Groundbreaking summer school at York U will explore North Korean culture

North Korea FEATURED image by Tom Klassen

For two weeks in May 2022, York University will be home to a first-of-its-kind summer school examining North Korean culture. The instructors are experts in North Korean film, literature, fine art and propaganda.

Thomas Klassen
Thomas Klassen

Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) public policy and administration studies Professor Thomas Klassen is co-ordinating the inaugural North Korea Summer School: Inside North Korean Literature, Art and Film.

“The school is an extraordinary event for graduate and senior undergraduate students to explore North Korean literature, film, fine art and propaganda,” says Klassen, adding that to the best of his knowledge, this is the first such educational program anywhere in the world.

This intense and highly interactive two-week summer school is taught by George Washington University Professor Immanuel Kim and author Nicholas Bonner.

Kim is professor of Korean literature and culture studies. He is the author of Laughing North Koreans: Culture of the Film Industry (2020) and Rewriting Revolution: Women, Sexuality, and Memory in North Korean Fiction (2018).

Immanuel Kim
Immanuel Kim

Bonner, is the author of Made in North Korea: Graphics from Everyday Life in the DPRK (2017) and co-author of Printed in North Korea: The Art of Everyday Life in the DPRK (2019). He has been involved in the production of various documentary films on North Korea, including Crossing the Line and the feature film Comrade Kim Goes Flying.

Nick Bonner
Nicholas Bonner

Funding for the summer school comes from the Korean Office for Research and Education (KORE) at York University, which is funded by the Academy of Korean Studies. Additional funding is provided by LA&PS at York University.

Professor Hyun Ok Park (LA&PS, sociology), director of KORE, says, “The summer school will be an excellent opportunity for students and scholars to engage in an intensive discussion about North Korean society and culture with two leading experts on North Korea, and grasp current changes and challenges facing the country.”

Filming of Comrade Kim Goes Flying, Pyongyang, 2010, N. Bonner
Filming of Comrade Kim Goes Flying, Pyongyang, 2010. Image by Nicholas Bonner and used with permission

More information about the summer school is available at kore.info.yorku.ca/summer-school-inside-north-korean-literature-art-and-film.

More COVID-19 vaccine clinics scheduled for November

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Dear York community, 

This month, York University will host more pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics on the Keele Campus, in partnership with Toronto Public Health. For those who are eligible and studying or working on the Glendon Campus, Sunnybrook Hospital will offer vaccinations by appointment until Nov. 26.

As a reminder, York will require all community members and visitors on our campuses this fall to be vaccinated against COVID-19, subject to medical or other reasons recognized by the Ontario Human Rights Code. All employees of the University were to have disclosed their vaccination status by Oct. 5 and the dates by which students must disclose and provide proof of vaccination for the winter term are outlined here. 

Upcoming Clinics 

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 
 Thursday, Nov. 4  Thursday, Nov. 11  Thursday, Nov. 18  Thursday, Nov. 25  

Hours: 12 to 6 p.m.  

Vaccine Requirements: You must be 12 years of age or older to obtain the Pfizer vaccine. 

Location: Aviva Centre, 1 Shoreham Dr., North York, Ont., M3N 3A6 
*Tennis Canada entrance: the clinic is located at the office between gates G and H, adjacent to Shoreham Drive. 

Bring: Valid photo ID (e.g. driver’s licence or health card *OHIP card not required) 

Please note: York University does not deliver the vaccines nor does it determine eligibility for vaccinations. We look forward to seeing you there and in the meantime, please continue to use YU Screen daily before coming to campuses and visit the Better Together website for regular updates on the safe return this fall. 

Sincerely, 

Parissa Safai 
Special Advisor to the President for Academic Continuity Planning and COVID-19 Response


Chère communauté de York, 

Ce mois-ci, l’Université York tiendra d’autres cliniques éphémères de vaccination contre la COVID-19 sur le campus Keele en partenariat avec le Bureau de santé publique de Toronto. Pour les personnes admissibles qui étudient ou travaillent sur le campus Glendon, l’hôpital Sunnybrook offre des rendez-vous de vaccination jusqu’au 26 novembre.  

