon as we have more information.

Additional Meeting Spaces

The spaces that we currently have available for meetings include:

Room 221 (2nd-floor boardroom)
Room 112 (first floor off the Bloor entrance (Garry’s old office)
Room 318 (seminar room)
Room L 116 (the multi-purpose room)

Alternatively, you can access an empty classroom. If you need help booking a meeting room, please contact the Main Office or Facilities.

Office Shelving

Since moving back to 371 Bloor we surveyed staff regarding additional furniture and storage needs, and have invested in additional shelving and storage units for classrooms and offices. These have been installed through the summer and into January of this school year. Now that we have settled in our new space, it appears that there may be a need for additional shelving. Please address these needs to Facilities, we will make all reasonable efforts to accommodate your requests within current budgetary limits.

HEALTH & SAFETY

UTS has an obligation under the Occupational Health & Safety Act to ensure the health and safety of all employees and non-employees (including students), to keep a safe and well-maintained workplace, and take all reasonable precautions to protect workers and students from illness and/or injury. These are some of the items that fall under this umbrella:

Noise levels in certain classrooms due to loud ventilation

The issue is beyond the control of the Facilities Team. However, we brought the issue to the building maintenance company that is supporting the school through this transition and our project manager at JLL. We will update you as soon as we have any more information.

Door access and security

Door access, especially after hours, has been an issue throughout this transition back to 371 Bloor because we have not been able to initiate fob access to the building. The work on integrating fob access into the system is still in progress. In the interim, access to the building after hours will be very limited in order to ensure that the building is secure and not exposed to vandalism, or other hazards. If you need access to the building after hours, please contact Facilities to see if special arrangements can be made.

Shovelling & salting the back walkway

The back lane area leading to the Washington entrance is outside the purview of UTS. It is under the purview of the University of Toronto’s Family Housing Unit. Facilities is keeping an eye on this area. We have alerted U of T regarding the slippery conditions in the laneway and they have assured us that they will salt the area when snow is removed.

Building temperatures and general air conditions

This area of building maintenance is not entirely within our control, as it relies on a complex Building Automation System (BAS) that has not been handed over as yet. We have been able to rebalance inflow of outside air into rooms where airflow has been an issue, but are waiting to have the rebalancing completed. With regard to airflow and air quality in the building:

We are working with our mechanical engineering consultants to adjust the ventilation system to improve airflow and reduce the “discomfort” as evidenced by the presence of body odours and stuffiness.
Our I.T. Department is working closely with U of T to work out a solution that will allow us direct access to the BAS to allow us to have greater control over issues such as room temperature.
We have just undertaken rebalancing of air circulation, targeting approximately 23 internal classrooms. As of today, 85% of the targeted rooms have been addressed. Initial testing shows improvement in CO2 levels after rebalancing. Staff have reported that the air feels better in most spaces. We are waiting for recommendations from Smith & Andersen regarding the last few rooms.

We have placed air purifiers in rooms where air circulation was reported to be an issue. There are daily checks to ensure that the air purifier units are plugged in. The rectangular units have an ideal coverage of 33²m and the tower units have an ideal coverage of 66²m. They can cover larger areas but the air changes per hour will be lower. Room L144 is 105²m and has 1 large and 1 medium purifier. These Levoit units were purchased upon recommendation of our school nurse, as they remove bacteria. They do not address CO2 levels. Both units use H13 True Hepa Filters and capture 99.97 of airborne particles 0.3 microns in size. They trap small particles such as mould spores, fine dust, smoke particles, bacteria and viruses, and allergens.

Updated Employment Equity Policy

Please take time to review an important update to our Employment Equity Policy and Appendix on the Staff Portal.

This Policy aims to establish the commitment of UTS to the development, implementation and maintenance of employment and promotion policies, practices and procedures that result in and sustain a workforce that, at all levels, reflects, understands and responds to a diverse population.

also see: Appendix – Workplace policies, practices and decision-making processes and systemic discrimination which provides a list of non-exhaustive workplace policies, practices and decision-making processes that can lead to systemic discrimination, as well as best practices that are aligned with recommendations of the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

Diverse Entrepreneurship Meetups

For all former and current students of the UTS Timeraiser Startup Accelerator, and entrepreneurs of all stages in the UTS community (including staff); the Diverse Entrepreneurship Meetups will introduce you to a diverse network of experienced entrepreneurs, provide interactive learning opportunities, and foster a community of entrepreneurship at UTS.

Our first meetup is with Andrew Bromfield on Monday February 13, after school in the I-Lab. Registration is required to participate.

How Well Do You Know Your Colleagues Bingo

Use this form to enter an interesting fact few know about you. We will have a bingo with a ‘Coffee with Comms’ event offered as the prize.

Athletics Calendar

Student Vaccination Clinic

Toronto Public Health will be on site on March 1st to offer a catch-up clinic for mandatory school vaccinations to M3-S6 students.

Please do not schedule any assessments during that day.

COVID-19 Case Counter

COVID numbers are updated every Thursday and can be found here in this document.

UTS Updates

In this update you will find information on final exams and the last day of school, upcoming late starts to the school day, the rescheduled holiday breakfast, a Toronto Public Health vaccination clinic on March 1 for M3-S6 students and more.

Parent Update