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November is Community Safety and Crime Prevention Month

Vari Hall New Featured image

Dear colleagues,

The Canadian Safety Council has designated November as Community Safety and Crime Prevention Month, and in Ontario, Nov. 7 to 13 is designated ‘Crime Prevention Week.’ Every fall, the Community Safety Department promotes and recognizes campus safety services and efforts. To recognize this month, we are promoting the many services available to you. We are also celebrating the efforts of our community in supporting safe campuses through the inaugural President’s Community Safety Leadership Awards. The award recipients will be announced later this month.

For information about the University’s community-driven safety strategy, please see the Community Safety Department Strategic Plan. This plan was developed through extensive consultation in which 7,000 community members contributed.

Safer together

We are dedicated to supporting a safe environment to study, teach, work or live at York University. Committed to your safety, we provide a range of services and supports for your needs. We work closely with departments from across the University, including Occupational Health and Safety, Facilities Services and the Division of Students to provide a holistic approach to safety. Your safety is and will always be our greatest priority. We are available to you, and we encourage you to contact us at any time.

Diverse community services – 24/7, 365 days of the year

Since the onset of the pandemic, the Community Safety staff have continued to operate on-site 24/7. Diverse staff make up the department, including a large segment of student staff. Our frontline team members have continuously supported our campuses and have responded to more than 12,000 calls for service over the past year. Staff have also conducted checks on the thousands of safety equipment and systems on York’s campuses, working closely with Facilities Services, to ensure they are in working order. We have also delivered emergency preparedness plans and programs to support the community during the pandemic, including the recent installation of new emergency assembly point signage throughout York’s campuses, and a new online training program for campus emergency procedures.

Direct help and information – York Safety App

We continually update our services with innovative measures for the ease and comfort of our community. The updated York Safety App provides a direct link to information and support from which you can dial directly for help. Please download the free Safety App for quick access to safety resources and to receive campus safety and emergency notifications.

Emergency communication

The Community Safety Department activates York’s emergency notification system when emergency situations and/or safety issues need to be brought to the attention of the community. Messages are delivered through multiple channels, including email, York U Safety App and digital messaging screens throughout York’s campuses. 

A wide range of services and supports are available to you. Here is a glance at some of those services.

We stand ready to serve the needs of our community. We welcome your thoughts and suggestions, so please don’t hesitate to let us know how we are doing at Safety@yorku.ca.

To learn more about how we can serve you, please visit the Community Safety Department website.

Sincerely,

Samina Sami
Executive Director, Community Safety Department

Novembre est le Mois de la sécurité communautaire et de la prévention de la criminalité

Cher collègue, chère collègue,

Le Conseil canadien de la sécurité a désigné le mois de novembre comme étant le Mois de la sécurité communautaire et de la prévention de la ciminalité. De plus, en Ontario, la Semaine de la prévention de la criminalité a lieu du 7 au 13 novembre.  Chaque automne, le Département de la sécurité communautaire promeut et reconnaît les services et les efforts en matière de sécurité sur les campus. Pour marquer ce mois, nous faisons la promotion des nombreux services qui vous sont offerts. Nous célébrons aussi les efforts de notre communauté en faveur de la sécurité des campus par le biais de la première édition du Prix de la présidente pour le leadership en matière de sécurité communautaire.  Les lauréats seront annoncés dans le courant du mois.

Pour plus d’informations sur notre stratégie de sécurité axée sur la communauté, veuillez consulter le Plan stratégique du Département de la sécurité communautaire. Ce plan a été élaboré à la suite d’une vaste consultation à laquelle ont participé 7 000 membres de la communauté.

