Notice of Keele Campus temporary parking lot closure
Share
Commencing Tuesday, Aug. 15, the Thompson Road West parking lot will be closed to hourly/daily parking to accommodate maintenance work that must be undertaken, including the repaving of the lot. York University’s Parking and Transportation Services anticipates the lot will be fully reopened by Sept. 8.
Daily pay customers will continue to have access to the Thompson Road East parking lot during this time. Daily pay parking is also available in the Arboretum Lane Parking Garage, the Calumet Lot, the Shoreham Lot and the North West Gate South and North lots.
Those with questions can contact Parking Services at 416-736-5335 or connect with a live agent through Zoom during office hours by clicking this link.
EUC’s Sustainable Campus Tour shows York’s Keele Campus through a new lens
Share
York University has long been known as a leader in sustainability, earning recognition as one of Canada’s Top 100 Greenest Employers for the past 11 years and being named among the world’s top 40 universities for advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by the 2023 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
For community members who are interested in learning more about how the University is leading the way in sustainable practices, York’s Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC) is offering a new, sustainability-focused tour of the Keele Campus following a pandemic-related hiatus. Below are some of the tour’s highlights.
Native Plant Garden
On the north side of the Health, Nursing and Environmental Studies (HNES) Building, find a beautiful, multifunctional garden that serves as a treasured habitat for wild animals and pollinators alike. Curious community members who don’t mind getting their hands dirty are welcome to volunteer their time to help maintain the garden.
Sky Studio Collective’s collaborative murals
Launched last November, “For the Birds” is an art project created by EUC students and teachers. Best viewed from the outer north side of the HNES Building, this project was part of a larger initiative by professors Gail Fraser, Traci Warkentin and Lisa Myers, who imagined ways that different classes could connect to help address an area of deep concern: migratory bird deaths resulting from reflective windows on campus.
Students from the Community Arts for Social Change course (ENVS 2122) designed murals for the windows, which were installed by students from various Faculties. Read the full YFile story about the project.
Student-designed stickers being installed on Keele Campus windowsStudents installing the “For the Birds” mural“For the Birds” is an art project designed to help prevent migratory bird deaths
Maloca Community Garden
The Maloca Community Garden, on the outskirts of campus, features about 2,000 square feet devoted to both individual and communal plots for growing vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers using the principles of organic agriculture. The space is intended for all members of the University community to enjoy by growing their own food, hosting outdoor events or providing a unique setting for sustainable teaching.
Workshops and volunteer opportunities are also available, and no gardening experience is necessary. For more information, visit the Maloca Community Garden website.
Maloca Community Garden from aboveYork community members hard at work in the gardenMaloca Community Garden
Regenesis York
Regenesis, an environmental community organization with chapters in many Greater Toronto Area universities, opened a unique borrowing centre on York’s Keele Campus in January 2017. The centre, located in the HNES Building, operates like a library, allowing community members to borrow items such as tools, games, camping equipment, sports equipment and more.
Sustainable buildings
York boasts many examples of forward-thinking architecture, including five green roofs, the use of photovoltaic solar panels, the collection of rainwater and five buildings recognized with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, including the LEED Gold certified Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence and Schulich School of Business Rob and Cheryl McEwen Graduate Study & Research Building.
Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence
Public transit
One of the top priorities of York’s Transportation Services department has been to continuously work to improve public transit options to York and reduce the numbers of commuters using single-occupant vehicles. York has encouraged this shift through a number of alternative transportation initiatives: shuttle bus service between campuses; three bicycle repair stations; a green fleet program that includes electric golf carts, bikes, hybrid and electric vehicles; and the recent connection of the Keele Campus to the Toronto Transit Commission’s subway system in 2017 with two state-of-the-art stations on campus.
York University TTC StationPioneer Village TTC Station
Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations
In partnership with Natural Resource Canada and FLO, York’s Keele Campus is now equipped with 18 EV charging stations, located in many of the parking lots across campus. For more details about where to find them, visit the Parking Services website.
