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Announcement of new dean of York University Libraries

Scott Library

Voir la version francaise

Dear colleagues,

I am pleased to inform the York community that, following a national and international search and consultation process with staff, faculty and students from across the University,Joseph Hafnerhas accepted our invitation to become dean, York University Libraries, commencing July 1, 2024. On April 30, the Board of Governors concurred with this recommendation and approved his appointment for a five-year term.

Joseph Hafner
Joseph Hafner (photo credit: Owen Egan and Joni Dufour).

Mr. Hafner comes to York University from McGill University Library, where he has served since 2007 as associate director and then associate dean, collection services.

He joined McGill in 2004 and was awarded full librarian status in 2020. Prior to his tenure at McGill, Mr. Hafner began his career in public librarianship in Indiana, in the United States, where he worked in cataloguing, liaison, partnership development, leadership training and database management.

Holding an master of library and information science from Indiana University, Mr. Hafner is extremely active in his profession. An engaged participant in library associations, he is currently a member of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), where he is Chair of the Linked Data Technical Review Group and a member of the Advisory Committee on Standards, and has previously served as member and Chair of other committees, including the Linked Data Technical Sub-Committee, the Acquisition & Collection Development Committee and the LGBTQ Special Interest Group.

He served as the vice-president of the International Association of Music Libraries and is a member of the Canadian Association of Music Libraries, the American Library Association, Canadian Shared Print, HathiTrust and other professional associations. As an active scholar, Mr. Hafner has also served as editor of numerous publications, including series, journal issues and newsletters, as well as an editorial board member and author of conference proceedings and scholarly articles in important print and electronic journals and publications in academic librarianship.

At McGill, Mr. Hafner has been central to multiple transformational projects, including the construction of a new $33-million, off-site robotic storage facility, involving the absorption of 2.5 million books and journals – a process highlighted in a short video. He brings to York extensive experience in budget management and process improvement, along with knowledge of frontline library services and current issues facing libraries, including open access and the use of artificial intelligence.

To complete research commitments, Mr. Hafner will take a leave of absence for the first six weeks of his term, during which time Andrea Kosavic will continue in the position of interim dean. I am deeply grateful to Ms. Kosavic, who has ably served the role of interim dean for the Libraries since July 2023 and made very important contributions during a time of substantial change.

I look forward to working with Mr. Hafner as he brings his insight and expertise to this important role. I hope that all members of the York University community will join me in congratulating and welcoming him as a core member of the University’s academic leadership team.

I would like to thank the members of the search committee for their contributions to this important process.

Sincerely,

Rhonda Lenton
President & Vice-Chancellor

Joseph Hafner est nommé doyen des bibliothèques de l’Université York

Scott Library

Joseph Hafner est nommé doyen des bibliothèques de l’Université York

Chers collègues, chères collègues,

Joseph Hafner
Joseph Hafner (photo credit: Owen Egan and Joni Dufour).

J’ai le plaisir d’informer la communauté de York qu’à l’issue d’un processus national et international de recherche et de consultation auprès des membres du personnel, du corps professoral et de la communauté étudiante de l’Université, Joseph Hafner a accepté de devenir le doyen des bibliothèques de l’Université York, à compter du 1er juillet 2024. Le 30 avril, le conseil d’administration a entériné cette recommandation et a approuvé sa nomination pour un mandat de cinq ans.

M. Hafner vient de la bibliothèque de l’Université McGill où il a occupé successivement les postes de directeur associé (2007) et de vice-doyen des services des collections. Il y officiait depuis 2004 et a obtenu sa titularisation en 2020. Avant son mandat à McGill, il a travaillé à la Bibliothèque publique de l’Indiana dans les domaines du catalogage, de la liaison, du développement de partenariats, de la formation au leadership et de la gestion des bases de données.

