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An important update on the vaccine requirement at York University

Keele campus Fall image showing the Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence

The following is an important message to the University community from President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton:

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Dear York community,

In my last update, I shared that York will require all individuals coming to our campuses this fall to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Since then, I am very pleased to learn that the Council of Ontario Medical Officers of Health has recommended that all post-secondary institutions across the province require proof of vaccination for those coming to campus.

As we work to finalize the details of our strategy, I can confirm that this September the University will require all members of the community to provide proof of full vaccination or an exemption based on a validated medical or human rights ground. 

Community members will use the YU Screen tool to submit proof of vaccination or an approved exemption. YU Screen will be ready to accept this documentation on Sept. 7 and all information that is collected here will be subject to strict privacy and confidentiality requirements. 

Those who cannot be vaccinated or who are awaiting their first or second dose will be required to adhere to additional health and safety measures, including frequent testing. Between Sept. 7 and Oct. 19 (the date whereby proof of having received a full vaccination series is required), those attending activities on York’s campuses who are not yet fully vaccinated (including those with approved exemptions), will be required to submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test result.

We recognize that not every community member will be able to be fully vaccinated by the first day of the fall term. Some time will also be needed to process exemption requests for medical or other reasons recognized by the Ontario Human Rights Code. I want to assure you that the University will make every effort to support community members to receive their vaccinations in a timely way, and to access testing in the meantime where needed.

We continue to partner with Humber River Hospital to offer a series of vaccine clinics on the Keele Campus in August and September. As well, those who are eligible and who study or work on the Glendon Campus will be able to access walk-in vaccination clinics offered through Sunnybrook Hospital. Community members are also reminded that vaccines are widely available in Canada on a walk-in basis through local public health units and community pharmacies.

As well, anyone who is vaccinated in Ontario can prove that they have been fully vaccinated by uploading the physical or emailed receipt that was provided to them at the time of vaccination from the Ministry of Health. Vaccination receipts can be downloaded through the provincial portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Booking Line at 1-833-943-3900. Those arriving from out of province will need to provide proof of vaccination in that province and anyone arriving to Canada from international destinations can use the proof of vaccination that was required for upload to the ArriveCAN app prior to entry into Canada. York University recognizes both World Health Organization and Health Canada-approved COVID-19 vaccines.

I recognize that there are still many questions about how this will be rolled out within our community. We will be sharing more specific details and instructions on the new process that will support this requirement before Sept. 7. Thank you for doing your part to ensure a safe return to our campuses this fall.

Sincerely,

Rhonda Lenton
President & Vice-Chancellor

Mise à jour sur l’obligation de vaccination à l’Université York

Chers membres de la communauté de York, 

Dans ma dernière communication, je vous annonçais que York exigera que toutes les personnes fréquentant nos campus cet automne soient vaccinées contre la COVID-19. Je me réjouis d’apprendre que depuis le Conseil des médecins hygiénistes de l’Ontario a recommandé que tous les établissements postsecondaires de la province requièrent une preuve de vaccination pour les personnes fréquentant les campus.  

Alors que nous finalisons les détails de notre stratégie, je peux confirmer qu’au mois de septembre, l’Université exigera de tous les membres de la communauté qu’ils fournissent la preuve d’une vaccination complète ou d’une exemption fondée sur un motif médical ou de droits de la personne validé.  

Les membres de la communauté devront utiliser l’outil YU Dépistage/YU Screen pour soumettre leur preuve de vaccination ou une exemption approuvée. L’outil YU Dépistage sera prêt à accepter cette documentation le 7 septembre; toutes les informations recueillies seront assujetties à des exigences strictes en matière de vie privée et de confidentialité.   

Les personnes qui ne peuvent pas être vaccinées ou qui attendent leur première ou deuxième dose devront se soumettre à des mesures de santé et de sécurité supplémentaires, notamment des tests de dépistage fréquents. Entre le 7 septembre et le 19 octobre (date à laquelle une preuve de vaccination complète sera requise), les personnes participant à des activités sur les campus de York qui ne sont pas encore entièrement vaccinées, y compris celles ayant des exemptions approuvées, devront fournir la preuve d’un résultat négatif à un test de dépistage de la COVID-19.  