Sécurité collective

Nous nous engageons à favoriser un environnement sécuritaire pour étudier, enseigner, travailler et vivre à l’Université York. Soucieux de votre sécurité, nous offrons une gamme de services et de soutiens adaptés à vos besoins.Nous travaillons en étroite collaboration avec les autres départements de l’Université — comme la santé et la sécurité au travail, les Services des installations et la Division des affaires étudiantes — afin d’avoir une approche holistique pour appuyer la sécurité. Votre sécurité sera toujours notre priorité absolue. Nous restons à votre disposition et vous pouvez nous contacter  à tout moment.

Services communautaires diversifiés : 24 heures sur 24, 7 jours sur 7, 365 jours par année

Le personnel de la sécurité communautaire travaille sur place depuis le début de la pandémie.  Le personnel diversifié de notre Département comprend des étudiants et étudiantes. Les membres de notre équipe de première ligne ont continuellement patrouillé sur nos campus et ont répondu à plus de 12 000 appels de service au cours de la dernière année. Collaborant étroitement avec le Service des installations, le personnel a également procédé à la vérification du bon fonctionnement de milliers d’éléments du matériel et des systèmes de sécurité de nos campus. Nous avons également mis en place des plans et des programmes de préparation aux situations d’urgence pour soutenir la communauté pendant la pandémie, y compris l’installation récente d’une nouvelle signalisation pour les points de rassemblement d’urgence dans tous nos campus, et un nouveau programme de formation en ligne au sujet des procédures d’urgence sur les campus.

Aide directe et information : application sur la sécurité York U Safety

Nous mettons continuellement à jour nos services avec des mesures innovantes pour le confort de notre communauté. La nouvelle application York U Safety fournit un lien direct vers des informations et des ressources de soutien et vous permet d’appeler directement à l’aide. Téléchargez l’application gratuite York U Safety pour un accès rapide aux ressources de sécurité et recevoir les notifications de sécurité et d’urgence du campus.

Communications d’urgence

Le Département de la sécurité communautaire active le système de notification d’urgence de York lorsque des situations d’urgence ou des problèmes de sécurité doivent être portés à l’attention de la communauté. Les messages sont diffusés par de multiples canaux, notamment le courriel, l’application sur la sécurité York U Safety et les écrans de messagerie numérique sur tous les campus de York. 

Nous offrons un grand nombre de services. Voici un aperçu de certains de ces services.

Nous sommes prêts à répondre aux besoins de notre communauté. Vos idées et vos suggestions sont les bienvenues, alors n’hésitez pas à nous faire part de vos commentaires à l’adresse Safety@yorku.ca.

Pour en savoir plus sur la façon dont nous pouvons vous servir, consultez le site Web du Département de la sécurité communautaire.

Sincères salutations,

Samina Sami
Directrice générale, Département de la sécurité communautaire

York University will host 2023 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences

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

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Dear colleagues, 

I am delighted to announce that York University will be hosting the 2023 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, in partnership with the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. 

Congress is the largest academic gathering in Canada, and one of the largest in the world. The event brings together approximately 70 academic associations from a wide spectrum of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, including literature, history, theatre, film studies, education, music, sociology, geography, social work and many others. 

This will be the first in-person Congress held in four years. From May 27 to June 2, 2023, York’s Keele and Glendon campuses will be host to more than 10,000 scholars, graduate students and practitioners in the humanities and social sciences. The event will adhere to all public health guidelines and, building on the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences’ successful virtual Congress in 2021 and its commitment to increasing accessibility, the conference will include robust virtual components. 

I am also pleased to announce that York’s academic convenor for Congress 2023 will be Dr. Andrea Davis, associate professor in the Department of Humanities, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies. Most recently, Dr. Davis served as special advisor on the Faculty’s Anti-Black Racism Strategy, a position that was developed by the Dean’s Office as part of the Faculty’s comprehensive response to combatting anti-Black racism. 

Dr. Davis’s research is rooted in a strong anti-racist feminist theoretical framework that analyzes questions of race and gender through a focus on the literary and cultural productions of Black women. Her forthcoming book, Horizon, Sea, Sound: Caribbean and African Women’s Cultural Critiques of Nation, imagines new reciprocal relationships among Black, Indigenous and other racialized women.  

