Schulich takes a strong lead as the race for the NSSE Cup heats up
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From Feb. 10 to March 31, thousands of first- and fourth-year York University students are taking part in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), or “Nessie”. Through NSSE, they’ll be able to contribute their insight and have input into York University’s future direction.
To add an element of fun to the survey and to encourage participation in the survey, NSSE organizers at York University challenged the individual Faculties (except the Faculty of Education and Osgoode Hall Law School) to compete for the NSSE Champion Cup.
Survey results for week two
Faculty results published for the survey’s second week show that students in the Schulich School of Business continue to lead the challenge for the NSSE Champion Cup, with the Faculty of Environmental Studies making great strides during week two. (The NSSE Champion Cup was won in 2014 and 2017 by the Schulich School of Business.)
The Faculty with the highest participation rate will win the NSSE Champion Cup and bragging rights until the next survey.
The online survey, which takes about 15 minutes to complete, allows students in their first and final years of a four-year degree to offer their insight into what York University does well and what it could improve. It will be used to determine how much time and effort students put into educationally rewarding activities and to what degree York University facilitates this involvement.
Updates on the progress of the survey and the NSSE Champion Cup will be published every week in YFile.
It is time to register for Glendon’s summer tennis camps
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The Glendon Athletic Club (GAC) at York University’s Glendon Campus is currently accepting registrations for its 2020 summer tennis camps.
Participants from a previous summer tennis camp at the Glendon Campus
Tennis campers will be taken through a series of lessons designed to introduce new skills and build on the lessons from the day before. Extended care service is also available at an additional cost. A fresh lunch will be served each day to all campers. The tennis camps also provide a daily swim in the club’s 23 metre (25 yard) indoor pool.
For more information on the GAC’s summer camps, go online or call 416-487-6717.
Located at Bayview and Lawrence in north Toronto, the GAC is a 55,000-square-foot, full-use fitness facility located within Glendon Campus that offers aquatic, fitness and racquets facilities and programs. It is open to York students, staff, faculty, alumni and outside community members.
To receive membership information and/or inquire about rates (which are not listed on the website), contact gac@glendon.yorku.ca or call 416-736-2100 ext. 88338.
Note: GAC annual members enjoy a discount on the tennis camps, as well as all other aquatic, fitness and racquet paid programs.
McLaughlin Lunch Talk Series adds two more events for February
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McLaughlin College invites the York University community to come and listen to interesting speakers as they share their knowledge on a variety of topics, and enjoy a free lunch during the popular Lunch Talks Series. The long-running series continues through February with more events on the calendar.
Students who attend six or more Lunch Talks throughout the year will receive a Certificate of Participation, while those who attend 10 or more will receive a Certificate of Honour.
The talks take place in the Senior Common Room, 140 McLaughlin College, Keele Campus.
Feb. 25 – The SNC-Lavalin Affair: A Canadian Scandal in Global Perspective
Presented by Ellen Gutterman, this event will examine how the SNC-Lavalin affair erupted in a firestorm of political controversy in Canada in February 2019, when former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his close advisers of pressuring her to allow the Quebec-based global engineering giant to negotiate a deferred prosecution agreement, rather than face trial on charges it paid bribes to win lucrative contracts in Libya.
Ellen Gutterman
Looking back on the scandal one year later, the talk will analyse this dramatic episode in Canadian politics against the backdrop of Canada’s international legal obligations to control transnational bribery. These obligations stem from Canada’s multilateral commitments in the global governance of corruption.
The talk will highlight the attempt to use a deferred prosecution agreement in this case, as: an instance of international diffusion of legal practice from the United States; and, a legal strategy to avoid the political and financial costs of anti-corruption enforcement. It will conclude with some lessons from the SNC-Lavalin affair for the theory and practice of global governance, generally, and for Canadian foreign policy in the 21st century.
