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DARE research project continues into grad studies for sociology student

Vari Hall in the winter
Vari Hall in the winter

An undergraduate summer research project selected for the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies’ (LA&PS) Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (DARE) program in 2020, has shown that mentorship between faculty and students can have a long-lasting impact.

Cary Wu, professor of sociology at York University
Cary Wu

The DARE award offers Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in research projects under the supervision and guidance of a faculty member from May to August. For Joanne Ong, who was selected for her sociology research project “China’s Urbanization in the Urban Age: A Scenic Approach,” the four-month collaboration with LA&PS Assistant Professor Cary Wu was the beginning of a mentorship that would chart the course for the next phase of her academic career.

Having now completed her BA in sociology, Ong is pursuing a master’s degree in sociology at York University – and still working closely with Wu, whose mentorship she says was instrumental to her decision to apply to graduate studies in the subject.

“From DARE, I came to know that the desire to learn requires I be critical, persistent and focused on the experience, not just exposed to the material,” Ong said after her participation in the program. “By reconsidering my outlook, I was able to transform my learning strategies and develop a greater sense of curiosity.”

As a DARE student, Ong had the unique opportunity to work with Wu and learn to engage with literature and understand the crucially important but difficult process of writing with data in a way that turns data-based conceptualizations and research into engaging storytelling that is cogent and clear.

Ong says by working under Wu, she also developed a number of soft skills from the professor’s effective feedback and guidance on her work. Working with Wu, she said, was one of the “greatest highlights and learning experiences” of her undergraduate studies.

During her undergraduate studies, Ong also published an article in University Affairs that examined what makes in-person classes unique and different from online-learning. Through discussion, 14 students who connected with each other through Wu’s Research Methods sociology courses, identified seven main themes that outline why students prefer in-person instruction. A summary of the seven elements are outlined in this YFile article.

Ong and Wu have continued to collaborate on research during Ong’s graduate studies, and the 2020 DARE project has resulted in a co-authored review essay titled “A scenic walk through Brenner’s New Urban Spaces in Toronto” in the journal International Sociology where Ong and Wu use images taken in the city of Toronto to interpret and visually explain some of critical urban theorist Neil Brenner’s influential book New Urban Spaces: Urban Theory and the Scale Question. It was published in November 2021.

The research, says Wu, is about how to theorize the urban and urbanization process in today’s global urban age.

“Everywhere is urban. How do we study the urban and urbanization process? We collect data through walking the city of Toronto and use photographs to explore the visible and hidden scenes of urban life,” says Wu. “We highlight the importance of focusing on all kinds of urban elements such as demographics, amenities, and activities as well as sounds and smell to capture the core meanings of urbanity and how they shape social life. The research encourages us to think of urban places as scenes.”

Ong’s research interests also include the neighbourhood effect and inequalities across social categories of race and gender. Under the supervision of Wu, she is currently researching how the gender confidence gap varies throughout the life course using quantitative methods.

About DARE

The Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (DARE) was launched in 2017 to allow students to fully engage in a professional research project with one of our world-class faculty members. Learn more about this year’s projects and awards in this YFile story.

The 2022 DARE competition was announced Dec. 1. Faculty members interested in submitting a DARE project to work with a DARE student should complete the mach form for DARE research project postings (Stage 1) by Jan. 6, 2022 at 4 p.m.

Announcing York University’s Action Plan on Black Inclusion

Vari Hall Winter scene showing the Harry Arthurs Common

Today, York University launches its Action Plan on Black Inclusion: A Living Document for Action. The document outlines a series of strong and accountable commitments and is informed by input received from the community.

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past year, York University, with the help of community members, has intensified its efforts to address systemic anti-Black racism at the University.

In February 2021, following meetings with more than 200 Black community members and other stakeholders, the University released two significant documents for further consultation: Addressing Anti-Black Racism: A Framework on Black Inclusion, and the accompanying Draft Action Plan on Black Inclusion.  A virtual town hall was held in March 2021 to seek input from faculty, staff and students, followed by a subsequent round of consultations resulting in broad feedback and suggestions from community members across the University. An important theme throughout the consultations was the need for action even while recognizing that input would be ongoing and continue to shape annual priorities. 

