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CHREI workshops to spotlight anti-racism and Black inclusion

group of diverse York students

Engaging in the work of equity and inclusion requires reflection and capacity building, which is why in celebration of Black History Month, the Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Inclusion (CHREI) is offering a series of four workshops (three in English, one in French) throughout the month.

Titled “A Spotlight on Intersectional Anti-Racism Work and Black Inclusion,” the series is tied to CHREI’s ongoing Rights, Equity, Decolonizing, Diversity & Inclusion (REDDI) Mini-Series of workshops. Those who attend three sessions can receive a special course certificate.

The ongoing workshop series focuses on various themes and topics covering human rights, equity, diversity, and inclusion and is open to all faculty, staff and students at York University. Sessions are interactive and instructor-led by members of the CHREI education team.

Acknowledging and Addressing Racism
Feb. 5, 1 to 2:30 p.m.

This workshop will help participants gain an understanding of how to recognize racism, how it can manifest and its impacts. Participants will learn strategies to address barriers to inclusive spaces and become familiar with relevant tools, policies and legislation.

Register for the Acknowledging and Addressing Racism workshop.

Black Inclusion: Historic and Current Efforts to Dismantle Anti-Black Racism
Feb. 14, 1 to 2:30 p.m.

This session will follow the birth and development of anti-Black racism globally and locally, and the efforts to dismantle it. Through case studies and scenarios, participants will gain tools to respond to anti-Black racism in effective and sustainable ways.

Register for the Black Inclusion workshop.

Do the Work: Intervening on Racism
Feb. 26, 10 to 11:30 a.m.

This workshop will be highly participation-based and will ask attendees to design strategies and tools to intervene in moments of racial discrimination, harassment and microaggressions. Prior familiarity with these concepts is recommended.

Note: Participants are strongly encouraged to participate in at least one of the workshops above before attending this session.

Register for the Do the Work workshop.

[En Français/In French] Reconnaître et aborder le racisme
29 février, 10h00 à 11h30

Cet atelier aidera les participants à comprendre comment se manifeste le racisme, et quels sont ses impacts. Les participants découvriront des stratégies visant à éliminer les obstacles aux espaces inclusifs et s’exerceront à interrompre les commentaires racistes.

Register for the Reconnaître et aborder le racisme workshop.

Visit the REDDI Workshop Series website for more details.

GNL project inspires future French-language teachers

Students working together in a workspace rom

By Elaine Smith

A French immersion high-school teacher who joined York University’s Glendon College pursued a Globally Networked Learning (GNL) project to help his students build connections and advance their academic journeys.

A frequent participant in a global scholars program with his students from elementary and middle schools, teacher Jafar Hussain has long understood the value of students building cross-cultural connections. So, when he was seconded to York’s Glendon Campus as a course director, he decided the global approach was equally important in the university classroom.

He dove right into a GNL project with students in his Teaching & Learning French in a Core French Context class. GNL is an approach to research, learning, and teaching that enables students, faculty, and non-academic researchers from different locations around the world to participate in, and collaborate on, knowledge-making processes and concrete research projects.

“I wanted to bring my students a new perspective on what learning could look like,” Hussain said of his plans for his students. “My own experience with K-12 students and such programs demonstrated that these experiences are fruitful and enriching.”

His class, taught in French, comprised bachelor of education (BEd) students in their final year of the concurrent teacher education program who will be teaching French as a second language. With assistance from York International, Hussain connected with Professor Caroline Andrade at the Universidad Desarollo in Chile and her Spanish-speaking education students who are planning to teach English as a second language.

Since all of the students were future language teachers, the professors broke them into groups with students from both universities and gave them an assignment: introduce yourselves, discuss an issue that affects language learning and create a joint podcast to explain it. They also asked each group to use artificial intelligence (AI) to create an image for their podcast as a way of teaching responsible use of AI.

“Part of developing global competency is navigating communications barriers, and we knew that here, everyone spoke some English,” Hussain said. “The real goal of the assignment was to bring them together. What was important was the experience of working together to try to accomplish the goal.”

“None of us had done an internationally focused project so far and some people were skeptical, but Jafar told us from the beginning to focus on the experience and not worry about the outcome,” said Ana Kraljevic, a student in the class, who is hoping to pursue a career in education policy and leadership.

Kraljevic’s group explored language insecurity, its root causes and solutions.

“Language [or linguistic] insecurity refers to any sort of apprehension a new learner has about speaking the language, whether that is a fear of being judged or not being competent,” said Kraljevic. “We’re learning French and our Chilean counterparts are learning English, so we have similar experiences. Language insecurity is a huge, complex phenomenon and we want to reduce it for future students.”