Gutterman is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Glendon College, York University. Her teaching and research interests are in the areas of international relations theory, international law, and global politics, with a specific interest in the global governance of transnational crime and corruption. Her research articles – on transnational advocacy, legitimacy, compliance, norms, extra-territorial enforcement, and other issues in the global governance of corruption – are published in such journals as Foreign Policy Analysis, Review of International Studies, Osgoode Hall Law Journal, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, European Political Science and elsewhere.
This event runs from 12 to 1:30 p.m.
Feb. 26 – UN World Day of Social Justice
This event is a panel presentation to Commemorate UN World Day of Social Justice, including panelists:
Richard W. Phidd is a (retired University of Guelph 1972-2005), professor, Public Administration and Public Policy, fellow adjunct professor, McLaughlin College, York University 2005-20. Phidd has authored several studies on public sector organizations and policy-making issues in Canada since the early 1970s.
Jennine Rawana is currently the Head of Calumet College and a faculty member in the Clinical Developmental Program in the Dept of Psychology at York University. She is also an executive member of the LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research at York University and a supervising psychologist at the York University Psychology Clinic.
Barbara Jackman is an immigration lawyer who has specialized in the protection of the human rights of migrants and refugees, including arguing before the Supreme Court of Canada on test cases, such as Singh (1985) where the court recognized that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms applied to non-citizens, not just citizens. She has been recognized by a number of communities and Canada by being given an Order of Canada.
James Simeon will moderate the event. He is head of McLaughlin College and an associate professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA), Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, York University. He is a member-at-large of the Executive of the Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (CARFMS) and a past President of CARFMS.
This event is co-sponsored by the Office of the College Head, McLaughlin College, Centre of Public Policy and Law, Centre for Refugee Studies and the Department of Sociology.
This even runs from from 12 to 2 p.m.
To see a previously published story on the Feb. 27 event, see this YFile story.
Schulich dominates the first week of the NSSE survey
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From Feb. 10 to March 31, thousands of first- and fourth-year York University students are taking part in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), or “Nessie”. Through NSSE, they’ll be able to contribute their insight and have input into York University’s future direction.
To add an element of fun to the survey and to encourage participation in the survey, NSSE organizers at York University challenged the individual Faculties (except the Faculty of Education and Osgoode Hall Law School) to compete for the NSSE Cup.
Faculty results published for the survey’s first week shows that students in the Schulich School of Business are leading the challenge, with the Faculties of Environmental Studies and Science in second and third place. (The NSSE Champion Cup was won in 2014 and 2017 by the Schulich School of Business.)
Above: A graph shows the progress of the NSSE Survey. The Champion Cup standings show the Schulich School of Business in first, the Faculty of Environmental Studies in second place and the Faculty of Science in third place
The Faculty with the highest participation rate will win the NSSE Champion Cup and bragging rights until the next survey.
The online survey, which takes about 15 minutes to complete, allows students in their first and final years of a four-year degree to offer their insight into what York University does well and what it could improve. It will be used to determine how much time and effort students put into educationally rewarding activities and to what degree York University facilitates this involvement.
Updates on the progress of the survey and the NSSE Champion Cup will be published every Monday in YFile.
Cindy Blackstock to deliver John W. Holmes Memorial Lecture, March 4
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Cindy Blackstock
Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, will share her expertise in child welfare and Indigenous rights during the John W. Holmes Memorial Lecture on March 4 at York University’s Glendon Campus.
The lecture is in English and is free to attend.
Blackstock, a member of the Gitxsan First Nation and professor at McGill University’s School of Social Work, has published more than 75 articles on topics relating to reconciliation, Indigenous theory, First Nations child welfare and human rights.
Cindy Blackstock
Previously, she worked with First Nations colleagues on a successful human rights challenge to Canada’s inequitable provision of child and family services and failure to implement Jordan’s Principle. This hard-fought litigation has resulted in hundreds of thousands of services being provided to First Nations children, youth and families.
