Author: Ashley Goodfellow Craig

Statement from President Rhonda Lenton in response to Ontario auditor general report

Arial view of Kaneff

La version française suit la version anglaise. 

York University has received the Operations and Capital Audit that was undertaken by the auditor general of Ontario (AGO). The report was released as part of the AGO’s annual report to the Ontario Legislature and follows recent audits of other Ontario universities.

The University appreciates the work of the Office of the Auditor General and thanks them for their collaborative approach to undertaking this audit. The University agrees with the auditor general’s overall conclusion that York is financially sustainable and we accept the recommendations. 

The University had identified many of the areas highlighted in the report as part of our own planning processes including those related to international students and capital investments. We will use the recommendations in the report to further strengthen the robust plans already underway. 

Over the last six years, the University has been delivering on the vision and priorities set out in the University Academic Plan guided by a strategic framework that aligns the external context with our Integrated Resource Plans to hone a financially sustainable approach supporting the success of our students and driving positive change for the communities we serve. That approach includes plans to grow enrolment; assess program, department and Faculty sustainability; and diversify sources of revenue. The University has a strong debt repayment strategy, has no plans to take on more debt and we have already increased annual contributions to deferred maintenance. 

As we work through the recommendations from the auditor general, we will continue to deliver on our mandate to provide a diverse demographic of students access to a high-quality, research-intensive university committed to enhancing the well-being of the communities that we serve. We will do this while continuing to make sound investments in the long-term sustainability of York University. 

Déclaration de la présidente Lenton en réponse au rapport du vérificateur général de l’Ontario

L’Université York a reçu l’audit des opérations et du capital réalisé par le Bureau du vérificateur général de l’Ontario (VGO). Ce rapport a été publié dans le cadre du rapport annuel du VGO à l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario et fait suite à des vérifications récentes d’autres universités de l’Ontario. 

L’Université est reconnaissante du travail du Bureau du vérificateur général et le remercie pour l’approche collaborative adoptée dans le cadre de cet audit. Nous sommes d’accord avec la conclusion générale du vérificateur général selon laquelle York est financièrement viable et acceptons les recommandations. 

L’Université avait recensé plusieurs domaines mis en évidence dans le rapport dans le cadre de ses propres processus de planification, notamment ceux liés aux étudiants internationaux et aux investissements en capital. Nous utiliserons les recommandations du rapport pour renforcer les plans rigoureux déjà en cours. 

Au cours des six dernières années, York a concrétisé la vision et les priorités définies dans le Plan académique de l’Université en se basant sur un cadre stratégique qui aligne le contexte externe sur nos plans de ressources intégrés afin de parfaire une approche financièrement durable appuyant la réussite de nos étudiants et suscitant des changements positifs pour les communautés que nous servons.   Cette approche comprend des plans visant à augmenter le nombre d’inscriptions, à évaluer la viabilité des programmes, des départements et des facultés, et à diversifier les sources de revenus. L’Université dispose d’une solide stratégie de remboursement de la dette, n’a pas l’intention de s’endetter davantage et a déjà augmenté ses contributions annuelles à la maintenance différée. 

Tout en travaillant sur les recommandations du vérificateur général, nous continuerons à remplir notre mandat, qui est d’offrir à une population étudiante diversifiée l’accès à une université de haute qualité, à forte intensité de recherche, qui s’engage à améliorer le bien-être des communautés qu’elle sert, tout en continuant à investir de façon judicieuse dans la viabilité à long terme de l’Université York. 

Help support a safe and healthy workplace at York

Students walk through the centre of the Keele Campus

York community members interested in strengthening our safe and healthy workplace environment are invited to apply for vacant positions on the University’s Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSCs).

York University is a large organization with 23 JHSCs established based on work location/department/Faculty, which deal with their specific hazards and work areas. Each of these 23 committees consist of employee and management representatives that work in a collaborative partnership to continuously improve workplace health and safety. The role of a JHSC member is primarily advisory, but also includes distinct rights and responsibilities.

The JHSCs regularly seek members who are passionate about workplace safety and want to collegially collaborate and contribute to a safe workplace for all. Prior experience is not required and training is available for all members.

