York University supports City of Toronto request to continue work at home arrangements until September
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The following is a message to the community from York President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton:
La version française suit la version anglaise.
Dear Colleagues,
As you know, we have taken extraordinary efforts over the last 11 weeks to transition our courses to remote instruction and to shift all but required services off our campuses. While we look forward to re-opening the campuses in consultation with government and public health authorities, we are also contributing to efforts to bring down new cases of COVID-19 in the interim. I am grateful to the entire community for making it possible to support the City of Toronto’s request to continue our work from home arrangements until September at the earliest.
York is joining U of T, Ryerson and a number of GTA community colleges, as well as other major employers across Toronto, to support the city’s request. Doing so also allows the University the necessary time to fully plan and introduce a phased and timely return to more regular operations when conditions allow us to do so.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we manage our way through these challenging times.
Sincerely,
Rhonda L. Lenton President and Vice Chancellor
Chers collègues,
Comme vous le savez, nous avons déployé des efforts considérables au cours des 11 dernières semaines pour passer à un mode d’enseignement à distance et pour déplacer tous nos services à l’exception des services essentiels à l’extérieur de nos campus. Bien que nous ayons hâte de rouvrir nos campus avec l’accord des autorités gouvernementales et de santé publique, nous contribuons aussi aux efforts pour abaisser le nombre de nouveaux cas de COVID-19 entre-temps. Je suis reconnaissante envers toute notre communauté qui rend possible d’accéder à la demande de la Ville de Toronto de continuer à travailler de la maison jusqu’en septembre au moins.
York se joint à l’Université de Toronto, à Ryerson et à plusieurs collèges communautaires du Grand Toronto ainsi qu’à d’autres grands employeurs torontois pour appuyer cette requête. Ce faisant, l’Université disposera du temps nécessaire pour planifier et introduire la reprise graduelle en temps opportun des activités habituelles quand les circonstances le permettront.
Merci pour votre patience continue et votre compréhension tandis que nous gérons cette situation difficile.
Sincères salutations,
Rhonda L. Lenton Présidente et vice-chancelière
Reminder: All-community virtual Town Hall will take place this afternoon
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The following is a message to the community from York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton:
I would like to remind you that you are invited to the second all-community Virtual Town Hall, taking place this afternoon.
Whether you are a student, staff or faculty member, the Town Hall is an opportunity to have your questions about plans for academic, research and professional work during the Fall term answered by the University’s senior leadership team.
We encourage you to submit questions in advance using this form. During the event, please use the email conversations@yorku.ca.
If you have any accessibility needs, notes or comments, please let us know.
As always, the latest updates, resources, and answers to frequently asked questions are on our COVID-19 website.
Sincerely, Rhonda L. Lenton, PhD President & Vice-Chancellor
J’aimerais vous rappeler que vous êtes invités à la deuxième conversation virtuelle avec toute la communauté qui aura lieu cet après-midi.
Que vous soyez membre du corps étudiant, du corps professoral ou du personnel, les conversations communautaires vous offrent l’occasion d’obtenir des réponses à vos questions sur les plans relatifs aux programmes académiques, de recherche et professionnels pour le trimestre d’automne de la part des hauts dirigeants de l’Université York.
Nous vous encourageons à soumettre vos questions à l’avance à l’aide de ce formulaire. Durant l’événement, veuillez utiliser le courriel conversations@yorku.ca.
Comme toujours, les dernières mises à jour, ressources et réponses aux questions fréquemment posées se trouvent sur notre site Web dédié à la COVID-19.
Sincères salutations,
Rhonda L. Lenton, Ph. D. Présidente et vice-chancelière
A message from President Lenton on Pride Month 2020 and the importance of diversity
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Today we mark the beginning of Pride Month, a time to celebrate 2SLGBTQIA communities and honor their continued struggle for equality. While we may not have the vibrant in-person celebrations that usually take place on our campuses, throughout the city and across the world this June, we still have the opportunity to recognize Pride Month and to affirm our dedication to creating a more diverse and inclusive society.