Blackstock recently served on the Pan American Health Commission on Health Equity and Inequity and believes that culturally based equity is fundamental to meaningful reconciliation. She is frequently sighted in the company of the Caring Society’s reconciliation Am-bear-rister, Spirit Bear, engaging children in meaningful actions to implement the TRC Calls to Action.
The lecture runs from 7 to 9 p.m. in Room A100, Centre of Excellence, Glendon Campus.
The annual John W. Holmes Memorial Lecture at Glendon honours the late John W. Holmes, officer of the Order of Canada, Canadian diplomat, writer, administrator and professor of international relations at Glendon from 1971-81. Holmes was a tireless promoter of Canada at home and abroad, in political, diplomatic and educational circles. He also participated in the founding of the United Nations and attended its first General Assembly in 1945.
For more information on Holmes, visit this website; for more on the upcoming lecture, visit the event page.
York launches a virtual assistant for undergraduate students
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Student Virtual Assistant
The following is a message to the York University community from Lisa Philipps, provost and vice-president academic, and Carol McAulay, vice-president finance and administration:
We are thrilled to announce that York has launched a virtual assistant as part of its commitment to enhancing student experience and developing a more student-centred approach.
What is it? The virtual assistant is an online tool accessed through Moodle (eClass for Glendon). It enables students to receive immediate answers to many of the most commonly asked questions related to campus services, course and program changes and extra-curricular activities. Students can pose questions in their own words and receive information that is tailored to their Faculty and program.
More than 100 students were involved in developing the new tool – a 24/7 virtual assistant that will be rolled out in stages. By March 2020, it will be available to undergraduate students in eight Faculties (School of Arts, Media, Performance & Design, Education, Environmental Studies, Glendon, Health, Lassonde School of Engineering, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Science). Plans are being made to incorporate students in the Schulich School of Business and Osgoode Hall Law School.
The virtual assistant will provide students with uninterrupted advising support that complements in-person advice by our staff. It will allow students to connect with a range of readily available information and resources, often specific to their studies, whenever they need it. It will also direct students to the right on-campus, in-person services for more sensitive or complex matters.
Some topics covered by the virtual assistant include:
academic advising referrals,
Registrarial & financial services,
campus life & events,
career advising information, and
mental health & well-being resources.
What’s next?
The virtual assistant is being launched Jan. 28 to students in AMPD, Glendon and Lassonde. Students in those Faculties will receive an email inviting them to log into the virtual assistant via Moodle (eClass for Glendon students). Detailed instructions and FAQs will help students become familiar with this new tool and a feedback form will allow students to engage with us. A contest to name the virtual assistant will also be launched, giving students an opportunity to be part of this exciting program and develop a sense of pride and ownership.
Student interaction with the virtual assistant is key to helping the tool continually evolve. The more questions students ask, the more the data is refined to deliver the best possible answers on a growing range of topics. Content experts and program staff will ensure that the virtual assistant provides increasingly detailed responses as time progresses.
York is proud to collaborate with IBM, an industry leader, to connect our students to the right people, resources and support to help them meet their goals.
Learn more about the virtual assistant and other transformational projects underway at the University on the Transformation York website. If you would like to see how the tool works, click here for a demonstration.
Look for another email close to the launch of the five other undergraduate Faculties in March.
York joins other Canadian universities for moment of silence to honour Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 victims
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York University will join with universities across Canada for a moment of silence on Wednesday, Jan. 15, starting at 1 p.m., to honour those who perished on Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752. Of the 176 victims, many of the passengers were students, faculty, researchers and alumni.
Three York students were lost in the tragedy.
They are Sadaf Hajiaghavand, an upper-year student in the Bachelor of Human Resources Management Program; Pegah Safar Poor Koloor, a first-year Faculty of Science student, studying Biology; and Masoud Shaterpour Khiaban, who was about to begin his studies in York University’s Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Administration program at the School of Continuing Studies.
Members of the York University community are encouraged to pause for a one-minute remembrance or, if they choose, come together in the Vari Hall Rotunda on the Keele campus to remember those who were lost.