Nous sommes conscients que tous les membres de la communauté ne pourront pas être complètement vaccinés avant le premier jour du trimestre d’automne. Il faudra également un certain temps pour traiter les demandes d’exemption pour des raisons médicales ou autres reconnues par le Code des droits de la personne de l’Ontario. Je tiens à vous assurer que l’Université fera tout son possible pour appuyer les membres de la communauté afin qu’ils reçoivent leurs vaccins en temps voulu et qu’ils aient accès à des tests de dépistage entre-temps si nécessaire.  

Nous poursuivons notre partenariat avec l’hôpital Humber River pour offrir des cliniques de vaccination sur le campus Keele en août et en septembre. De plus, les personnes admissibles qui étudient ou travaillent sur le campus de Glendon pourront accéder aux cliniques de vaccination sans rendez-vous de l’hôpital Sunnybrook. Nous rappelons également aux membres de la communauté que les vaccins sont largement disponibles au Canada, sans rendez-vous, auprès des unités locales de santé publique et des pharmacies communautaires.  

De plus, toute personne vaccinée en Ontario peut prouver qu’elle a été complètement vaccinée en téléchargeant le reçu papier ou le courriel du ministère de la Santé remis au moment de la vaccination. Les reçus de vaccination peuvent aussi être téléchargés sur le portail Web provinciall ou en appelant la ligne provinciale de réservation des vaccins au 1-833-943-3900. Les étudiants et étudiantes qui arrivent au Canada en provenance d’autres provinces devront fournir la preuve de leur vaccination dans leur province d’origine et ceux et celles en provenance de destinations internationales pourront utiliser la preuve de vaccination qui devait être téléchargée dans l’application ArriveCAN avant leur entrée au Canada. L’Université York reconnaît les vaccins contre la COVID-19 qui ont été approuvés par l’Organisation mondiale de la santé et par Santé Canada.  

Je sais que vous vous posez encore beaucoup de questions sur la façon dont ces mesures seront mises en place dans notre communauté. Nous vous communiquerons des détails et des instructions sur le nouveau processus appuyant cette exigence avant le 7 septembre. Merci de contribuer à assurer un retour sécuritaire sur nos campus cet automne. 

Sincères salutations,  

Rhonda Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière 

Transit information to help you plan your commute this fall

subway riders get off a train

The following is a message to the York community from Anthony Barbisan, executive director, Ancillary Services Department:

La version française suit la version anglaise. 

Dear colleagues,

As the summer ends and the University community prepares for the coming academic year, we would like to share some valuable updates with you about public transit, to help you plan your commute when coming to the Keele Campus.

GO Transit

Since March 2020, GO train service to the York University GO Station has been suspended. Recently, Metrolinx announced that they have permanently closed that station to accommodate an additional track as part of their service expansion on the Barrie Line. Commuters on this line will be required to go to the Downsview Park Station and transfer to the TTC. Transferring to the TTC will require an additional fare. Commuters can then exit at either the York University Subway Station or the Pioneer Village Subway Station, whichever is more convenient. While York University has no control over this decision, the University continues to actively advocate for fare integration among transit providers servicing the Greater Toronto Area.

Brampton Transit

Brampton Transit has advised that its 501A and 501C services that travel directly to the Keele Campus will remain suspended for September. Instead, an enhanced service with increased frequency on Route 501, between Brampton and the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (SmartVMC) Bus Terminal, will be provided. Commuters using the 501 service will have several transfer options to get to the Keele Campus, including York Region Transit at no additional fare or the TTC that requires an additional fare.

Details on transfer options and alternate routes can be found on our Transportation Services website or the Brampton Transit website.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, transit agencies have continued to modify their routes and schedules to adapt to the changes in ridership. Although we do our best to advocate for enhanced transit services and to bring you the latest updates from our transit partners, we encourage you to visit the websites of the specific transit agencies you use to get the most up-to-date information.

If you require assistance planning your commute to campus, Parking & Transportation Services staff are available to assist you. Please visit our website to find out the different ways in which you can contact us.