As individuals and institutions, we must not only acknowledge the historical and contemporary challenges of 2SLGBTQIA people, but we must engage in our collective responsibility to be allies for equity. For York University, the heart of that responsibility lies in our dedication to education and scholarship that takes up these issues to better the world for all.
Last fall, we celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of York’s Sexuality Studies Program, which is one of the few programs of its kind in Canada. Housed in the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, this interdisciplinary program is intersectional in its approach and explores existing and emerging connections between sexuality, ability, age, class, race and other identities. The Sexuality Studies Program is just one example among many of our commitment to promoting equity and inclusivity through teaching and research.
York is deeply grateful for the contributions 2SLGBTQIA students, staff and faculty make to our community and to our growth as an institution of higher learning. The University is committed to ensuring all community members feel safe and welcome, and we are grateful for the work our campus clubs, organizations and services do to support that commitment.
For more information about Pride Month initiatives at the University, please follow the #YUPride hashtag on social media.
I wish you all a very safe, healthy and happy Pride Month.
Sincerely,
Rhonda L. Lenton
President & Vice-Chancellor
Le mois de la fierté commence aujourd’hui et c’est l’occasion de célébrer les communautés 2SLGBTQIA et d’honorer leur lutte continue pour l’égalité. Même si nous ne connaîtrons pas l’animation habituelle des célébrations en personne sur le campus, dans la ville et dans le monde entier en juin, nous aurons tout de même l’occasion de souligner le mois de la fierté et d’affirmer notre engagement envers la création d’une société plus diverse et plus inclusive.
En tant qu’individus et institutions, nous devons non seulement reconnaître les défis historiques et contemporains des personnes 2SLGBTQIA, mais nous devons aussi
mobiliser notre responsabilité collective afin d’être des alliés pour l’égalité. Pour l’Université York, le fondement de cette responsabilité réside dans notre investissement dans l’éducation et l’érudition qui se penchent sur ces questions afin d’améliorer le monde pour tous.
En automne dernier, nous avons célébré le quinzième anniversaire des études sur la sexualité de York, l’un des rares programmes de ce genre au Canada. Ce programme multidisciplinaire fait partie des Études de genre, sur la sexualité et sur les femmes; il explore les liens existants et émergents entre la sexualité, les capacités, l’âge, la classe, la race et d’autres identités. Le programme d’Études sur la sexualité est un exemple de nos nombreux engagements envers la promotion de l’égalité et de l’inclusivité grâce à l’enseignement et à la recherche.
L’Université York est profondément reconnaissante des contributions 2SLGBTQIA du corps étudiant, du personnel et du corps professoral à notre communauté et à notre essor en tant qu’institution d’enseignement supérieur. L’Université s’engage à ce que tous les membres de la communauté se sentent en sécurité et bienvenus, et nous sommes redevables du travail que nos clubs, organisations et services du campus font pour appuyer cet engagement.
Pour plus d’information sur les initiatives du mois de la fierté à l’Université York, veuillez suivre le mot-clic #YUPride sur les médias sociaux.
Je vous souhaite un mois de la fierté joyeux, en santé et en sécurité.
Veuillez agréer mes sincères salutations,
Rhonda L. Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière
President L. Lenton announces appointment of interim dean, Faculty of Education
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York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton issues the following announcement to the University community:
Dear colleagues,
I am pleased to inform members of the Faculty of Education and the York University community that the Board of Governors’ Executive Committee has approved my recommendation that Professor Sharon Murphy be appointed interim dean of the Faculty of Education, effective July 1. Dean Lyndon Martin is taking up the role of vice-provost academic in the Office of the Provost & Vice-President Academic. The search for his successor is under way.