Year in Review 2019: Top headlines at York University, July to September
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As a new year emerges, YFile takes a look back on 2019 to share with readers a snapshot of the year’s highlights. “Year in Review” will run as a four-part series and will feature a random selection of top news stories published in YFile. Here are the stories and highlights for July to September 2019, as chosen by YFile editors.
July
Glendon Co-Principal Dominique Scheffel-Dunand
Glendon awarded funding to expand French-language health-care education
The federal government, through the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS), announced new funding of $1 million over five years to York University’s bilingual campus, Glendon, to improve training in French-language health services.
Research institution at Osgoode to study long-term impacts of access to legal help
The Canadian Forum on Civil Justice (CFCJ), a not-for-profit organization at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School and a recognized leader in civil and family justice research in Canada, received a grant from the Law Foundation of Ontario to begin a study of the long-term impacts of access to legal help to resolve disputes.
Innovative, pan-University capstone classroom launches in September
A new, full-year capstone course was announced to begin pilot testing in the fall at York University. C4: The Cross-Campus Capstone Classroom brings together third- and fourth-year students from different faculties into multidisciplinary teams focused on solving pressing, real-world challenges posed by organizations operating in both the for-profit and not-for-profit worlds.
Jupiter
Lassonde postdoctoral researcher selected to join NASA mission to Jupiter NASA selected Christina L. Smith, a postdoctoral researcher at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering, to be a participating scientist on NASA’s Juno Mission to Jupiter. Juno’s principal goal is to understand the origin and evolution of Jupiter. Smith has a deep interest in the dynamics of clouds of other planets based upon her past work observing the atmosphere of Mars with the Curiosity rover.
York University professor first Canadian to receive Bibliographical Society Gold Medal
York University Professor James Carley has been awarded the Gold Medal by the Bibliographical Society, a U.K.-based organization that describes itself as the “senior learned society dealing with the study of the book and its history.” Carley is a Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus in the Department of English, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS).
Aerial view of the telescope being installed
Installation of new telescope expected to be largest at a Canadian university
York University is now home to a new one-metre custom telescope that will enhance hands-on learning experiences and undergraduate research opportunities for the York community and beyond. Installed at the Allan I. Carswell Observatory on Aug. 16, the telescope is expected to be the largest situated on a university campus in Canada.
Lassonde launches the Helen Carswell STEAM Program for Women
The Lassonde School of Engineering welcomed 30 female high-school students to participate in a four-week program of paid research opportunities doing meaningful work in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM).
York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton with Professor Emeritus Allan Carswell
Professor Emeritus Allan Carswell’s gift to accelerate research in dementia care at York University
On Sept. 17, in honour of Helen Carswell and World Alzheimer’s Month, York University and the Alzheimer Society of York Region announced a joint $2.26-million partnership to research Alzheimer’s and dementia care programs. Funded by the Carswell Family Foundation, this gift will be used to advance research into the efficacy of dementia day programs, respite services and various models of care as well as the benefits of integrating support for caregivers into the programming.
Theatre Professor Magdalena Kazubowski-Houston wins two prestigious awards
York University theatre Professor Magdalena Kazubowski-Houston was recently honoured with two prestigious awards for her research – one from the Canadian Association for Theatre Research and one from the American Anthropological Association.
York University takes academic program to Markham with new space at IBM Canada
York University continued to expand its footprint in Markham, Ont., by offering academic programming for the first time at IBM Canada’s headquarters. The classes provide York University students the opportunity to benefit from a high-profile and dynamic environment where they can learn among academics, small and large businesses, entrepreneurs, startups and developers.
Check back in the next edition of YFile for Year in Review 2019: Top headlines at York University, October to December.