À titre de rappel, York exigera que tous les membres de la communauté et les visiteurs fréquentant ses campus cet automne soient vaccinés contre la COVID-19, sous réserve de raisons médicales et d’autres raisons reconnues par le Code des droits de la personne de l’Ontario. Tous les employés de l’Université devaient avoir divulgué leur statut vaccinal avant le 5 octobre et les dates auxquelles les étudiants doivent divulguer et fournir une preuve de vaccination pour le trimestre d’hiver se trouvent ici. 

Prochaines cliniques 

Semaine 1 Semaine 2 Semaine 3 Semaine 4 
 Jeudi 4 novembre  Jeudi 11 novembre  Jeudi 18 novembre  Jeudi 25 novembre  

Heures d’ouverture : 12 h à 18 h  

Exigences pour le vaccin : Vous devez avoir au moins 12 ans pour obtenir le vaccin Pfizer. 

Emplacement : Centre Aviva, 1, Shoreham Drive, North York ON M3N 3A6 
*Entrée de Tennis Canada : la clinique est située dans le bureau entre les portes G et H, à côté de Shoreham Drive. 

Apporter : une carte d’identité à photo (permis de conduire ou carte de santé *carte OHIP non requise) 

Veuillez noter que l’Université de York n’administre pas les vaccins et ne détermine pas l’admissibilité à la vaccination. Nous nous réjouissons de vous y voir. En attendant, veuillez utiliser l’outil YU Dépistage chaque jour avant de venir sur les campus et visitez le site Better Together pour en savoir plus sur les mesures en place pour un retour sécuritaire sur les campus cet automne. 

Sincères salutations, 

Parissa Safai 
Conseillère spéciale de la présidente pour la planification de la continuité académique et la réponse à la COVID-19

Reminder: Join the York community for a virtual town hall, Nov. 5

Vari Hall

Students, faculty, course directors and staff at York University are invited to a virtual town hall planned for Friday, Nov. 5. The event will provide community members with an opportunity to discuss ongoing plans for the safe return of in-person activities this academic year.

Rhonda L. Lenton, president and vice-chancellor of York University, extends the following invitation to University community members:

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Dear York community, 

We hope you will join us for a virtual town hall on Friday, Nov. 5, where we will discuss the University’s ongoing plans for the safe return of in-person activities. We invite all students, staff, course instructors and faculty to attend, and encourage you to submit questions in advance of the event using this form. Community members can also visit the updated Better Together FAQs web page for answers to frequently asked questions about enhanced health and safety measures, vaccination requirements, the University’s plans for the winter term and more.

Date: Friday, Nov. 5

Time: 2:30 to 4 p.m. 

Zoom Webinar: yorku.zoom.us/j/93627693575?pwd=REhzSjJOV1lTbmxOZXVVcnFMZXFpQT09

Webinar ID: 945 9966 4106

Telephone Dial-In: 647-374-4685  

Password: 629214

Link to Livestream: youtu.be/9Z0PIrX9pas

To help answer your questions, I will be joined by:  

  • Lisa Philipps, provost and vice-president academic;
  • Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation;
  • Carol McAulay, vice-president finance and administration;  
  • Lucy Fromowitz, vice-provost, students; and
  • Parissa Safai, special advisor to the president for academic continuity planning and COVID-19 response and associate professor, School of Kinesiology and Health Science.

If you have any accessibility needs, notes or comments, please let us know

We will be hosting this town hall via the video conferencing platform Zoom Webinar. You can learn about downloading and using Zoom here. The webinar will also be livestreamed on the town hall website

If you have attended a past town hall, we would like your feedback through this short survey. If you were unable to attend previous town halls, you can access all of them here

The latest community updates, resources and answers to frequently asked questions can always be found on our Better Together website.     

I look forward to your questions. 