We are therefore pleased to be announcing today the launch of York’s first Action Plan on Black Inclusion: A Living Document for Action. The framework and action plan are both available on the Addressing Anti-Black Racism at York website. 

The action plan outlines a series of strong and accountable commitments informed by the input received, marking an important step that York University is making to combat anti-Black racism and provide equitable access to learning, teaching, research and professional environments. Commitments in the action plan include: hiring a minimum of 12 new Black faculty members by 2023; creating a new physical space to facilitate meetings among Black faculty, staff and students; increasing funding for scholarships, bursaries and other forms of financial aid in support of Black students; developing Black scholarship incentive grants to support research grant applications; and establishing a new, culturally safe tool for complaints about racial discrimination and harassment, available in English and French.

This work is already well underway, and we are pleased to report on some of the important steps that have already been taken at an institutional level as well as in local units:

  • Twelve new Black faculty members have been welcomed to the University, with one additional Black faculty member confirmed for 2022. 
  • A new Provost’s Post-Doctoral Fellowship program was launched specifically for Black and Indigenous applicants, with this year’s four recipients announced in August 2021.
  • A mentorship program for Black and women students was launched by the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.
  • $150,000 has been committed to support Black scholars in 2021-22, and consultation has begun on the formation of a funding program for Black scholars, with the goal to launch by early 2022. As part of a $2.25 million commitment over the next three years to advance equity, diversity and inclusion through community engagement and research activities, $50,000 per year has been committed to Black community engagement projects and $250,000 per year to Black research and knowledge mobilization projects, beginning in 2022.
  • $100,000 has been committed to support the activities of York’s Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC) and the Harriet Tubman Institute ($50,000 per research unit). 
  • The Department of Community Safety has taken steps to undertake a review of services and to explore alternative community safety models.
  • The Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion continues to offer its Anti-Racism Training to community members, and to record numbers of participants.
  • The Black Excellence at York University recruitment and student support hub was launched to support Black student achievement.
  • The Gertrude Mianda Prize for Excellence in Essay Writing was launched by the Glendon Race Equity Caucus. 
  • New Human Rights Policy and Procedures were approved by the Board of Governors in June 2021.

We have committed to the Action Plan on Black Inclusion being a living document, open to review, and evolving over time. This approach allows us to move forward with the urgent action that is needed while at the same time appreciating that changes may be required as circumstances change. We will also be reporting back to the community on our progress in implementing the action plan on an annual basis. We anticipate that the first progress report will be released in February 2022.

We are also pleased to share that York University signed on to endorse the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education on Nov. 18, 2021. Endorsement of this charter is continued affirmation of York’s commitment to addressing the systemic anti-Black racism that pervades academia, and to fostering pan-Canadian communities of learning that build inclusive, substantive equality.

Bringing about systemic change is everyone’s responsibility. We call on all members of the York community to read the Framework on Black Inclusion and Action Plan on Black Inclusion: A Living Document for Action, as well as the Scarborough Charter. We also encourage community members to identify actions in their individual, divisional and unit work to address anti-Black racism and white supremacy.

We recognize that this message or topic may have a personal impact for some. Should you feel that you might benefit from support, there are a variety of resources available to the York community listed on the Mental Health and Wellness website and through the Employee and Family Assistance Program. 

Sincerely,

Rhonda Lenton
President and Vice-Chancellor

Sheila Cote-Meek
Vice-President Equity, People and Culture

Mise à jour au sujet des actions pour lutter contre le racisme anti-Noirs à York

Chers collègues, chères collègues,

Au cours de l’année écoulée, l’Université York, avec l’aide des membres de sa communauté, a intensifié ses efforts pour lutter contre le racisme anti-Noirs systémique à l’Université.

En février 2021, à la suite de réunions avec plus de 200 membres de la communauté noire et d’autres parties prenantes, l’Université a publié deux documents importants en vue d’une consultation plus approfondie : Lutte contre le racisme anti-Noirs – cadre d’inclusion des personnes noires et le document connexe Ébauche d’un plan d’action sur l’inclusion des personnes noires. Une assemblée publique virtuelle a été tenue en mars 2021 pour recueillir les commentaires du corps professoral, du personnel et de la communauté étudiante. Puis une série de consultations a permis de recueillir de nombreuses contributions et suggestions de la part des membres de toute l’Université. Un thème récurrent tout au long des consultations était la nécessité d’agir, tout en reconnaissant que la collecte des contributions serait régulière et continuerait à déterminer les priorités annuelles. 