Sharon Murphy
Professor Murphy will be well known to members of the York community. She joined York’s Faculty of Education in 1988, was promoted to full professor in 2002, and has held many significant administrative positions, both in the Faculty and beyond. Since October 2019, Professor Murphy has served as associate dean academic in Education, responsible for the Faculty’s graduate and undergraduate programs. In this role, she provided crucial guidance during the transition to remote and online learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor Murphy previously served the Faculty as graduate program director and undergraduate program director. From 2000 to 2005, she served as associate dean, Students in the Faculty of Graduate Studies where she developed protocols for research ethics in response to Tri-Council policies, revised rules and protocols relating to petitions and academic honesty and participated in a review of the Faculty’s standing within the University. She has also represented the Faculty of Education on Senate and University-level committees including Senate APPRC.
Professor Murphy holds a PhD in educational psychology from the University of Arizona. Her writing and interests are primarily focused on literacy and assessment. She is the author or co-author/editor of five books and numerous articles, conference papers and other publications, with her most recent book, Sense-making and shared meaning in language and literacy education: Designing research-based literacy programs for children, to be published by Routledge Press in summer of 2020. Her teaching has included courses on language, literacy and learning at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
I am grateful for Professor Murphy’s willingness to undertake this important role, and I look forward to working with her in collaboration with other colleagues in advancing the Faculty of Education’s priorities.
I also want to thank Professor Lyndon Martin for his exceptional contributions as dean over the past four years. Under his leadership, among many other accomplishments, the Faculty of Education has achieved a significant complement renewal and expanded its innovative Indigenous programming. We will have a future opportunity to thank Professor Martin but for now please join me in wishing him all the best in his future endeavours.
Rhonda L. Lenton, PhD President and Vice-Chancellor
President Lenton issues an update on plans for the fall term
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The following is a message to the University community from President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton:
La version française suit la version anglaise.
Dear York Community,
With our summer term now underway, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the York community for their continued commitment and dedication in providing the best possible learning experience for our students, as we manage our way through these unprecedented and challenging times. I am pleased to confirm that the efforts to meet our students’ needs have resulted in a strong summer enrolment, which is good news, and a testament to our collective efforts. Plans are also currently underway to safely re-establish access to our research labs and facilities this summer. A detailed plan which includes a gradual and phased schedule of research lab re-openings will be announced by the Vice-President Research & Innovation in the coming days.
Preparing to welcome our students to the fall term
Many of you have now started to inquire about our plans for the Fall term and I am happy to share an update about what you can expect from the University in the coming weeks and months. After consulting with the government and public health authorities, as well as Senate Executive, we have determined that our Fall term will be delivered for the most part online and remotely.
We are committed to ensuring students are able to access the courses they need to progress in their programs, so I am pleased to share with our broader community that York University will be offering our full selection of academic programming this fall. Because of advance planning on the part of our community, we will maintain the same high-quality learning experience for which York is known, due to the work of course directors to develop innovative ways to enhance online instruction including adding virtual experiential activities and opportunities for students to engage with each other online.
We believe that it will also be possible to offer select experiential activities that are not easily adaptable to a remote delivery format such as labs, studios, and clinical placements, in-person. The safety of our community members remains our top priority, and we will continue to work closely with the government and public health authorities to ensure that we are adhering to whatever guidelines are established for any potential on-campus activities. As we appreciate that some students may not be available to attend campuses in the fall, students will be informed in advance of the start of the course if there are any required in-person components, and what flexibility they will have to fulfill those requirements over the term. Some students may prefer to delay such courses until a subsequent term.
Realizing full campus operations
Our students, faculty, and staff continue to show exceptional flexibility and resilience during this unprecedented time. We have already demonstrated our capacity and ability to work together to offer quality courses, services and supports online, and we have learned important lessons that will serve to further enhance the quality of the student learning experience for the rapidly approaching fall term.
I know we all miss having full access to our campuses and being able to see each other in person. With our country, province and city beginning to open up, we at York are actively developing a comprehensive academic and operational plan that will support an orderly and phased return to more fulsome operations on our campuses. The University re-entry plan will be guided by all necessary health and safety precautions provided by public health and activated when it is clear it is safe to do so. Further information will be provided throughout the coming weeks.