Dr. Davis established and coordinates the Black Canadian Studies Certificate at York and is co-editor of the Journal of Canadian Studies. She is also former Chair of the Department of Humanities and former academic colleague on the Council of Ontario Universities.  

As the University’s lead ambassador, Dr. Davis’ first tasks for Congress 2023 will be to reach out to community members for input and engagement on this exciting opportunity to showcase the University’s longstanding leadership in the humanities and social sciences, and to advance broad themes that resonate with our University Academic Plan 2020–2025: Building a Better Future.   

I hope you will join me in congratulating Dr. Davis on her appointment, and supporting this important University initiative. I look forward to joining colleagues from across the University and around the world at Congress 2023. 

Sincerely, 

Rhonda Lenton 
President and Vice-Chancellor 

L’Université York annonce qu’elle accueillera le Congrès 2023 des sciences humaines

Chers collègues,

Je suis ravie d’annoncer que l’Université York accueillera le Congrès 2023 des sciences humaines en partenariat avec la Fédération des sciences humaines. 

Le Congrès est le plus grand rassemblement universitaire au Canada et l’un des plus grands au monde. Cet événement réunit environ 70 associations universitaires issues d’un large éventail de disciplines des sciences humaines et sociales, notamment la littérature, l’histoire, le théâtre, les études cinématographiques, l’éducation, la musique, la sociologie, la géographie, le travail social et bien d’autres encore. 

Ce sera le premier congrès en personne depuis quatre ans. Du 27 mai au 2 juin 2023, les campus Keele et Glendon de York accueilleront plus de 10 000 universitaires, diplômés et praticiens des sciences humaines et sociales. L’événement respectera toutes les directives sanitaires et, s’appuyant sur le succès du Congrès virtuel 2021 de la Fédération des sciences humaines et sur son engagement à accroître l’accessibilité, il comprendra de solides composantes virtuelles. 

J’ai également le plaisir d’annoncer que la responsable académique de York pour le Congrès 2023 sera la Dre Andrea Davis, professeure associée du Département des sciences humaines de la Faculté des arts libéraux et des études professionnelles (LA&PS). Plus récemment, la Dre Davis a été la conseillère spéciale pour la Stratégie de lutte contre le racisme envers les personnes noires de la Faculté, un poste créé par le Bureau décanal de la Faculté dans le cadre de sa réponse globale à la lutte contre le racisme anti-Noirs. 

Les recherches de la Dre Davis s’inscrivent dans un cadre théorique féministe antiraciste qui analyse les questions de race et de genre en se concentrant sur les productions littéraires et culturelles des femmes noires. Son livre à paraître, Horizon, Sea, Sound : Caribbean and African Women’s Cultural Critiques of Nation, imagine de nouvelles relations réciproques entre les femmes noires, autochtones et autres femmes racialisées.  

Dre Davis a créé et coordonne le certificat d’études canadiennes des Noirs à York et elle est corédactrice du Journal of Canadian Studies. Elle est également une ancienne présidente du Département des sciences humaines et une ancienne collègue du Conseil des universités de l’Ontario.  

En tant qu’ambassadrice principale de l’Université, les premières tâches de la Dre Davis pour le Congrès 2023 seront d’aller à la rencontre des membres de la communauté pour obtenir leur avis et leur engagement sur cette occasion passionnante de mettre en valeur le leadership de longue date de l’Université dans le domaine des sciences humaines et sociales et de faire progresser les grands thèmes énoncés dans notre Plan académique universitaire 2020-2025 : Bâtir un avenir meilleur.

Veuillez vous joindre à moi pour féliciter la Dre Davis pour sa nomination et pour appuyer cette initiative importante de l’Université. Je me réjouis de rencontrer mes collègues de l’Université et du monde entier lors du Congrès 2023. 

