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Students can create positive change at York through National Survey of Student Engagement

Black youth Osgoode lounge

First- and fourth-year students at York will have an opportunity to share their insights and drive positive change at the University through the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), which launches Feb. 27.

The survey takes place every three years across North America and is open to all undergraduate students in their first or graduating year of a four-year degree (except Bachelor of Education and Osgoode Hall Law School students).

Questions on the survey aim to measure how engaged students are in their post-secondary education in relation to experiences, programs, services and personal development.

It takes about 15 minutes to complete, and the results are used to inform strategic planning and evaluation of initiatives and work toward improving and enhancing supports for students. Those interested in participating will be asked to check for a personalized message in eClass from Nona Robinson, vice-provost, students, for the NSSE survey link.

“Student feedback is essential to planning good student supports, and we pledge to use the NSSE results to help us do so,” says Robinson. “By participating in NSSE, students actively support University planning and activities to help meet our commitment to creating a positive student experience on campus.”

York University first participated in 2014 with a 28 per cent response rate. Participation in the survey campaign measured 34 per cent in 2017 and 33 per cent in 2020. This year, the NSSE survey team at York is aiming for a 40 per cent participation rate. Faculty and staff can participate by acting as NSSE champions and encouraging students to participate.

To encourage participation, students who complete the survey will receive: a coupon added to their YU Card (redeemable for a Starbucks grande latte or a medium Tim Hortons coffee or a $5 gift card to participating York Lanes retailers or a $5 gift card to the York U Student Centre’s Breakroom); and an entry into a contest to win one of four tuition waivers valued at $500.

In addition to informing policy and highlighting areas for improvement at York, NSSE results also support institutional “quality” rankings, such as those published in MacLean’s magazine. NSSE publishes its own report each November, and also produces an institution-specific report with benchmark data from comparable institutions.

Results from this year’s survey will be shared with the York community in late 2023.

York University Black Staff Network offers networking, community building

Two Black women talk together

Formed in 2022, the York University Black Staff Network (YUBSN) is a volunteer network governed by an elected executive committee that serves as a place of engagement, support and community for Black-identifying staff at the University.

To mark Black History Month, YUBSN has officially launched its website and extends an invitation to Black-identifying employees from across the University to join the network, which currently has 80 members.

Close up portrait of overjoyed young multiracial employees team have fun posing for selfie on smartphone in office together. Happy smiling diverse multiethnic colleagues male self-portrait picture.
To mark Black History Month, YUBSN has officially launched its website and extends an invitation to Black-identifying employees from across the University to join the network, which currently has 80 members

“York University is a big place, whether you are just starting out or you’re a long-service employee, just knowing that you are not alone can help to foster a sense of community and belonging,” said Annette Boodram, inaugural Chair of YUBSN. “The COVID-19 pandemic made connecting with colleagues quite difficult. To alleviate these difficulties, the YUBSN facilitates opportunities for networking, professional development and overall advancement of Black employees so that they can find their fit at York.” 

As part of its engagement and education activities, the YUBSN hosts a book club that fosters robust discussions on titles, such as Frying Plantain by Zalika Reid-Benta, that bring the community together to learn about and discuss topics and subjects that matter.  

YUBSN recognizes the impactful work of Black writers who have provided insight into the struggles and triumphs of their community through the power of words and literary imagery.

“Writers that center the Black experience and deepen our knowledge help bring about healing and community building,” says Karen Traboulay, member of the executive team and communications co-lead for the YUBSN.

YUBSN has also established the YUBSN Black Health and Wellness Club for health-conscious individuals. The club, which meets for a walk on Wednesdays at noon, shares motivational content that supports each other’s health and wellness goals.

In addition to being a peer support group, the network engages with senior leaders on institutional projects and decisions that aim to improve experiences for Black employees at York, such as the Black Inclusion Framework and Action Plan, Black Advisory Council, and the Security Services Review. 

According to YUBSN Vice-Chair Alicia Pinter, “YUBSN is committed to Black excellence and inclusion through networking, collaboration and knowledge-sharing.”

All non-academic employees who self-identify as Black are welcome to join.

