Late last semester, York International’s officially opened its newly renovated office suite at 200 York Lanes. York International hosted faculty, administrative, and external stakeholders, including representatives from Sunlife, the City of Toronto, ISX and Campus Servus, during its first-ever open house. The guests included representatives from international student health insurance underwriters, international student festival organizers, student trip providers, and airport welcome and shuttle service providers.
It was an opportunity for York International to bring together and thank many of its partners for their contributions to York’s international student community, as well as to highlight the many ways that York International supports internationalization at York.
Guests had the opportunity to meet York International staff and to see firsthand the resources available to York’s student population. In addition to the many positive comments about the newly redesigned façade, guests were also impressed with York International’s new self-serve computer kiosks, where international students can access and complete online or print required immigration and health insurance documentation. Visitors were also introduced to The Global Café, York International’s lively new student space where international students meet to build friendships and community.
In her welcoming remarks, Marilyn Lambert-Drache, associate vice-president International underscored the important work that York International does to support students from all Faculties. York students not only come from abroad to study at the University, they also travel abroad as participants
in one of many of the global learning initiatives.
Rhonda Lenton, vice-president academic and provost, spoke to the crowd and emphasized the important role that a global education makes in a student’s life, both academically and personally. She also unveiled two exciting new York International initiatives: an international student mobile app for Android-devices, and an international student newsletter. The new initiatives will be launched in early 2015 and will enable the entire university to better address the unique needs of its 6000-strong international student community.
Created in-house by talented York and Seneca student-staff, York International Student App will help students before they arrive in Canada via an interactive, step-by-step checklist of immigration-related and other pre-arrival tasks. For international students who are already in Canada, one of its most exciting features is a GPS-enabled interactive map to assist new students to find their way around York’s Keele Campus.
The York International Student Newsletter will be a monthly publication that specifically addresses York U’s international student community. It will include information about new immigration policy, reminders of important dates and events, and will feature profiles from York’s international student and student-support communities.
Philip Shea, associate director, York International, thanked the guests for attending and extended an open invitation to any faculty or staff who were unable to attend to visit the office and learn how York International can work with them to promote the internationalization of York.