Call for nominations: President’s Working Group on Free Speech

November 6, 2019

People walk through Vari Hall, which is located on York U's Keele campus

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

In response to the provincial government’s call to all publicly assisted colleges and universities to develop and implement a free speech policy, York University established its Statement of Policy on Free Speech, effective Jan. 1, 2019, found at secretariat-policies.info.yorku.ca/policies/free-speech-statement-of-policy.

In keeping with the commitment made by me at the time of policy approval, a Working Group on Free Speech is being struck to continue the recommendations of the Policy Working Group to develop guidelines and resources for the York University community to enable the application of the policy, and to provide a forum for ongoing discussions on how best to preserve open and respectful dialogue on campus.

The President’s Working Group on Free Speech will be comprised of faculty, students and staff, to achieve pan-University representation of community perspectives and equity-seeking groups. Faculty of Health Professor Alison Macpherson, current vice-chair of Senate, will Chair the Group. It will begin meeting in early January 2020, with three meetings per year anticipated through to June 2021. The full terms of reference for the working group can be accessed at secretariat.info.yorku.ca/files/TORs-Free-Speech-Working-Group.FINAL_.pdf.

The membership will be as follows:

Chair, appointed by the president for a two-year term;
York Federation of Students representative;
York University Graduate Student Association representative;
Glendon College Student Union representative;
Osgoode student caucus representative;
three students at large co-ordinated through the Student Success Centre;
two faculty members appointed on the basis of knowledge and expertise in free speech and/or policy development;
two faculty members following an expression of interest;
two non-academic staff members following an expression of interest;
Office of Vice-Provost Students representative;
Ancillary Services, Community Safety representative;
Community Support & Services representative;
Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Inclusion representative; and
member of the University Secretariat (ex-officio, non-voting).

The above-noted student unions and administrative offices will designate their nominee to the working group.

Nominations and expressions of interest to fill the open faculty, student and non-academic positions on the President’s Working Group on Free Speech should be submitted care of the University Secretariat at info.univsec@yorku.ca by Friday, Nov. 29.

Nominees are asked to include a brief statement on the knowledge and expertise in free speech and/or policy development that they bring to the committee.

Appointments will be made by the president in consultation with the provost and vice-president academic, and the vice-president equity, people and culture recognizing the importance of ensuring representation from equity-seeking groups.

Questions about the President’s Working Group on Free Speech or the process should be directed to Cheryl Underhill, interim university secretary, at underhil@yorku.ca.

Call for nominations for the President’s Research Awards

October 30, 2019

ResearchSIDEBAR

The Senate Committee on Awards invites current or emeritus tenure-stream faculty members to nominate colleagues for the President’s Research Awards: the President’s Emerging Research Leadership Award, the President’s Research Impact Award and the President’s Research Excellence Award.

Last year’s competition marked the introduction of disciplinary clusters for the President’s Emerging Research Leadership Award and the President’s Research Excellence Award. The clusters are: 1) Engineering, Science, Technology, Health and Biomedicine; and 2) Social Sciences, Art & Design, Humanities, Business, Law and Education.

The President’s Emerging Research Leadership Award (PERLA) recognizes full-time faculty members, within 10 years of their first academic appointment, who have had a notable impact on their field and made a significant contribution to advancing the University’s international reputation for research excellence and the York community’s intellectual life. The PERLA will be conferred to two researchers, one from each disciplinary cluster.

The President’s Research Impact Award recognizes full-time, active faculty members whose body of research or scholarship has translated into a notable impact on communities, individuals, public policies or practice beyond academe, or translated successfully into impactful commercial or other applications, while contributing to the University’s research culture and reputation.

The President’s Research Excellence Award (PREA) recognizes senior full-time faculty at the rank of professor, with distinguished scholarly achievements, who have had a notable impact on their field and made a significant contribution to advancing the University’s international reputation for research excellence and the York community’s intellectual life. The PREA will be conferred in alternating years between the two disciplinary clusters. This year, the PREA is open to researchers in Cluster 1: Engineering, Science, Technology, Health and Biomedicine.