Visit the YUBSN website to learn more.

Dramatic artists consider meaning of diasporic community at York’s Chinese Culture Day

Paper lanterns lit up at night, stock image banner from pexels

York University’s Department of Languages, Literatures & Linguistics (DLLL) hosted the annual Chinese Culture Day event to celebrate Chinese artistry during the Lunar New Year festival on Jan. 24.

The event featured a keynote public lecture, “China and China Diaspora: Interrogating Identities in Sinophone Theatre Performances,” delivered by Kwok-kan Tam, English Chair and dean of the School of Humanities and Social Science at the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. The lecture examined the complexities involved in the continuous re-conceptualizing of China’s culture, of diverging and converging Chinese communities, and these subjects in theatre performances in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and other Chinese communities.

A Toronto drama troupe, Events by Shawn, also performed four live stage shows titled “Ruan Linyu,” “Hard Time,” “Two Donkeys,” and “The Shabby Cottage” during the event. Performers included troupe instructor Rongying Xu, associate professor emeritus of Shanghai Theatre Academy, and her students: Xueshi Bai, Bangxin Nie, Limin Tang, Jiayi Wu and Yue Yu.

J.J. McMurtry, Maria João Dodman, Kwok-kan Tam, Jessica Tsui-yan Li, Justin Poy and Jack Leong at Chinese Culture Day
From left to right: J.J. McMurtry, Maria João Dodman, Kwok-kan Tam, Jessica Tsui-yan Li, Justin Poy and Jack Leong at Chinese Culture Day

“York’s annual Chinese Culture Day is a wonderful opportunity to bring instructors, students and the wider Toronto community together to explore and celebrate the diversity of Chinese culture,” said J.J. McMurtry, dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS). “Each year the Chinese section of the Department of Languages, Literatures & Linguistics delivers on this important commitment to community and global partnerships.”

“This event highlighted a public lecture that strengthened the research profile of LA&PS through bringing an internationally distinguished scholar from Hong Kong and providing experiential education experience to students, so as to engage them in intellectual and cultural exchanges at York University,” said event organizer Jessica Tsui-yan Li, associate professor and research coordinator in DLLL. “The performances also helped promote Chinese cultural literacy in the communities of York University and the greater GTA. Participants reflected on the intercultural knowledge during the question-and-answer section of the event and students further discussed the topics in the classrooms afterwards.”

Maria João Dodman, associate professor and DLLL Chair, noted the significance of the event. “Learning about the world beyond us enables us to acquire a deeper understanding of other cultural expressions, we become more respectful and empathic towards other people, and more able to support multicultural environments. In today’s global markets, cultural appropriateness and sensitivity is an essential added value for both professional and personal growth,” she said.

The event welcomed students, scholars and faculty members of York University as well as community members in the Greater Toronto Area. Li was also interviewed for news programs on AM1430 and Omni 2 regarding this event. Chinese Culture Day was sponsored by LA&PS, DLLL, Founders College and the Asian Business and Management Program at York University; and supported by DLLL staff, Josie Sansonetti and Bessie Andreopoulos.

The countdown to Congress 2023 is on

Featured image VARI Hall drone image of the commons and Ross Building

By Elaine Smith

A celebration featuring speeches, performances and community connections on Jan. 25 marked the official launch of York University’s Countdown to Congress 2023.

The event drew the community together ahead of York hosting the largest academic gathering in Canada, in partnership with the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences this spring.

The launch previewed how scholarship, art and community will come together at Congress 2023 to create impact. The event is being sponsored at York by Lisa Philipps, provost and vice-president academic, and Amir Asif, vice-president research & innovation.

Andrea Davis, professor of humanities and the convenor of Congress 2023, opened the launch by reminding attendees that the Congress 2023 theme, Reckonings & Re-Imaginings, includes both acknowledging “that these Americas are built on violence and erasure” and “inviting dialogue across our disciplinary, cultural, historical and geographic boundaries about which actions we might take together … to produce a different set of relationships and a different kind of world.”

According to Rhonda Lenton, York’s president and vice-chancellor, “Congress 2023 provides a crucial opportunity for us to reflect on how Canada can continue to strengthen our impact on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) including understanding the intersection of race, gender, Indigenous and geopolitical issues.”

