ACORN allows you to enter two types of contacts on the Emergency Contacts page: an emergency contact, and a next of kin contact. These contacts should be different people. We recommend adding both so that there are multiple people that U of T is able to contact in an emergency. However, entering a next of kin contact is optional.

An emergency contact should be a close friend or family member who lives locally. They will be contacted in case you are involved in an emergency.

A next of kin should be a living relative of yours who you trust. They will be contacted if you are involved in a tragic incident. If you do not have one, your emergency contact would be contacted instead.

To add or edit your emergency contacts, go to ACORN’s Profile and Settings page.

From the Profile and Settings page, go to the Emergency Contacts area from the navigation beneath the Profile and Settings heading.

If you already have emergency contacts on ACORN, you will be able to edit them. If you do not, you will be able to add them.

Adding and Editing Emergency Contacts

The process of adding an Emergency Contact and a Next of Kin contact is exactly the same. The screenshots in this how-to article highlight the Emergency Contact form, because it is mandatory for you to add one to ACORN. The Next of Kin Contact form works the same way.

1. Select the Add Emergency Contact button to add your emergency contact.
   
2. There are four steps to adding your emergency contact. For the first step, add their first name, their surname and select an option from the list that represents what their relationship is to you. Next, select Continue.
   
3. In the second step, add at least one phone number that a staff member at U of T could use to reach your contact in case of an emergency. You do not need to add all three numbers. When entering phone numbers, please follow the provided format which uses hyphens between each set of digits.If you add your contact’s work number, including an extension is optional. Once you’ve added at least one number, select Continue.
   
4. In the third step, add your emergency contact’s address. ACORN asks for the country, mailing address, city, province and postal code. Note that there is no Address Line 2 field available in this form, unlike in the Address form for your own address. Canada is the selected country by default. If you select U.S.A, you will be able to enter a State and a ZIP Code. If you select any country other than Canada and U.S.A, you will be able to enter a Province, State or Region, and adding a Postal or ZIP Code will be optional. When you’re ready, select Continue to move on.
   
5. In the fourth and final step, review the information you provided about your emergency contact and ensure that it is correct. To change anything, you can go back to the previous steps through the step list at the top, or by selecting “Previous”. If the information looks correct, save it.
   
6. After saving, you will be taken back to the Emergency Contacts page, and a success message will display. You can edit your emergency contact’s information at any time by selecting the Edit Emergency Contact button.
   
7. On the Edit Emergency Contact page, the information you previously entered will be available to edit.
   

Emergency Contact Errors

ACORN may tell you about errors that need to be resolved before saving your contact. If you encounter an error, a list of what went wrong will appear at the top of the form. These are examples of errors that you might encounter: 

• Required fields were left empty. If a field has an asterisk (*) next to it, it is mandatory. If it has the words (optional) next to it, it is optional. On the Phone Numbers step, it is mandatory to add at least one number, but adding all three is not mandatory.
• Information entered was too long. In this case, ACORN will tell you the maximum number of characters to enter.
• Phone numbers or postal codes are in an incorrect format. For each field that has particular formatting requirements, an example of the correct format is presented above it to guide you. 
• Unsupported text characters are added. Certain characters cannot be added to ACORN, such as accented characters. The error message will tell you which ones are allowed.
  

In this example, all three mandatory fields in the Name & Relationship section were left empty.

If you plan on working, accessing government programs and benefits or filing a Canadian tax return, you will need to add your Social Insurance Number (SIN) or Individual Tax Number (ITN) to ACORN.

U of T asks for this number because your SIN or ITN needs to appear on the tax forms that the university provides to you. If you are not eligible or required to file a Canadian tax return, then you also do not need to enter your SIN or ITN. Visit the Student Accounts website to learn more about the SIN, ITN, and who needs to add one to ACORN.

1. If you have determined that you need to add your SIN or ITN to ACORN, first go to the Profile and Settings page.
   
2. From the Profile and Settings page, go to the Social Insurance Number (SIN) area from the navigation beneath the Profile and Settings heading.
   