Additionally, members are recognized at the annual Joint Health and Safety Committee Appreciation Event, which was held on Nov. 23 this year.

“The University values our Joint Health and Safety Committees as an integral part of the Internal Responsibility System at York. On behalf of the University, we sincerely appreciate the dedication and effort our JHSC members put forth to strengthen health and safety and our culture of well-being,” said Mary Catherine Masciangelo, assistant vice-president of human resources and chief human resources officer.

The half-day event, sponsored by York’s Health, Safety and Employee Well-Being unit, recognizes contributions and successes of the University’s JHSCs from all York campuses and sites. Committee members gather to participate in learning and development activities, and share best practices to further enhance the health and safety culture in the workplace. JHSC members who exemplify dedication, collaboration and leadership receive certificates for their contributions.

To learn more, visit the JHSC website where you will find a list of vacancies, as well as resources to learn more about the role and how to be appointed to a committee.

Warm wishes from President Rhonda Lenton

Rhonda Lenton holiday message 2023

La version française suit la version anglaise. 

Dear York community,

This season is a natural time to pause and reflect. On behalf of York University, I am incredibly grateful for our students, faculty, course instructors and staff for achieving yet another year of innovative learning, cutting-edge research and transformative impact, but also for the ways that so many of our community members have exemplified all the values enshrined in York University’s mission, and which our world is currently in urgent need of.

I recognize that it is a difficult time for many in our community. In this spirit, I wanted to share a short video message with you. I wish you all a restful break and an opportunity to connect with family and friends. I look forward to welcoming you back to campus in the new year. 

Sincerely,     

Rhonda Lenton
President & Vice-Chancellor

Vœux sincères de la présidente Rhonda Lenton

Chers membres de la communauté de York, 

Cette époque de l’année est idéale pour faire une pause et réfléchir. Au nom de l’Université York, je suis reconnaissante aux membres de la communauté étudiante, des corps professoral et enseignant et du personnel pour une nouvelle année d’apprentissage innovant, de recherche de pointe et d’effet transformateur. Je suis également redevable aux nombreux membres de notre communauté qui ont incarné toutes les valeurs inscrites dans la mission de l’Université York. Notre monde en a besoin de toute urgence. 

Je sais que c’est une période difficile pour beaucoup de membres de notre communauté. C’est dans cet esprit que je partage cette courte vidéo. Je vous souhaite une agréable pause afin de vous rapprocher de votre famille et de vos personnes aimées. Je me réjouis de vous accueillir à nouveau sur les campus au début de la nouvelle année.

Sincères salutations,     

Rhonda Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière    

York collaborates on new app to help women experiencing abuse 

Woman with two children, holding smartphone

A new app developed by a collaborative research team that includes York University Assistant Professor Karen Campbell aims to help Canadian women experiencing partner violence and abuse.

Karen Campbell
Karen Campbell

The iHEAL app was designed as a free, secure, bilingual resource for the more than 40 per cent of Canadian women who are victims of abuse, says Campbell, a registered nurse in York’s School of Nursing. 

According to the iHEAL team – which includes researchers and experts from Western University, the University of British Columbia, the University of New Brunswick and York University – only 20 per cent of women who experience intimate partner violence access formal support. 

“There are many barriers to receiving services, including shame, stigma, fears over privacy and anonymity, fear of the abuser finding out, or just not knowing where to start or what to expect,” says Campbell. “Furthermore, services can be hard to access with long waitlists, costs to women who require transportation or time off work, and some services do not meet women’s cultural needs.” 

To address these barriers, the team developed the private, secure and free app iHEAL, which is backed by two decades of research and was developed and tested with women and service providers. 

“The iHEAL app is intended to help women across Canada, who have experienced violence from a current or past partner, find personalized ways to stay safe and healthy while getting their basic needs met and reclaiming their power,” says Campbell. “Through an interactive platform, it offers users help with safe housing, food, health and well-being, child care, finances, legal options and builds a network of support.”