Nous sommes heureuses d’annoncer aujourd’hui le lancement du tout premier Plan d’action sur l’intégration des personnes noires : un document évolutif pour passer à l’action. Le Cadre et le Plan d’action sont disponibles sur la page Web de York : Addressing Anti-Black Racism.

Le plan décrit une série d’engagements forts et responsables, fondés sur les contributions reçues, marquant une étape importante dans la lutte de York contre le racisme anti-Noirs et vers la réalisation d’un accès équitable aux environnements d’apprentissage, d’enseignement, de recherche et de travail. Les engagements du Plan d’action comprennent l’embauche d’au moins 12 nouveaux membres du corps professoral noirs d’ici 2023; la création d’un nouvel espace physique pour faciliter les rencontres entre les professeurs, le personnel et les étudiants noirs; l’augmentation du financement sous forme de bourses d’études et autres types d’aide financière en faveur des étudiantes et étudiants noirs; le développement de subventions d’encouragement pour les travaux de personnes noires afin de soutenir des demandes de subventions de recherche; et la création d’un nouvel outil adapté aux réalités culturelles pour les plaintes de discrimination raciale et de harcèlement, offert en anglais et en français.

Ce travail est en bonne voie, et nous avons le plaisir de rendre compte de certaines mesures importantes déjà été prises au niveau institutionnel ainsi que dans les unités locales :

  • Douze nouveaux membres noirs du corps enseignant ont été accueillis à l’Université, et un autre membre noir du corps enseignant a été confirmé pour 2022.
  • Le nouveau programme de bourses postdoctorales de la rectrice a été lancé spécifiquement pour les candidates et candidats noirs et autochtones. Les quatre lauréats de cette année ont été annoncés en août 2021.
  • Un programme de mentorat pour la communauté étudiante et les femmes noires a été lancé par la Faculté d’arts libéraux et d’études professionnelles.
  • 150 000 $ ont été engagés pour appuyer les universitaires noirs en 2021-2022. Une consultation a été lancée sur la formation d’un programme de financement pour les universitaires noirs, dont le lancement est prévu au début de l’année 2022. Dans le cadre d’un engagement de 2,25 millions de dollars sur les trois prochaines années pour faire progresser l’équité, la diversité et l’inclusion par le biais d’activités d’engagement communautaire et de recherche, 50 000 $ par an ont été engagés pour des projets d’engagement communautaire des Noirs et 250 000 $ par an pour des projets de recherche et de mobilisation des connaissances des Noirs, à partir de 2022.
  • 100 000 $ ont été engagés pour soutenir les activités du Centre de recherche sur l’Amérique latine et les Caraïbes (CERLAC) de l’Université York et du Harriet Tubman Institute de York (50 000 $ par unité de recherche). 
  • Le Département de la sécurité communautaire a pris des mesures pour entreprendre un examen des services et pour explorer des modèles alternatifs de sécurité communautaire.
  • Le Centre des droits de la personne, de l’équité et de l’inclusion continue d’offrir sa formation contre le racisme aux membres de la communauté et à un nombre record de participants.
  • Le pôle de recrutement et de soutien à la population étudiante Excellence Noire à l’Université York a été lancé pour soutenir la réussite des étudiantes et étudiants noirs.
  • Le Prix Gertrude Mianda d’excellence en rédaction d’essai a été lancé par le Caucus d’équité raciale de Glendon. 
  • De nouvelles politiques et procédures en matière de droits de la personne ont été approuvées par le Conseil d’administration en juin 2021.

Nous nous sommes engagées à ce que le Plan d’action sur l’intégration des personnes noires soit un document vivant, ouvert à la révision et évoluant dans le temps. Cette approche nous permet d’aller de l’avant en prenant les mesures urgentes qui s’imposent, tout en sachant que des changements peuvent être requis en fonction de l’évolution des circonstances. Nous rendrons également compte à la communauté de nos progrès dans la mise en œuvre du Plan d’action sur une base annuelle. Nous prévoyons publier le premier rapport d’étape en février 2022.