Sincerely,

Anthony Barbisan
Executive Director, Ancillary Services Department

Informations pour vous rendre sur le campus Keele cet automne

Cher collègue, chère collègue,

Alors que l’été touche à sa fin et que la communauté de York prépare la nouvelle année universitaire, nous souhaitons vous communiquer quelques informations utiles au sujet des transports en commun afin de vous aider à planifier vos déplacements vers le campus Keele.

GO Transit

Depuis mars 2020, le train GO ne dessert plus la gare de l’Université York. Récemment, Metrolinx a annoncé la fermeture permanente de cette gare pour permettre l’ajout d’une voie supplémentaire dans le cadre de l’extension de la ligne de Barrie. Pour aller à l’Université York, les usagers de cette ligne doivent se rendre à la gare de Downsview Park et prendre le métro. Ils peuvent ensuite descendre à la station York University ou à la station Pioneer Village. Cette correspondance avec la TTC requiert l’achat d’un billet supplémentaire. Bien que l’Université York n’ait aucune influence sur les décisions de Metrolinx, elle ne cesse de plaider activement en faveur de l’intégration tarifaire entre les différentes agences de transports en commun desservant la région du Grand Toronto.

Brampton Transit

Brampton Transit nous a signalé que les services 501A et 501C qui desservaient directement le campus de Keele ne reprendront pas en septembre. Un service plus fréquent de la ligne 501 — entre Brampton et le terminal d’autobus du centre métropolitain de Vaughan (SmartVMC) — sera offert à la place. Les usagers qui utilisent le service 501 auront plusieurs possibilités de transfert pour se rendre sur le campus Keele, notamment avec York Regional Transit (sans supplément tarifaire) ou la TTC (avec un supplément tarifaire).

Pour plus de détails sur les options de correspondance et les autres itinéraires possibles, visitez notre site Transportation Services ou le site Brampton Transit.

Depuis le début de la pandémie de la COVID-19, les agences de transport ne cessent de modifier leurs itinéraires et leurs horaires en réponse aux changements de fréquentation. Nous faisons tout notre possible pour plaider en faveur de l’amélioration des services de transport en commun et pour vous communiquer les dernières mises à jour de nos partenaires. Nous vous encourageons toutefois à consulter les sites Web des agences de transport que vous utilisez pour obtenir les informations les plus récentes.

Si vous avez besoin d’aide pour planifier votre trajet vers le campus, le personnel des Services de stationnement et de transport est à votre disposition. Veuillez consulter notre site Web pour découvrir les différentes façons de le contacter.

Sincères salutations,

Anthony Barbisan
Directeur principal du Département des services auxiliaires

Eric Tucker

Eric Tucker
Eric Tucker

Professor Eric Tucker talks to the Toronto Star about the province rejecting COVID-19 work refusals

How artificial intelligence and big data are fighting COVID-19 in Africa

Featured illustration of the novel coronavirus

A collaboration led by York University researchers in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS), the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Health is using artificial intelligence (AI) to define public health policies and interventions to contain and manage the spread of COVID-19 in Africa.

With a scarcity of COVID-19 vaccines in many African countries and the rise of new variants of concern, the Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation Consortium (ACADIC) is playing a pivotal role in providing locally nuanced analysis of data to inform public health decision making, as well as vaccination rollout strategies.

A photo with a black backgroud that features two vials of COVID-19 vaccine and a syringe
The Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation Consortium is playing a pivotal role in providing locally nuanced analysis of data to inform public health decision making, as well as vaccination rollout strategies

The interdisciplinary consortium is directed by York University Professor Jude Kong from the Faculty of Science. Also serving on the executive committee from York University are: Distinguished Research Professor Jianhong Wu, director of the Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics in the Faculty of Science and ACADIC co-president; Professor James Orbinski, director of the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research and ACADIC executive committee member; and LA&PS Associate Professor Ali Asgary, associate director of the Advanced Disaster, Emergency and Rapid Response Simulation and ACADIC executive committee member. ACADIC brings together an interdisciplinary team of data scientists, epidemiologists, physicists, mathematicians and software engineers, as well as AI, disaster and emergency management, clinical public health, citizen science and community engagement experts. It is leveraging big data and AI-based techniques in nine African countries, with experts from 11 different countries – Botswana, Cameroon, Canada, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

These techniques help identify and analyze emergent COVID-19 hotspots and outbreaks, and develop strategic, highly targeted and staged delivery plans for vaccines to priority areas. The team is also using ongoing monitoring to enhance COVID-19 testing to ensure public health interventions are equitable and effective.