Sincères salutations, 

Rhonda Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière 

An update on provincial reopening plan

Students walk through the centre of the Keele Campus

York will continue to abide by public health guidelines as the University moves toward full reopening and primarily in-person instruction for the winter term. The University’s strong vaccine mandate and the co-operation received from the community in observing health and safety measures while on campus, has allowed York to plan the return of most classes for the Winter 2022 term. 

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Dear York Community, 

As President Lenton discussed at Friday’s town hall, the Ontario Government announced plans to further reopen the province over the next five months and manage COVID-19 for the long-term. As mentioned late last month, this does not impact York’s Vaccination Mandate policy, including the requirement for community members to be fully vaccinated, or have an approved exemption in order to come to our campuses. 

For the remainder of the fall term, York plans to continue with the public health measures that are currently in place, including all of the requirements outlined in the community of care commitment. All community members must wear a mask or face covering in indoor spaces and continue physical distancing where possible. In addition, please continue submitting daily COVID-19 screening through YU Screen and confirm this has been done with a manager or designate, where required to do so.  

We will also continue to abide by public health guidelines as the University moves toward full reopening and primarily in-person instruction for the winter term. Our strong vaccine mandate, and the co-operation we have received from our community in observing health and safety measures while on campus, has allowed us to plan the return of most of our classes this coming Winter 2022. 

Here are some important reminders related to York’s health and safety plans:  

  • The University remains in Level 2 on the Welcoming YU Back Roadmap for the fall term.  
  • York’s Vaccination Mandate, mask/face covering protocol and required daily screening will remain in place into the winter term. 
  • As announced, all students must disclose their vaccination status no later than Nov. 8, regardless of whether or not they will access campus in person. For the winter term, students may not be enrolled in any course if they have not disclosed their vaccination status (whether fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, or unvaccinated). 
  • In order to attend campuses in person in January for any purpose, students must upload proof of vaccination to YU Screen no later than Dec. 1. The University will continue supporting arriving international students to quarantine and to access approved vaccines where needed.   
  • To make rapid testing even easier and more convenient for the York University community, students, staff, faculty and instructors can participate in York’s at-home rapid antigen testing program free of charge.   

Thank you again for your ongoing commitment to upholding a community of care while on York’s campuses, and for continuing to screen for COVID-19 symptoms daily using  YU Screen. Please continue to visit the Better Together website for the latest updates. We look forward to seeing more of the community on campus safely this winter.  

Sincerely,  

Lisa Philipps 
Provost & Vice-President Academic  

Amir Asif
Vice-President, Research & Innovation

Mise à jour sur le plan provincial de réouverture

Chers membres de la communauté de York, 

Comme la présidente Lenton l’a évoqué lors de la conversation communautaire de vendredi dernier, le gouvernement de l’Ontario a annoncé son intention de rouvrir davantage la province au cours des cinq prochains mois et de gérer la COVID-19 à long terme. Comme mentionné à la fin du mois dernier, cette annonce n’a aucune incidence sur la Politique de vaccination de l’Université York, notamment l’obligation pour les membres de la communauté d’être entièrement vaccinés ou d’avoir une exemption approuvée pour venir sur nos campus. 

Pour le reste du trimestre d’automne, York prévoit poursuivre les mesures sanitaires actuellement en place, y compris toutes les exigences décrites dans la Promesse envers le bien-être de la communauté. Tous les membres de la communauté doivent porter un masque ou un couvre-visage dans les espaces intérieurs et continuer à respecter la distanciation physique dans la mesure du possible. Par ailleurs, veuillez continuer à effectuer le dépistage quotidien de la COVID-19 au moyen de l’outil YU Dépistage et confirmez que cela a été fait auprès d’un responsable ou d’une personne désignée lorsque cela est requis.  