Features of the iHEAL app include risk and health assessments, grounding exercises and safety features to attend to women’s physical, spiritual, and emotional safety and well-being. The app also provides information about services that women may find helpful, with links to more than 400 of these resources across Canada, personalized to the woman’s province or territory.

iHeal app screenshot
A screenshot from the iHeal app.

“iHEAL is what we call trauma- and violence-informed: it’s designed to work with women where they’re at, to recognize the many types of stressors and traumas, including partner violence but also other potential violence and barriers that can be affecting their ability to plan their next steps,” says Campbell. “It emphasizes their strength and their successes in keeping safe, as well as looking for ways to build on those. It also takes into account complexity – of their life, and their options – and gives her control over what’s next.”

The app is designed for women but is also useful for friends and family supporting women. Women can use the app to help explain to others the health, social and financial effects of the violence. Those supporting women who are victims of abuse might use the app to find a way to approach a conversation about abuse. 

The iHEAL app is available in English and French online and can be accessed on a computer or downloaded to a mobile device. Other resources, including printable posters and stickers, are also available. 

The development of iHEAL is supported by funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada, with contributions from Women and Gender Equality Canada.

Watch a video on iHEAL to learn more:

AGYU earns awards for exhibit, education programs

Meleko Mokgosi: Imaging Imaginations
Meleko Mokgosi: Imaging Imaginations

Two awards for the Art Gallery of York University (AGYU) recognize the impact of the facility’s programming in both exhibiting art and offering educational opportunities to the community.

The 46th Annual Galeries Ontario / Ontario Galleries (GOG) Awards, which took place Dec. 2, named the AGYU as the recipient of its Education Award and its Exhibition, Design and Installation Award.

The GOG Awards is the only annual juried awards program of its kind, recognizing the “outstanding achievement, artistic merit and excellence of arts institutions and professionals in the public art gallery sector.”

“It is always encouraging to be acknowledged by your peers. The GOG Awards give those of us working in public art galleries and museums the time to reflect on the work being presented in our field and give due credit to those who are pushing their work in truly engaging and creative ways,” says Jenifer Papararo, director/curator, Art Gallery of York University. “We at AGYU are proud of our colleagues Felicia Mings and Allyson Adley, who both received awards for their unique programs. Adley was awarded for Arts on My Mind, a program she developed in the community to give youth access to develop their crafts by pairing them with professional musicians and poets from the Jane-Finch neighbourhood. Mings, who won for the exhibition design for Meleko Mokgosi: Imaging Imaginations, a curatorial response to space and community that featured a massive, nine-panel figurative painting spanning 16 feet high and over 40 feet in length.”

Read about these exhibits, and how they exemplify excellence in the arts, in this YFile story.

The AGYU was also noted as a partner in the GOG’s First Exhibition in a Public Art Gallery Award, which went to the Art Gallery of Peterborough for the Tim Whiten – Elemental: Earthen exhibit. Whiten is a professor emeritus at York University with a prolific career in the arts.

The AGYU is a socially minded not-for-profit contemporary art gallery that is a space for the creation and appreciation of art and culture. It is a supported unit of York University within the President’s Division. It is externally funded as a public art gallery through the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council, local and international foundations, embassies and its membership, who support all of its programs.

Find out more about AGYU programming.

Community-driven exploration of girls’ mental health leads to new support

A graphic of a women with a cloudy head

Partnering with community organizations is essential for equity-informed population health researchers, and York University Faculty of Health professors Cheryl van Daalen-Smith and Marina Morrow have embarked on a community-driven inquiry exploring girls’ and young women’s mental health, leading to new local supports.

The project, titled “Pressure, Judgement, Fear & Girlhood: A Girl-Centred Understanding of the Social Determinants of Girls’ Mental Health and What We Can Do About It,” investigates the issues – as seen by diverse girls and young women – that enhance or erode mental health.

Partnering with Girls Incorporated of York Region and the Canadian Mental Health Association of York Region, the researchers and York Research Assistant Ariella Markus (master of arts, interdisciplinary studies) pursued a girl-centred exploration of girls’ own views regarding the issues they face.