Half of the world’s doses of vaccines have been secured by a handful of economically developed countries, but most African nations have received very few and continue to prepare and test their vaccination campaigns for when sufficient vaccine doses are made available.

A defining challenge is to develop local strategies that will reduce the number of COVID-19 cases, even as variants of concern circulate amidst a dearth of vaccines.

Some areas of focus for York researchers involved in ACADIC include:

  • making big data and AI actionable for real-time delivery of reliable and comprehensive information to predict the spread and impact of an epidermic, and to guide governmental policies and best practice in an epidemic;
  • the role of big data and AI in understanding and intervening in pandemics;
  • big data, AI and COVID-19 in Africa;
  • the determinants of the low COVID-19 transmission and mortality rates in Africa;
  • vaccine acceptance/hesitancy across Africa;
  • incorporating AI and mathematical modelling for smart vaccination rollout in vaccine-limited regions;
  • clinical public health practices in epidemics and pandemics;
  • intervention systems in disasters and health emergencies;
  • disease dynamics and modelling;
  • transferring lessons learned from mass vaccination simulation to Africa;
  • disease modelling and simulation in refugee camps in Africa; and
  • use of AI to model economic impacts of COVID-19 in Africa.

New study explains how time influences consumer behaviour

ecommerce online shopping FEATURED

How does the past, present and future interact to influence consumer behaviour? A new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research considers how time is a key structural component of our lives and its resulting influence on market activities.

Ela Veresiu
Ela Veresiu

The research, undertaken by York University Associate Professor Ela Veresiu (Schulich School of Business) in collaboration with Assistant Professor Thomas Derek Robinson from Bayes Business School, University of London, and Assistant Professor Ana Babic Rosario from the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business, shows how time is a cultural consumption resource.

In this conceptual article, the authors introduce the concept of “consumer timework” to capture how past experiences and future expectations impact consumer behaviour in the present.

“Time is a key structural component of our lives and of the universe,” said Veresiu. “It is therefore no surprise that consumers engage with the multiple orientations of time – the past, the present and the future – in their daily consumption choices and activities.”

For example, some consumers treasure heirlooms from past family members and enjoy heritage-themed experiences, such as high tea at Toronto’s historic Windsor Arms Hotel. At the same time, other consumers engage in sustainable consumption like buying only second-hand clothing and installing solar panels on private homes to fight future-facing environmental degradation.

The co-authors argue that the increased speed and complexity of social change today creates multiple ways of interpreting how the past, present and future relate. In other words, it has become more difficult for individuals to anticipate their life trajectory from the past into the future. In response, the co-authors identify four strategies of consumer timework to regain control of time through consumption: integrative, disintegrative, subjugatory and emancipatory.

The scholars theorize integrative and disintegrative consumer timework respectively as harmonizing or rupturing the flow of time from the past into the future via consumption activities. As an illustration of the first strategy, consider how consumers now want to trace their own ancestry and genealogy through DNA databases like 23andMe. Alternatively, vaccine skepticism can also be understood through the second consumer timework strategy.

They theorize subjugatory and emancipatory consumer timework respectively as enforcing or disrupting temporal hierarchies of power through consumption practices. For example, self-tracking health apps, such as MyFitnessPal, SleepCycle and Fooducate, constitute a form of subjugatory consumer timework, since individuals pursue personal goals that are in actuality defined by an algorithm. Regarding the final strategy, using virtual reality devices to envision alternative futures and future selves is a form of emancipatory consumer timework.