Nous continuerons également d’observer les directives sanitaires tandis que l’Université s’apprête à rouvrir complètement ses portes et à offrir des cours en personne pour le trimestre d’hiver. Notre solide politique de vaccination et la collaboration des membres de notre communauté en matière de respect des mesures de santé et de sécurité sur le campus nous ont permis de planifier la reprise de la plupart de nos classes en hiver 2022. 

Voici quelques rappels importants au sujet des plans de santé et de sécurité de York:  

  • L’Université demeure au niveau 2 de son Plan d’action pour le retour sur les campus pour le trimestre d’automne. 
  • La Politique de vaccination de York, le protocole du port de masque et le dépistage quotidien obligatoire resteront en place pendant le trimestre d’hiver. 
  • Comme annoncé, tous les étudiants et étudiantes doivent divulguer leur statut vaccinal au plus tard le 8 novembre 2021, qu’ils accèdent ou non au campus. Pour le trimestre d’hiver, aucun membre de la communauté étudiante ne pourra s’inscrire ou rester inscrit à un cours s’il n’a pas divulgué son statut vaccinal (entièrement vacciné, partiellement vacciné ou non vacciné). 
  • Afin de pouvoir fréquenter le campus en personne en janvier pour une raison quelconque, les étudiants et étudiantes doivent télécharger leur preuve de vaccination dans YU Dépistage au plus tard le 1er décembre 2021. L’Université continuera d’aider les étudiantes et étudiants internationaux qui arrivent à se mettre en quarantaine et à accéder aux vaccins approuvés en cas de besoin.   
  • Afin de rendre le dépistage rapide encore plus facile et plus pratique pour la communauté de York, les étudiants, le personnel, le corps professoral et le corps enseignant peuvent participer gratuitement au Programme de tests antigéniques rapides à domicile de York.   

Nous vous remercions une fois de plus pour votre engagement continu envers le bien-être de la communauté sur les campus de York et pour votre utilisation quotidienne de l’outil YU Dépistage pour dépister les symptômes de la COVID-19. Veuillez continuer à visiter le site Better Together pour les dernières nouvelles. Nous espérons voir davantage de membres de la communauté sur nos campus cet hiver.  

Sincères salutations,  

Lisa Philipps
Rectrice et vice-présidente aux affaires académiques  

Amir Asif
Vice-président de la recherche et de l’innovation

Remembrance Day ceremony will be livestreamed

View on the field of beautiful red bloming poppies in Germany

Faculty, staff and students are invited to watch a livestream of the University’s Remembrance Day ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 11.

This year marks the second Remembrance Day since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The main York University ceremony will take place at the flagpole on the Keele Campus and will be live streamed on YouTube.

Due to COVID-19 safety requirements and the ongoing public health concerns, University community members are asked not to make a special trip to campus to attend the in-person ceremony. Faculty, staff and students living in residence are welcome to attend, but social distancing and public health measures will be in place. For community members and students opting to view the ceremony, the York University event livestream can be easily accessed on the Remembrance Day website at https://www.yorku.ca/about/remembrance-day-ceremony/. The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will continue to approximately 11:10 a.m.

Wearing a poppy is a Canadian tradition for Remembrance Day. Donation boxes for poppies are available on the Keele campus at all libraries, the bookstore, the student engagement kiosk in Vari Hall, and at the IT Service Desk in the Steacie building. In addition, Legion 527 is accepting donations to their poppy campaign via Interac at legion527deposit@gmail.com (add “Poppy” to the comment field on the Interac transfer) or by cheque to:

RCL Branch 527 Poppy Fund
948 Sheppard Ave. W.
Toronto, Ontario
M3H 2T6

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month marks the signing of the armistice – on Nov. 11, 1918 – that ended the First World War. At 11 a.m. that day, the guns on the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare. Remembrance Day honours the men and women who were killed during the two world wars and other conflicts. Previously known as Armistice Day, it was renamed Remembrance Day after the Second World War.