The criteria and nomination forms can be found on the Senate Committee on Awards website.

The deadline for the submission of nominations is Friday, Nov. 22. Submissions must be received by 4:30 p.m.

The next instalment of the Sustainability Seminar Series explores fair trade, Oct. 31

October 29, 2019

From left: (top row) Madison Hopper, Darryl Reed, (bottom) Bill Barrett

The second instalment of the 2019-20 Sustainability Seminar Series will feature a panel discussion exploring fair trade and university partnerships on Thursday, Oct. 31.

The event, titled “Fair Trade – University Partnerships: Their variety and their importance,” celebrates the importance of the fair-trade movement. Panellists participating in this event are: Bill Barrett, founder of Planet Bean, a fair trade coffee company; York alumna Madison Hopper (MES ’18), marketing co-ordinator at Equifruit; and Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Professor Darryl Reed, co-ordinator of the Business & Society program.

Barrett will talk about his experience working with different universities and his role as a member of the board of Fair Trade International. Hopper will discuss her experience as part of Fair Trade Toronto and working in a fair trade business. Reed will discuss fair trade research and the different aspects of fair trade education in post-secondary through course work and experiential education programs.

This event is free and open to the public. It will take place on Oct. 31 from 12 to 1 p.m. in Room 167, South Ross Building on the Keele Campus.

The Sustainability Seminar Series was launched in October 2018 by York University’s President’s Sustainability Council, an advisory body to the president, responsible for providing input and recommendations on how to advance the University’s sustainability initiatives, projects and practices. For more information about the seminar series, visit sustainability.info.yorku.ca/sustainability-seminar-series.

Last call: Applications for the new Sustainability Innovation Fund are due Oct. 31

October 29, 2019

The President’s Sustainability Council has launched a new Sustainability Innovation Fund (SIF) to support projects on the York University campuses that advance the University’s Sustainability Strategy and build a culture of sustainability while tackling real-world challenges through innovative solutions. The fund will create opportunities for members of the York University community to actively engage in sustainability initiatives and utilize the campus as a living lab, empowering individuals to be agents of change and take meaningful steps to reduce our impact on the planet.

The call for applications is now open. The deadline to submit an application is Oct. 31 by 4 p.m.

Funding

For the inaugural academic year (2019-20), the Sustainability Innovation Fund has $50,000, which has been sponsored by the Office of the President. A selection committee will evaluate the applications through the Proposal Assessment Rubric and allocate funding to projects.

Criteria & Eligibility

Advance York University’s Sustainability Strategy

Project must align with at least one of the goals from York University’s Sustainability Strategy. The project must align with at least one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Impact

It is recommended that teams define key performance indicators (KPIs) and/or other metrics of success in the project plan.

Innovation

Creative projects that leverage new strategies and/or technologies are preferred.

Scalability

The funds are meant to be seed funding for projects which have the ability to scale across the University, to other institutions, the surrounding community, or even globally following completion. The project should demonstrate how the project will continue once the funds have been used.

Connection to the campus and/or local community

Successful projects will have a direct connection to the campus or surrounding community. Projects should be using the campus or local community as a test bed to pilot new strategies or technologies or to gain new insights.

Project team

All members of the project team must be affiliated with York University. All team members should be integral to the project mission. In the project plan, teams must include a clear plan for how the team will work together throughout the project period and the key contributions of each team member.

Take note of the following of non-eligible projects:

Projects requesting ongoing operating expenses;
Projects that solely benefit an individual and not the community;
Projects that have already been completed.

SIF funding application

All proposals for the Sustainability Innovation Fund must be submitted to the Office of Sustainability.

Proposal Application Form & Proposal Assessment Rubric:
2019-2020 Sustainability Innovation Fund – Application Form

Application Deadline: Thursday, October 31 at 4 p.m.

Applications must be saved as a single PDF format file and sent by email to the Office of Sustainability at sustainability@yorku.ca.