Words that empower: The transformation of Indigenous language dictionaries
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Words that empower FEATURED new
The Canadian Language Museum at the Glendon Gallery
Last fall, the Canadian Language Museum at the Glendon Gallery (Glendon Campus, York University) staged a compelling exhibition “Beyond Words: Dictionaries and Indigenous Languages.” The travelling show (which ran at Glendon from Sept. 19 to Oct. 23, 2019) examined the relationship between dictionaries and Indigenous languages – the former functioning, at first, as rudimentary translation tools to facilitate trade; then later, as vehicles through which to retain Indigenous languages for future generations. The show encapsulates several centuries and tells the story of this remarkable transformation.
Amos Key Jr. with the English-Cayuga Cayuga-English Dictionary at the opening
Guest speaker Amos Key Jr. (Tae ho węhs), inaugural vice-provost Indigenous Engagement at Brock University, spoke at the opening and set the stage for the exhibition. A member of Mohawk Nation, Key is an educator and advocate for First Peoples’ human, civil and linguistic rights; the decolonization of Indigenous education; and the emancipation of Indigenous Peoples. He was central to the creation of the digital archive of Onkwehonweh Ceremony and Rituals and the publication of an English-Cayuga Cayuga-English Dictionary, which was part of the exhibit.
Show examines the different roles of dictionaries over four centuries
“Beyond Words,” created by student curators Briahna Bernard and Stephen Shurgold, under the supervision of Elaine Gold, director of the Canadian Language Museum, has an ambitious objective: to trace the varied functions that dictionaries have played over 400 years. Given this massive scope, establishing themes was a brilliant idea. The show is built around six themes that frame the examination and, essentially, walk the viewer back in time. It is organized by:
first meeting and trade;
dictionaries for conversion;
early modern dictionaries;
community initiatives; and
embracing technology.
The show begins with first contact between European settlers and the Indigenous population. It features word lists, dictionaries and phrasebooks that were needed to communicate for economic trade – words such as “fur,” “cost,” and “value,” for example.
These early resources, created by non-Indigenous wordsmiths, were far from bias free. Bilingual dictionaries were used as tools of colonization, conversion and assimilation.
The “Beyond Words” exhibition
In this way, the show exemplifies how dictionaries are a microcosm for the world at a particular point in time. “Dictionaries are not just lists of vocabulary; they are artifacts of the time and place they are made and reflect the goals of the people who create them,” says Gold.
In sharp contrast, today’s Indigenous language dictionaries are vehicles to retain and restore Indigenous languages for future generations. “They have become a powerful means of community-driven Indigenous language revitalization and cultural continuity,” says Gold.
Show offers compelling new resources to combat the loss of Indigenous languages
This exhibition provides an important opportunity to recognize that the loss of language in this community, over the last few decades, has been grave. Dislocation and fractured communities negatively affect a person’s or a community’s ability to retain a mother tongue.
Effort such as this traveling exhibition are turning this around. Today, there are more than 60 Indigenous languages and over 200,000 people speaking them. Cree and Inuktitut are the languages with the most speakers.
Books on display at the “Beyond Words” exhibition
The interactive component of this show is an important part. The exhibition features an online tool where visitors can access language materials being developed by Indigenous communities to transmit the elders’ language knowledge to today’s youth.
“Beyond Words” is an engaging, comprehensive and interactive show containing historical insights and resources for the enrichment of Indigenous languages.
The show toured in 2019, from spring to fall, launching at the 2019 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences in June and displayed at venues including Glendon, the Markham Public Library and the University of Calgary.
The Canadian Language Museum promotes an appreciation of Canada’s rich language heritage: over 60 Indigenous languages, the official languages of French and English, and the many other languages brought to this country by immigrants from around the world. Exhibits at this museum explore important language issues such as bilingualism, multilingualism, and language endangerment, preservation and revitalization.
To learn more about the show, visit the Language Museum website. To learn more about the show on the Glendon Campus, visit the website.
To learn more about Research & Innovation at York, follow us at @YUResearch; watch our new animated video, which profiles current research strengths and areas of opportunity, such as Artificial Intelligence and Indigenous futurities; and see the snapshot infographic, a glimpse of the year’s successes.
