University of GuelphThe University of Guelph is an institution known for its ichthyology, landscape architecture, biochemistry, rural planning, veterinary science, and agricultural programs. The university offers many other programs as well. These programs are all known Canada-wide, some programs are of international standing.nnAs a general rule, the University of Guelph is very community focused. This means there are a lot of campus groups that are organized, and many that are informal. Many graduate programs, and several undergraduate programs, will involve an interview or portfolio assessment. They are looking to see if you are a "good fit" for the kind of university culture that the University of Guelph is trying to promote.nnThe administrative staff is not terribly helpful. There are a lot of them, they work a lot of hours, but most of them do not appear to be employed in the capacity of helping students with questions about university processes. It is unclear to me whether this has been exaggerated by COVID-19 or not, but it's always been a problem. The exception to the rule here is your counselor and those who help with program guidance. These are typically small offices of focused administrative staff and they are very helpful. For that, Administrative Staff gets two stars, but only on the efforts of these small offices.nnThere are some topics of concern for the UoG. The UoG has a toxic "running club" and some related sports groups, the running club in particular can be highlighted as a the locus of toxic student and staff behaviour regarding body image, unobtainable fitness goals, and bullying. This group has been named and shamed by both the City of Guelph and the University of Guelph for its treatment of its members. I'm told things are better now, but don't allow yourself to be bullied if you end up in one of these groups. You can always quit, and please access resources you need to recover.nnAside from that chief concern, the UoG has two notable shortcomings: A lack of computer labs and un-affordable parking passes. During midterms and paper season, outside of COVID-19 that is, the library is jam-packed. You'll want to get up bright and early to secure a spot, or, work late into the night, that is if you need access to a computer or would prefer using a library computer while you access library resources. The other issue is parking passes. They are expensive. They've been expensive at every institution I've attended, and it's completely unreasonable for the UoG to take advantage of students in this way considering the City of Guelph's backwards and sideways public transit network.nnOverall the institution is warm and inviting. You'll have fun here and you'll make friends. Many programs are high quality.
19-10-21 10:31 AM
Duncan Goetze