Questions should be directed to Nicole Arsenault, program director, Sustainability, by email to narsenau@yorku.ca, or by telephone at 416-736-5866.

Breaking barriers: Canadian senator to lead discussion on women in STEM

October 27, 2019

When Rosa Galvez entered the field of environmental engineering, girls and women weren’t always encouraged to consider STEM professions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Galvez is now an Independent senator for Quebec and a leading expert on the effects of pollution on human health. She will join York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton on Monday, Oct. 28, for an Armchair Discussion on Women in STEM.

Galvez and Lenton will be speaking with Lassonde School of Engineering students in a conversation about gender inequality and the barriers that women face in the field of STEM. Galvez will share her lived experiences, including how her leadership style has been shaped by being a woman in engineering, an immigrant from Peru, and a woman of colour. She has advised international government bodies on the protection of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, and studied the catastrophic oil spill at Lac-Mégantic.

The event moderator is Jane Goodyer, dean of Lassonde and an advocate of the advancement of women in engineering. Goodyer created a national humanitarian engineering outreach program for 10- to 14-year-old girls. Her experiences as a woman engineer are also featured in the e-book Rising to the Top: Global Women Engineering Leaders Share Their Journeys to Professional Success, released earlier this month.

The Armchair Discussion on Women in STEM will begin at 2 p.m. and continue until 3:10 p.m., including audience questions. The event will take place in The Eatery in the Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence at York University’s Keele Campus. Members of the public are required to RSVP for this event.

Call for nominations for the President’s Research Awards

October 23, 2019

ResearchSIDEBAR

The criteria and nomination forms can be found on the Senate Committee on Awards website.

The deadline for the submission of nominations is Friday, Nov. 22. Submissions must be received by 4:30 p.m.

Celebrate 60 years of York U spirit with Red & White Day, First Generation Day activities

October 22, 2019

The following is a message from York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton:

Happy Red & White Day!

I want to share a few words with you as we celebrate Red & White Day and the inaugural First Generation Day today.

Join us as our community celebrates 60 years of #YUSpirit with the following activities and events at the Keele and Glendon campuses on Oct. 23:

Take a great picture that shows off your red and white or York gear, and enter into the #YUSpirit Photo Contest.
Enjoy tasty treats at the food trucks and find the free giveaways.
Help create a greener campus by taking part in the community tree planting.
Attend the Academic Forum: Supporting the University Journey for First Generation Students to learn about the unique challenges and joys of first-gen students.
Visit the Scott Library for the YU Love to Learn activity.
Save up to 50 per cent off branded merchandise at the Bookstore and the Vari Hall Pop-Up Shop until Friday, Oct. 25.
Save up to 20 per cent off York Lions wear at the Tait Pride Shop sale on Oct. 23 only.

For a full schedule of events and details, please visit the Red & White Day website and the First Generation Day website.

President Rhonda L. Lenton’s 2018-19 annual report reflects University progress on track

October 22, 2019

Impact President's Annual Report 2018/2019

The following is a message from York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton:

The students, faculty and staff of York have accomplished a great deal over the past year, as we work together as a community to fulfill the priorities and objectives of our University Academic Plan (UAP). I am delighted to share Impact: President’s Annual Report 2018/2019 with you as an update on our community’s progress.

The report begins with the shared vision that guides our work as a university. Underpinning that vision are four pillars: access, connectedness, excellence and impact. Our vision and pillars in turn inform our priorities as an institution, outlined in the UAP and operationalized through our Integrated Resource Planning process. I am pleased to report that almost all of our actions are on track or have been completed as we approach the end of the current UAP in 2020.

In these pages, you will see the progression from vision and pillars to concrete plans and extraordinary results. Over the past year, we have continued to strengthen our unique role in Canada’s higher education sector: a world-class, research-intensive university that emphasizes access for a diverse student body while building a sustained engagement with the local and international communities we serve.

I have the great honour of being the president and vice-chancellor of this institution and I want to thank you for your contributions to our shared success. I look forward to our continued work together.

Rhonda L. Lenton, PhD
President and Vice-Chancellor