Rosamaria Conenna, a BEd student who majored in French studies and has a minor in Spanish, also enjoyed the project. Her group chose to discuss accentism: the way accents are perceived in society and how they affect language learners.

“It can be discouraging if you have an accent because when someone hears it, they often default to your primary language and deny you the opportunity to practise,” she said. “It can be disappointing if you have an accent, especially when you know what you’re saying is correct.

“We want our future students to know that having an accent is perfectly OK, and that it should not discourage them from practising the languages they learn.”

Conenna’s group, like the others, connected via WhatsApp to pair and discuss personal experiences to convey their own stories authentically. Each pair recorded a segment of the podcast, which was hosted by a team member who introduced the topic, the group and provided information about research on the subject.

The students presented their group work to the entire class and Hussain was “blown away. It all came together beautifully and the students all became more globally aware,” he said. He praised students for their work and shared some words of wisdom. “Remember all the obstacles you imagined beforehand and look at what you produced. When something seems insurmountable, it’s so much sweeter when you get to the end point,” he told them.

Kraljevic is already thinking about how she could do something similar with classes she will be teaching in the future, and the experience has fuelled Conenna’s dreams of teaching abroad.

For Hussain, “Now I have a solid model of what GNL could look like at a university level. There were challenges on both sides, but the learning experience is extremely rich.”

Learn more about York’s Globally Networked Learning initiative and individual faculty projects.

Professors receive CIHR grants to advance dementia research

caregiver supporting elderly person banner

Two York University professors from the Faculty of Health – Lora Appel and Matthias Hoben – have received Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grants to further their contributions to the study of individuals with dementia and their caregivers.

There’s still much about dementia – and dementia care – that remains unexplored, but Appel and Hoben are looking to change that thanks to projects that have received CIHR funding.

Lora Appel
Lora Appel

Appel’s $308,952 grant will be put toward the first study to explore how virtual reality (VR) experiences can be used to benefit both people living with dementia (PWD) and their caregivers.

With an increased interest in the therapeutic use of VR with older adults, some studies have suggested there is potential for the technology to manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and promote quality of life.

For PWDs, VR can potentially reduce apathy, depression and agitation; for caregivers, as those they care for are occupied, it can be used to provide more breaks from the high levels of burden they often navigate.

Appel’s project, titled “VR&R: Providing Respite to Caregivers by Managing Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms in People with Dementia Using Immersive VR-Therapy,” is one of 13 that received a collective $8.7 million from the CIHR Operating Grant: Mechanisms in Brain Aging and Dementia – Factors and Mechanisms that Impact Cognitive Health in Aging.

The project will now pursue a six-week trial, where PWDs will be given the chance to experience immersive VR stimulations as frequently as they choose. Caregivers will then be able to engage in a desired activity at this time, remaining close by to assist only if needed. In the process, Appel’s project seeks to understand how caregivers benefit from the breaks VR gives them, especially as caregivers often describe respite as an internal experience where they can recuperate without removing themselves from a situation.

Matthias Hoben
Matthias Hoben

Hoben, the other grant recipient, received $100,000 in funding for a study of existing literature on adult day programs – part-day supervised activities for dependent adults. Adult day programs aim to maintain or improve older adults’ health, well-being, social, physical and cognitive functioning, and independence, while also providing caregivers a break or opportunity to continue working a paid job.

Because, to date, studies on the outcomes of day programs are inconclusive, Hoben’s project will look at developing program theories that explain how and why these settings lead to positive, negative, or no effects on individuals with dementia and their caregivers.

Titled “Adult Day Programs and Their effects on individuals with Dementia and their Caregivers (ADAPT-DemCare): Developing program theories on the how and why,” the project – one among 16 that received a collective $1.5 million – has been funded by the CIHR Operating Grant called Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging (BHCIA): Knowledge Synthesis and Mobilization Grants.

Its goal is to provide greater insights and theories into adult day programs with the hope that any resulting theories will be tested and further refined in future studies, and become essential in guiding future research and improvement of day programs.

Both Appel and Hoben are members of the York University Centre for Aging Research & Education (YU-CARE), which looks to support and promote the work of researchers and graduate trainees who study changes, challenges and policies to support aging at individual, organizational and societal levels.

Virtual sessions highlight staff and faculty support services

The challenges people are met with in their home lives undoubtedly impact their work lives, and York University is working to help with its Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP). The confidential and voluntary support service, run by Telus Health, helps York staff, faculty and their dependents deal with issues related to their off-the-job lives.