Green spaces
A major standout out during the EUC Sustainable Campus Tour is the abundance of beautiful green spaces available to enjoy on York’s Keele Campus. From Stong Pond and Harry W. Arthurs Common to all the charming nooks and crannies along the Campus Walk, the benefits of being located outside of Toronto’s core couldn’t be any more apparent than during a mid-summer campus stroll.
Campus WalkStong PondCampus Walk archway
For more information about the EUC Sustainable Campus Tour or to book one for yourself or a group, contact Brittany Giglio, EUC recruitment and liaison officer, at bgiglio@yorku.ca.
Work-integrated learning for Black students in health breaks down barriers
Share
This summer, 18 Black undergraduate students from three units in the Faculty of Health (Psychology, Global Health and Kinesiology) will participate in work-integrated learning opportunities across six health-sector organizations, where they will support diverse programs, services, research and other organizational priorities.
Funded by a Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada iHub grant, this initiative helps students gain real-world experience in their field of interest and develop knowledge and skills to support their academic and professional journeys. It is uniquely positioned to address notable gaps in representation among Black professionals in the health sector – a vision that is shared by the placement organizations. “These future leaders will be poised to improve research and service delivery for Black communities overall,” said Monique Herbert, associate professor of psychology.
Integrating culturally relevant training
Before students set off on their placements, they participated in preparatory workshops focused on skill-building for a successful experience. A highlight of this process was a workshop with a special focus on navigating the workplace as a Black individual, which was developed and conducted by two guest facilitators, Karlyn Percil-Mercieca of KDPM Consulting Group and York alum Shereen Ashman of SACCAE Social Innovation Studio.
“The presenters applied a holistic lens to the discussion of professionalism skills, allowing both culture and race to infuse the conversation in a meaningful and tangible way. Grounding ‘professionalism’ in this context allows students to adopt a strength-based approach to their field placements,” said Paola Calderon-Valdivia, experiential education co-ordinator, Faculty of Health.
“Students were encouraged to draw wisdom from their lived experiences, to embrace their collective truth and to rely on their racial heritage as a source of empowerment – reminding them of their inherent value and the meaningful contributions they would be making to their host organizations; a message that was well received by the students.”
It is this type of culturally relevant training that is very much needed because representation matters, added Herbert. “Seeing, hearing and learning from someone who looks like you makes it more tangible, more achievable. We need more of this; it empowers our students,” said Herbert.
Focusing on a well-rounded support system for students
During their 100-hour placement in a health-related setting, students will be supervised by a placement supervisor and benefit from networking and relationship-building opportunities with health professionals and mentors in the field. Alongside work experience, students will receive academic oversight and learning guidance from volunteer faculty advisors from each unit. Calderon-Valdivia will offer ongoing support, guidance and troubleshooting to students, faculty and placement organizations. Three student mentors who previously participated in the initiative will also offer peer-informed support to students throughout the experience.
A further source of support for students will be a stipend offered through the CEWIL iHub grant, which will offset any associated costs for their participation in the initiative, such as transportation, time away from jobs and more. This aligns with the University Academic Plan in providing experiential learning opportunities and offering supports for students who face systemic barriers.
Building on the legacy of student-led advocacy
Black student advocacy around systemic barriers led to the development of the Summer 2022 pilot phase of this initiative in the Department of Psychology. Two Black student-led groups (Black Students in Psychology and the Black Students Mentorship Program) with missions to address the lack of representation of Black professionals and academics in health-related fields spearheaded a collaboration between the Department of Psychology and the experiential education (EE) team in the Faculty of Health, led by Anda Petro.
Celebrating the successful completion of the Summer 2022 work-integrated learning initiative with students, staff and faculty
Psychology students who participated in the pilot praise the program for offering hands-on experience beyond the traditional classroom and the opportunity to grow personally and professionally.
“…it provided me with a chance to step outside of my comfort zone and grow as an individual, student and professional,” said Nichol Edwards Snagg, psychology undergraduate student. “Throughout my placement, I developed and strengthened my initiative, group facilitation and communication skills, all while contributing to a project that benefitted the Black community.”
The success of this initiative and future initiatives is contingent on having a strong support system and funding, said Herbert.