Iris Moon
Iris Moon, a jazz vocalist, performed “I’m Gonna Lock My Heart and Throw Away the Key” and “Misty” at the event

The audience was treated to samples of art and community engagement. Fourth-year students in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD), Iris Moon, a jazz vocalist, and Tricia Bent, a pianist, offered two musical selections: “I’m Gonna Lock My Heart and Throw Away the Key” and “Misty.” Members of Culture Philippines of Ontario – dancers Justine del Rosario and Alvin Gadong and musicians Carlo Lopez and Francis Tortola – also performed Paunjalay, a pre-nuptial dance from the Indigenous Yakan community in the southern Philippines. York professor Patrick Alcedo, Chair of the Department of Dance, is a cultural consultant and research collaborator for their Mississauga-based dance company.

Joel Ong, associate professor of computational arts in AMPD, presented a video offering a brief glimpse into the living virtual archive of the Firgrove neighbourhood that borders the Keele campus – an area that has been subject to ongoing urban redevelopment upheaval. During Congress 2023, the Gales Gallery will showcase this mixed-media oral narrative project about Firgrove, as “part of our assiduous relationships and partnership building with our friends in the Jane-Finch community,” said Ong.

Lenton expressed her appreciation for everyone planning Congress 2023 and its related events, noting, “We are incredibly grateful for your vision and support in making this significant opportunity a reality as we look forward to welcoming the world to York University.”

York University and the Federation for Humanities and Social Sciences will host Congress 2023 from May 27 to June 2. Register here to attend or volunteer in a variety of roles to support Congress.

York University students in running for McCall MacBain Scholars prizes

glasses and pen resting on notebook

Van Thien Pham (BEng ’23) and Essete Tesfaye (BA ’23) are finalists for the first global cohort of McCall MacBain Scholars at McGill University. The scholarships are the result of a $200-million gift in 2019 from John and Marcy McCall MacBain – the second-largest single donation in Canadian history.

Designed to encourage purposeful leadership, the scholarships enable students to pursue a fully funded master’s or professional degree while participating in mentorship, coaching and a leadership development program.

“Our aim is to provide a life-changing opportunity for students who have a track record of contributing to their communities and a genuine desire to make a positive impact,” said John McCall MacBain, Chair of the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill.

Students and graduates from more than 1,200 universities around the world applied for the McCall MacBain Scholarships in this first year of global admissions; 242 participated in regional interviews with local leaders in October and November; and 87 finalists were selected. Up to 30 McCall MacBain Scholars will be selected after final interviews.

Van Thien Pham close-up portrait
Van Thien Pham

Pham and Tesfaye will attend the final round of interviews in Montréal from March 8 to 12, meeting with leaders in academia, business, government and the social sector.

Pham, a student at York’s Lassonde School of Engineering, contributed to the student community as vice-president of finance of the Engineers Without Borders university chapter. He’s a member of two engineering student society committees and a student orientation executive. He co-founded the EngiQueers chapter at York, served on the school’s Learning, Curriculum, and Students Committee, and volunteers as a translator for migrant workers. He also runs an online coffee company and is interested in advancing technology to improve the lives of coffee farmers.

Essete Tesfaye close-up portrait
Essete Tesfaye

“The Lassonde community has always opened doors and given me many opportunities to explore, which sharpens who I am today,” said Pham.

Tesfaye, a fourth-year global health student at York, is a youth liaison for a grassroots collective that provides mental health resources to Ethiopian and Eritrean youth in Toronto. Among other contributions, she gathered data for grant applications and identified barriers to access. Tesfaye also designed a social media strategy for a reading club and helped research the use of virtual reality to manage pain and anxiety. Previously, as a high school student in Uganda, she helped organize a Model United Nations conference. She is applying for master’s programs in public health and epidemiology.

“I am excited to have the chance to interview for such a fantastic opportunity,” said Tesfaye. “I choose to volunteer my time on campus because I would not have been able to achieve this without my community, and I want to ensure that I create the same sense of community for future students.”