Nous sommes également heureuses d’annoncer que l’Université York a signé le 18 novembre 2021 la Charte de Scarborough contre le racisme anti-Noirs et pour l’inclusion des Noirs dans l’enseignement supérieur au Canada. L’adoption de cette charte est une affirmation continue de l’engagement de York à s’attaquer au racisme anti-Noirs systémique qui est omniprésent dans le milieu universitaire et à favoriser les communautés d’apprentissage pancanadiennes qui construisent une égalité inclusive et substantielle.

La concrétisation d’un changement systémique est la responsabilité de tous. Nous invitons tous les membres de la communauté de York à lire le Cadre d’inclusion des personnes noires et le Plan d’action, ainsi que la Charte de Scarborough. Nous encourageons également les membres de la communauté à identifier des actions dans leur travail individuel, de division et d’unité pour lutter contre le racisme anti-Noirs et la suprématie blanche.

Nous reconnaissons que ce message ou ce sujet peut avoir une résonance personnelle pour certains. Si vous pensez avoir besoin de soutien, la communauté de York met à votre disposition une vaste gamme de ressources répertoriées sur le site Web de la santé mentale et du bien-être et offertes par le programme d’aide aux employés et à la famille. 

Sincères salutations,

Rhonda Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière

Sheila Cote-Meek
Vice-présidente de l’équité, des personnes et de la culture

Clinical Nurse Specialist Association of Canada elects Prof. Elsabeth Jensen as president

Featured image for Mackenzie Health and York U MOU signing shows a medical worker with a chart

York University Associate Professor Elsabeth Jensen has been elected president of the Clinical Nurse Specialist Association of Canada.

Elsabeth Jensen
Elsabeth Jensen

Jensen, a faculty member in the Faculty of Health’s School of Nursing, will lead the association for a two-year term until the end of 2023.

Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) are registered nurses with a graduate degree in nursing who are educated and trained in a specialty area of practice. Examples of areas of practice include mental health, pain management, palliative care, critical care, as well as other areas of practice. CNSs improve outcomes by integrating knowledge, research, education, collaboration, and expertise.

Jensen is a CNS in mental health. She earned a clinical master of science in nursing, specializing in mental health from Wayne State University. She has over 35 years of clinical experience in mental health.

“I am privileged and humbled to be chosen to lead this amazing group of nurses,” says Jensen. “They work every day to improve care outcomes and promote best practices in clinical settings for the benefit of patients. It is my hope to bring CNSs out of the shadows and into the light so people can see the enormous added value  specialists in nursing practice bring to our health care system.”

Actively involved with nursing organizations for 44 years, Jensen has held many positions on the local, provincial and national scales. In addition to being a researcher, she has promoted the development of nursing research chairs and has become a leader in mental health. She was also a founding member of the Clinical Nurse Specialist Association of Canada and its first Ontario board representative.

Conference will focus on international mobility in the ‘new normal’

hands holding a globe

Anyone working in a field related to international mobility needs to learn how to navigate the new normal in higher education in ways that are both sustainable and inclusive. The Sustainable on the Go: Sustainability and Inclusive Internationalization Virtual Conference, slated for Jan. 24, 2022, will deepen understanding on sustainable and inclusive internationalization in higher education.

This is the second edition of the Sustainable on the Go (SOTG 2022) conference. It is co-organized by York International, the UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability, McLaughlin College, and international partners. The conference will take place Jan. 24, 2022, which is also the United Nations (UN) International Day of Education. To learn more, visit the conference website at https://yorkinternational.yorku.ca/sotg-2022-contribute/.

After the inaugural conference in 2021, with international education scholars, mobility professionals, policymakers, sustainability experts, representatives from international development and UN organizations, as well as industry from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe participating, SOTG 2022 seeks to engage new voices, partners and stakeholders in creative dialogue formats to further enrich the discussion on sustainable and inclusive internationalization in higher education.