“Our work directly responds to an observed decline in theoretical contributions in the marketing and consumer research,” said Veresiu. “In this paper, we not only realign existing ideas on time and consumption, but also offer detailed future research directions.”

The full article is available here.

York University launches new YU Screen tool

The new website will provide visitors with a mobile-first, content-driven and social media-enabled experience
The new website will provide visitors with a mobile-first, content-driven and social media-enabled experience

The following is a message to the York community from Parissa Safai, special advisor to the president for academic continuity planning and COVID-19 response:

La version française suit la version anglaise. 

Dear York community,  

As part of our plan to support a safe return to York’s campuses this fall, we are launching YU Screen, an automated COVID-19 self-assessment screening tool. All faculty, staff, instructors, students, researchers, contractors, visitors and vendors must use this tool daily to self-screen and confirm that they have not been exposed to COVID-19 before coming to York’s campuses.   

To use YU Screen, you must have a Passport York account. Visitors or other third parties working on York’s campuses will be able to sign in as a guest. The tool walks users through a range of questions, including symptoms to possible exposure, recent travel and testing history. It will also be used to support case management and limited contact tracing, in consultation with Toronto Public Health, for any cases that are confirmed at York University.  

All information related to screening will be treated as confidential. York is committed to the protection of privacy, as required under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). Below is some further guidance on how to use this new tool: 

Tips for using YU Screen:

  • YU Screen is accessible from the home page of the Better Together website and can be accessed via the web on smart phones, computers and tablets. 
  • Have your Passport York login information handy to access the tool. 
  • As soon as you click on the YU Screen link, you will see a landing page where you can log in with your Passport York account or as a guest. 
  • Once you have logged in, select “start screening” and you can then choose your group, indicating whether you are a student, staff, faculty member or guest.
  • Once you have identified your group, you will be directed to the appropriate screening survey. 
  • When survey questions are completed, an automated prompt will appear to identify whether or not you have been cleared to come on campus.  
  • In the event that you do not pass the screening questions, you will be provided with instructions on what to do next. In this case, you are not to come to York’s campuses; you will be instructed to self-isolate and will be directed to educational resources.  
  • This process must be repeated before you attend campus, each time. We encourage everyone to select the option to receive daily email reminders to complete their screening. 
  • When on York’s campuses, you may be asked to show that you have cleared the screening.

Thank you for your co-operation and commitment to protecting the health and safety of the York community. Please bear with us as French content in the YU Screen tool is being updated and will be live very soon. For regular updates on York’s safe return to campus, please continue to visit the Better Together website. 

Sincerely,

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

Lancement du nouvel outil YU Dépistage/YU Screen de l’Université York

Chers membres de la communauté de York,  

Dans le cadre de notre plan pour appuyer un retour sécuritaire sur les campus de York cet automne, nous lançons cette semaine un nouvel outil bilingue automatisé d’autoévaluation et de dépistage de la COVID-19 appelé « YU Dépistage/YU Screen ». Tous les membres du corps professoral, du personnel, du corps enseignant et de la communauté étudiante ainsi que les fournisseurs, entrepreneurs et visiteurs devront utiliser cet outil quotidiennement avant de venir sur les campus de York pour s’autoévaluer et confirmer qu’ils n’ont pas été exposés à la COVID-19.

Pour utiliser l’outil YU Dépistage, il faut avoir un compte Passport York. Les visiteurs et autres tierces parties travaillant sur les campus de York l’utiliseront en tant qu’invités. L’outil pose aux utilisateurs une série de questions allant des symptômes aux risques d’exposition, en passant par les voyages récents et l’historique de dépistage. Il servira aussi à la gestion des cas et à la recherche des contacts (dans une certaine mesure) en collaboration avec le Bureau de santé publique de Toronto pour tous les cas confirmés à l’Université York.

Tous les renseignements liés au dépistage seront traités de manière confidentielle. York garantit la protection de la vie privée conformément à la Loi sur l’accès à l’information et la protection de la vie privée.  