   
3. If you have already added a SIN or ITN to ACORN, the last three digits will be displayed. If you have not, you will see “None”. The full number will not be displayed in ACORN after you save it in order to protect your privacy. To add a SIN or ITN for the first time, select the Add SIN or ITN button.
   
4. On the next page, you can enter your SIN or ITN. Even if you entered one previously, you will need to re-enter it. Your SIN or ITN should be nine digits long. You do not need to add spaces or hyphens.
   
5. After saving, you will be taken back to the SIN page, and a success message will display. You can edit your SIN or ITN at any time by selecting the Edit SIN or ITN button.
   
   

SIN or ITN Errors

ACORN may tell you about errors that need to be resolved before saving your SIN or ITN. If you encounter an error, the issue will appear at the top of the form. These are examples of errors that you might encounter: 

• The SIN or ITN field was left empty. If you try to save without adding a SIN or ITN, ACORN will not let you.
• The SIN or ITN entered is not valid. There may be a typo, so please check that you entered the number correctly.
• If you encounter any other errors, please reach out to your registrar for assistance.

In this example, the SIN entered wasn’t valid, even though it was nine digits long.

ACORN asks for your official U of T email address so that official correspondence from the university will reach you. You will receive a U of T email address after activating your UTORid and UTMail+ account. Visit the TCard Office website for more information about this process. Once you have your email, you can monitor your UTMail+ inbox.

Once you get your official email address, it should automatically appear in your ACORN profile. In most cases, you should not need to manually update your email address within ACORN. However, you may want to update your email to reflect your alumni email address once you graduate, or to reflect a departmental email if you have one.

1. To check or update the email address currently saved to ACORN, first go to the Profile and Settings page.
   
2. From the Profile and Settings page, go to the Email area from the navigation beneath the Profile and Settings heading.
   
3. Your email address will be displayed here. Please ensure that it matches your official email that is used within your UTMail+ inbox. If it is incorrect, select the Edit Email Address button.
   
4. On the Edit page, you can correct your email address. Please ensure that the email ends in mail.utoronto.ca, utoronto.ca or toronto.edu. You cannot currently add non-U of T email addresses to ACORN.
5. After saving, you will be taken back to the Email Address page, and a success message will display. You can edit your email address at any time by selecting the Edit Email Address button.
   

Email Address Errors

ACORN may tell you about errors that need to be resolved before saving your email. If you encounter an error, the issue will appear at the top of the form. These are examples of errors that you might encounter: 

• The email address field is left empty. Having your official email address saved to ACORN is mandatory.
• You entered an email address that does not end in utoronto.ca or toronto.edu. There may be a typo, or you may have entered a non-U of T email address.
• The email address entered is too long.
• Unsupported text characters are added. Certain characters cannot be added to ACORN. The error message will tell you which ones are allowed. For email addresses, only letters from a to z, periods and one @ symbol is allowed.

In this example, there is a typo. The email address is missing the “.ca” at the end.

Starting February 21, 2023, you will find the new Profile Checklist area on ACORN’s Dashboard. The Profile Checklist will remind you when you need to update your personal information so that U of T staff can better assist you and reach you with important information.

For now, the Student Equity Census is the only item on your Profile Checklist. In the future, additional Checklist items will exist for your address, emergency contacts, and more. All items in your Profile Checklist need to be completed before the specified deadline in order to maintain full access to all areas within ACORN.

A screenshot of a Profile Checklist with one incomplete item: The U of T Student Equity Census.

If you have already completed the Student Equity Census, you’re done for now! The University will email you when there are new items to complete on your Profile Checklist, and you can check ACORN periodically to see if new items have been added. Even when your checklist is complete, please try your best to keep your personal information up to date in ACORN’s Profile & Settings area.

A screenshot of a completed Profile Checklist.

Completing Your Checklist Before the Deadline

Whenever new items are added to your Profile Checklist, ACORN will display a deadline by which you need to complete them. This deadline is written both in your Profile Checklist, and in a message near the top of every ACORN page.