The Sustainable on the Go Conference (SOTG 2022) will focus on three themes. Gender, education for sustainable development and Indigeneity, are considered important pillars in all conversations. The three key themes for SOTG 2022 are:

  • Sustainable and inclusive global learning: How can universities ensure that all students, regardless of their socio-economic or cultural background, are empowered and supported to participate in international education and global learning opportunities? Acknowledging that racism and other forms of discrimination are present in higher education and represent crucial sustainability challenges, what are universities doing to create better systems and to provide equitable opportunity? 
  • Connecting the local and global classrooms: While the pandemic virtually connected many of us, local teaching and learning is often not yet put into a global context and vice versa. How can we include the broad range of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) pedagogical strategies in meaningful ways to create ongoing reflection of what our local experience means in a broader understanding? How can we embed an even stronger sustainability focus into specific concepts, such as Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and Globally Network Learning (GNL), when in-person opportunities return to campuses?  What are new or innovative forms of pedagogy in different regions to specifically address diversity, equity and other sustainability themes? How have assessment models and practices evolved during the pandemic?
  • Local and global community engagement: What are the roles and responsibilities of students or alumni of higher education in their local communities? How do we empower and prepare students for continued community and global engagement post-graduation? What skills do students need to navigate a post-pandemic job market? How effective has virtual community involvement proven to be during COVID-19? What lessons have we learned and what needs to change? 

University community members who would like more information about this event should contact Mario Guerrero, project organizer, York International, by email at sotg@yorku.ca.

McLaughlin College commemorates Human Rights Day

two people linking their pinky fingers

Since its inception in 1948, Human Rights Day is observed every year on Dec. 10 – the day the adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This year’s Human Rights Day theme is “EQUALITY— Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights.”

On Dec. 10 at 12:30 p.m., James C. Simeon, head of McLaughlin College and associate professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration, will lead the panel discussion, “International Human Rights Day Commemoration,” alongside a team of expert panelists, including:

Simone Bohn
Simone Bohn is an associate professor with York’s Department of Politics. Bohn’s research focuses on political parties in South America, gender and politics in Brazil, and the study of political tolerance and attitudes towards corruption in Latin America. She is the co-editor of Mothers in Public and Political Life and Twenty-First-Century Feminismos: Women’s Movements in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Kathryn Wyatt-Cottingham
Kathryn Wyatt-Cottingham is a member of the executive committee for Human Rights Watch (HRW) Canada, co-chair for international justice, and former co-chair of advocacy. Wyatt-Cottingham holds a BA in international relations and has completed several executive management courses at McGill University and American Express’ International Senior Management Training Program. Through her work at HRW, she has visited the Criminal Court in The Hague, as well as Hungary and Serbia, to meet refugees trying to get into the European Union.

Russel W. Zinn
Justice Russel Zinn was appointed to the Federal Court on Feb. 20, 2008, and to the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada on Nov. 20, 2008. He received a master of arts in philosophy from Carleton University in 1976 and a bachelor of laws from the University of Ottawa in 1980. He is the author of The Law of Human Rights in Canada: Practice and Procedure published by Thomson Reuters. In 2014, Zinn was elected to serve on the Governing Council of the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ) and is chair of its Americas Chapter.

The United Nations (UN) recognizes the “principles of equality and non-discrimination are at the heart of human rights. Equality is aligned with the 2030 Agenda and with the UN approach set out in the document Shared Framework on Leaving No One Behind: Equality and Non-Discrimination at the Heart of Sustainable Development. This includes addressing and finding solutions for deep-rooted forms of discrimination that have affected the most vulnerable people in societies, including women and girls, Indigenous peoples, people of African descent, LGBTI people, migrants and people with disabilities, among others.”

To register for the panel discussion, click here.

Greg Albo

Greg Albo
Greg Albo

Associate Professor Greg Albo was interviewed on Against the Grain, a radio and web media project, to discuss the book Socialist Register 2021: Beyond Digital Capitalism: New Ways of Living he co-authored with the late Leo Panitch

LA&PS celebrates student research excellence

Image announcing Awards

The Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) is celebrating the fourth annual Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (DARE) by recognizing 54 students for their research achievements.

This year’s DARE recipients produced meaningful work across all disciplines offered in LA&PS. Over the summer, each student played an integral role in coordinating projects that added valuable scholarly inquiry to the social sciences, humanities, and professional studies.

Each recipient was awarded $5,000 and paired with faculty members to explore urgent research subjects, including health care, work policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, digital data collection practices, issues impacting diaspora communities and more.

To commemorate the experiences from this year’s competition, LA&PS developed a virtual gallery showcasing each student and the DARE Project descriptions of the instructor-led research objectives.