Areeba Chaudhry close-up portrait
Areeba Chaudhry

“We are all very proud of Van Thien Pham and Essete Tesfaye for making it to this stage of the process,” says Nona Robinson, vice-provost, students. “Being selected for an interview is such an incredible accomplishment among so many exceptional nominees, and we wish them all the best.”

In addition, the McCall MacBain Scholarships program also offered Regional Awards of $5,000 each to 38 more Canadian candidates who were among the top in their region. Biomedical science students Areeba Chaudhry and Aleeza Qayyum both earned Regional Awards, which are tenable at any public university in Canada.

Aleeza Qayyum posing in laboratory
Aleeza Qayyum

Chaudhry is vice-president of the STEM Fellowship chapter, a program facilitator at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), serves on the executive branch of the Science Society, and is a two-time recipient of the NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award to carry out independent research projects in therapeutic development. She plans to study medicine after graduating.

Qayyum chaired the science student caucus and has been volunteering with CNIB for seven years and has spent the past three summers working in research labs and created a first-place award-winning presentation of her NSERC USRA-funded research project on Alzheimer’s disease. She is also applying to medical and biochemisty graduate programs.

Applications will open in June 2023 for the 2024 McCall MacBain Scholars prizes.

EUC’s Eco-Arts & Media Festival explores environmental, social issues through creative lens

hand painting Earth planet

York University’s Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC) invites all York community members to the 27th annual Eco-Arts & Media Festival. The festival begins Monday, Feb. 13 and concludes Friday, Feb. 17.

Founded in 1994, the Eco-Arts & Media Festival is a week-long event featuring an array of art media and workshops that express perspectives on environmental and social issues.

This year’s festival, titled “MENDING,” will examine how art and art-making can be a catalyst to repairing relationships with the self, with others and with the world around us. MENDING encourages attendees to explore ways in which repairing those relationships can foster a more sustainable and just approach to tackling the environmental crises, systemic challenges and social inequity in our everyday lives.

Organized by EUC undergraduate student, Thereza Eric, and Environmental Arts & Justice Program Coordinator Sarah Flicker, the festival includes a mix of in-person and online sessions. The festival commences with opening exhibit “Unite and Liberate,” followed by hands-on collaborative mural and sustainable fashion workshops, then an evening speakeasy showcase at The Moonlight Lounge in Kensington Market. The festival then closes with an interactive online session by community arts organization, The Alcove, who will share ways to make positive change by increasing accessibility in urban spaces.

“As we return to in-person learning and gathering after three long years of the pandemic, some of our threads may feel especially tattered and frayed. But with love, care and attention, we can find new joy, creativity, possibility and life in old traditions,” says Flicker. “Whether you participate in a workshop, meal, mural, sewing circle or story – we invite you to consider your role in strengthening the fabric of our community. We hope you join us for a week-long celebration of the arts at the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change and explore the power and possibilities of food, dialogue and art-making.”

Festival events feature:

Poster: Eco-Art & Media Festival: visual art, workshops, music and performance, community events, story telling, and more, running from Feb. 13 to 17, presented by the Wild Garden Media Centre.

Unite & Liberate opening exhibit and artists’ talk
Date: Monday, Feb. 13, 5 to 7 p.m.
Location: Crossroads Gallery (HNES 283)

Join the artists and curators of the Unite & Liberate exhibit for an evening of snacking, sharing and collaborating. In this exhibit, you will explore ways in which we can mend relationships, bring people together, see the good in each other and rediscover our own humanity. We hope to unite and liberate, to stand in solidarity with marginalized communities and to relocate humanity’s relationship with nature from one of extractionism to one of stewardship. Refreshments will be included for attendees.
Registration required.

Collaborative art mural
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 14, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: EUC Student Lounge (First floor, outside of HNES 137)

Come enjoy lunch, paint and be a contributor to the next mural going up in EUC. All participants will be given a section of a large mural to paint. The result: a communal mural representing the various identities of EUC. Refreshments are included for attendees.
Registration required.