Advocating for our students and post-secondary education
As you are aware, the global pandemic is dramatically impacting every sector of society to varying degrees. Along with other University presidents, I have been actively advocating for our students and our sector. Our efforts were instrumental in the new federal programs, including the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) and improvements to the student loan and grant programs, as well as provincial efforts to provide loan relief. Our advocacy has also resulted in the federal government making temporary changes to allow international students to begin their studies online in the fall and prioritize their study permits. This is in addition to the work and VISA flexibility already provided for in the summer session. Further advocacy work is ongoing.
Keeping our community informed
Over the past few weeks, members of York’s senior administration joined me in participating in many virtual town hall meetings across the University. We listened closely to your questions and concerns while providing as much information as possible. We will be holding another community forum in the coming weeks and will be in contact when we have finalized a date. You can also stay up-to-date by visiting the COVID-19 website.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank all of our faculty and staff for the truly extraordinary work being done to allow our students to continue their academic journey and for supporting one another. I would also like to acknowledge our students for their perseverance and contributions to advancing York University.
I am confident that together we will come through this challenging time stronger than before.
Sincerely,
Rhonda L. Lenton President & Vice-Chancellor
Chers membres de la communauté de York,
Maintenant que le trimestre d’été est en cours, j’aimerais profiter de cette occasion pour remercier tous les membres de la communauté de York pour leur engagement et leur dévouement continus afin d’offrir la meilleure expérience d’apprentissage possible pour nos étudiants, alors que nous gérons cette période difficile et sans précédent. Je suis heureuse de confirmer que les efforts déployés pour répondre aux besoins de nos étudiants se sont traduits par un nombre élevé d’inscriptions pour la session d’été, ce qui est une bonne nouvelle et un témoignage de notre travail collectif. Des plans sont également en préparation pour rétablir de façon sécuritaire l’accès à nos laboratoires de recherches et à nos installations cet été. Le vice-président de la recherche et de l’innovation annoncera dans les prochains jours un plan détaillé qui comprend un échéancier progressif et échelonné des réouvertures des laboratoires de recherche.
Préparatifs pour accueillir les étudiants de la session d’automne
Nombre d’entre vous s’interrogent sur nos plans pour le semestre d’automne. Je suis heureuse de vous communiquer une mise à jour sur ce qui va se produire dans les semaines et les mois à venir. Après avoir consulté le gouvernement et les autorités de santé publique, ainsi que le Comité de direction du Sénat, nous avons déterminé que le semestre d’automne sera offert principalement en ligne et à distance.
Nous nous sommes engagés à fournir aux étudiants l’accès aux cours nécessaire pour progresser dans leurs programmes. J’ai donc le plaisir d’annoncer à l’ensemble de la communauté que l’Université York offrira une sélection complète de programmes académiques cet automne. Grâce à la planification préalable de notre communauté et au travail des directeurs de cours pour développer des façons innovatrices d’améliorer l’apprentissage en ligne — en ajoutant des activités expérientielles virtuelles et des possibilités pour les étudiants d’interagir en ligne —, nous maintiendrons l’expérience d’apprentissage de haut niveau qui fait la réputation de York.
Nous pensons qu’il sera également possible d’offrir en mode présentiel des activités expérientielles pouvant difficilement être adaptées à un format à distance, comme des activités en laboratoire ou en studio et des placements cliniques.La sécurité des membres de notre communauté demeure notre priorité absolue et nous continuerons à collaborer étroitement avec le gouvernement et les autorités de santé publique pour nous assurer de respecter les lignes directrices établies pour toutes les activités éventuelles sur les campus. Nous sommes conscients que certains étudiants et étudiantes ne pourront peut-être pas se rendre sur nos campus à l’automne; ils seront donc informés avant le début du cours de toute composante en personne obligatoire, et de la flexibilité dont ils disposeront pour satisfaire à ces exigences durant le trimestre. Certains étudiants préféreront peut-être repousser ces cours à un trimestre ultérieur.
