MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL CHIN REGARDING THE DEATH OF KARIMA BALOCH

It was with great sadness and shock that we learned late last year of the death of one of our students, Karima Mehrab, widely known as Karima Baloch. Karima was a student in the Faculty of Arts and Science at Woodsworth College and a graduate of the Academic Bridging Program. She was a highly engaged student with a deep commitment to her community and a global reputation for her political activism and human rights campaigns. Karima was also an inspiration to many within our university and well beyond. In just one example of this, Karima was included in 2016 on the BBC’s “100 Women”, an annual list of inspirational and influential women around the world, for her political activism. 

We have extended our heartfelt condolences to Karima's family.  Our thoughts and prayers are with them, as well as with her friends, fellow students, and colleagues. We join them in mourning her loss.

The University of Toronto is a community, and the shock and pain of any death, especially of a student, is felt by us all. Students who need support are encouraged to contact the Health and Wellness Centre (weekdays 9AM-4:30PM) at 416-978-8030, or to visit the Student Mental Health Portal at https://mentalhealth.utoronto.ca. 

In addition to the services offered by Health and Wellness, UofT MySSP is available to support our students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  UofT MySSP is an extension of the University’s counselling services and provides students with real-time and/or appointment-based, confidential access to licensed counsellors via telephone, video, or chat from anywhere in the world in multiple languages.

The MySSP app can be downloaded at the Apple store or on Google Play. Students can also access the service 24/7 by calling 844-451-9700 or +1-416-380-6578 (from outside North America).

Students in need of academic support or consideration are encouraged to contact the Woodsworth College Registrar’s Office at 416-978-4444 or wdwregistrar@utoronto.ca or your own College or Faculty registrar.

Staff and faculty have access to the Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP), offered through Homewood Health. You can connect with Homewood Health directly at any time by calling 1-800-663-1142.

I encourage everyone to remain connected, to talk with and care for each other, to remember Karima and her accomplishments and to reach out for additional supports when needed.

Sincerely,

Carol C. Chin