Eco-Fashion and mending workshop
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 14, 3 to 5 p.m.
Location: HNES 141

Learn about the cost of fashion and participate in a hands-on mending workshop. Participants will be given a canvas bag to “patch up” and decorate with various fabrics and techniques. Refreshments and materials will be provided for all participants.
Registration required.

Expressions of Mending showcase
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 15, 11:30 a.m to 2:30 p.m.
Location: HNES 140

Come support your fellow student artists during this course-based showcase on the theme of MENDING. This event is a showcase of various student works by the fourth-year students in EUC’s Arts in Action (ENVS 4122) course. Refreshments are included for attendees.
Registration required.

Telling Food & Eating Stories
Date: Thursday, Feb. 16, 1 to 3 p.m.
Location: HNES 141

Bring a dish and a story associated with that dish to share with peers! It can be a family recipe, a traditional dish, or even your favourite dessert. This food and story-sharing fiesta will be a celebration of the various cultures and identities of York University. 
Registration required.

Speakeasy night
Date: Thursday, Feb. 16, 7 to 10 p.m.
Location: The Moonlight Lounge: 319 Augusta Ave.

Come out for an exciting evening of singing, dancing and connecting with other students. This night will be a celebration of community and mending relationships with peers and creativity lovers. Refreshments will be provided.
Registration required.

Community arts workshop with The Alcove
Date: Friday, Feb. 17, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Online (zoom)

Tune into this exciting online workshop with the non-profit community arts organization The Alcove. This workshop is perfect for anyone interested in learning more about increasing accessibility to the arts in urban settings. The Alcove is a non-profit organization aiming to increase accessibility to the arts in urban settings. This online workshop will give students a look and taste of collaborative and accessible community art.
Registration required.

Jewish Music @ York returns with The Amos Hoffman & Noam Lemish Quartet

music notes and keyboard

The Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies and the Department of Music in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD) present The Amos Hoffman & Noam Lemish Quartet, part of the Sound and Sense: Jewish Music @ York series, on Feb. 16.

The Amos Hoffman & Noam Lemish Quartet offers an inspired blend of jazz and Jewish folk melodies. Hoffman is an internationally renowned oud virtuoso and innovator; Lemish is a multi-faceted, world-class pianist-composer and assistant professor at York’s AMPD. For years, Hoffman and Lemish have been collecting Jewish melodies from different parts of the world including Kurdish, Yemenite, Moroccan, Ladino, Russian and Israeli songs. The quartet’s lyrical and vibrant reimaginings of beloved Jewish melodies have been captivating audiences all across North America.

Sound and Sense: Jewish Music @ York featuring The Amos Hoffman & Noam Lemish

In their work together, Hoffman and Lemish create a refreshing and compelling sound, filled with vibrant sonorities, unique instrument combinations and compelling arrangements. The renditions are simultaneously faithful to the songs’ origins and rooted in African American and Caribbean musical traditions. The result is texturally rich music filled with lyrical melodies and outstanding solos. For this special concert, Hoffman and Lemish will be joined Andrew Downing on double bass, Ethan Ardelli on drums along with special guests Jacob Gorzhaltsan on clarinet and Beth Silver on cello.

This Jewish Music @ York presentation begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Tribute Communities Recital Hall. Free tickets are required for admission, click here to register.

Call for nominations for Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award

Five people putting their hands in a circle while standing on a grassy field

The Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award recognizes students whose leadership has contributed to the growth, development and vitality of York University. All York students, faculty, staff and alumni are encouraged to submit nominations for this award.

Established in 2012, the award is named after Robert J. Tiffin who served as York’s vice-president, students, for nine years. Through his strong leadership, dedication and integrity, Tiffin transformed his operation into one of the most professional student service organizations in the country, serving one of the largest student populations in Canada.

Award nominees must be current undergraduate or graduate students who exhibit leadership, dedication, integrity, enthusiasm and the pursuit of excellence through their endeavours. Selection will be based on leadership and/or involvement in the York community and outstanding academic achievement. Recipients will be honoured at an award reception, have their name permanently added to the awards display in the Vari Hall Rotunda, receive a certificate and have the award noted on their transcript.