Sincerely,  

Rhonda L. Lenton 
President & Vice-Chancellor 


Joignez-vous à la communauté de York pour une conversation communautaire virtuelle le 5 novembre

Chers membres de la communauté de York,   

Nous espérons que vous vous joindrez à nous le vendredi 5 novembre pour une conversation communautaire virtuelle au cours de laquelle nous discuterons des plans de l’Université pour la reprise sécuritaire des activités en personne.  

Nous invitons tous les membres de la communauté étudiante, du personnel, du corps enseignant et du corps professoral à y assister et nous les encourageons à soumettre leurs questions avant l’événement à l’aide de ce formulaire. Les membres de la communauté peuvent aussi consulter les dernières mises à jour de la FAQ sur le site Better Together pour voir les réponses aux questions fréquemment posées au sujet des mesures renforcées de santé et de sécurité, des exigences en matière de vaccination, des plans de l’Université pour le trimestre d’hiver et bien plus encore.  

Date : Vendredi 5 novembre 2021 

Heure : 14 h 30 – 16 h 

Webinaire Zoom : https://yorku.zoom.us/j/93627693575?pwd=REhzSjJOV1lTbmxOZXVVcnFMZXFpQT09

Code du webinaire : 945 9966 4106 

Numéro de téléphone : (647) 374-4685   

Mot de passe : 629214 

Lien pour la diffusion en direct : https://youtu.be/9Z0PIrX9pas 

Pour m’aider à répondre à vos questions, je serai accompagnée de :   

  • Lisa Philipps, rectrice et vice-présidente aux affaires académiques   
  • Amir Asif, vice-président de la recherche et de l’innovation   
  • Carol McAulay, vice-présidente des finances et de l’administration    
  • Lucy Fromowitz, vice-rectrice aux affaires étudiantes   
  • Parissa Safai, conseillère spéciale de la présidente pour la planification de la continuité académique et la réponse à la COVID-19, École de kinésiologie et des sciences de la santé   

Si vous avez des besoins, des remarques ou des commentaires en matière d’accessibilité, veuillez nous le faire savoir.    Cette conversation communautaire aura lieu grâce à la plateforme de visioconférence Zoom Webinar. Vous pouvez télécharger Zoom et apprendre à vous en servir ici. Le webinaire sera également diffusé en direct sur le site Web des conversations communautaires. 

Vous pouvez ajouter la conversation communautaire à votre calendrier Outlook à l’aide du fichier .ics en pièce jointe. 

Si vous avez déjà assisté à une conversation communautaire, nous aimerions connaître votre opinion avec ce bref sondage. Si vous n’avez pas pu assister aux conversations précédentes, elles sont affichées ici

Vous trouverez les dernières mises à jour, ressources et réponses aux questions fréquemment posées sur notre site Web Better Together.

J’attends vos questions avec impatience. 

Rhonda L. Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière   

The Fall 2021 Graduation Celebration will take place online, Nov. 2

Convocation 20221 Featured image for YFile

York University’s newest graduates will be recognized during a virtual Graduation Celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 2.

The event, which will take place online with specific times for each faculty, has been created in place of traditional convocation ceremonies due to the ongoing public health concerns resulting from COVID-19. When it is safe to do so, graduates from the Class of 2021 will be honoured at an in-person convocation.

Planning has been focused on incorporating as many elements of the traditional convocation as is possible in a virtual event. Included in the Graduation Celebration will be the Honour Song and the national anthem, along with recorded remarks from York University Chancellor Gregory Sobora, President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton and Faculty deans. During the virtual event, graduands will experience the ceremonial conferral of degrees. Their names will be read along with a personal graduation slide that lists their name, degree, program, and any academic honours. These videos will be played via livestream on YouTube Premieres, and the full schedule is available on the Convocation website.

Graduands were offered the opportunity to pick up their Convocation packages (which included a special Graduation Celebration box) on campus during Grad Days, which took place during the Fall Reading Week in October. In addition to picking up their package including their diploma, graduands were also able to take photos with two guests against a special Convocation backdrop.  Graduands who were unable to attend Grad Days, will receive their special Graduation Celebration box by courier. Each personalized Graduation Celebration box was packed with care by York University staff and contains the student’s diploma, cap and tassel, a convocation program and some other special items to help them celebrate.