“We are grateful to the EE staff, faculty and student mentors in the Faculty of Health and CEWIL for their support; this initiative would not have been possible without them. These experiences are invaluable for our Black students, and we hope that there will be further funding opportunities to continue this important work,” said Herbert.
Faculty of Health researchers investigate road safety, health equity
Share
A paper written by Emily McCullogh, a postdoctoral visitor in the Faculty of Health, and colleagues from a pan-Canadian research team examines the built environment and active transportation safety of children and youth (CHASE).
The team consists of researchers from Vancouver, Calgary, Peel Region, Toronto and Montréal, as well as principle investigator Alison Macpherson (York University), and York University alumna Sarah A. Richmond (Public Health Ontario), who were responsible for supervising the work on this paper.
The objective of the CHASE study was to enhance the understanding of barriers and facilitators to built environment change, specifically for vulnerable road users (VRUs) such as pedestrians, cyclists, children, older adults and people with disabilities. Researchers note that currently, the built environment is not designed to support the health and safety of all users, but instead is primarily designed to increase traffic flow and efficiency.
“This work has expanded my knowledge of how the built environment influences the health and wellness of people. Road users are not inherently vulnerable; rather, they are made vulnerable by the design of the built environment,” says McCullogh.
The built environment refers to the “human-made surroundings that provide the setting for all human activity, including those places where people live, work, learn, rest and play,” according to the Canadian Institute of Planners. The design of the built environment, say the researchers, influences people’s health by impacting decisions to take public transit and/or engage in active travel (e.g. walking, cycling, wheeling etc.).
Using qualitative data from professionals working in the fields of injury prevention and road safety, the paper offers insight into barriers and facilitators to equity-focused built environment changes. The team says it is a meaningful step towards removing barriers and ensuring that all community members are served and protected by the built environment as they travel to work or school, or for leisure.
“These findings make an important contribution to York’s commitment to the [United Nations] Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as they highlight important challenges to making sustainable transportation safer for all,” says Macpherson.
“Drawing on the experiences of professionals working in, and across, these sectors shows how HE (health equity) concerns and BE (built environment) change are not contained within a single sector,” the study states. “Alternatively, efforts to improve BE conditions and the health and safety of road users exist across sectors, which bolsters the need for cross-sectoral collaboration and collective efforts to ensure that HE concerns are addressed on multiple fronts.”
McCullogh says given the urgent health concerns around road-related injury and death, people’s physical health and environmental sustainability, this work is timely. Further, McCullogh adds, a result of this research is that communities and local populations should be involved in built environment change planning and processes within their neighbourhoods.
“Through this work, we better understand what helps and hinders public health practitioners in their efforts toward safe active transport in their communities; specifically, public health highlighted the importance of supporting equitable community consultation in the BE change process,” says Richmond.
Researchers and policymakers aiming to enhance people’s health by making changes to the built environment and the design of cities can learn more about the learnings from McCullogh and her colleagues’ work, particularly with regards to changing the built environment to support vulnerable and equity-deserving road users.
On-campus childcare at the Lee Wiggins Childcare Centre (LWCC), located at the York University Keele Campus, is accepting admissions for toddlers between the ages of 18 months and two years.
Located in the First Student Centre Building, LWCC is designed to provide a positive childcare option that is directly responsive to the specific needs of students, staff and faculty. To be flexible, LWCC offers part-time and full-time care for children, and families can select from a morning or afternoon block schedule. The hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Additionally, a discount is offered to members of CUPE 3903.
LWCC is operated by the York University Student Centre Childcare and is a not-for-profit organization, offering a holistic approach to early childhood development in a safe, positive and inclusive environment.
The new course is meant to address how financial crimes have become a significant threat to the global economy, disrupting market stability, compromising security systems, causing monetary losses and undermining organizational trust and credibility. A recent study by TransUnion estimates that fraudulent activity toward financial organizations increased by 150 per cent between 2020 and 2021. Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, increased financial crimes generated more demand for highly skilled professionals who can identify and mitigate the associated risks.