Nomination packages are submitted online, using templated questions, and must include:

  • a primary nominator submission (maximum of 500 words);
  • a secondary nominator representing one nominating constituency (York University students, staff, faculty or alumni) not represented by the primary nominator (maximum of 350 words);
  • a candidate submission that describes how co-curricular involvement at York University has affected their post-secondary experience and helped to enhance the quality of life on campus (maximum of 500 words); and
  • a current resumé/CV, including detailed descriptions of involvement at the University, submitted by the student.

The nomination package deadline is Monday, March 13. Submissions must be completed online through the online submission form.

Visit the Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award website for more information.

For any questions, email the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students at vpstudents@yorku.ca.

York Libraries hosts edit-a-thon to improve digital coverage of Black excellence

Three people looking at a laptop screen

A joint campaign that seeks to address gaps in Black content on Wikipedia and Wikidata will run throughout February and will feature an in-person edit-a-thon session at York University Libraries on Feb. 15.

The Black Histories Wikipedia and Wikidata Edit-a-thon is a collaboration between York University, University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University and the Toronto Public Library, and brings together a group of interdisciplinary scholars and students to improve the coverage and quality of Black content online through weekly synchronous sessions.

Scott Library Black Histories Wikipedia & Wikidata Edit-a-thon, Feb. 15, 2023 - Join us to enrich Black histories

To build an understanding of care for the editing sessions, the month started with a kickoff panel event discussing Black community archives. This event featured Debbie Ebanks Schlums (York PhD student and Vanier Scholar in Cinema and Media Studies) as a panelist, alongside Jonsaba Jabbi (co-founder of Building a Black Archive) and with Funké Aladejebi (York University alumni and assistant professor at the University of Toronto) as moderator.

The campaign invites the public to participate, and those interested will receive editing training through documentation and during the synchronous editing sessions which will primarily be led by trained student facilitators.

The edit-a-thon will teach critical information and data literacy skills while diversifying online content. It aims to foster open scholarship and intentionally provides programming to engage with Black and racialized students. The campaign is built upon partnerships across multiple institutions to provide experiential education for students (both event facilitators and participants) on current technologies.

“For us at York U libraries, our librarians and archivists are able to provide a deep knowledge of our collections and resources that we can provide to our students and communities,” says Alexandra Wong, data visualization and analytics librarian, York University Libraries. “We also bring our vast experience with working with primary, secondary and tertiary sources, and how to use those sources to structure knowledge, metadata and citations in Wikipedia and Wikidata to create a better system where the sum of all knowledge is well-sourced and well-structured.:

On Feb. 15, Black History Wikipedia and Wikidata Edit-a-Thon: York University Libraries Edit-a-thon invites community members to drop into York’s Scott Library anytime between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The event is a beginner-friendly editing session to improve representation in the information and data online and will focus on improving online content around the theme of “Black Love and Joy.”

This year, the Black History Edit-a-thon team has expanded with the addition of two public history placement students, from the HIST4840 class. The two students placed at York U Libraries – Leena Hussein and Alanna Brown – are involved in public outreach, co-leading the task lists of what is to be edited during the event, learning Wikidata and Wikipedia themselves to teach it to others, and facilitating in-person event and online events.

“Growing up in Canada our education system for Black history stops at the Underground Railroad and there’s so much more to Black history than that, it includes stories of Black excellence, Black agency, and Black joy, so I find that joining this placement is very important in the sense that I’m helping to bring more information to Black history that’s outside of Black struggle and enslavement,” says Brown.

Hussein, partly inspired by her experience in the program, has just applied for a master’s in information science.

“We’re seeing a lack of Black spaces and if we look at platforms like Wikipedia where we have editors and people helping and corresponding daily, we see less than a percent of those people aiding in these edits who are Black,” says Hussein. “As a result of this, we see biases on these platforms where Black voices, Black events and organizations are just not seeing any visibility.”

Through this experiential education initiative, the students will gain familiarity and appreciation for open knowledge and metadata, learn how they influence the public’s interaction with history, and understand the slow and careful labour involved with producing open knowledge on important subjects.