This winter, Telus Health is offering virtual EFAP information and orientation sessions to York University employees and managers. Whether help is needed with child or elder care, dealing with a personal medical condition or achieving work-life balance, these sessions will explain how EFAP can help address these challenges and more with its full range of support services.

All staff, faculty and their dependents can access EFAP toll-free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for immediate, confidential help. There is also an online portal with 24-7 access and resources on many topics, including personal well-being and health, relationship issues, healthy living, financial counselling, caregiver resources and Indigenous support.

Below are the virtual session dates and YU Learn registration links for employee and manager sessions. The same information is being offered on multiple dates, so register for the session that best fits your schedule. If you are planning to attend, sign up as soon as possible, as space is limited.

Sessions for employees:

Sessions for managers:

Contact Health, Safety & Employee Well-Being at hslearn@yorku.ca with any questions related to registration.

Call for nominations: 2024 Honorific Professorships

Award stock image banner from pexels

The Senate Committee on Awards is now accepting nominations for University Professorships and Distinguished Research Professorships.

University Professorships are conferred upon long-serving, tenured faculty members who have demonstrated a commitment to participation in University life and/or contribution to the University as a community, as well as appropriate levels of scholarship and teaching success. 

The Distinguished Research Professorship is awarded to a member of the faculty who has made outstanding contributions to the University through research. The Distinguished Research Professor will have demonstrated scholarly achievement by sustained publication or other recognized and accepted demonstrations of sustained authoritative contributions to scholarship.

Nominations may be made by all tenured faculty members, who shall provide a complete nomination file, including the nominee’s CV and a detailed letter of nomination explaining how the candidate’s achievements conform to the general criteria, along with three letters of support from those in a position to comment on the nominee’s achievements and contributions.

Additional details about the criteria and nomination procedures are set out in the Senate Policy on Honorific Professorships.  Nominations for Honorific Professorships should be submitted by Friday, March 1 at 4:30 p.m. Nominations may be submitted via the Distinguished Research Professor Mach Form or the University Professor Mach Form available on the Awards web page, or by sending the PDF Form to Michelle Roseman at rosemanm@yorku.ca.

A message from the president

aerial-Keele-Campus-winter-banner

Dear York community,

Many of our students, faculty, instructors and staff continue to be heavily impacted by the ongoing war in the Middle East, the resulting displacement and the humanitarian crises that are unfolding. The loss of life and uncertainty about friends, family and respected colleagues is particularly painful for many of us.

Given the challenging times we are living in, it is increasingly important that we are attentive to our shared priority: Living Well Together, as outlined in the University Academic Plan (UAP) 2020-2025. Approved by University Senate, the UAP affirms that: “Making positive change requires that all members of our diverse community feel welcomed into a sense of belonging, common purpose, and shared responsibility to support and enrich each other’s work.”

York’s commitment to support and uphold academic freedom, and freedom of expression within the limits of the law, stands. While there will be some courses and seminars where dialogue on world events could be relevant, this should occur in a respectful manner that allows for the expression of diverse perspectives in an inclusive learning environment.

We must advise the community that York’s senior administration does not find the recent email communication from CUPE 3903, which provided teaching assistants (TAs) across the University with “A Toolkit on Teaching Palestine” calling for diversion of their teaching from the planned curriculum, to be in accordance with the rightful expectations of the University as an employer, the needs of the students and the legitimate claims of the community. The University’s senior administration has written directly to CUPE 3903 leadership to discuss this important matter especially in light of the rights of students to have access to their course curriculum.

Students who have concerns about their seminars should contact the course director, or the dean of the relevant Faculty. As a reminder, the University continues to provide support for TAs, faculty, instructors, students and staff – information can be found by visiting the following links:

As the CUPE 3903 communication specifically named Hillel, the University is also reaching out to them as one of our recognized student organizations supporting our diverse community.

Sincerely,

Rhonda Lenton
President and Vice-Chancellor

Un message de la présidente

Chère communauté de York,

De nombreux membres de la population étudiante, des corps professoral et enseignant et du personnel continuent d’être profondément affectés par la guerre en cours au Moyen-Orient, ainsi que par les déplacements de population et les crises humanitaires qui en résultent. La perte de vies humaines et l’incertitude planant sur nos amis, nos proches et nos collègues estimés sont particulièrement douloureuses.

Durant cette période difficile, il est primordial de veiller à notre bien-être commun, autrement dit l’objectif Bien vivre ensemble exposé dans le Plan académique de l’Université (PAU) 2020-2025. Le PAU, qui a été approuvé par le Sénat de l’Université, énonce : « Pour apporter des changements positifs, il faut que tous les membres de notre communauté diversifiée éprouvent un sentiment d’appartenance, de but commun et de responsabilité partagée afin de soutenir et d’enrichir le travail de chaque personne ».