“DARE is a wonderful opportunity to nurture mentorship and collaboration between instructors and students,” says Ravi de Costa, associate dean of Research & Graduate Studies. “This year’s research projects demonstrate the range and quality of the work taking place in LA&PS. Our faculty is dedicated to supporting creative and impactful work across all of our disciplines, and the DARE competition continues to expand on these efforts.”

For the award recipients, the projects serve as key stepping stones to future endeavours – whether in their respective fields beyond the university setting or continued academic research. Through their reflections, many of this year’s winners cited the unique hands-on experience as their favourite aspect of the process.

Kiana Therrien-Tomas

Fourth-year political science student, Kiana Therrien-Tomas, was pleased with the practical skills she acquired.

Looking back on the time spent working with Department of Politics Professor Simone Bohn on a project titled, “Collaborating with the state: a double-edged sword? The Brazilian Women’s Movement under the Workers’ Party administrations,” Therrien-Tomas explains, “this experience has been a great addition to my learning and professional development. It is an honour to receive this award. I can now proudly state that I have taken part in all stages of the research process, and apply the knowledge gained from this experience towards the completion of my undergraduate degree and my endeavours in law school.”

Tiana Putric

Fourth-year Disaster and Emergency Management student, Tiana Putric, echoed these positive sentiments when detailing the experience working with Department of Communication & Media Studies Professor Jonathan Obar on the DARE project, “The Future of Big Data: Understanding Digital Service Data Retention Policies and Implications for Online Privacy.”

“DARE was a transformative experience that left me with several new skills and insights,” said Putric. “I gained experience collecting, analyzing, and summarizing data retention policies and contracts from global digital service providers, learned how to evaluate policies against privacy laws and normative regulatory philosophies, and contributed to the data retention body of knowledge.”

In congratulating this year’s recipients, LA&PS Dean J.J. McMurtry was delighted to see how far the award has come.

“This competition offers an excellent opportunity for students to examine, discover, critique and create with leading researchers in their fields,” he said. “Over the past four years, DARE has exemplified the truly diverse and global scope of the research being done in LA&PS. Once again, our students have exceeded expectations.”

The 2021 DARE gallery can be viewed on the LA&PS website.

Launch of ‘Living Well Together: Keele Campus Vision and Strategy’

Vari Hall Winter scene showing the Harry Arthurs Common

Living Well Together: Keele Campus Vision and Strategy is a foundational document that sets a clear path forward for re-imagining more than 190 acres on York’s Keele Campus. The document was approved by the Board of Governors of York University at its meeting on Nov. 30. 

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Dear members of the York community,

I am pleased to share that yesterday, the University’s Board of Governors approved Living Well Together: Keele Campus Vision and Strategy, a foundational document that sets a clear path forward for re-imagining more than 190 acres on York’s Keele Campus.  

Centered on the priorities identified within the University Academic Plan 2020–2025: Building a Better Future, and underscored by our commitment to addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we have an opportunity to strengthen our impact as a university, and to further our vision of providing a broad sociodemographic of students with access to a high-quality education at a research-intensive university that is committed to enhancing the well-being of the communities we serve.

Recent world events have influenced our thinking regarding sustainability, equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation. Living Well Together: Keele Campus Vision and Strategy embraces social and environmental responsibility, placing emphasis on projects that help us realize the aspirations of our academic plan, fulfill our commitment to being carbon neutral by 2049 or sooner, and leverage York’s Social Procurement Policy to maximize the positive impact of such a large-scale project.

It is also inspired by our reflections over these past 18 months regarding the future of higher education and how to enhance efforts to utilize the resources we have to strengthen the student learning experience; support new programs in emerging areas of need; and intensify research, entrepreneurship, and incubation, while also meeting community needs. 

These uncertain times also serve as an important reminder that the plan must be a living document, open to revision as circumstances demand and shaped by ongoing consultation and engagement conversations within our community, with our surrounding neighbours and future neighbours, and with other important partners, like community groups, governments, and developers. 

Living Well Together: Keele Campus Vision and Strategy begins with the reinvigoration of the Harry W. Arthurs Common, the heart of the campus and the location of the York University subway stop. The plan also sets out four new neighbourhoods: a commercial centre, a high-tech district, a primarily residential district, and a mixed-use residential, commercial, and athletic neighbourhood adjacent to the Pioneer Village subway stop. Each of the new neighbourhoods will add complementary features and projects that support the University’s academic mission and deliver social benefits like affordable housing and community services — amenities that will serve the York community, our neighbours, and new residents alike.