Rétablir les activités complètes du campus
Le corps étudiant, le corps professoral et le personnel continuent de faire preuve d’une souplesse et d’une résilience exceptionnelles durant cette situation inédite. Nous avons déjà prouvé notre capacité et notre volonté de travailler ensemble pour offrir des cours de qualité, des services et des soutiens en ligne; nous avons appris des leçons importantes et cela nous permettra de continuer à rehausser la qualité de l’expérience d’apprentissage des étudiants pour le trimestre d’automne qui approche rapidement.
Je sais que l’accès à nos campus nous manque ainsi que la chance de se côtoyer. Tandis que notre pays, notre province et notre ville commencent à rouvrir, l’Université York développe un plan académique et opérationnel exhaustif qui appuiera un retour ordonné et progressif à des opérations plus complètes sur nos campus. Le plan de réouverture de l’Université respectera toutes les précautions de santé et de sécurité préconisées par les autorités de santé publique, quand il sera manifeste que cela ne présentera pas de danger. D’autres informations seront fournies dans les semaines à venir.
Défendre les intérêts de nos étudiants et l’éducation postsecondaire
Comme vous le savez, la pandémie mondiale a eu un impact considérable sur tous les secteurs de la société et ce, à différents niveaux. De concert avec d’autres présidents d’universités, j’ai défendu activement les intérêts de nos étudiants et de notre secteur. Nos efforts ont joué un rôle déterminant dans la mise en place de nouveaux programmes fédéraux, comme la Prestation canadienne d’urgence pour les étudiants (PCUE), les améliorations apportées aux programmes de prêts d’études et de bourses d’études et les options d’allégement des prêts du gouvernement provincial. Notre plaidoyer a également incité le gouvernement fédéral à apporter des changements temporaires pour permettre aux étudiants internationaux de commencer leurs études en ligne à l’automne et de donner la priorité à leurs permis d’études. Cela s’ajoute à la flexibilité en matière de travail et de VISAS déjà accordée pour la session d’été. D’autres efforts sont en cours.
Tenir notre communauté informée
Au cours des dernières semaines, les hauts dirigeants de York se sont joints à moi pour participer à de nombreuses conversations communautaires à l’échelle de l’Université. Nous avons écouté attentivement vos questions et vos préoccupations tout en vous fournissant autant d’information que possible. Nous tiendrons un autre forum communautaire dans les prochaines semaines et nous vous contacterons quand la date sera finalisée. Vous pouvez aussi rester au courant en visitant le site Web COVID-19.
Pour finir, je tiens à souligner le travail extraordinaire de tous les membres du corps professoral et les remercier pour leurs efforts qui permettent à nos étudiants de poursuivre leur parcours académique ainsi que pour leur esprit d’entraide. J’aimerais également reconnaître nos étudiants pour leur persévérance et leurs contributions à l’avancement de l’Université York.
Je suis sûre qu’ensemble, nous surmonterons cette période difficile et nous en ressortirons plus fort.
Veuillez agréer mes sincères salutations,
Rhonda L. Lenton Présidente et vice-chancelière
Clarity on convocation, online learning offered during Student Virtual Town Hall
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Weeks after moving to an online/remote learning model due to COVID-19, York University students were given an opportunity to ask questions about their academic future moving into the Summer and Fall semesters.
Members of York University’s leadership team hosted a Student Virtual Town Hall on April 30 to connect with undergraduate and graduate students, and address their questions and concerns during an hour-long livestream session. The event was hosted by President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton and Vice-Provost Students Lucy Fromowitz, and also included Provost & Vice-President Academic Lisa Philipps, University Registrar Darran Fernandez, York International Executive Director Vinitha Gengatharan, Glendon Campus Interim Principal Ian Roberge, and Dean and Associate Vice-President, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Thomas Loebel. It was moderated by Brendan Schulz, executive director, Student Success.
Lenton began the session by congratulating students on completing the Winter term during an incredibly disruptive time, saying “You all persevered and showed incredible patience with us.”
Rhonda Lenton and Lucy Fromowitz
She and Fromowitz acknowledged students’ concerns about what to expect for the Fall term, and explained the University is working with the provincial and federal governments and Toronto Public Health to determine what the appropriate next steps are.