York maintient son engagement à soutenir et à défendre la liberté universitaire et d’expression dans les limites de la loi. Un dialogue sur les événements mondiaux peut s’avérer pertinent dans le cadre de certains cours et travaux pratiques; il doit toutefois se dérouler de manière respectueuse et permettre l’expression de diverses perspectives dans un environnement d’apprentissage inclusif.

Récemment, le SCFP 3903 a fourni par courriel aux auxiliaires d’enseignement de l’Université une boîte à outils nommée « Teaching Palestine » appelant à détourner leur enseignement du programme prévu. La haute direction de York ne considère pas cette communication conforme aux attentes fondées de l’Université en tant qu’employeur, aux besoins de la population étudiante et aux revendications légitimes de la communauté. Elle a écrit directement aux dirigeants du SCFP 3903 pour aborder avec eux cette question capitale, notamment du point de vue des droits des membres de la population étudiante à accéder à leur programme d’études.

Nous invitons les étudiants et étudiantes qui éprouvent des inquiétudes concernant leurs travaux pratiques à contacter leur directeur/directrice de cours ou le doyen/la doyenne de leur faculté. Nous vous rappelons que l’Université met des ressources de soutien à la disposition des auxiliaires d’enseignement, des membres des corps professoral et enseignant, de la population étudiante et du personnel. Pour obtenir plus d’information, veuillez visiter les liens suivants :

Comme la communication du SCFP 3903 mentionne spécifiquement l’organisation Hillel, l’Université se tourne vers elle en tant qu’organisation étudiante reconnue appuyant notre communauté diversifiée.

Veuillez agréer mes sincères salutations, 

Rhonda Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière

Prof’s new book reveals communicative capacities of textile

Peruvian Andes weaving patterns

Long before the invention of the typewriter or the telephone, and even before humankind had a functioning alphabet, communication was taking place through textile craft. Ganaele Langlois, a professor in York University’s Department of Communication & Media Studies, has published a new book exploring just that – the often-ignored transformative communicative capacities of traditional textiles.

A Shipibo-Conibo (Peruvian Amazon) design being drawn on textile using natural pigments. Photo by Ganaele Langlois.
Ganaele Langlois
Ganaele Langlois

How Textile Communicates: from Codes to Cosmotechnics (Bloomsbury, 2024) is a thought-provoking contribution to the fields of both fashion and communication studies, challenging readers’ preconceptions and shining new light on the profound impact of textiles on human communication.

Textile, Langlois explains, has been used as a medium of communication since the prehistoric period. Up until the 19th century, civilizations throughout the world manipulated thread and fabric to communicate in a way that she believes would astound many of us now.

“We often think of the digital as something that is brand new and contemporary, but the fact is that digital modes of communication such as textile weaving, knitting, lace-making, and so on have existed and been used as means of communication and information storage long before the invention of the alphabet,” says Langlois.

In the book, she dissects textile’s unique capacity for communication through a range of global case studies, before examining the profound impact of colonialism on textile practice and the appropriation of the medium by capitalist systems.

“I was intrigued as to why in my own field, communication and media studies, textile has never received the same in-depth treatment as other media,” she says. “I explain the reasons for this in this book – mostly related to colonialism and capitalist appropriation – and explore how traditional textile practices continue their important and unique work of communication today.”

Prevent respiratory viruses with layers of protection

Mother and child grocery shopping with masks on

As Canadians, bundling up in winter gear to shield ourselves from the harsh elements is second nature, but it can be easy to forget to take measures to keep ourselves healthy this season, as the spread of respiratory viruses such as COVID-19, RSV and the flu are on the rise.

Experts recommend using the following layers of protection for respiratory illness prevention:

  • consider wearing a mask in indoor public settings, especially if it is crowded and/or there is poor ventilation;
  • keep a physical distance from others when possible, especially indoors;
  • stay home if you are sick or have symptoms of illness, even if mild; and
  • stay up to date with your vaccinations, including COVID-19 boosters.

To help keep the community safe and combat the spread of these respiratory viruses, York University is offering vaccination clinics throughout the winter season at both its Keele and Glendon campuses, with both COVID-19 (Moderna and Pfizer) and flu shots available. OHIP is not required at these clinics and vaccines are free of charge. The clinics are walk-in; first come, first served. Free masks and rapid antigen test kits are also available while supplies last. And for those who are curious, yes, it is safe to get both the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines at the same time.