This increased demand means that across every sector and size, Canadian businesses are unable to recruit and retain financial crimes and countermeasure specialists who can help them keep pace with new and emerging information technology solutions. They’re all competing for the same small pool of information communication technology (ICT) specialists, ranging from analysts and financial investigators to compliance managers and forensic accountants.
According to the Global Tech Council, related employment within the sector increased by 350 per cent from 2014 to 2021 and continues to grow. For example, cybersecurity analyst jobs are expected to increase by more than 10 per cent between 2021 and 2025, according to Ontario Labour Market Information data.
Starting Oct. 2, this 11-week course aims to boost the potential work force in this field by providing an opportunity for interested participants to grow their careers or enter an in-demand field with a thorough understanding of financial crimes, their implications and countermeasures. Learners will be able to identify different types of financial crimes and their emerging patterns, key challenges when implementing risk management, technologies to combat financial crimes, and risks stemming from blockchain and virtual currencies.
Participants will also delve into the study of how global financial crimes are identified, conducted and monitored, while gaining a deep understanding of emerging technologies crucial in fighting financial fraud. Through interactive lectures and practical case studies, the course will explore various topics such as the history and types of financial crimes, regulatory frameworks, the role of financial intelligence units and challenges in law enforcement. Additionally, participants will examine the application of technology in detecting and preventing financial crimes, with a focus on machine learning, artificial intelligence, analytics, encryption and information sharing.
Justice Fund announces gift to York for Black, Indigenous students’ arts education
Share
This fall, 14 Black and Indigenous students will be eligible to apply for financial support to attend York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD), following a $100,000 donation announced at the Justice Fund Summit: Lover of Humanity last week.
Sarah Bay-Cheng
The recently announced Justice Fund Bursaries are valued at $7,143 each. While eligible first-year students will be given priority, the bursaries are open to all Black and Indigenous students in AMPD who demonstrate involvement in community and social-justice work, sharing the vision of the Justice Fund and its co-founders, Yonis Hassan, Noah “40” Shebib and Jermyn Creed.
“We are grateful for the support of the Justice Fund and very proud to be partners in advancing opportunities for youth in Toronto,” says AMPD Dean Sarah Bay-Cheng, who took part in the summit on Aug. 3, where similar partnerships focused on priority communities were made.
Bay-Cheng was also a panellist at the summit’s Fireside Chat – along with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and John Wiggins, vice-president of organizational culture and inclusion for the Toronto Raptors. Bay-Cheng shared her own experiences, including challenges and arts- and culture-based solutions for youth and underserved communities in the city and beyond.
Dahdaleh Institute summer interns to showcase global health research
Share
The Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research (DIGHR) invites York University community members to its fifth Summer Global Health Intern Symposium on Aug. 30.
Throughout the summer term, Dahdaleh global health interns have been undertaking exciting research projects that address critical global health challenges.
On Aug. 30, eight interns will reflect on their internship and deliver a short presentation about the experience, knowledge and skills they have gained, and will share progress on their research projects, including:
Global health interns
experiential-based simulation learning;
effects of resource insecurity on health outcomes;
mental and emotional health and wellness;
post-pandemic public health reforms; and
impact of human behaviour on antimicrobial resistance.
Lunch will be provided. All are welcome to attend.
The Dahdaleh Institute is currently hiring the next cohort of global health interns for the upcoming Fall/Winter 2023-24 academic year. All interested applicants are encouraged to visit the DIGHR website to learn more.
Schulich receives legacy gift to support health industry students
Share
Inspired by the Schulich School of Business’s Health Industry Management programs, Dr. Leonard Orville “Brad” Bradley’s family has chosen to honour their late father by creating the Dr. L. O. Bradley Leadership Entrance Award with a $250,000 legacy gift to support incoming students to Schulich’s Master of Health Industry Administration program.
Dr. Leonard Orville Bradley
Over the next 10 years, two recipients who have shown outstanding leadership potential, innovative thinking and community involvement will be awarded $12,500. This prestigious award will attract top health industry students to Schulich, while helping to alleviate financial stress.