In September, a community knowledge mobilization launch was held in Newmarket, Ont., where an open-access research monograph was shared and discussed with representatives from community organizations, policy developers, girl-serving organizations and government. As a result, a new and community-driven girls’ mental health network initiative, led by community partners, is in the early stages of development in York Region.

The community-based study strove to: explore girls’ and young women’s views regarding the current state of girls’ mental health; understand the issues impacting mental health; understand what they deem as helpful models of mental health support; and hear and document their views about what needs to change.

“The research team heard that girls’ lives are full of worry, with girls routinely hearing negative comments, and that the pervasiveness of judgement and pressure leaves girls simultaneously feeling too much and not enough,” says van Daalen-Smith.

While the participants varied in age, experience, cultural background and other aspects, the top three pressing issues identified in the project are: anxiety and depression related to judgement from others/society; social expectations and the constant comparison to others; and learned hatred of their own bodies and wishing they were (like) someone else.

“All of this pressure, judgment and fear gave way to clouded thinking, with the young women clearly telling us that their anxiety ‘was a symptom of gender-based devaluation and social pressure’ and not so-called ‘poor coping skills,’” says Morrow.

The inquiry, say researchers, confirmed the continuing trend that how girls are viewed, referred to and treated determines their mental health and well-being. It was also determined that the erosion of mental health is linked to a breach of their rights – something Girls Incorporated has been working to address over the past three decades.

The team also consulted with girl-serving professionals, including social workers, peer support workers/specialists, gender-affirming care workers, youth mental health workers, nurse practitioners and more. From listening to girls, young women and girl-serving professionals, the researchers put forth recommendations to consider when seeking to support girls’ and young women’s mental health.

Some of these recommendations are:

  • Believe, affirm and validate girls’ appraisals of their lives and experiences. They want to be believed.
  • Girls are afraid that others will find out they went to talk with someone. Help them find you in ways that feel safe.
  • Don’t focus on the symptom nor infuse girls with psychiatric labels through which to view themselves – language matters.
  • Girls want comfortable, girl-friendly spaces to be heard, affirmed, valued and believed – not fixed.
  • Empower girls to actively remove self-deprecating notions of themselves and other girls through individual and group activities that protect girls’ social vulnerabilities.
  • Remind girls about their right to authenticity, safety, bold expression, achievement, body appreciation, confidence and future self-reliance. Help them achieve these rights. Speak out when girls’ rights are breached.

The full list of recommendations can be found in the report.

York Cares United Way Campaign extended to Dec. 8

York Cares United Way Campaign

The 2023 York Cares United Way Campaign has been extended to Dec. 8.

Staff and faculty have raised an impressive amount for the campaign – more than $63,000. However, more help is needed to reach the fundraising goal of $150,000 to support the United Way Greater Toronto in funding local organizations that make a difference in the lives of friends, families, neighbours, students and colleagues. York University is a community of changemakers committed to creating positive change for its students, communities and the world. Everyone is encouraged to participate and make every dollar count.

United way extension
Show support for the community by supporting United Way’s neighbourhood-strengthening work across the Greater Toronto Area. (Photo courtesy of United Way.)

A personalized link to the pledge form will be sent Dec. 4, and again in a final email Dec. 8. The last day to donate by payroll is Dec. 8, but credit card donations can be made towards the campaign until Dec. 31.

Your donation will: 

  • meet the basic needs of everyone in the local community, through mental health supports, food security initiatives, employment programs and housing assistance; 
  • ensure the creation of economic opportunities in neighbourhoods hit hard by the pandemic;
  • help advocate for emergency paid leave and affordable housing; and
  • invest in the infrastructure of agencies serving the communities most impacted by bias and discrimination, specifically Indigenous- and Black-led organizations, to change the systems that divide the community.

For more information and to see stories of people who faced barriers and overcame them, visit yorku.ca/alumniandfriends/united-way. Questions and inquiries can be directed to yucares@yorku.ca.

York recognizes International Day for Persons with Disabilities

lassonde winter students

La version française suit la version anglaise. 