York University is also offering a suite of digital assets, including Zoom backgrounds, GIF stickers and Augmented Reality filters. Graduates can also listen to or submit songs for the York University Class of 2021 Spotify playlist. All of the digital assets can be found on the main Convocation website.

Book exploring Mayan women’s experiences after genocide wins award

An open book

The 2021 Lemkin Book Award shines a spotlight on Mayan women and their search for redress for harm suffered during genocide in a book written by York University Associate Professor Alison Crosby and a colleague at Boston College.

Alison Crosby
Alison Crosby

The Institute for the Study of Genocide has named Beyond Repair? Mayan Women’s Protagonism in the Aftermath of Genocidal Harm winner of the award that recognizes the best non-fiction book published in English, or translated into English, that focuses on the causes, prevention, response or consequences of genocide and mass atrocities.

The book is co-authored by Crosby (School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies) and Professor M. Brinton Lykes (Boston College).

Beyond Repair book cover

Beyond Repair? Mayan Women’s Protagonism in the Aftermath of Genocidal Harm explores Mayan women’s agency in the search for redress for harm suffered during the genocidal violence perpetrated by the Guatemalan state in the early 1980s at the height of the 36-year armed conflict.

The book draws on eight years of participatory action research conducted with 54 Q’eqchi’, Kaqchikel, Chuj and Mam women who are seeking truth, justice and reparation for the violence they experienced during the war, and the Mayan rights activists, women’s rights activists, lawyers, psychologists and researchers who have accompanied them as intermediaries.

According to the Institute for the Study of Genocide, the book was selected for the award for its methodological rigour, clarity of argument and sophisticated analysis of the ways in which Mayan women have sought redress for the genocidal violence carried out by the Guatemalan state.

The award will be presented in an online ceremony on Nov. 11.

Global Strategy Lab appoints Mathieu Poirier as associate director

FEATURED Global Health

Mathieu Poirier, assistant professor of social epidemiology in York University’s Faculty of Health, will serve as the new associate director at the Global Strategy Lab where he previously worked as an investigator and research director of global legal epidemiology.

Mathieu Poirier
Mathieu Poirier

The Global Strategy Lab is a bi-campus interdisciplinary research lab that brings cutting-edge science and scholarship to bear on three research programs in global antimicrobial resistance, global legal epidemiology, and public health institutions. Directed by York University Professor Steven J. Hoffman and based at York University and the University of Ottawa, the lab advises governments and public health organizations on how to design laws, policies and institutions that make the world a healthier place for everyone.

“The Global Strategy Lab is a highly productive and dynamic interdisciplinary lab, and I’m honoured to be taking on a leadership role in ensuring that it continues to produce world-leading research to create better policies and a healthier world,” said Poirier.

Poirier joined York in 2019 in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science as an assistant professor and is also a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaboration Centre on the Global Governance of Antimicrobial Resistance. His research ranges from evaluating the impact of international laws to developing health equity metrics and generating policy-relevant research on socially and politically determined inequities in health.

“The Global Strategy Lab is a highly productive and dynamic interdisciplinary lab, and I’m honoured to be taking on a leadership role in ensuring that it continues to produce world-leading research to create better policies and a healthier world.”

Mathieu Poirier

He received his PhD in health policy from McMaster University, where his research focused on applying innovative health equity metrics across national boundaries to uncover transnational gradients of health, as well as examining the impact of health policy on these socially and politically determined inequities.

His recent work at GSL has focused on evaluating the impact of the Framework Convention on Tobacco, which will continue to expand with a policy analysis of European tobacco control and a quantitative evaluation of gender-specific patterns of global cigarette consumption. His work also extends to comparative policy analysis, infectious disease epidemiology, and global legal epidemiology.

“Dr. Poirier is a brilliant thinker and leader whose research is already changing the way people think about improving global health equity,” said Hoffman. “His leadership at the Global Strategy Lab will support the continued growth of our research programs and will help us achieve even greater policy impacts for those who need change the most.”

