Frequently Asked Renovation Questions

July 31^st will be the last day in which you will be able to access any spaces or services in Bissell in person.

Students can continue to book spaces at Bissell until Friday, July 31^st. Special requests may be made for the week of August 4 – 7.

Students will be able to contact the Office of the Registrar and Student Services virtually via inquire.ischool@utoronto.ca. Virtual appointments and drop ins will continue to be available.

Until we are settled in at 455 Spadina, techloans will be unavailable to sign out. Please make sure to arrange for any techloans prior to 2pm on Friday, July 31^st ,  and special long term loans will be made available to you.

We are relocating to 455 Spadina Avenue, 2^nd floor during this renovation period.

We expect to re-open as of Monday, August 24^th.  This page will be updated regularly with any last minute updates or changes.

Yes. An elevator is available.

The targeted opening of the revitalized Bissell Building is winter 2029.

Classes will be held in various locations across the St. George campus, as is currently our practice.

As of July 2, no classes will be held in the Bissell Building. Therefore, all Y and S term summer 2026 classes will not be held in the Bissell Building. Students should check their ACORN account for classroom locations.

We do not anticipate any changes to course delivery methods as a result of the renovations. Please view the timetable (Graduate Course Timetable – Faculty of Information OR UG: ttb.utoronto.ca) and ACORN for upto date and accurate information.

No. All registrarial and student support services will continue throughout the project. Any updates regarding locations or access will be communicated clearly as information is confirmed.

Students will continue to have access to the TechLoan program through the Office of the Registrar and Student Services. Between July 31 – August 24, TechLoans will be unavailable for any new requests.

Students will be able to meet with advisors virtually, until we are settled and moved into 455 Spadina as of August 24^th.

Student Commons will be available for studying and socializing until July 31^st .

Events and programming will continue, with formats and locations adjusted as needed. Updates will be shared as plans are confirmed.

Students will have access to an iSchool lounge at 455 Spadina, 2^nd floor. Students may also wish to access the many lounge spaces and facilities at U of T student Commons, 230 College, located just 5 minutes from our spaces at iSchool @Spadina.

No. Students should hold onto their Fobs as these will be updated for access to iSchool @Spadina.

The building is open 8am – 5:00pm starting August 24th. Students will be able to access the lounge after hours via use of their fob.

Students may obtain a locker from UofT student commons at 230 College. Booking Space in the Student Commons – UTSU – University of Toronto Students’ Union

Students may book spaces across campus for study, group meetings and phone calls.

Some available spaces are at: Student Commons, 230 College Booking Space in the Student Commons – UTSU – University of Toronto Students’ Union

Students may find spaces at Student Commons, 230 College Booking Space in the Student Commons – UTSU – University of Toronto Students’ Union as well as at the many library study spaces, Find a space | University of Toronto Libraries or classrooms via the room Sync finder: Privacy-Synchronous Space Finder

Students are encouraged to contact the TravelSafter program of UofT. TravelSafer is a free service offered by the University of Toronto Campus Safety that is available 24/7 365 days a year. A Building Patroller or Special Constable will escort you to and from any location on campus and abutting TTC stations for added peace of mind. TravelSafer | Campus Safety

PhD students will have access to desks and a small lounge space on the 2^nd floor. Please reach out to the DSA for details on desk assignments should you wish to secure one. Fridge and microwave will be accessible here.

We highly recommend applying for a carrel in Robarts (3rd+ year candidates are first priority for space): Robarts Library study carrels

The Doctoral Student Association (DSA) is coordinating PhD desk spaces. If you would like to request a desk space/allocation, please complete the following form (will also be distributed over email/Discord): forms.gle/TRxYDfWph26GjZKt5.  Form will close on August 14th, 2026.

All students will have 24/7 access to 455 Spadina PhD lounge and desk spaces. Only students with the need to access faculty research and labs will have access to 481 Spadina. Students will need to coordinate directly with their professor to arrange access to the building.

Students should ‘pack up’ their own personal belongings in the boxes provided by July 31^st.  This includes clearing out any cupboards/lockers as these will not be moved.

iSchool facilities staff and movers will move all computers and desks between August 1 – 17.

There are many spaces available at the many libraries on camps as well as classroomsStudents may find spaces at Student Commons, 230 College Booking Space in the Student Commons – UTSU – University of Toronto Students’ Union as well as at the many library study spaces, Find a space | University of Toronto Libraries or classrooms via the room Sync finder: Privacy-Synchronous Space Finder

If you want to request your items be moved to the new PhD lounge, we will have a box in BL705 that you can place small belongings in.