By Megan Mueller, senior manager, Research Communications, Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, York University, muellerm@yorku.ca
Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies renews fellowship program for Glendon undergrads
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A fellowship program supporting undergraduate students at York University’s Glendon Campus launched for the second year on Nov. 7 through the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies. The Fellows for the 2019-20 academic year are: Grace Dietrich, Olivia Pellicciotta, Renae Brady, Suzana Younes, Dael Vasquez, Nera-Lei Vasilko, Jay Ghandi and Senior Robarts Centre Fellows Anastasiya Dvuzhylov and Ana Kraljević.
The Robarts Centre Fellowship was created in 2018 with the explicit purpose of giving visibility and support to the Canadian Studies Program at Glendon College, notably by giving interested students access to various opportunities in the study of Canada arising in York networks.
From left to right: Audrey Pyée (Chair, Department of History, Glendon); three fellows: Anastasiya Dvuzhylov, Ana Kraljević and Renae Brady; Elaine Gold (director, Canadian Languages Museum)
The official launch event was held in collaboration with the Glendon School of Public and International Affairs during a reception event in honour of Mel Cappe, former clerk of the Privy Council of Canada. Annie Demirjian, director of the school, noted “It is great to be able to celebrate the accomplishments of such an important public servant and diplomat, while ensuring that the next generation of scholars and practitioners have a chance to learn from the insights and experience of Mr. Cappe.”
Professor Colin Coates led the delegation, and said the retreat provided an opportunity for the Robarts Centre Fellows and Canadian Studies students to meet their counterparts from Trent University, explore some complex issues in contemporary Canadian debates, and take advantage of the beautiful environment that the Windy Pine Conference Centre offers.
“It was a key step in establishing links between the two Canadian Studies Programs, and we plan to invite the Trent students to York in the spring,” said Coates.
Joint retreat of Glendon Campus and Trent University at Windy Pine Conference Centre in September. Back row from left to right: Rachael Cummings, Nera-Lei Vasilko, Heather Nicol, Bronwyn Funston, Ana Kraljević, Dael Vasquez, Bo Joseph, Olivia Silk and Mark Dickinson. Front row left to right: Cameron Ewing, and Colin Coates
In its second year, the initiative requires Robarts Centre Fellows to attend centre events, lectures and workshops, where they: develop specific marketable skills of their choosing through volunteering in Robarts Centre activities and partner institutions such as the Canadian Languages Museum; engage in various networking and mentoring activities; and present their own perspective on a selected topic relevant to Canadian Studies. Upon completion of the program in May 2020, the Robarts Centre Fellows will receive a certificate of recognition and their work will be published on the website of the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies. The reflections from 2018-19 Robarts Centre Fellows are available online.
Back row: Robarts Fellows Grace Dietrich, Olivia Pellicciotta and Dael Vasquez; from row: Director of the Robarts Centre Gabrielle Slowey and Deputy Director Jean Michel Montsion
As a research engine that facilitates and mobilizes research pertaining to various aspects of the study of Canada in the York community, the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies supports initiatives and events that help expand its research community and the overall impact of the work of its members.
Gabrielle Slowey, director of the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies, says “The Robarts Centre Fellows offers amazing research and network opportunities and it is a way for the Robarts Centre to integrate interested undergraduate students to our research community. The mandate of the Centre is to support and amplify the work done at York on Canada. What better way to achieve this goal than to engage undergraduate students directly, and have them start their own research project by witnessing the great scholarship unfolding at York?”
For more information on how the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies supports research at York, visit its website.
Jennine Rawana is currently the Head of Calumet College and a faculty member in the Clinical Developmental Program in the Dept of Psychology at York University. She is also an executive member of the LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research at York University and a supervising psychologist at the York University Psychology Clinic.
More than 
York University will join with universities across Canada for a moment of silence on Wednesday, Jan. 15, starting at 1 p.m., to honour those who perished on Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752. Of the 176 victims, many of the passengers were students, faculty, researchers and alumni.