Anyone with new symptoms of illness, or who has recently tested positive for COVID-19, is encouraged to complete the Ontario Ministry of Health’s self-assessment tool for further direction and guidance before visiting a vaccination clinic.

For those with questions regarding respiratory virus protocols, students can contact SCHW@yuoffice.yorku.ca and employees can contact SFCCM@yorku.ca. The hours of operation for these resources are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information about upcoming vaccination clinics, staff and faculty can visit yorku.ca/hr/covid19 and students can visit students.yorku.ca/health/communicable-diseases/covid-19.

New online CV tool, Discover York Academics, spotlights faculty scholarly work

Discover York Academics YFile banner

York University has launched Discover York Academics, a new electronic curriculum vitae (CV) tool designed to showcase the University’s outstanding faculty members.

Discover York Academics is a searchable database that enables faculty members to promote and store their research, publications, scholarly and creative works, and related teaching and professional activities in one centralized profile. In the process, their work and academic leadership will become more accessible and searchable for research collaborations and partnership opportunities, community engagements and more.

“Discover York Academics is an exciting, career-enhancing opportunity for York’s researchers, scholars and creatives to more widely share their public expertise and their local and global efforts to drive positive change,” said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. “By using this tool, our faculty members gain a bigger platform to network, strengthen their visibility and grow their work’s reach, influence and impact.”

The new tool offers a streamlined process for faculty to update and maintain one online profile, aggregating information from multiple databases to create a single-source repository that fully encompasses and captures York’s rising research and innovation enterprise.

“I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to set up my profile and how comprehensive the automatic data collection feature was in finding my scholarly outputs,” said Jennifer Steeves, associate vice-president research and professor in the Faculty of Health. “As my profile is publicly available, my research is now more visible to potential collaborators, partners and graduate students. Discover York Academics is an exciting opportunity to showcase the academic achievements of York’s faculty, truly reflective of a leading research-intensive university.”

Discover York Academics offers a more streamlined appearance, user experience and functionality for faculty profiles across the institution, and acts as an enhanced resource for both internal and external audiences.

Staff and students stand to benefit from the tool as well, by using it to seek out information on faculty availability for graduate supervision, insights into their academic or industry collaborations or to identify experts in a specific research or subject area. 

Key features of the tool include:

  • reduced data entry through automation and aggregation from public sites such as DSpace, Scopus, ORCiD and Dimensions, and York databases like PeopleSoft and SIS;
  • customized report and CV generation to assist researchers with grant applications; and
  • full user control of profile, including private and public information display settings.

A test phase of the tool at York was run from September to December 2023, with more than 125 faculty members participating as test users.

The tool is in use at other research institutions, including the University of Toronto, the National University of Singapore and the University College Dublin, among others worldwide.

If faculty need assistance setting up a profile, they can register for workshops running from February to April by navigating to YU Learn and searching for “discover,” book a one-on-one training session online or in-person, or email their CV to dyahelp@yorku.ca for direct help. Training resources, guides and technical support are also available here.   

To create your profile and learn more about Discover York Academics, click here.

New seminar series to advance homelessness prevention

The York University Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (COH) has launched a monthly expert panel series aiming to host engaging community discussions to advance homelessness prevention initiatives in Canada and abroad.

In recent years there has been a fundamental shift in the homelessness sector. Organizations and individuals have often been reactive to the homelessness crisis, but it has become increasingly clear that there needs to be greater focus on prevention – finding ways to eliminate homelessness altogether.

The new COH series, called Prevention Matters!, looks to further advance this approach by helping address the challenge of what prevention means and looks like. What systemic changes can reduce the likelihood that someone will become homeless? What intervention strategies can support those at high risk of homelessness or who have recently become homeless? What can ensure people who have experienced homelessness – and who are now housed – do not experience homelessness again?

The launch of this series was announced this week in a webinar hosted by Faculty of Education Professor Stephen Gaetz, who is also president and chief executive officer of COH, where he discussed “Prevention 101” by unpacking his report, “A New Direction: A Framework for Homelessness Prevention.”

Moving forward, the series will run on the last Wednesday of the month, from February to June and September to November. Expert researchers and practitioners in the sector will gather to highlight innovative and successful multi-sector prevention initiatives in Canada and beyond. Discussions will run for 60 to 70 minutes and aim to bring attendees a format different from typical webinars by making audience participation central. In an effort to create the open conversation required to explore homelessness prevention, attendees are encouraged to participate in a Q-and-A where they can engage in an open dialogue and help define each session’s discussion.

For those who can’t attend live, all sessions will be recorded and uploaded afterwards to the Homeless Hub’s YouTube channel.