Bradley was recognized as a leader in health institution management and his career included many senior positions. He received several honours for his work, including the George Findlay Stephens Memorial Award, the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Medical Alumni Association of the University of Alberta and the Extendicare Award from the Canadian College of Health Service Executives. Bradley also believed in lifelong learning, earning his doctor of medicine degree in 1938 and receiving his final university degree at the age of 86.
“He had a complete commitment to hospital administration and learning, and that commitment never waned,” said Bradley’s son, Tom Bradley. “Dad’s passion in life was his profession. I can’t think of a better way of honouring his memory than by helping the future generation pick up from where he left off.”
The two inaugural recipients will be announced in Fall 2023. To learn more about planned gifts, visit this link.
Professor makes drama studies experiential
Share
By Alexander Huls, deputy editor, YFile
Professor Deanne Williams has introduced experiential education to two summer Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies courses – AP/EN 2140 Drama and AP/EN 3535 Shakespeare – by enabling students to see productions of the plays they are reading and studying.
For her first time teaching these courses in the summer, Williams wanted to try something different. Theatre trips with students have always been an element of Williams’ full-year courses, but they were typically dependent on chance – only possible when productions in the Toronto area happened to mirror the plays she was teaching in her syllabus.
Deanne Williams
In the fall of 2021, Williams first approached Tina Choi, who was then the English Department Chair, with an idea for teaching her Shakespeare and drama courses in the summer. “I proposed to teach them as experiential courses where the syllabus would be determined by plays that we could actually go and see live during the summertime, making use of the Stratford Festival, the Dream in High Park, the Soulpepper Theatre and more,” Williams says.
She knew students having the chance to see the plays they read in class come to life on a stage could have a major impact on their learning. “There’s so much more ownership of the live theatre experience that the students have, which gives them an incredible sense of authority [over the material].”
With the approval of Choi, and having secured experiential education funding through York’s Academic Innovation Fund to support the cost of tickets and transportation, the courses moved forward earlier this summer. Since then, in both courses, students will typically spend two full three-hour classes devoted to reading plays like Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, or Sizwe Banziis Dead by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona, and they will then go on to see the stage production together.
“To enrich our in-class experience of studying the texts, where I am telling them a lot of things, we are also experiencing a live show together. Students will all have their own unique experience of that, which then they can bring back to the classroom for discussion,” Williams says. “We’ve had incredibly exciting and spirited discussions about the shows we’ve seen.”
Further accentuating the experiential element of the classes, Williams has arranged talkbacks with the actors and directors of the productions, allowing them to see how artists engage with and interpret the texts. For example, the Shakespeare class had the chance to interact with York Assistant Professor of acting and directing, Jamie Robinson, about directing A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the 40th anniversary of Dream in High Park.
The benefits of the experiences this summer have not just been academic. For many of the students, it’s provided them – post COVID-19 isolation – a means of connection through, for example, several bus trips to the Stratford Festival. “There’s a kind of summer camp aspect. They’re bringing snacks, they’re making wonderful friendships, and you can really feel that sense of community being created in the classroom,” Williams says. “After so many years of being online, and that kind of alienation, it’s wonderful to see the students really bonding.”
The summer’s experiences have also had an impact on Williams, notably how she approaches teaching drama studies. Typically, the plays she teaches have been taught in historical chronological order – i.e. starting with plays by the ancient Greeks and moving up to contemporary drama. But because the summer courses’ syllabi were determined by the productions that were available to see throughout the summer, and what students could logistically attend, Williams had to approach things in another way.
“Instead of teaching Shakespeare and drama in a linear way, with a commitment to history, it’s been very interesting to think about teaching the plays through themes and questions and shared connections,” she says. “It’s very different from any other teaching I’ve done, but it’s certainly my favourite teaching so far that I’ve ever done.”
It’s all led to Williams being committed to teach more Shakespeare and drama courses this way in the future, in good part because the experiential education approach – including its collective nature – channels something of the power of theatre overall. “Theatre, from its very origins, has a spiritual aspect to it. There’s something about that collectivity and community in the environment of the theatre that is very moving and transformative,” says Williams.