A 21st century university campus has an important role to play as an anchor institution — as a hub, as a resource for surrounding communities, and as a place to learn and grow. This is a once in a lifetime chance to envision, shape, and develop a truly community-engaged university campus: intentionally inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and welcoming to diverse communities.

With the York University Board of Governors having approved the new Keele Campus Vision and Strategy, we can move forward with the consultation and engagement on preparing a plan for how best to implement the strategy. I look forward to moving this exciting plan forward.

Sincerely,

Rhonda L. Lenton
President and Vice-Chancellor

Lancement de ‘Bien vivre ensemble : Vision et stratégie du campus Keele’  

Chers membres de la communauté de York,

Je suis heureuse de vous annoncer que le Conseil d’administration de l’Université a approuvé hier le plan Bien vivre ensemble : Vision et stratégie du campus Keele, un document clé définissant clairement la voie à suivre pour réimaginer plus de 77 hectares de terrain sur le campus Keele de York. 

Ce plan est centré sur les priorités définies dans le Plan académique de l’Université 2020-2025 : Bâtir un avenir meilleur, et sur notre engagement envers le respect des objectifs de développement durable des Nations Unies. Il nous donne l’occasion de renforcer notre incidence en tant qu’université et de faire avancer notre vision de fournir l’accès à une éducation de grande qualité dans une université axée sur la recherche et vouée au bien collectif à un vaste bassin démographique d’étudiants, tout en nous engageant à améliorer le mieux-être des communautés que nous servons.

Les récents événements mondiaux ont influencé notre réflexion sur la durabilité, l’équité, la diversité, l’inclusion et la réconciliation. Bien vivre ensemble : Vision et stratégie du campus Keele englobe la responsabilité sociale et environnementale, met l’accent sur les projets qui contribuent à réaliser les aspirations de notre plan académique et à atteindre la neutralité carbone d’ici 2049 ou plus tôt et s’appuie sur la Politique d’approvisionnement social de York pour maximiser l’incidence positive d’un projet de cette envergure.

Il s’inspire également des réflexions que nous avons menées au cours de ces 18 derniers mois sur l’avenir de l’enseignement supérieur et sur la manière d’intensifier les efforts visant à utiliser les ressources dont nous disposons afin de consolider l’expérience d’apprentissage des étudiants, de soutenir de nouveaux programmes dans des domaines de besoins émergents et d’intensifier la recherche, l’entrepreneuriat et l’incubation, tout en répondant aux besoins de la communauté. 

Ces temps incertains nous rappellent également que le plan doit être un document évolutif, ouvert à la révision en fonction des circonstances et la pierre d’assise des futures conversations de consultation et d’engagement au sein de notre communauté, avec nos voisins et futurs voisins et avec d’autres partenaires importants, comme les groupes communautaires, les gouvernements et les développeurs. 

Bien vivre ensemble : Vision et stratégie du campus Keele commence par la revitalisation du Harry W. Arthurs Common, le cœur du campus et l’emplacement de l’arrêt de métro York University. Le plan prévoit également la création de quatre nouveaux quartiers : un centre commercial, un district de haute technologie, un district principalement résidentiel et un district à usage mixte (résidentiel, commercial et sportif) adjacent à l’arrêt de métro Pioneer Village. Chacun des nouveaux quartiers ajoutera des caractéristiques et des projets complémentaires qui soutiendront la mission académique de l’Université et qui offriront des avantages sociaux comme des logements abordables et des services communautaires, aménagements qui serviront à la communauté de York, à nos voisins et aux nouveaux résidents.

Un campus universitaire du 21e siècle a un rôle important à jouer en tant qu’institution d’ancrage, de plaque tournante, de ressource pour les communautés environnantes et de lieu d’apprentissage et de développement. C’est une chance inouïe d’imaginer, de façonner et de développer un campus universitaire véritablement engagé envers la communauté : intentionnellement inclusif, écologiquement durable et accueillant pour les diverses communautés.