Study shows revival of ‘social murder’ concept relating to health, well-being

Hands typing

Researchers from York University’s School of Health Policy and Management in the Faculty of Health conducted a scoping review of content applying the “social murder” concept relating to health and well-being that was published beginning in 1900.

The study aims to document the re-emergence in academic journals of the concept of social murder – a term first used by philosopher Friedrich Engels in 1845 to describe how living and working conditions experienced by English workers caused premature death. Engels argued that those responsible for these conditions (ruling authorities, the bourgeoisie) were committing social murder.

Dennis Raphael
Dennis Raphael

The paper, “The reemergence of Engels’ concept of social murder in response to growing social and health inequalities,” was authored by PhD candidates Stella Medvedyuk and Piara Govender, and Professor Dennis Raphael, and is published in the journal Social Science & Medicine.

After the concept was introduced, it became largely dormant in academic journals through the 1900s. Since 2000, the authors report, there has been a revival of the social murder concept with its growth particularly evident in the U.K. over the past decade as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire and the effects of austerity imposed by successive Conservative governments.

The scoping review consisted of identifying two primary concepts of social murder: social murder as resulting from capitalist exploitation; and social murder as resulting from bad public policy across the domains of working conditions, living conditions, poverty, housing, race, health inequalities, crime and violence, neoliberalism, gender, food, social assistance, deregulation and austerity. The authors considered reasons for the re-emergence of Engels’ social murder concept and the role it can play in resisting the forces responsible for the living and working conditions that kill.

The authors suggest that using “anger arousal” by way of the term social murder could be a means to instigate public resistance to public policy directions set by governing authorities that threaten health and well-being.

The paper states, “Efforts to promote public policy that equitably distributes resources amongst the population is becoming increasingly difficult due to increasing acceptance of neoliberal inspired approaches to governance. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only made the health effects of these inequalities in resource distribution explicit but has also exacerbated them.”

Another means of public mobilization would be to question the legitimacy and competence of governing authorities. For example, identifying those who benefit from social murder or contribute to the creation of social murder could spark public resistance to health-threatening policies.

“Perhaps the greatest benefit from the reemergence of the social murder concept is to make explicit that the source of much of the excessive morbidity and premature death present in our societies is to be found in the capitalist economic system,” the paper states.

Evoking Engels’ concept of social murder, and highlighting those who profit from these harmful structures, is a viable option for mounting public resistance to the economic system that is causing harm, says Raphael.

The paper is freely available until Dec. 4 at this link; after that date, contact the authors for a copy.

Learn how York will expand artificial intelligence research and training at symposium

Artificial intelligence: A human hand shakes a robot hand

A virtual symposium on Nov. 16 will launch the release of the York University Task Force on AI and Society’s recommendations report that details ways in which the University can work toward expanding and enhancing artificial intelligence-related initiatives going forward.

“Fostering the Future of Artificial Intelligence: Report from the York University Task Force on AI and Society” will run from 12:30 to 2 p.m. and will feature a keynote talk from Manuela M. Veloso, head of J.P. Morgan Chase artificial intelligence (AI) research and Herbert A. Simon University Professor in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University.

The keynote talk will be followed by a panel discussion and Q-and-A moderated by the York University AI and Society Task Force co-chairs: Pina D’Agostino, associate professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, founder and director of IP Osgoode’s Intellectual Property Law and Technology Program; and James Elder, professor and York Research Chair in Psychology, Faculty of Health, and Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Lassonde School of Engineering.

Panellists include:

  • Neetika Sathe, vice-president Alectra GRE&T Centre;
  • James Goel, director of engineering technical standards, Qualcomm; and
  • Androu Waheeb, JD candidate 2023, Osgoode Hall Law School.

The event will also feature remarks from York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton, Vice-President Research and Innovation Amir Asif and City of Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti.