A screenshot of the ACORN Dashboard featuring a red message instructing you to complete your Profile Checklist, and a Profile Checklist with one incomplete item. The deadline is featured in both areas.

For now, the Student Equity Census is the only item on your Profile Checklist. If the deadline passes and you have not completed the census, many areas of ACORN such as course enrolment and your Academic History will be unavailable until you complete it. You will always be able to reach the Need Help, Health & Wellness, Accessibility & Equity and Accommodated Testing Services areas.

Access the Student Equity Census by selecting “Complete the U of T Student Equity Census” within the Profile Checklist. This will take you to the census within the Profile & Settings area. If you have never completed the census before, select the “Get Started” button. If you have an existing incomplete response, select the “Continue Response” button. For more information, read about how to complete the Census.

A screenshot of the U of T Student Equity Census page with a highlighted button that reads “Continue Response”.

Once you have answered all required questions on each step, select “Submit Response” on Step 7. You will be taken back to the Student Equity Census page, and the warning message near the top of the page will be gone.

When you return to the ACORN Dashboard, you will notice that your Profile Checklist is complete. Please check your Profile Checklist in ACORN periodically, as new items will be added for you to complete in the future.

Completing Your Checklist After the Deadline

If you have not submitted a response to the Student Equity Census by the specified deadline, many areas of ACORN such as course enrolment and your Academic History will be unavailable. You will always be able to reach the Need Help, Health & Wellness, Accessibility & Equity and Accommodated Testing Services areas.

A screenshot of the ACORN Dashboard featuring a red message instructing you to complete your Profile Checklist, a Profile Checklist with one outstanding item, and several inactive links in the main navigation.

The census only takes a few minutes to complete, so you can select “Complete the U of T Student Equity Census” to submit it and restore full access to ACORN. Once you submit your response, your Profile Checklist will be complete and full access to all areas of ACORN will be restored.

A screenshot of a completed Profile Checklist.

Thank you for working with us to keep your profile up to date!

The U of T Student Equity Census is a demographic data collection initiative that will be used to develop, assess, and maintain programs and initiatives that respond to the needs of our students. You can learn more about the U of T Student Equity Census and view the FAQs here.  

1. If you have not yet completed the U of T Student Equity Census and are registered for the current academic session, there will be a blue or yellow notification towards the top of the ACORN Dashboard. The link in that notification message will direct you to the U of T Student Equity Census page in ACORN.
   
   

   The notification to complete the U of T Student Equity Census that appears on the ACORN Dashboard.

    

2. You can also access the U of T Student Equity Census page by going to “Profile & Settings” from the main navigation menu and selecting “U of T Student Equity Census” towards the top of the page or in the card.
   
   

   How to get to the “U of T Student Equity Census” from the “Profile & Settings” area in ACORN.

    

3. On the U of T Student Equity Census page, you can read an introduction about the census and select the “Get Started” button.
   
   

   The “U of T Student Equity Census” page in the “Profile & Settings” area containing instructions on how to complete the Census.

    

4. You will be directed to the first page of the census form. At the top of every page, you can read instructions on how to answer the questions and complete the form. 
   1. All questions are mandatory unless stated otherwise, so you will need to complete all the questions within each step before selecting the “Save & Continue” button to progress. This will save the answers that you’ve provided so far in case you navigate away from the Census.
      

      Instructions when completing and submitting a response for the first time.

      

      The “Save & Continue” button appears on every page of the form when submitting a response for the first time.

   2. As you progress through the form, you can select “Previous” or use the navigation towards the top of the form to go to the previous page.
      
      

      How to navigate the Census form when completing the Census for the first time.

   3. Depending on your answers to certain questions, additional mandatory questions may appear.
      
      

      An example of the “Please Specify Further” text field that appears when the option “An identity not listed (please specify below)” is selected.

   4. If you don’t want to answer a question, select “Prefer not to answer”. If you select this option, you will not be able to select other options for the question.
      

      An example of a “Prefer not to answer” option selected for a question, with the rest of the options disabled.

