Families
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Welcome to the OCAD U community!
The world needs the talent of your kids – they belong here! We are a supportive community working to make sure students develop their skills and learn how to get paid to do what they love. We offer small class sizes, helpful technical staff in all our shops and studios, and internship opportunities in almost every program. At OCAD U, we make sure students feel supported and enjoy every aspect of campus life.
As a parent or family member of an OCAD U student, you play an important role in supporting their success. Sign up for our Parent & Family Newsletter to get insights into the services, opportunities and resources we offer to help students navigate university life and achieve their goals.
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Your student accepted their offer. Now what?
Every June, OCAD U's student onboarding team offers a self-directed course called “OCAD U 101” to help new students prepare to start their studies. It includes how to plan their courses and schedules ahead of registration, which happens in July, and answers many common questions new students have, from what computer they need, to what the workload will be like, to where they can eat or how to find a job.
Orientation for new students
Starting university can be an intimidating experience for first-year students. OCAD U offers one of the most comprehensive student orientation programs for new students in Canada: O-DAYS!
Programming including meet-ups, games and field trips starts in July for students who’ve already moved here for the summer. Then, beginning in late August, we offer over two weeks of programming designed to help new students make friends, learn about programs and services that help them succeed, and connect them with avenues for help for when they have questions.
Info sessions, workshops, activities, socials, campus tours, our annual art supply fair, pop-up art markets, parties, and more are all designed to introduce first-year students to life at OCAD U.
Student wellness and on-campus supports
We provide a supportive and fun student experience! Learn more about services designed to help students with their academic and personal wellbeing by visiting the Student Services section of our site. Here, you’ll find information on student supports including services offered by the Student Wellness Centre, Accessibility Services and the Writing & Learning Centre.
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Safety
Our campus is located in downtown Toronto, next to the Art Gallery of Ontario and beautiful Grange Park, steps away from Queen West and the Entertainment District. Toronto is a safe city, and OCAD University has a variety of safety programs in place to support students. Emergency phones and buttons are installed throughout our campus that automatically put students, faculty and staff in contact with Campus Security and provides their location. Our Walk Safe Program is always available and provides students with a personal security escort to transit or parking when requested 10 minutes prior to departure.
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A Word on Privacy
Ontario’s privacy laws prohibit OCAD U from disclosing information about students to their parents and families without a student’s consent. That said, we believe our students are best supported when their family members are well-informed about the University and, together, we can encourage them to get the support they need and take advantage of the opportunities available to fulfill their goals.