Le Conseil d’administration de l’Université York ayant approuvé la nouvelle vision et stratégie du campus Keele, nous entamerons le processus de consultation et d’engagement en élaborant un plan pour la mise en œuvre de la stratégie. J’ai hâte de voir progresser ce projet passionnant.

Veuillez agréer mes sincères salutations,

Rhonda L. Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière

Last meteor shower of the year to light up the night sky

A person looks up at the night sky

The year 2021 will end with a light show as the Geminids meteor shower rains down from the darkness of night, starting Dec. 3.

The peak time to view the display is late Monday, Dec. 13 into the wee hours of Tuesday, Dec. 14. If you’re up at 2 a.m., this is probably the ideal time for a little meteor gazing, especially for people in Canada and the United States.

“The Geminids shower is an annual favourite with meteor colours ranging from white to blue and green. The best viewing spots are those away from ambient light, streets and building lights, for example,” says Assistant Professor Elaina Hyde of York University’s Faculty of Science.

A nearly full moon, called a waxing gibbous moon, may make seeing the meteors more difficult in the first part of the evening, but be patient. It may take 15 or 20 minutes for a stargazer’s eyes to adjust to the darkness, but once they are, there will be plenty of possible meteors to see – between 50 to 150 meteors per hour streaming through the sky.

“The Earth passes through a large cloud of dust and rocks every year left behind by the asteroid (or potential comet) 3200 Phaethon. The small bits of dust and rock reach speeds over 120,000 kilometres per hour and when they encounter the Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up leaving behind a long trail of light across the sky,” says Assistant Professor Jesse Rogerson of the Department of Science and Technology Studies in York’s Faculty of Science. “The motion of the Earth makes it appear as if these shooting stars are emanating from the constellation Gemini, though you can see them anywhere across the sky.”

New book focuses on the Quilombolas of Brazil

An open book

The book, Mulheres Quilombolas, Interseccionalidades, e Políticas Públicas, has a unique connection to York University. Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies political science Professor Simone Bohn is one of the book’s editors.

quilombola book cover
Cover of Mulheres Quilombolas, Interseccionalidades, e Políticas Públicas

Conventional history textbooks refer to them as direct descendants of run-away slaves. However, this is not how the Quilombolas of Brazil see themselves. In their view, the Quilombola “in fact, is an insurgent citizen, who was fighting against a social order that legalized slavery.” (Bohn and Grossi, 2018: 165). Those insurgent citizens formed free societies, known as Quilombo. Thousands of Quilombola communities are still in existence in today’s Brazil.

Published this month, the book Mulheres Quilombolas, Interseccionalidades, e Políticas Públicas (Quilombola Women, Intersectionalities and Public Policy, 2021), showcases the Quilombolas’ lived experiences, narratives of resilience, perseverance, solidarity, and most important, pride in their heritage and determination to continue fighting for the titling of their ancestral lands. Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) Professor Simone Bohn and Professor Patricia Krieger Grossi of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS), Brazil, co-edited the book together with Simone Barros de Oliveira of the Federal University of Pampa (UNIPAMPA) and Joana das Flores Duarte of the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP). A total of 145 Quilombola women and 37 Quilombola men from 40 different communities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul took part in interviews and focal groups, as well as 18 professionals (such as agrarian technicians, social workers, and others). In addition to PUC-RS, researchers from five other universities participated in the research, and contributed chapter to the book.

The book will be officially launched during a virtual event over Zoom on Thursday, Dec. 2, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and will feature a presentation by Bohn and Gossi about the research journey, their plans with their new partners from the north of Brazil and how much the Quilombolas have taught them. All are welcome to attend, however pre-registration is required and can be completed here.

The research project supporting this book, which received seed funding from LA&PS, and from A Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Su (FAPERGS) and the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPQ), is anchored upon the principles of participatory action research. As such, members of different Quilombola communities penned some of its parts, especially the chapters in section titled “Nada de Nós sem Nós” (Nothing about us without us). Ivonete Carvalho, a Quilombola leader, and former National Secretary for Traditional Peoples and Communities, from the Special Secretariat for Policies to Promote Racial Equality, wrote the preface.

On Nov. 20, the Day of Black Consciousness is celebrated in Brazil, Quilombola communities were gifted the book, as well as a soft copy of a guidebook that the research team prepared, which contains information about public policies targeted to them.