   5. To erase all of your answers and restart the form, select “Reset Form”. Your answers will be removed, and you will be directed to the first page of the form where you can start over. This action will not override any saved progress until you select either “Save & Continue” or “Save & Exit”.
      
      

      The “Reset Form” button that appears on every section in the Census when submitting a response for the first time.

       

      

   6. To navigate away from the census, select “Save & Exit Form”. This will redirect you to the U of T Student Equity Census home page where ACORN will inform you that you currently have a response in progress. Please ensure that you return and complete the form as soon as possible.
      
      

      The “Save & Exit Form” button that appears on every section in the Census when submitting a response for the first time.

       

      

5. When you’ve reached the final page of the form (8. Data Collection Feedback & Submit), you can choose to provide the U of T Student Equity Census team with any feedback regarding your experience with the census. This field is optional.
   
   

   The “7. Data Collection Feedback & Submit” step highlighting the large text box where students may provide feedback and comments before submitting a response.

6. Once you’ve answered all the required questions in the census and read the important information on the page, select “Submit Response” to save and submit your response.
   
   

   The important information and the “Submit Response” button under “7. Data Collection Feedback & Submit”.

7. If your response was submitted successfully, a success toast will appear towards the top of the page. You will be directed to the U of T Student Equity Census home page where you can view your response anytime and edit it as long as you are registered for the current academic session.
   
   

   The “U of T Student Equity Census” page in “Profile & Settings” and the success toast that appears after submitting a response.

Once you’ve completed and submitted a response, you can return to the U of T Student Equity Census page in ACORN to view it anytime. You may edit your response as long as you are registered for the current academic session. 

1. On the U of T Student Equity Census page in ACORN, you can see the date when you last submitted or updated your response. To view and/or edit it, select the “View & Edit Submission” button (for non-registered students, select the “View Submission” button).
   

   The U of T Student Equity Census page when you have already submitted a response.

2. You will be directed to the first page of the census form. At the top of every page, you can read instructions on how to edit and answer the questions. You can edit any of your previous answers to the questions. If you remove an answer (e.g., removing all selected options or removing a typed response), you will not be able to progress to the next pages in the form until you have selected or typed a new response.
   
   

   Instructions when viewing & editing a response.

   1. You can use the navigation at the top of the form to navigate to any page, or select “Back” or “Next” to go to the previous or next page.
      
      

      How to navigate the Census form when viewing & editing a response.

   2. To erase all of your answers and restart the form, select “Reset Form”. Your answers will be removed, and you will be directed to the first page of the form where you can start over. This will not override your previous submission until you answer all the questions and select “Update Submission”.
       

      

   3. To navigate away from viewing or editing your response, select “Exit Form”. This will re-direct you to the U of T Student Equity Census home page. If you have made any changes to your response, your response will not be updated to reflect those changes unless you select “Update Submission”.
       

      

3. Once you’ve finished making changes, select “Update Submission” to save and submit your response. The “Update Submission” button appears on every page of the form and will submit any changes you have made on every page.
   
4. If your response has updated successfully, you will be directed to the U of T Student Equity Census home page and see a success notice at the top-right corner of your screen as well as the date you last updated your response.
   
   

   The “U of T Student Equity Census” page in “Profile & Settings” and the success toast that appears after updating a response.

You can edit an existing absence declaration until 11:59 PM on the date that it was created. Absence declarations cannot be cancelled. Next to the absence, select the Edit button. 

1. On the Absence Declaration screen, select the Edit button next to the absence that you want to edit.
   
2. Next, go through the absence information and change the details that you need to change. You can edit the Absence End Date, but not the Absence Start Date. 
3. If your division recommends it, you can send a copy of your absence declaration to a maximum of 12 email addresses for your instructor, TA, Course Coordinator, etc. You will need to re-enter these email addresses if you want copies of your updated absence to be sent. A copy of your absence declaration will automatically be sent to your official U of T email address. 
4. Select the Save Changes button once you have filled out all mandatory fields and see no errors. Afterwards, please check your division’s specific procedures for absences or academic consideration. There may be additional steps required by your division beyond submitting an absence declaration on ACORN. 
5. If your absence declaration was updated successfully, you will receive a success message at the top of your screen. 
6. In some cases, you may receive an error message that tells you that ACORN was not able to do what you requested and to try again. Occasionally, technical issues like this will occur. Please try again after an hour or two, and the problem should be resolved. If for any other reason you need help with declaring your absence, please reach out to your divisional registrar.
   