In September, Poirier was recognized with Faculty of Health’s Dean’s Award for Excellence in Educational Leadership, Pedagogical and/or Curricular Innovation. He was highlighted as an “innovative educator” and a leader in internationalizing pedagogical approaches to experiential learning. He is noted as a York leader in the Globally Networked Learning Environment (GNLE) partnership with universities in Germany, Romania, and Kenya, and as a founding member of the Grounded Project.

For more on the GSL, visit the website.

Researchers discuss psychological implications to economic impact of COVID-19

Featured image MicroEconomics

New research that examines the relationship between psychological factors, work-related factors and how people felt about their financial situation during the pandemic will be presented by York University researchers at the Happiness and Age Conference on Oct. 29.

Esther Greenglass
Esther Greenglass

Professor Esther Greenglass and lecturer Lisa Fiksenbaum, both of the Department of Psychology at York University, along with Daniel Chiacchia (Department of Management, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto), will present their paper “Financial Threat, Socio-economic Factors, and Employability During COVID-19” during the online event, which is part of the After the Pandemic conference series organized by the International Centre for Economical Analysis.

“COVID-19 has resulted not only in widespread illness and death, it has also upended most spheres of social life including the economic/financial one in that it has had large impacts on local economies, resulting in widespread job loss, job insecurity and loss of income,” said Greenglass. “This paper, which is based on empirical research with both Canadian and American participants recruited through MTurk, reports some of the financial effects on COVID-19 and their implications for psychological functioning.”

According to past research, say the authors, when people believe they can get another job if they lost their present one, they also experience less burnout at their present job. During the pandemic, however, many people lost jobs due to business closures. This resulted in feelings of anxiety and uncertainty about their current financial situation.

In the present research, the authors expected that feelings of anxiety and uncertainty about one’s financial situation would be less if people felt they could find another job if they lost their current one, if they felt secure in their present job and if they were confident in dealing with events in the financial sphere in general (self-efficacy). In order to examine these relationships, a self-report questionnaire with key measures was administered to participants from Canada (451) and the U.S. (429) using MTurk, a widely used means of recruiting study participants.

Results in both samples revealed that, to the extent that people felt confident in dealing with their finances, and believed they could get another job if they lost their current one, participants were less anxious about their financial situation. At the same time, the data showed that participants in the Canadian sample (37 per cent) were less likely to be employed full-time than those in the American sample (67 per cent), and Canadians were more likely to be unemployed (40 per cent) than those in the American sample (13 per cent).

All participants were asked to respond to an additional question, “Do you feel that you have enough income to get by since the advent of coronavirus?” by checking one alternative, from “not at all” to “a lot.” In the Canadian sample, those who felt they did not have enough money to get by since the pandemic were more likely to express feelings of insecurity about their jobs and were more anxious about their financial situation. The authors did not find this result in the American sample. Taken together, the results point to the importance of taking into account the economic context of research that examines the relationship among psychological variables, and this has practical implications as well as implications for the development of theory in psychology.

Learn more about the Happiness and Age Conference here.

United Way Greater Toronto’s virtual physical challenge is back

York Cares United Way Campaign

Each year, the York University community comes together in support of the United Way Greater Toronto to raise funds for local agencies and programs – some of which impact York University’s students directly. This year’s annual York Cares United Way Campaign will run from Oct. 26 to Nov. 30.

To make a difference for local communities, members of the York community are invited to join GetUP, United Way Greater Toronto’s virtual physical challenge.

United Way’s network of 280 social service agencies provides programs for seniors that help them stay connected and engaged with their community (image supplied by the United Way)
United Way’s network of 280 social service agencies provides programs for seniors that help them stay connected and engaged with their community (image supplied by the United Way)

York University is a community of changemakers committed to creating positive change for its students, communities and the world. Now is the time to “GetUP” in support of the community and help raise urgently needed funds for people and families experiencing poverty. Participate in a physical activity of your choice for 280 minutes over a two-week period, and with each step, stride, stretch, jump, skip, dance or pedal (how you move is up to you), you’ll be supporting United Way’s network of 280 community agencies. This network is on the frontlines meeting urgent and ongoing needs, including providing food, shelter and mental health supports to people impacted by the pandemic across Toronto, Peel and York regions.