AI and society is a key area of opportunity for York; this report will influence the trajectory of AI research and scholarship at York going forward. York’s research in this area will contribute to core theory and technological applications, and aims to provide a broader human perspective, including the ethical implications of AI on humanity and society. The report also provides insights on York’s plan to expand its research and training capacity relating to AI and society. The goal is to explore the whole spectrum of possibilities for research, development and innovation in artificial intelligence, data governance and associated disruptive technologies as well as the impact of such technologies on society.

The report will be made available on the AI@York website.

To register for the event, visit this link.

Welcome to the November 2021 issue of ‘Sustainable YU’

Sustainable YU Approved Header for YFile

Welcome to the November 2021 issue of “Sustainable YU,” a special edition of YFile that showcases stories about sustainability in action at York University.

This special issue, which is published on select Fridays during the academic year, offers compelling and accessible feature-length stories. The articles and features contained in this publication illustrate the work underway by students, faculty and staff across all Faculties and divisions at York University to achieve the 17 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – a key pillar of Building a Better Future: York University Academic Plan 2020-2025.

The editors of “Sustainable YU” and I want to hear from you. Do you have a story you can share with us that showcases an initiative or project happening at York University that supports our efforts to achieve the UN SDGs?

We welcome stories from students, faculty, staff and other groups in the York University community. You can share your stories here and include a narrative, photos and/or videos. We welcome all contributions, no matter how big or small – everything has an impact.

We look forward to hearing from you. Please let us know what you think about “Sustainable YU” by contacting me at sustainability@yorku.ca. “Sustainable YU” is produced out of the Office of the Sustainability in partnership with Communications & Public Affairs.

Nicole Arsenault
Program Director, Sustainability

Featured in this issue of “Sustainable YU”

Answering the call for action on the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Planting the seeds for a better tomorrow

‘UNHack’ to build Sustainable Development Goals into experiential learning

Fair Trade Campus Week 2021 draws attention to the power of making trade fair for all

Sustaining our future through the power of trees

Bike Share offers a sustainable way to travel on York’s campuses

‘UNHack’ to build Sustainable Development Goals into experiential learning

Image shows a hand holding a pine cone against a lush backdrop of greenery

Each year more than 300 students from across York University engage in an intensive experiential learning event called UNHack, which is focused on helping students understand the creative problem-solving process. This year, UNHack will take place Nov. 19 to 21 and will be offered as a virtual event.

Focused on the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNHack offers an interesting and empowering experiential learning activity. This year, UNHack is organized by the Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (BEST) in conjunction with the York University Sustainability Office and its SDG Student Hub initiative. Joining UNHack as new partners are leaders from the School of Nursing’s Nursing Student Tutoring, Ambassadorship and Mentorship Programs.

UNHack organizers are calling on faculty across York University to direct their students to this powerful virtual experiential education event. UNHack is different from most hackathons in two ways: the “UN” comes from the United Nations, and the “hack” from hackathon, which focuses attention on local problems that are linked to the the UN’s 17 SDGs. Addressing global problems at the local level helps students recognize that they can have an impact and make a difference to critical problems that the world needs to address. UNHack is not a traditional hackathon focused on coding; this event promotes a full range of technical and creative solutions aligned around identifying the critical problem and then developing creative solutions to that problem (not the ability to develop code or software). Final prototypes of solutions are informed by the diverse minds and lenses applied to the issue, resulting in creative outputs that could encompass drawing, creating a model or other visuals, rather than technology.   

Challenges in UNHack can either be developed by students or selected from those offered by York University or industry partners. In previous years, participants in UNHack have developed a system to facilitate reusable food containers, a campus-based rideshare platform, apps to help improve mental health and innovative ways to reduce paper use in posters on campus. Many of these solutions are currently in the early stages of being deployed at York University.  

To learn more, visit the UNHack web page or contact Maedeh Sedaghat, BEST program officer, by email at maedeh.sedaghat@lassonde.yorku.ca .   