“You are firmly in the forefront of all of our decision making,” said Fromowitz, adding a thank-you to those students who have participated in the Summer Course survey to highlight current challenges and barriers. “We are working hard to provide supportive and comprehensive services to help you through those challenges.”
Students highlighted concerns with the Summer term, including having difficulty enrolling in courses due to caps on class sizes. Students were assured the University is reviewing how to accommodate the increased demand – whether that means increasing class sizes or introducing additional courses.
Students also has questions about finances, tuition costs and financial restrictions on enrolling for Summer courses. Fromowitz, in addressing tuition, explained that students will continue to have access to a rigorous education online that delivers the full curriculum and enables progress. This, she said, means there is no adjustment to tuition; however, students may see reductions in ancillary fees where applicable.
Fernandez added the Office of the University Registrar will be changing some of the current financial block thresholds to enable students with financial challenges to enroll. He also reminded students that York has emergency bursaries available, and there is government funding available to support students.
International students studying from abroad asked whether the University would accommodate different time zones with respect to exams. Philipps explained that instructors have been encouraged to take that into account. In terms of how exams will be conducted, she said instructors will be investigating different forms of evaluation, and will have robust support from the Teaching Commons for guidance in online/remote instruction and evaluation.
International students also asked about post-graduation work permits, which are allowed if online studying is less than 50 per cent of a course load, and how they may be affected with full-time online/remote learning. Gengatharan said the University has not received direction from the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship on this issue, but expects it will release guidelines shortly. She reminded students that licensed immigration consultants at York University are available to help international students, and are currently taking online appointments.
Students asked several questions about what to expect moving forward and how the University would operate
Questions on the delivery format for Fall were raised by many students.
“We really understand why everyone wants clarity on what’s happening in Fall,” said Lenton. “We are anticipating there will be some lectures and some courses offered online. We recognize there are some programs that require a hands-on component, and we are trying to think of a way to be flexible and have a hybrid model (online and in-person), but there’s an opportunity to still have quite an enriched learning experience.”
Looking at TA-ships in the Fall – which were assured to still be in place – this is an area where a hybrid model could work. TAs could possibly have smaller in-person tutorials; however, that remains to be determined in accordance with pandemic guidelines in the Fall.
Loebel addressed questions about program extension for graduate students, and said the Faculty of Graduate Studies has implemented a provision granting students an extra two months to submit final assignments without financial penalty. If students feel their progress will be stalled over the Summer term, there are existing petitions processes in place for exceptional circumstances.
“If you’ve made the assessment that no meaningful research will happen over the Summer, this may be the time to take a leave of absence … so you can preserve your funding for when you can actually progress, and we’ve removed any cost associated with a leave from one term to three terms,” he added.
Graduating students wanted more information on plans for convocation in Spring and Fall.
Speaking specifically for Glendon convocation, Roberge said students will be invited to join a future ceremony and the school hopes to hold convocation at that campus when possible.
Lenton expanded further to say 2020 graduates would not be overlooked, and the University is working to create a virtual celebration for students who want to celebrate now.
“We do know there are many of you who may want to participate in that, but also may want to walk across the stage, so we are planning on having a larger convocation as soon as we can. As soon as we are clear to have that face-to-face convocation, we will include everyone who should have had the opportunity to cross the stage in June. It will be a huge moment of celebration.”
Details regarding the virtual Spring Convocation will be communicated by mail in coming weeks, she said.
Students were reminded that access to electronic library materials continues to expand, and librarians are available for assistance online.
“We all know these are unprecedented times, but this (town hall) is incredibly important to us because you are telling us what’s top of mind and what you need information on,” said Fromowitz. “I know you are anxious to get back to campus and so are all of us, but until then, I encourage you to stay connected with each other. As magnificent a campus York is, York is more than a physical space, it’s a community and we are all members of that whether it’s remote or in person.”
Students who submitted questions that were not addressed during the livestream will receive answers through email.
Reminder: Join York’s leadership team for an all-community Virtual Town Hall
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The following is a message from York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton.