GetUP – United Way Greater Toronto’s virtual physical challenge

Date: Nov. 1 to 14

Location: Your home, backyard, local park or neighbourhood (please remember to follow appropriate social distancing guidelines from local public health officials).

How does it work? 

Register to participate and start fundraising. Each dollar raised goes towards helping people and families experiencing #UNIGNORABLE issues such as poverty, hunger and homelessness.

Join the “York University-York Cares” team or register your own team, just be sure to indicate that York University is your school or workplace and include York University in the team name. Ask your family, friends, neighbours and colleagues to show their local love by joining you for GetUP 2021. Share your pictures using the hashtag #yucares.

Going solo? That works too! Ask your community to show their local love by contributing to your fundraising campaign.

Make GetUP your own. How you get your 280 minutes in is up to you. You can do it all at once, commit to 40 minutes a day for seven days or spread the challenge out over two weeks by doing 20 minutes a day. You can even share your minutes with a friend or colleague by asking them to register with you.

Register now or visit unitedwaygt.org/getup for more information. Questions and inquiries can be directed to yucares@yorku.ca.

Join the York community for a virtual town hall, Nov. 5

yorku-letters FEATURED image for new YFile format

Students, faculty, course directors and staff at York University are invited to a virtual town hall planned for Friday, Nov. 5. The event will provide community members with an opportunity to discuss ongoing plans for the safe return of in-person activities this academic year.

Rhonda L. Lenton, president and vice-chancellor of York University, extends the following invitation to university community members:

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Dear York community,  

We are pleased to announce that we will be holding a virtual town hall on Friday, Nov. 5, where we will discuss the University’s ongoing plans for the safe return of in-person activities.

We invite all students, staff, course directors and faculty to attend, and to submit their questions in advance of the event using this form. Community members can also visit the updated Better Together FAQs web page for answers to frequently asked questions about enhanced health and safety measures, vaccination requirements, the University’s plans for the winter term and more. 

Date: Friday, Nov. 5

Time: 2:30 to 4 p.m. 

Zoom Webinar: 

yorku.zoom.us/j/93627693575?pwd=REhzSjJOV1lTbmxOZXVVcnFMZXFpQT09

Webinar ID: 945 9966 4106

Telephone Dial-In: 647-374-4685  

Password: 629214

Link to Livestream: youtu.be/9Z0PIrX9pas

To help answer your questions, I will be joined by:  

  • Lisa Philipps, provost and vice-president academic;
  • Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation;
  • Carol McAulay, vice-president finance and administration;  
  • Lucy Fromowitz, vice-provost, students; and
  • Parissa Safai, special advisor to the president for academic continuity planning and COVID-19 response and associate professor, School of Kinesiology and Health Science.

If you have any accessibility needs, notes or comments, please let us know.   

We will be hosting this town hall via the video conferencing platform Zoom Webinar. You can learn about downloading and using Zoom here. The webinar will also be livestreamed on the town hall website

If you have attended a past town hall, we would like your feedback through this short survey. If you were unable to attend previous town halls, you can access all of them here

The latest community updates, resources and answers to frequently asked questions can always be found on our Better Together website

I look forward to your questions.   

Sincerely,  

Rhonda L. Lenton 
President & Vice-Chancellor   


Joignez-vous à la communauté de York pour une conversation communautaire virtuelle le 5 novembre

Chers membres de la communauté de York,  

Nous avons le plaisir de vous annoncer que nous tiendrons une conversation communautaire virtuelle le vendredi 5 novembre, au cours de laquelle nous discuterons des plans actuels de l’Université pour la reprise sécuritaire des activités en personne.

Nous invitons tous les membres de la communauté étudiante, du personnel et du corps professoral ainsi que les chargés de cours à y assister et à soumettre leurs questions avant l’événement à l’aide de ce formulaire. Les membres de la communauté peuvent également consulter les dernières mises à jour de la FAQ sur le site Better Together pour voir les réponses aux questions fréquemment posées au sujet des mesures de santé et de sécurité, des exigences en matière de vaccination, des plans de l’Université pour le trimestre d’hiver et bien plus encore. 