Answering the call for action on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

Featured image for stories related to sustainability

When Provostial Fellow Cheryl van Daalen-Smith issued a call to faculty to let her know about their work to infuse the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their classrooms and courses, she received an incredible response from across the University’s campuses and the result is a new community of practice.

Cheryl van Daalen-Smith
Cheryl van Daalen-Smith

“We are thrilled to announce the overwhelming response from faculty who are infusing the SDGs into their classrooms/courses, as well as others who want to learn more about how they might also,” said van Daalen-Smith, associate professor, School of Nursing in the Faculty of Health, and associate professor, School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies/Children, Childhood & Youth Studies Program in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.

“From dance to kinesiology, psychology, Earth science, fine art, gender studies – and the marvellous list goes on – York faculty are seeing the SDGs’ relevance to the real-world issues they want their students to consider through a myriad of rich lenses,” said van Daalen-Smith.

In response, van Daalen-Smith has established a community of practice, which will hold its first meeting on Friday, Nov. 26 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. over Zoom. Co-hosted by the Teaching Commons and the Provostial Fellows program, the meeting will provide an opportunity for those attending to see examples of how faculty across York’s campuses are embedding the SDGs into their classrooms. It will also serve to initiate discussions about how an SDG-focused community of practice might look at York University. The discussions will be supported by Michael Johnny, manager of knowledge mobilization with Innovation York.  

Faculty interested in attending the meeting should register here. Once registered, a Zoom link will be provided.

To learn more, contact van Daalen-Smith by email at cvandaal@yorku.ca.

Fair Trade Campus Week 2021 draws attention to the power of making trade fair for all

Fair Trade Campus week banner

An annual event on the Keele Campus, York University’s Fair Trade Campus Week, which took place Oct. 25 to 29, draws attention to the growing instability in the global economy. Fair trade is a movement for change that works directly with businesses, consumers and campaigners to make trade fair for farmers and workers.

York University’s Fair Trade Campus Week featured a combination of virtual and in-person events, including a virtual panel discussion focused on the theme “Fair Trade, Sustainability and Universities.” Panellists were Sean McHugh, executive director, Canadian Fair Trade Network; Madison Hopper, marketing manager, Equifruit; Pippa Rogers, director of communications, Fairtrade Canada, and Mark McLaughlin, chief commercial services officer, Simon Fraser University. Joining the panellists from York University were Tom Watt, director, food services, Ancillary Services Department and Chad Saunders, director, bookstores, print and mailing services, Ancillary Services Department. The panel was hosted by students, faculty and staff and organized by Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Associate Professor John Simoulidis.

Panellists shared their experiences, stories and successes working within the fair trade movement. The theme throughout the discussion was power in numbers – when groups of people and organizations share a common goal, they can exert influence to create positive change and universities can be a big part of that change. In Canada, the population of university campuses is close to three million, this accounts for almost seven per cent of the overall Canadian population. This gives campuses tremendous leverage through its purchasing power by demanding that fair trade certified products are included in its food services contracts.

Zoom panel discussing Fair Trade
Participants in the Fair Trade panel addressed the theme of “Fair Trade, Sustainability and Universities”

Attendees were encouraged to participate by posing questions to the panel and by taking part in a fair trade trivia quiz. Giulia Rosano from the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change was the winner of the trivia quiz and received a fair trade gift prize.

Fair trade products are available on York University’s campuses. Fair trade apparel is available at the University’s Bookstore, in partnership with Green Campus Co-Op. Food Services’ partner Aramark offers fair trade coffee, teas and bananas.

To learn more about fair trade apparel, visit the Bookstore website. York students can get involved in the fair trade movement on campus by signing up using this form. 

To learn more about the Fair Trade Campus program, fair trade products or about how to get involved in advancing an economy that is fair and sustainable, visit the Fair Trade Campus website or the Fairtrade Canada website.