I would like to remind you that all York students, staff, and faculty are invited to join us for our second all-community Virtual Town Hall that takes place Wednesday, May 6.
The Town Hall will be a chance for the University’s senior leadership team to provide updates and answer your questions about our ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on your academic, research and professional work.
We encourage you to submit your questions in advance using this form. During the event, please use the email conversations@yorku.ca.
Please let us know if you have any accessibility needs, notes or comments here.
The latest community updates, resources, and answers to frequently asked questions can always be found on our COVID-19 website.
I look forward to connecting with you.
Sincerely,
Rhonda L. Lenton, PhD President & Vice-Chancellor
J’aimerais vous rappeler que tous les membres du corps étudiant, du corps professoral et du personnel de York sont invités à se joindre à nous pour la deuxième conversation communautaire virtuelle qui aura lieu le mercredi 6 mai.
Cette conversation communautaire virtuelle donnera la chance aux hauts dirigeants de l’Université de répondre à vos questions et de fournir des mises à jour sur la réponse de l’Université à l’épidémie de la COVID-19 et ses répercussions sur les études, la recherche et le travail professionnel.
Prière d’envoyer vos questions à l’avance à l’aide de ce formulaire. Durant l’événement, veuillez utiliser le courriel: conversations@yorku.ca.
Si vous avez des besoins d’accessibilité, des notes ou des commentaires, veuillez nous le faire savoir ici.
Comme toujours, vous pouvez trouver les dernières mises à jour, ressources et réponses aux questions fréquemment posées sur notre site Web dédié à la COVID-19.
J’ai hâte de prendre contact avec vous.
Sincères salutations,
Rhonda L. Lenton, Ph. D. Présidente et vice-chancelière
Save the date: Virtual Town Hall planned for Wednesday, May 6
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The following is a message to the York University community from President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton:
As our response to COVID-19 continues to evolve, we want to continue engaging with the York community. The second all-community Virtual Town Hall is an opportunity for you to have questions about your academic, research and professional work answered by the University’s senior leadership team.
We invite all students, staff, and faculty to attend:
I will once again be joined by Vice-President Academic & Provost Lisa Philipps, Vice-President Research & Innovation Amir Asif, Vice-President Equity, People & Culture Sheila Cote-Meek, Vice-President Finance & Administration Carol McAulay and Vice-President Advancement Jeff O’Hagan.
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.
As always, the latest updates, resources, and answers to frequently asked questions can always be found on our COVID-19 website.
Take care, and I look forward to connecting with you on May 6.
Sincerely,
Rhonda L. Lenton, PhD President & Vice-Chancellor
Tandis que notre réponse à la COVID-19 continue à évoluer, nous souhaitons poursuivre notre dialogue avec la communauté de York. La deuxième conversation communautaire virtuelle est une occasion pour vous de poser aux hauts dirigeants de l’Université des questions relatives à vos activités académiques, de recherche et professionnelles.
Nous invitons tous les étudiants, membres du personnel et du corps professoral à y assister:
Une fois de plus, je serai accompagnée de la rectrice et vice-présidente aux affaires académiques, Lisa Philipps, du vice-président de la recherche et de l’innovation, Amir Asif, de la vice-présidente de l’équité, des personnes et de la culture, Sheila Cote-Meek, de la vice-présidente aux finances et à l’administration, Carol McAulay, et du vice-président à la promotion, Jeff O’Hagan.
Veuillez envoyer vos questions à l’avance à l’aide de ce formulaire. Durant l’événement, veuillez utiliser le courriel: conversations@yorku.ca.
Si vous avez des besoins d’accessibilité ou si vous avez des notes ou des commentaires à partager, veuillez nous en faire part.
Cette conversation communautaire aura lieu grâce à la plateforme de vidéoconférence Zoom Webinar. Vous pouvez télécharger et utiliser Zoom ici. Le webinaire sera également diffusé en direct sur le site Web des conversations communautaires.
Vous pouvez trouver les dernières mises à jour, ressources et réponses aux questions fréquemment posées sur notre site Web COVID-19.