Date : Vendredi 5 novembre 2021

Heure : 14 h 30 – 16 h

Webinaire Zoom :

https://yorku.zoom.us/j/93627693575?pwd=REhzSjJOV1lTbmxOZXVVcnFMZXFpQT09

Code du webinaire : 945 9966 4106

Numéro de téléphone : 647-374-4685  

Mot de passe : 629214

Lien pour la diffusion en direct : https://youtu.be/9Z0PIrX9pas

Pour m’aider à répondre à vos questions, je serai accompagnée de :  

  • Lisa Philipps, rectrice et vice-présidente aux affaires académiques  
  • Amir Asif, vice-président de la recherche et de l’innovation  
  • Carol McAulay, vice-présidente des finances et de l’administration   
  • Lucy Fromowitz, vice-rectrice aux affaires étudiantes  
  • Parissa Safai, conseillère spéciale de la présidente pour la planification de la continuité académique et la réponse à la COVID-19, École de kinésiologie et des sciences de la santé  

Si vous avez des besoins, des remarques ou des commentaires en matière d’accessibilité, veuillez nous le faire savoir.   

Cette conversation communautaire aura lieu grâce à la plateforme de visioconférence Zoom Webinar. Vous pouvez télécharger Zoom et apprendre à vous en servir ici. Le webinaire sera également diffusé en direct sur le site Web des conversations communautaires

Si vous avez déjà assisté à une conversation communautaire, nous aimerions connaître votre opinion avec ce bref sondage. Si vous n’avez pas pu assister aux conversations précédentes, elles sont affichées ici

Vous trouverez les dernières mises à jour, ressources et réponses aux questions fréquemment posées sur notre site Web Better Together.

J’attends vos questions avec impatience.   


Sincères salutations,  

Rhonda L. Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière   

A letter to the community about compliance with York’s Vaccination Mandate

yfile FEATURED image shows students walking into Vari Hall on the Keele campus

As of Monday, Oct. 25, 42,698 York community members have confirmed their vaccination status through YU Screen. Of those who have done so, 96 per cent of staff, 98 per cent of faculty/instructors and 97 per cent of students have been fully vaccinated. 

Dear colleagues, 

Last week, the Ontario government announced further steps to reopen the province. We are reviewing the potential impacts for the University at this time, but can confirm that this does not impact York’s Vaccination Mandate, or any of the requirements for community members to be fully vaccinated or have an approved exemption before coming to our campuses. 

Our ability to mitigate much of the potential impact of the pandemic continues to rest on the efforts of our entire community supporting and abiding by York’s Vaccination Mandate. We want to thank everyone for the role you continue to play in taking all possible steps to protect yourselves and others.  

As of Monday, 42,698 York community members have confirmed their vaccination status through YU Screen. Of those who have done so, 96 per cent of staff, 98 per cent of faculty/instructors and 97 per cent of students have been fully vaccinated.  

Compliance with York’s Vaccination Mandate

As a first step to comply with York’s Vaccination Mandate, all employees of the University were required to have disclosed their vaccination status by Oct. 5, whether you are currently accessing York’s campuses or not. If you have not yet done so, you must disclose your status immediately. If you have done so, we thank you for doing your part to ensure our campuses are safe. All new employees must similarly disclose their status and provide proof of vaccination before the start date of their contract.  

As of Oct. 19, anyone aged 12 years or older who is accessing our campuses must be fully vaccinated or have an approved exemption. This applies to anyone who is employed by the University in any capacity. For more details, please read York’s Vaccination Mandate.

Active steps are now being taken to follow up with any employees who have not yet disclosed their vaccination status, who may be attending campus while not in compliance with the Vaccination Mandate or who may be unavailable for required on-campus/in-person responsibilities. If you are an employee who is in these circumstances, in addition to taking steps required by the mandate, you should contact your Faculty designate or manager to discuss this further.