Conseils pour utiliser l’outil YU Dépistage  

  • L’outil YU Dépistage se trouve sur la page d’accueil du site Better Together. Vous pouvez y accéder avec un téléphone intelligent, un ordinateur ou une tablette.  
  • Ayez vos identifiants Passport York à portée de la main.  
  • Dès que vous cliquez sur le lien YU Dépistage, vous voyez :  
    • Une page d’accueil sur laquelle vous pouvez vous connecter avec Passport York ou « continuer en tant qu’invité ». 
    • Une fois la session ouverte, cliquez sur « Commencer le dépistage » et choisissez votre « groupe » : communauté étudiante, personnel, corps professoral ou invité. 
    • Une fois cela fait, vous serez dirigés vers le questionnaire de dépistage approprié.  
    • Quand vous aurez fini de répondre aux questions de dépistage, une fenêtre s’affichera pour indiquer si vous êtes « autorisé(e) » ou non à venir sur le campus.  
    • Si vous « échouez » au dépistage, on vous fournira des instructions sur les prochaines étapes. Vous ne pourrez pas fréquenter les campus de York et on vous demandera de vous auto-isoler. Des informations additionnelles vous seront également fournies.   
  • Vous devez vous répéter ce processus avant chaque visite sur les campus. Nous encourageons tout le monde à sélectionner l’option de rappels journaliers sur la page d’accueil afin de pouvoir remplir le questionnaire par courriel après l’ouverture de session. 
  • Quand vous êtes sur les campus de York, on peut vous demander de montrer que le dépistage vous autorise à venir ce jour-là. 
Nous vous remercions pour votre coopération et votre engagement envers la santé et la sécurité de la communauté de York durant cette période. Nous vous remercions pour votre patience durant la mise à jour de la version française de l’outil YU dépistage qui sera disponible prochainement. Pour les dernières nouvelles au sujet du retour sécuritaire sur les campus de York, veuillez visiter le site Better Together.
 
Sincères salutations,  Parissa Safai  
Conseillère spéciale de la présidente pour la planification de la continuité académique et la réponse à la COVID-19

University Professor Emeritus Ron Owston hosts free webinar series on using Zoom in online teaching

laptop webinar computer virtual

Faculty members at York University are invited to participate in a series of three free webinars that focus on teaching with Zoom. The webinar series is hosted by University Professor Emeritus Ron Owston and begins Aug. 26.

Ron Owston
Ron Owston

Each webinar will run one hour in an interactive format and present relevant information on teaching with Zoom. The series is organized through Contact North | Contact Nord, which offers training sessions and resources for faculty and instructors from Ontario’s public post-secondary education and training sectors.

Owston has hosted several webinars on effective use of Zoom for teaching. He is a University Professor Emeritus and senior scholar at York University, as well as former dean of the Faculty of Education and founding director of the Institute for Research in Learning Technologies.

The webinars in the upcoming series are:

Webinars to support health, well-being and safety begin Sept. 15

typing writing computer

The Health, Safety & Employee Well–Being unit at York University is offering 10 Wellness Learning Sessions in support of a healthy and safe workplace. The webinars, organized through the Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP), will be live hosted by qualified facilitators and cover topics such as Boosting Your Positive Outlook and Practical Productivity.

The webinar format has been selected to help maximize access to these topics by allowing community members to participate from their computers. A list of the webinars, along with a description of each webinar topic, can be found on the HSEWB YU Link page. Sessions are limited to 40 participants and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The 2021-22 Wellness Learning Sessions begin Sept. 15.

York’s EFAP provides numerous services that are completely confidential, including lifestyle coaching, financial and legal services, parenting and family supports, and many more. To learn more about the services available to you, visit the workhealthlife website.

Register today.

Interim update on provincial announcement, vaccine requirement and screening

Vari Hall from the exterior
Vari Hall

The following is a message to the York University community from Provost and Vice-President Academic Lisa Philipps and Vice-President of Research and Innovation Amir Asif:

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Dear York community,

On Aug. 17, the Ontario government, in consultation with the chief medical officer of health, announced that the province will be pausing its Roadmap to Reopen and will remain in Step 3 at this time. The province also announced that it will be supporting vaccine policies in post-secondary institutions to enable a safe return to campuses this fall.