Titulaire d’une maîtrise en bibliothéconomie et en science de l’information de l’Université de l’Indiana, M. Hafner joue un rôle très actif dans sa profession. Participant assidu des associations de bibliothécaires, il fait actuellement partie de la Fédération internationale des Associations de bibliothécaires et des Bibliothèques (IFLA) en tant que président du groupe de révision technique sur les données liées et membre du comité consultatif sur les normes. Il a été membre et a présidé d’autres comités, notamment le sous-comité technique dédié aux données liées, le comité d’acquisition et de développement des collections et le groupe d’intérêt spécial LGBTQ de l’IFLA.

M. Hafner a été vice-président de l’Association internationale des bibliothèques musicales et est membre de l’Association canadienne des bibliothèques musicales, de l’American Library Association, de Canadian Shared Print, de HathiTrust et d’autres associations professionnelles. Universitaire actif, il a également été rédacteur en chef de nombreuses publications, y compris des séries, des numéros de revues et des bulletins d’information, membre du comité de rédaction et auteur de comptes-rendus de conférences et d’articles scientifiques dans d’importantes revues et publications imprimées et électroniques dans le domaine de la bibliothéconomie universitaire.

M. Hafner a joué un rôle de premier plan dans de nombreux projets de transformation de McGill, notamment la construction d’un nouveau site d’entreposage robotisé hors campus de 33 M$, qui a permis de stocker 2,5 millions de livres et de revues. Vous pouvez visionner ici une brève vidéo sur ce projet. M. Hafner apporte à York une vaste expérience en matière de gestion budgétaire et d’amélioration des processus, ainsi qu’une connaissance des services de bibliothèque de première ligne et des défis auxquels les bibliothèques sont confrontées de nos jours, notamment le libre accès et l’utilisation de l’intelligence artificielle.

Afin de s’acquitter de ses engagements en matière de recherche, M. Hafner prendra un congé autorisé durant les six premières semaines de son mandat et Andrea Kosavic continuera d’occuper le poste de doyenne par intérim. Je tiens à exprimer ma profonde gratitude à Mme Kosavic qui assume brillamment le rôle de doyenne intérimaire des bibliothèques depuis juillet 2023 et a apporté des contributions majeures durant cette période de changements.

Je me réjouis de travailler avec M. Hafner qui mettra ses connaissances et son expertise au service de ce rôle important. J’espère que tous les membres de la communauté de York se joindront à moi pour le féliciter et lui souhaiter la bienvenue au sein de l’équipe de leadership pédagogique de l’Université.

Je remercie les membres du comité de recrutement pour leur contribution à ce processus important.

Sincères salutations,

Rhonda Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière   

Provost receives national leadership award

Success female entrepreneur, woman leadership or challenge and a

This month, Provost and Vice-President Academic Lisa Philipps was recognized by the Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada as the recipient of the Angela Hildyard Leadership Recognition Award in the Influential Leader category.

Lisa Philipps

Each year, this award is given to an emerging or influential leader who has continued to demonstrate innovative and impactful leadership in advancing the mission of, and achieving outstanding contributions to, their institution or to higher education.

Influential leaders are recognized for their ability to make rich and meaningful contributions at an institutional or community level, improve the educational experiences of post-secondary students at all levels and coaching or mentoring the next generation of Canadian educators, among other important qualities.

As provost and vice-president academic at York University, Philipps played a critical role in leading development of the University Academic Plan 2020-2025, charting a bold path to creating positive change for York’s students, its campuses, and its communities near and far. With a bold commitment to elevate the University’s collective contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, York has been recognized repeatedly among the top 40 institutions worldwide in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

As provost, Philipps continues to demonstrate her interest in empowering emerging leaders to make meaningful contributions to University communities and to strengthening the post-secondary sector’s impact in Canada and around the world. In 2021, she created the Provostial Fellows Program, an initiative aimed at creating pathways for diverse future academic leaders through mentorship and skill building. Fellows have gone on to assume associate dean positions, oversee undergraduate programming and take on senior Chair positions at other top post-secondary institutions.