Dec. 3 is the International Day for Persons with Disabilities. Recognition of this day reminds us of our responsibility to better understand disabilities and to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in our communities.

This year’s theme for the day, as set out by the United Nations (UN), is “United in action to rescue and achieve the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) for, with and by persons with disabilities.” Achieving many of the SDG targets is in serious peril, threatened by inaction and multiple global crises. Preliminary findings from the forthcoming UN Disability and Development Report 2023 indicate that the world is even more at risk of not meeting several SDGs for persons with disabilities. 

Persons with disabilities have historically been marginalized and have often been among those left furthest behind. All members of the York community are encouraged to develop their understanding of the situation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political, social, economic and cultural life. It is also important to reflect on the experiences of persons with disability in all five pillars of the SDGs: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnerships. For example, consider the intersection of gender and disability where women and girls with disabilities are acutely vulnerable, thus compounding the challenges and barriers they encounter.  

York’s Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion’s (CHREI) REDDI (rights, equity, decolonizing, diversity and inclusion) Mini-Series is offering a workshop that promotes accessibility and proactive accommodations: “Challenging Notions of Ableism: Breaking Barriers to Social Inclusion.” This workshop examines the construction of disability and the pervasiveness of ableism, encouraging participants to think critically about what it means to be “able” and what an ableism-free future could look like. This session will draw on examples of both individual and systemic discrimination and exclusion and ask participants to construct responses to social exclusion. This session takes place Dec. 4, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Register on YU Learn.  

Thank you. Merci. Miigwech.

Alice Pitt
Interim Vice-President Equity, People and Culture 

York souligne la Journée internationale des personnes en situation de handicap

Le 3 décembre est la Journée internationale des personnes en situation de handicap. Cet événement rappelle notre responsabilité de mieux comprendre les handicaps et de promouvoir les droits et le bien-être des personnes en situation de handicap dans nos communautés.

Cette année, le thème de la journée, tel que défini par les Nations Unies, est « Unis dans l’action pour sauver et réaliser les objectifs de développement durable (ODD) pour, avec et par les personnes porteuses de handicap ». L’atteinte de plusieurs ODD est en péril à cause de l’inaction et des nombreuses crises mondiales. Les conclusions préliminaires du rapport à venir des Nations Unies sur le handicap et le développement en 2023 indiquent que le monde risque davantage de ne pas atteindre plusieurs ODD liées aux personnes en situation de handicap. 

Ces personnes ont toujours été marginalisées et sont souvent laissées-pour-compte. Tous les membres de la communauté de York sont encouragés à parfaire leur compréhension de la situation des personnes en situation de handicap dans tous les aspects de la vie politique, sociale, économique et culturelle. Il est également important de réfléchir aux expériences de ces personnes dans les cinq piliers des ODD, à savoir : population, planète, prospérité, paix et partenariats. Par exemple, à l’intersection du genre et du handicap, les femmes et les filles en situation de handicap sont extrêmement vulnérables, ce qui aggrave les défis et les obstacles qu’elles rencontrent.  

La mini-série REDDI (droits, équité, décolonisation, diversité et inclusion) du Centre des droits de la personne, de l’équité et de l’inclusion (CHREI) de York propose un atelier qui fait la promotion de l’accessibilité et des aménagements proactifs. Intitulé « Challenging Notions of Ableism:  Breaking Barriers to Social Inclusion » (Remettre en question les notions d’incapacité : briser les barrières de l’inclusion sociale), cet atelier examine l’interprétation du handicap et l’omniprésence du capacitisme et encourage les participants à réfléchir de manière critique à ce que signifie être « capable » et à quoi un avenir sans capacitisme pourrait ressembler. Cette séance s’appuiera sur des exemples de discrimination et d’exclusion individuelles et systémiques et demandera aux participants d’élaborer des réponses à l’exclusion sociale. Elle aura lieu le 4 décembre de 10 h à 11 h 30. Inscrivez-vous dans YULearn.  

Merci. Thank you. Miigwech. 

Alice Pitt
Vice-présidente intérimaire de l’équité, des personnes et de la culture