The University is pleased to see this support for a vaccination mandate across the sector and we have been told that further guidance is forthcoming from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) by early next week. Given these latest updates, we wanted to reassure the community that we remain on track for our plans to gradually reopen in-person activities on York’s campuses this fall and our plans have not altered. When we receive further guidance from the MCU, we will update you again on any impacts to our planning.

As well, we continue to advance our plans for implementing the recently announced requirement for all community members and visitors to our campuses to be vaccinated against COVID-19. For those still seeking to schedule appointments, we encourage you to use the provincial booking system or consult local pharmacies or walk-in vaccination clinics across the province. Individuals can prove they are fully vaccinated by showing the physical or emailed receipt that was provided to them at the time of vaccination. Vaccination receipts can be downloaded or printed through the provincial portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Booking Line at 1-833-943-3900.

At this time, researchers are still required to be approved in advance to access research facilities on campus. Existing approvals remain in place, and new requests for approval are being accepted, including those for in-person research involving human participants. All researchers must use the Campus Access System to request access from their Faculties and complete daily screening before coming to campus. Research activities must continue to follow necessary health and safety planning and precautions. Associate deans of research will be available to answer any questions posed by the research community.

We also recognize that the public health situation continues to shift and that this can cause confusion and anxiety. We want to reassure you that the health and safety of our community members continues to be our top priority, and we are advancing multiple strategies and initiatives to protect health and safety.

This week, we launched YU Screen, a new automated COVID-19 self-assessment screening tool that all faculty, staff, instructors, students, researchers, and visitors must use before coming to campus to self-screen and confirm that they have not been exposed to COVID-19. For clarity, completing YU Screen before every trip to campus will be additional to complying with the University’s vaccination requirement. More details on this new tool will be shared with you shortly.

We want to thank all of our community members for continuing to do their part to protect themselves and others throughout this pandemic. We look forward to sharing more details with you very shortly about our plans to safely welcome you back to campuses this September.

Sincerely,

Lisa Philipps
Provost & Vice-President Academic

Amir Asif
Vice-President, Research & Innovation

Mise à jour provisoire sur l’annonce provinciale relative à l’obligation de vaccination et de dépistage

Chers membres de la communauté de York,

Le 17 août, le gouvernement de l’Ontario, en concertation avec le médecin hygiéniste en chef, a annoncé que la province suspend l’étape postérieure au Plan d’action pour le déconfinement et reste à la troisième étape pour le moment. Il a également annoncé qu’il appuie les politiques de vaccination des établissements postsecondaires afin de favoriser un retour sécuritaire sur les campus cet automne.

L’Université se réjouit de ce soutien envers un mandat de vaccination dans l’ensemble du secteur; d’autres directives du ministère des Collèges et Universités (MCU) sont attendues au début de la semaine prochaine. Étant donné ces derniers développements, nous tenons à rassurer la communauté : nous sommes sur la bonne voie en ce qui concerne les plans de réouverture progressive des activités en personne sur les campus de York cet automne et nos plans n’ont pas changé. Lorsque nous recevrons d’autres directives du MCU, nous vous communiquerons les répercussions éventuelles sur notre planification.

De plus, nous continuons à faire progresser nos plans de mise en œuvre de l’exigence récemment annoncée selon laquelle tous les membres de la communauté et les visiteurs de nos campus doivent être vaccinés contre la COVID-19. Nous encourageons les personnes qui cherchent encore à prendre rendez-vous à utiliser le système provincial de réservation et à consulter les pharmacies locales ou les cliniques de vaccination sans rendez-vous de la province. Les personnes pleinement vaccinées peuvent prouver leur statut vaccinal en montrant le reçu papier ou électronique qui leur a été remis au moment de leur vaccination. Les reçus de vaccination peuvent être téléchargés ou imprimés sur le portail Web provincial ou en appelant la ligne provinciale de réservation des vaccins au 1-833-943-3900.