Throughout her two terms serving as provost and vice-president academic, Philipps has overseen expanded experiential learning opportunities at York and the continued growth of the Academic Innovation Fund, which supports Faculty and campus partners in their efforts to develop new and exciting ways to educate students. She has also been an instrumental leader in expanding the University’s footprint, with a new Markham Campus set to serve one of the most diverse and dynamic urban communities in the province and country.

Beyond York, Philipps began her academic career in the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria. She later served as associate dean for research, graduate studies and institutional relations at Osgoode Hall Law School; associate vice-president of research at York University; and interim dean of the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law at Lakehead University. At Lakehead, Philipps helped support a new law school to realize its mandate of strengthening the Indigenous bar and preparing lawyers to practise in northern and rural communities.

Each year, a donation is made on an award recipient’s behalf to an institution of their choosing, in the form of a contribution to an endowment or fund that supports students, or to a registered charitable organization supporting educational initiatives. Philipps has chosen to direct these funds to York University’s Student Financial Aid fund to support future student success.

York to host pop-up fair-trade event with free beverages

coffee beans BANNER

York community members are invited to attend a fair trade pop-up event on Wednesday, May 8, to celebrate a new University recognition. The event will take place outside the front doors of Vari Hall – or inside, if it rains – with complimentary, fair-trade Las Nubes coffee, iced tea and mini chocolates. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own mugs to reduce waste.  

The event will be hosted by York’s Office of Sustainability in conjunction with York’s Food Services and the York University Bookstore.  It will begin at 10 a.m. and run until quantities last.

Those who wish to attend are encouraged to register.

Las Nubes Coffee

Las Nubes Coffee, which will be served hot at the event, is a high-grown specialty coffee produced by a co-operative of small farms in areas adjacent to York University’s Las Nubes Rainforest in southern Costa Rica. It has been given certification of sustainability by the Ministry of Agriculture in Costa Rica based on the following criteria: 

  • a fair and just price to local farmers; 
  • sound ecological production and milling processes; 
  • biodiversity protections; 
  • investment in community development; and 
  • ethical trade practices. 

After nearly a decade, Las Nubes has made its way back to Canada and is available in select locations on York’s campuses. Part of the proceeds from the coffee will go towards supporting York’s Las Nubes Research and Conservation Program. 

At the pop-up event on May 8, attendees will also have an opportunity to learn more about ongoing and new fair-trade initiatives at York. The University currently offers a variety of fair-trade products on its campuses. The York University Bookstore continuously updates its supply of sustainable items, working closely with suppliers that provide high quality, fair-trade products, such as fair-trade clothing from Green Campus Co-op and a wide selection of fair-trade, organic chocolate. Through York’s Food Services partner Compass Group, the York community can find fair-trade coffee, tea, chocolate and bananas at all YU Eats locations. 

In addition to attending the pop-up event, York community members are encouraged to learn more and get involved in the fair-trade movement on campus by visiting York’s fair-trade web page.   

Prevent respiratory viruses this spring

Mother and child grocery shopping with masks on

Spring is in full swing and the weather is finally warming up, but it is important to remember that respiratory viruses are still around.

To protect yourself and others, experts recommend keeping the following public health guidance in mind:   

  • consider wearing a mask in indoor public settings, especially in crowded and/or in poorly ventilated spaces;
  • keep a physical distance of six feet from others, when possible, especially indoors;
  • stay home if you are sick or have symptoms of illness, even if the symptoms are mild; and
  • stay up to date with your vaccinations, including COVID-19 boosters.

Anyone with new symptoms of illness, or who has recently tested positive for COVID-19, is encouraged to complete the Ontario Ministry of Health’s self-assessment tool for further direction and guidance.

For those with questions regarding respiratory virus protocols, students can contact SCHW@yuoffice.yorku.ca and employees can contact SFCCM@yorku.ca. The hours of operation for these resources are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information regarding community health, staff, faculty and instructors can visit yorku.ca/hr/communicable-disease, and students can visit students.yorku.ca/health/communicable-diseases.