    

If you are or will be temporarily absent from your studies and need to request academic consideration for a missed academic obligation (e.g., a test, quiz or paper), you can formally declare your absence using the Absence Declaration tool in ACORN. This creates an official record of your absence that can be used to support your request, so that you do not need to present additional supporting documentation.

To declare an absence, you must be registered and currently enrolled in courses. Your division must also allow absences to be declared through ACORN. Read more about the Absence Declaration process and find your division’s specific procedures for absences or academic consideration.

1. To get to Absence Declaration from the ACORN Dashboard, select Profile & Settings near the top of the navigation menu.
2. On the Profile & Settings page, select Absence Declaration.
   
3. On the Absence Declaration screen, select the Declare a New Absence button. If this button does not appear, ACORN will tell you why on this page. Your division may not allow absences to be declared through ACORN, you may have already declared an absence during the current session, or you may not be registered in courses for the current session. 
4. On the Declare a New Absence page, first you will be asked to provide a start and end date for your absence. Follow the instructions on this page for when and for how long your absence period can be. 
   
5. Next, select the course(s) that are affected by your absence. For example, select a course if you missed its quiz, text or exam. You can also declare absences if you have an arrangement with your instructors regarding missing course-related work or assignments.
   
6. You may optionally add any additional notes regarding your absence. Please do not include any personal or medical information in this field.
   
7. If your division recommends it, you can send a copy of your absence declaration to a maximum of 12 email addresses for your instructor, TA, Course Coordinator, etc. A copy of your absence declaration will automatically be sent to your official U of T email address.
   
8. Read the Declarations and check the checkbox to confirm that you have read and agree with the statements. 
   
9. elect the Submit Absence Declaration button once you have filled out all mandatory fields and see no errors. Afterwards, please check your division’s specific procedures for absences or academic consideration. There may be additional steps required by your division beyond submitting an absence declaration on ACORN.
   
10. If your absence declaration was created successfully, you will receive a success message at the top of your screen. You can now view your absence declaration. If you need to edit it, you may do so until 11:59 PM on the day that it was created. Absence declarations cannot be cancelled. Read more about editing absences here.
    
    
11. In some cases, you may receive an error message that tells you that ACORN was not able to do what you requested and to try again. Occasionally, technical issues like this will occur. Please try again after an hour or two, and the problem should be resolved. If for any other reason you need help with declaring your absence, please reach out to your divisional registrar.

ACORN asks for your phone number so that you can receive important communications from U of T. It is not common for U of T to need to call you by phone, but it is important to have one on file in case there is a crucial academic or financial update that you need to receive. 

Only a primary phone number is required, and adding a secondary number is optional. 

To add or edit your phone numbers, first go to ACORN’s Profile and Settings page.

From the Profile and Settings page, go to the Phone Numbers area from the navigation beneath the Profile and Settings heading.

If you already have phone numbers on ACORN, you will be able to edit them. If you do not, you will be able to add them.

Adding or Editing Phone Numbers

1. Select the Add Phone Numbers button.
   
   

   If you do not see the option to add phone numbers, you will be able to edit them instead.

    

2. Add your primary phone number in the Primary Phone Number field. You can add a phone number to the Secondary Phone Number field, but this is optional. When you’re ready, select Save. 
    
   The standard phone number format used in ACORN is “416-123-4567″. Here are some formatting rules to keep in mind:
   
   • You do not need to add a plus sign (+) before your number, even if it is an international number. ACORN will automatically remove plus signs before saving to keep phone number formats consistent in your ACORN profile. 
   • If you add spaces to your phone number, they will be replaced by hyphens (-) before saving. 
   • If you add parentheses () to your number, they will also be removed before saving.
     