À l’heure actuelle, les membres de la communauté de recherche doivent être approuvés à l’avance pour accéder aux installations de recherche sur le campus. Les approbations existantes demeurent en vigueur et de nouvelles demandes d’approbation sont acceptées, y compris celles concernant les recherches en personne avec des êtres humains. Tous les membres de la communauté de recherche doivent utiliser le système Campus Access pour demander l’autorisation auprès de leurs facultés et ils doivent effectuer un dépistage quotidien avant de venir sur les campus. Les activités de recherche doivent continuer à respecter les plans et les précautions nécessaires en matière de santé et de sécurité. Les doyens et doyennes associés de la recherche seront également disponibles pour répondre aux questions de la communauté de recherche.

Nous comprenons que la situation sanitaire ne cesse d’évoluer et que cela peut entraîner de la confusion et de l’anxiété. Nous tenons à vous assurer que la santé et la sécurité des membres de notre communauté demeurent notre priorité absolue et que nous mettons en œuvre de multiples stratégies et initiatives pour protéger la santé et la sécurité.

Cette semaine, nous avons lancé YU Dépistage/YU Screen, un nouvel outil automatisé d’autoévaluation de la COVID-19; tous les professeurs, employés, enseignants, étudiants, chercheurs et visiteurs doivent l’utiliser avant de venir sur le campus pour s’autoévaluer et confirmer qu’ils n’ont pas été exposés à la COVID-19. À titre de précision, le fait d’utiliser l’outil YU Dépistage/YU Screen avant chaque visite sur le campus s’ajoute à l’obligation de vaccination de l’Université. Nous vous communiquerons bientôt plus de détails sur ce nouvel outil.

Nous remercions tous les membres de notre communauté qui continuent à faire leur possible pour se protéger et protéger les autres tout au long de cette pandémie. Nous avons hâte de vous fournir prochainement plus d’information sur nos projets pour vous accueillir en toute sécurité sur les campus en septembre.

Sincères salutations,

Lisa Philipps
Rectrice et vice-présidente aux affaires académiques

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

Faculty of Education’s UnLeading Project aims to reclaim and redefine leadership

UnLeading FEATURED

Academics from York University’s Faculty of Education have joined forces to redefine conventional notions of leadership through the UnLeading Project, a newly launched website and podcast series that asks its audience to question the assumptions they have about leadership and the ways they have been socialized into thinking about and enacting it. It promotes the centring of silenced knowledges and knowledge systems, so that transformative possibilities for leading and schooling can be imagined. It explores questions such as: what is leadership; who can be a leader; and what informs how leadership is enacted?The UnLeading Project banner

“Seemingly neutral and apolitical approaches to leadership have inadequately met the longstanding inequities and challenges in Ontario’s public education system,” says project lead Vidya Shah, assistant professor in York’s Faculty of Education. “The undeniable evidence from academic literature, policy, reports, and public outcry speaks to the need for urgent work in transforming systems that can respond to the diverse identities and needs of students and families in Ontario.”

Vidya Shah
Vidya Shah

The UnLeading team – made up of Shah; York Faculty of Education course directors Jocelyn Shih and Sayema Chowdhury; and York master of education student Amanda Lima – was intentional about honouring and affirming the ways in which leadership operates in multiple spaces, within individuals, among collectives and organizations, through ideas and in all of the spaces in between. The intention of UnLeading is to turn leadership on its head and imagine the possibilities that emerge.

The UnLeading website contains the guiding questions that have helped the team to really frame what it is they are attempting to do with this project. The Systems of Oppression tab identifies some of the key logics in each of these systems that are often normalized and naturalized as the status quo. The website also contains teasers for the first set of podcast episodes.

The podcast series – launching on Aug. 31, with one new episode to be released each week thereafter – is designed for aspiring leaders and people currently in formal leadership positions, but it is also for those who don’t see themselves as leaders and those who are actively resisting formal leadership roles because they are worried about how these roles might change them. Listeners will notice that the podcast’s guests come from the community, classrooms, schools, school districts and the academy, providing a range of perspectives and approaches to leadership. Podcast topics include: decolonizing and uncolonizing leadership, community-centred leadership, culturally relevant and anti-racist leadership, queering leadership and critical spirituality in leadership.

For more information about the project and the podcast, visit the UnLeading website at yorku.ca/edu/unleading.