“What I’ve learned through this program has much to do with the tangible skills I’ve learned, such as editing, and understanding how software in these databases are run,” says Hussein. “I’ve also gained intangible skills such as just understanding how biases are created in media and in these platforms. I found that in having this knowledge, I’m better able to understand why things are the way they are and how I as an individual can help to make things better.”

This edit-a-thon builds off the success of the previous 2020, 2021 and 2022 Black History Edit-a-thons, annual Ada Lovelace Day Edit-a-thons and 2019’s International Women’s Day Edit-a-thon.

“We hope to make Wikipedia and Wikidata editing accessible for our students, as we feel that all voices should be able to meaningfully contribute to and see themselves represented in public history platforms,” says Priscilla Carmini, scholarly communications librarian, York University Libraries.

The in-person York University Libraries Edit-a-thon session:

During Black History Month, join us for a drop-in, beginner-friendly editing session to learn more and to help improve coverage of Black histories in Wikipedia and Wikidata. No experience necessary. 

Date and time: Feb. 15, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Scott Library Atrium (2nd floor, at the top of the escalators)

Weekly synchronous online sessions:

Every Friday in February, participants can join facilitated editing sessions on Zoom and can learn the basics or get a refresher on editing Wikipedia and Wikidata, then learn and write alongside others who are passionate about improving digital coverage of Black histories and experiences. Participants can also join the event and edit at their own pace throughout the month.,

Dates: Every Friday in February
Register for a session online.

York continues to uphold vision for service excellence

Students entering Vari Hall during winter

In 2020, York University introduced its vision for service excellence. Developed after extensive community consultation, the vision affirmed the University’s commitment to provide exceptional services for students, faculty, instructors and staff and enable the successful delivery of its University Academic Plan (UAP).   

At this time, York also introduced the Service Excellence Program (SEP) – an initiative focused on improving processes, structure, systems and culture by introducing sector-based best practice approaches to administrative service improvements.  

Over the last three years, SEP has delivered a wide variety of improvements to embed a culture of service excellence at York and make the University a better place to learn, teach and work. These improvements have included several initiatives to streamline finance, human resources, and IT processes, as well as the implementation of the University Services Centre (USC), a shared services centre that will over time make accessing high-volume administrative services simpler, faster and more consistent.  

Three years into its implementation, much consideration has been given to the future of SEP and where to best situate this work within the University’s structure to ensure its success as we enter the next phase.   

Effective Feb. 1, 2023, SEP’s Program Management Office (PMO) shifted from the Office of the VPFA (OVPFA) to the Provost’s Office, reporting directly to Senior Executive Officer Richard Ooi. The work of the PMO will continue in collaboration with the University Services Centre (USC), and service provider departments in all divisions. The program’s current Executive Sponsors will also remain the same.  

Provost & Vice-President Academic Lisa Philipps noted, “Our commitment in the University Academic Plan to Living Well Together includes embracing a culture of service excellence, in which we all are responsible for supporting each other’s success. Upholding this vision for service excellence is fundamentally important to how students, faculty, instructors and staff experience studying and working at York. It is a vital underpinning for advancing all the other priorities in the UAP.” 

Following the announcement of current Director, PMO, Service Excellence Denise Mirabelli’s retirement, the program will also welcome new leadership. Mario Verrilli, formerly assistant vice-provost, resources and strategic planning, has been appointed as the new executive director of SEP. Verrilli will be supported by Azeez Dawodu, who is responsible for organizational change management, and Matt Zilli, who will continue to lead the Process Improvement stream.

To ensure success, the program is being put on a slower track to give immediate and focused attention to the highest priority areas for service improvement in HR and Finance. These areas are being identified through discussion with Faculty and division leads and addressed through cross-functional tables that include service users and providers. Supported by the PMO, these tables will leverage information already gathered from service users to map related end-to-end processes from a user perspective – identifying pain points, redesigning, piloting new approaches and evaluating their impact on service standards – with the end goal of scaling as appropriate and articulating clear targets for improvement that will be monitored over time.  

As this work progresses, SEP will continue to keep the community informed of progress on key initiatives and seek to provide engagement opportunities to develop solutions together.  

For up to date information, visit the SEP website or FAQ page.