Web page update: community members can now access up-to-date, relevant public health trends on York’s Humans Resources and Student Health websites. Look for the heading “Public Health Updates” at the bottom of the Communicable Diseases pages.

A new direction for Glendon College

Glendon welcome building

Since the fall of 2021, Glendon has been engaged in a repositioning exercise to ensure that program offerings are compelling, career-relevant, geared toward student needs and sustainable.

Throughout the repositioning process, faculty, staff, students, alumni and other community members have been actively engaged in a thoughtful consultation process about the future direction of Glendon College. Town hall events, community conversations, meetings with Senate and Faculty Council, and polls were regularly held as community touchpoints over the past three years.

The future direction for Glendon includes the restructuring of academic units to promote greater interdisciplinarity and to support research, teaching and the student experience. The revised structure also focused on embracing efficiency in the delivery of Glendon’s programs and strengthening enrolment.

“This new structure presents an opportunity to establish an environment that supports the kind of academic renewal that is needed among today’s universities, where new and innovative ideas are born at the intersection of disciplines,” says Marco Fiola, principal of Glendon College. “I would like to thank all Glendon and York University community members who have participated in this process to create a vibrant future at Glendon.”

On April 30, 2024, York’s Board of Governors approved the restructuring of Glendon’s academic units, bringing into place the following new departmental structure as of September 1, 2024:

  • Glendon Department of Global Communication and Cultures;
  • Glendon Department of Science;
  • Glendon Department of Economics, Business and Mathematics; and
  • Glendon Department of Global and Social Studies.

“A more integrated structure supports creativity in thinking across disciplines when it comes to renewing our curriculum and building our research culture. Above all else, academic programs must remain responsive to the changes we are seeing across higher education today,” says Lisa Philipps, provost and vice-president academic. “I want to recognize the Glendon colleagues who will ultimately ensure the success of the repositioning. This new structure supports sustainability and enables us to deliver the best learning experience possible for our students.”

In the coming months, changes will continue to unfold, including adjustments to academic programming to enhance the student experience, creating co-ordinated recruitment efforts that align with the University-wide strategy and modifications to Glendon’s administrative service model. All these efforts will support the delivery of an enhanced educational experience for students at Glendon starting this fall.

“We have the know-how and we have the ingenuity to be a bold and forward-thinking part of York University,” says Fiola. “This new, streamlined academic structure will help us make better use of our resources, for the benefit of our students and faculty members.”

Une nouvelle orientation pour le Collège Glendon

Depuis l’automne 2021, Glendon se prête à un exercice de repositionnement pour s’assurer que ses offres de programmes sont non seulement pertinentes et en rapport avec une carrière professionnelle, mais aussi durables et axées sur les besoins de la population étudiante.

Tout au long de ce repositionnement, le corps professoral, le personnel, la population étudiante, des diplômés et d’autres membres de la communauté ont participé activement à un processus de consultation approfondi sur l’orientation future du Collège Glendon. Des conversations communautaires, des réunions avec le Sénat et le Conseil de la faculté et des sondages d’opinion ont été organisés régulièrement au cours des trois dernières années afin de rester en relation avec la communauté.

L’orientation future de Glendon comprend la restructuration des unités académiques afin de promouvoir une plus grande interdisciplinarité et d’appuyer la recherche, l’enseignement et l’expérience étudiante. La structure modifiée privilégie aussi l’efficacité de la prestation des programmes de Glendon et le renforcement des inscriptions.

