Innis College was established in 1964. It occupied temporary quarters until 1976, when the new building on St George and Sussex streets was completed. Unlike the situation in the other new colleges, members of the University College department were not cross-appointed to teach French at Innis College. However, the college organized a tutorial system to help students in various subjects; Derrick de Kerckhove of St Michael’s College was the first tutor appointed.

Since the administrative headquarters of the Cinema Studies Programme were housed within Innis College, a number of members of the French Department, including David Clandfield, Derrick de Kerckhove, John Gilbert, Ben-Zion Shek, Jean-Claude Susini, and Cameron Tolton, have been associated with the college

and have taught film courses there. Tolton has been cross-appointed to the Cinema Studies Programme since 1977 and served as acting director of the programme from 1991 to 1992. He subsequently taught, in the Innis Town Hall, the newly revised version of French 150, a required course for undergraduate programmes in French literature.