     

     An example of a filled phone number form. Secondary Phone Number is left empty because it is optional.

    

3. After selecting Save, you will be taken back to the Phone Numbers screen. A success message will display. You can edit your phone numbers at any time by selecting the Edit Phone Numbers button. If you get a new phone number, please return to this area to update it.
   
   
4. On the Edit Phone Numbers page, the numbers you previously entered will be available to edit.
   

Phone Number Errors

ACORN may tell you about errors that need to be resolved before saving your phone numbers. If you encounter an error, a list of what went wrong will appear at the top of the form. These are examples of errors that you might encounter: 

• The primary phone number field is left empty. If a field has an asterisk (*) next to it, it is mandatory. If it has the words (optional) next to it, it is optional. 

• A phone number is too long. In this case, please double check your number and its formatting to make sure it is correct. 

• Unsupported text characters are added. Certain characters cannot be added to ACORN. The error message will tell you which ones are allowed. For phone numbers, only numbers from 0 – 9 are allowed, as well as hyphens (-).

ACORN asks for your mailing and permanent addresses so that you can receive important communications from U of T. For example, if you expect to receive a cheque from U of T and you have not added your direct deposit information to ACORN, the cheque will be sent to your mailing address. ACORN asks for your permanent address as a backup option in case there is a problem with your mailing address. 

Your mailing address is where you want to receive mail during the academic year, and your permanent address is where you live and want to receive mail outside of the academic year. These addresses can be the same. 

To add or edit your addresses, go to ACORN’s Profile and Settings page.

From the Profile and Settings page, go to the Addresses area from the navigation beneath the Profile and Settings heading.

If you already have addresses on ACORN, you will be able to edit them. If you do not, you will be able to add them.

Adding and Editing Addresses

1. Select the Add Addresses button to add your addresses.
   

   If you do not see the option to add addresses, you will be able to edit them instead.

2. There are three steps to adding your addresses: adding a mailing address, adding a permanent address, and reviewing them before submitting. First, add your mailing address. ACORN asks for the country, mailing address, city, province and postal code. Address Line 2 is optional, and is only needed if you have a very long address that will not fit in the “Mailing Address” field. 
    
   Canada is the selected country by default. If you select U.S.A, you will be able to enter a State and a ZIP Code. If you select any country other than Canada and U.S.A, you will be able to enter a Province, State or Region, and adding a Postal or ZIP Code will be optional. When you’re ready, select Continue to move on.
   
   

   An example of a filled mailing address form. Address Line 2 is left empty because it is optional.

3. Next, enter your permanent address. If your permanent address (where you live outside of the school year) is different from your mailing address, select “No”, and fill in the details. If you select Yes, your mailing address from the previous step will be used. Next, select Continue.
   
   

   An example what happens on step 2 when your permanent address is the same as your mailing address.

   

   An example of what happens on step 2 when your permanent address is not the same as your mailing address.

4. Your last step will be to review your addresses. If they do not look correct, you can go back to the previous steps through the step list at the top, or by selecting “Previous”. If they look correct, save them.
   
   

   Step 3 is your chance to review your addresses before saving them.

5. After saving, you will be taken back to the Addresses page, and a success message will display. You can edit your addresses at any time by selecting the Edit Addresses button. If you move, please return to this area to update them.
   
   
6. On the Edit Addresses page, the addresses you previously entered will be available to edit.

Address Errors

ACORN may tell you about errors that need to be resolved before saving your addresses. If you encounter an error, a list of what went wrong will appear at the top of the form. These are examples of errors that you might encounter: 

• Required fields were left empty. If a field has an asterisk (*) next to it, it is mandatory. If it has the words (optional) next to it, it is optional. 

• An address is too long. In this case, please add an Address Line 2. 

• Postal or ZIP Code is in an incorrect format. An example of the correct format is presented above these fields to guide you. 

• Unsupported text characters are added. Certain characters cannot be added to ACORN. The error message will tell you which ones are allowed.