After broad community engagement and extensive research, the university’s Standing Strong (Mash Koh Wee Kah Pooh Win) Task Force recommended that the university be renamed to better align with institutional values. 

The recommendation and subsequent decision to rename was not based on a vilification of Egerton Ryerson but instead was based on the understanding that a new name is necessary to create a more inclusive campus culture and environment.

Following the Board of Governors' August 2021 decision to accept the Standing Strong Task Force recommendations, President Lachemi announced our commitment to determining a new name by the end of the 2021/22 academic year. To reach this goal, the University Renaming Advisory Committee (URAC) was established. 

In April 2022, the URAC concluded their community and expert informed process and submitted a shortlist of possible names for President Lachemi’s consideration. After careful deliberation, one of the names was recommended to the Board of Governors for approval. 

For more information on the renaming process, please visit the university renaming webpage. 

While the new name - Toronto Metropolitan University - was adopted and registered immediately upon approval by the Board of Governors on April 26, 2022, the overall transition to the new name is happening in phases.  

Some university materials changed immediately, such as webpages and social media handles, while other changes, such as external signage on campus buildings and amendments to legal documents, including degrees, will take longer.

The Ontario Legislature voted to amend the Ryerson University Act on December 1, 2022, allowing the new name to be reflected on legal documents issued by the university.

On December 8, 2022 the amendment received Royal Assent from the Lieutenant Governor, legally changing our university’s name to Toronto Metropolitan University.

If you would like to reference the renaming in external communications, please use this format:

Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) OR (recently renamed)

For more information, please review these resources.

While there is no need to get rid of Ryerson branded items that still have value or are of use to you, the Branded Materials Transition Project provides the opportunity for community members to drop off their unwanted branded items to be reused, upcycled or recycled. Visit the project website for more information.

Following iterative community engagement to reconsider the former mascot, Eggy the Ram, the university announced that a new mascot and team name would be determined. On August 29, 2022 the new team, TMU Bold, along with plans for the development of a falcon mascot were announced. New athletic uniforms and the new mascot will be debuted in early 2023. 

Yes, the new name of our university act is now the Toronto Metropolitan University Act, 1977.

Your hard-earned degree remains an accomplishment to celebrate, and a credential worthy of promotion. Alumni are certainly encouraged to keep and display their old degrees with pride, if they are comfortable doing so. 

The university understands that not all alumni may want to keep their degree issued under our former name. Alumni who wish to have their degree reissued under our new name can do so. This is a service the university has always offered and alumni will continue to have this option now that we have been renamed Toronto Metropolitan University. 

More details on this will be posted to the curriculum advising webpage when available.

The university has collaborated with LinkedIn to offer those who graduated prior to the renaming with the option to use either Ryerson University or the new university name when listing their education. For current alumni, Ryerson will be the default under their school information, but LinkedIn members will be able to switch manually to the new name a few days following the announcement. Further instructions will follow on the steps required to make this manual update.

June 2023 graduates will be the first graduating class under the name of Toronto Metropolitan University.

All TMU Alumni will be able to order a TMU parchment as of mid-June 2023, and all parchments moving forward will be issued with the name Toronto Metropolitan University.

The university name has legally changed to Toronto Metropolitan University and all official documents will now reflect this.

Yes, a parchment reissue costs $70. Full details including how to request a document can be found on the Graduation Award Document Reissues page.

Yes, parchments that were issued under our previous name of Ryerson University remain valid and represent an accomplishment to be proud of.

This name change should be treated as the university name’s change was handled in April. Anything dated prior to December 8, 2022 (when the Bill 26 received Royal Assent) can and should continue to reference the Ryerson University Act as that was correct as of the date on the document or digital post. However, all undated evergreen content that users refer to all the time, should be updated to the Toronto Metropolitan University Act.

Please use the search and replace tool developed by CCS for web page content. Remember, the search does not include digital assets such as PDFs. Those will need to be reviewed manually.

No. All existing agreements and contracts do not need to change. The name change does not invalidate past contracts. The Office of General Counsel and Board Secretariat (GCBS) team is working with Finance, OVPRI and other departments to inform those we have contracted with of the change. However all new contracts and agreements going forward must use the name Toronto Metropolitan University. GCBS has updated contract templates.

The University has updated its legal templates to reflect the legal name change.  Please confirm that you are using the most recent template when developing new contracts and agreements.

Cheques and invoices addressed/made payable to Ryerson University are still valid and do not have to be reissued. Proceed as usual with cashing cheques and making payments. 

Financial Services is working with our banks to provide a transition and will be sending letters to all clients and vendors asking they update their records. However, if you notice entities you work with are continuing to issue cheques and invoices with our old name, please ask them to update their records to reflect the new name going forward.  

The Standing Strong (Mash Koh Wee Kah Pooh Win) Task Force was appointed by President Lachemi in November 2020 to conduct a necessary exploration into both our namesake’s life and legacy and the role of commemoration in our University community.

Following the submission of their final report, the Task Force mandate was fulfilled and the group was dissolved.

The University is grateful for the work of the Standing Strong (Mash Koh Wee Kah Pooh Win) Task Force who worked diligently over 10 months (from November 2020 - August 2021) to provide clear recommendations on how the university can move forward and create the next chapter in our history. 

The Task Force’s report has 22 recommendations, including the recommendation for the University to rename the institution. Other recommendations are to share materials to recognize the legacy of Egerton Ryerson, and provide opportunities for learning about Indigenous history and Indigenous and colonial relations, plus much more.

Everyone is encouraged to read the full report.

The University’s Board of Governors has accepted all Task Force recommendations.

On January 31, 2022, the Next Chapter action plan was released. While this action plan is a living document that will adjust, strengthen and respond to the evolving needs of our community over time, it will remain aligned with our institutional values and our commitment to being bold, inclusive, dedicated to excellence, collaborative and sustainable.