Je me réjouis de prendre contact avec vous le 6 mai. Prenez soin de vous.
Sincères salutations,
Rhonda L. Lenton, Ph. D. Présidente et vice-chancelière
Student Virtual Town Hall on April 30 with panel of York U senior leadership
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President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton and Vice-Provost Students LucyFromowitz will be hosting a Student Virtual Town Hall on Thursday, April 30 for all undergraduate and graduate students in the York community.
The event is a chance for students to come together with York University’s senior leaders during these challenging and anxious times to discuss the path ahead. It also serves as a great opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to ask questions about the University’s evolving response to COVID-19 and hear about how it will affect their academics, fees and future student experience.
Students have been asking about the pass/fail option, course delivery methods for Summer and Fall/Winter terms, residence availability, ancillary fees, among many other things via social media, on the phone and through registrarial services online chat. The Virtual Town Hall will be a great space for students to hear what the University is planning regarding these topics, as well as a good way for them catch up on items and updates they may have missed.
“I’m looking forward to connecting with students at the Virtual Town Hall. Since we aren’t able to connect with students face-to-face at this time, we wanted to provide them with an opportunity to engage and join us virtually,” says Fromowitz. “We are conscious of how stressful this time is for students, so we want to provide them with as much clarity and be able to respond to any questions they may have at this uncertain time.”
The town hall will be hosted via the video conferencing platform, Zoom. Learn about the platform and download Zoom here. The webinar can accommodate 3,000 viewers, so should that maximum be reached, or if students prefer an alternative, the webinar will also be livestreamed at https://vp.students.yorku.ca/town-hall#livestream.
Lenton, Provost & Vice-President Academic Lisa Philipps and Fromowitz will be joined by: University Registrar Darran Fernandez; Vinitha Gengatharan, executive director, York International; Ian Roberge, interim principal, Glendon Campus; and Thomas Loebel, dean and associate vice-president, Faculty of Graduate Studies. They will address questions from students. The Student Virtual Town Hall will be moderated by Brendan Schulz, executive director, student success.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, students have been kept up to date through several channels including This Week @ York, which doubled its distribution for four weeks, emails, social media and online chats.
Students have also been able to check for available self-serve tools and resources on My Online Services to get what they need, from wherever they are, at almost any time of the day. The list of available resources is growing daily as new online and mobile methods are introduced to deliver services and resources they need.
All the latest updates, resources and emails that have been sent, as well as answers to frequently asked questions, can always be found on our COVID-19 website.
York University named a global leader in new Impact Rankings for the second consecutive year
The rankings look at how universities around the world make progress against each of the UN’s broad sustainability goals through research, stewardship, outreach and teaching.
This year’s Impact Rankings have expanded, not only in the number of participating universities, up from 450 last year to 767 this year, but also through the increased number of SDGs, up to 17 from the 11 measured last year. Both indicate growing recognition of the importance of the SDGs and the essential role of universities in society.
“York is one of Canada’s leading community-engaged universities, and our place in the Times Higher Education global rankings highlights the University’s commitment to creating positive change for our students, our communities and the world,” said York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton. “In the era of COVID-19, it is more important than ever for universities to work with government, industry and community organizations to tackle serious economic, social and health challenges. I am proud that York has embraced its role in driving collaborative and innovative solutions.”
Impact rankings reflect York’s values
York is a university committed to creating change that will help build stronger, more inclusive, equitable, resilient and sustainable communities. Through its collective efforts, the University rallies community engagement and partnerships to make the world a better place. This approach gives York University’s students, faculty, staff and alumni opportunities to contribute to solutions that will address the most pressing global challenges.
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
For the second consecutive year, York excelled in several areas, with top rankings out of 767 universities:
SDG 6 “Clean Water and Sanitation” – fifth place
SDG 10 “Reduced Inequalities” – ninth place
SDG 11 “Sustainable Cities and Communities” – ninth place
President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton and Vice-Provost Students Lucy Fromowitz will be hosting a 
This year’s 