Why it’s important to disclose your vaccination status  

Whether you are currently required to be on campus or not, all employees should be available to attend campus when they are asked to do so. Additionally, this is essential for the University to maintain health and safety on our campuses and to provide assurance to all York community members that we are able to verify the vaccination status of all those who are, or may be, attending our campuses.

We want to thank you all once again for your ongoing commitment to upholding a community of care while on York’s campuses and for continuing to use YU Screen daily to screen for COVID-19 symptoms. Please continue to visit the Better Together website for the latest updates. 

Sincerely, 

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

Lisa Philipps 
Provost and Vice-President Academic 


Conformité à la politique de vaccination obligatoire de York

Chers collègues,

La semaine dernière, le gouvernement de l’Ontario a annoncé de nouvelles mesures pour déconfiner la province. Nous examinons actuellement les répercussions possibles sur l’Université, mais nous pouvons confirmer que cela n’a pas d’incidence sur la politique de vaccination obligatoire de York, ni sur l’obligation pour les membres de la communauté d’être entièrement vaccinés ou d’avoir une exemption approuvée avant de venir sur nos campus.

Notre capacité à atténuer une grande partie de l’impact potentiel de la pandémie continue de reposer sur les efforts de toute notre communauté qui soutient et respecte la vaccination obligatoire de York. Nous tenons à tous et toutes vous remercier pour le rôle que vous continuez à jouer en prenant toutes les mesures possibles pour vous protéger et protéger les autres.  

À ce jour, 42,698 membres de la communauté de York ont confirmé leur statut vaccinal par le biais de YU Dépistage. Parmi ceux qui l’ont fait, 96 % du personnel, 98 % du corps professoral et 97 % de la communauté étudiante sont entièrement vaccinés.  

Conformité avec la vaccination obligatoire de York

Comme première étape pour se conformer à la vaccination obligatoire de York, tous les employés et employées de l’Université devaient avoir divulgué leur statut vaccinal avant le 5 octobre, qu’ils ou elles aient accès ou non aux campus de York. Si vous ne l’avez pas encore fait, vous devez divulguer votre statut immédiatement. Si vous l’avez déjà fait, nous vous remercions de faire votre part pour assurer la sécurité de nos campus. De même, tout nouveau membre du personnel doit déclarer son statut avant la date de début de son contrat.  

À partir du 19 octobre, toute personne âgée de 12 ans ou plus qui accède à nos campus doit être entièrement vaccinée ou avoir une exemption approuvée. Cela s’applique à toute personne employée par l’Université à quelque titre que ce soit. Pour plus de détails, veuillez lire la politique de vaccination obligatoire de York.

Des mesures actives sont actuellement prises pour assurer le suivi auprès du personnel qui n’a pas encore divulgué son statut vaccinal, qui pourrait se présenter sur le campus sans être en conformité avec la politique de vaccination obligatoire, ou qui pourrait ne pas être disponible pour les responsabilités requises en personne/sur le campus. Si cela s’applique à vous, en plus de prendre les mesures requises par la politique, vous devriez contacter la personne désignée par la faculté ou votre gestionnaire pour discuter de votre situation.

Importance de divulguer son statut vaccinal 

Que votre présence sur le campus soit actuellement requise ou non, tous les employés et employées doivent pouvoir s’y rendre sur demande. De plus, il est essentiel pour l’Université de maintenir la santé et la sécurité sur les campus et d’offrir l’assurance à tous les membres de la communauté de York que nous sommes en mesure de vérifier le statut vaccinal de toute personne qui fréquente ou pourrait fréquenter nos campus.

Nous tenons à vous remercier encore une fois pour votre engagement continu à maintenir une communauté de soins sur les campus de York et pour continuer à utiliser l’outil YU Dépistage quotidiennement pour dépister les symptômes de la COVID-19. Veuillez continuer à visiter le site Better Together pour consulter les dernières mises à jour. 

Sincères salutations,

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

Lisa Philipps
Rectrice et vice-présidente aux affaires académiques