« Cette nouvelle structure nous donne la possibilité de créer un environnement qui favorise le renouveau académique essentiel aux universités d’aujourd’hui et dans lequel des idées nouvelles et innovantes voient le jour au croisement des disciplines, déclare Marco Fiola, principal du Collège Glendon. Je tiens à remercier tous les membres de la communauté de Glendon qui ont participé à ce processus visant à assurer un avenir prometteur au Collège. »

Le 30 avril 2024, le Conseil d’administration de York a approuvé la restructuration des unités académiques de Glendon qui met en place la nouvelle structure départementale suivante à compter du 1er septembre 2024 :

  • Département de la communication et des cultures mondiales de Glendon
  • Département des sciences de Glendon
  • Département des sciences économiques, des affaires et des mathématiques de Glendon
  • Département d’études mondiales et sociales de Glendon

« Une nouvelle structure simplifiée plus intégrée favorise la créativité dans la réflexion interdisciplinaire en vue du renouvellement de nos programmes d’études et de la consolidation de notre culture de la recherche, explique Lisa Philipps, rectrice et vice-présidente aux affaires académiques. Les programmes doivent notamment demeurer très réactifs aux changements que nous observons aujourd’hui dans l’enseignement supérieur. Je tiens à reconnaître les collègues de Glendon qui assureront au bout du compte le succès de ce repositionnement. La nouvelle structure favorise la durabilité et nous permet d’offrir la meilleure expérience d’apprentissage possible à notre population étudiante. »

Dans les mois à venir, des changements continueront à être apportés aux programmes académiques pour améliorer l’expérience étudiante, entraînant des efforts coordonnés de recrutement conformes à la stratégie globale de l’Université et des modifications du modèle de service administratif de Glendon. Tous ces efforts appuieront une expérience éducative améliorée pour la population étudiante de Glendon dès cet automne.

« Nous possédons le savoir-faire et l’ingéniosité nécessaires pour devenir une composante dynamique et avant-gardiste de l’Université York. Grâce à cette nouvelle structure académique rationalisée, nous pourrons mieux utiliser nos ressources au profit des membres de la communauté étudiante et du corps professoral », ajoute Marco Fiola.

New website strengthens York’s commitment to service excellence

Student advising appointment

The launch of the newly refreshed University Services Centre (USC) website marks a step forward in the centre’s mission to provide clear, concise and user-focused support to the York University community as they navigate services.

The USC consolidates high-volume services from across the University into an integrated unit to make staff services easier to access, faster and more consistent. With a dedicated focus on service excellence and a single point of contact for key administrative staff services, the USC’s goal is to reduce the time community members spend on administrative tasks, enabling them to focus on strategic and value-adding work to achieve the University’s mission and priorities.

The new website supports this goal by enabling community members to find the information they need quickly and easily. It provides detailed information about each of the USC’s teams and the services they offer, as well as user guides, instructional videos and more, with standardized elements across all pages to create a seamless interface. The structure of the new site was developed based on community feedback, further highlighting the centre’s collaborative approach to service.  

“The new website provides the community with more information and tailored self-serve resources than ever before, making it easier to understand the services being provided, access forms and guides in a central place, and request service,” says Anthony Barbisan, assistant vice-president of the University Services Centre. “It also provides greater transparency into current timelines for key USC processes to ensure accountability for high-quality, timely services and help community members requesting services plan effectively during high-volume periods.”

The new website is flanked by additional key projects to improve service delivery for the community.

One of the website’s areas of focus is expense reimbursement. USC Finance Services staff focus on processing employee and student expense claims, ensuring the compliance of University policies, procedures and external funding guidelines, and delivering trainings on the expense reimbursement process to community users.

To effectively respond to pain points and challenges regarding expense reimbursement, four new learning tools and opportunities will support the community through the process, in an effort to reduce the time spent preparing and revising expense claims and help ensure the centre can process claims efficiently to speed up payment. The new resources incorporate feedback from community members received through inquiries, working groups and service tables to ensure the final solutions were developed with, not for, the community – an original principle of York’s vision for service excellence.

The introduction of an e-learning course will provide community members with a walk-through of Concur – the platform used to submit expense claims – and detailed instructions for submitting expense reimbursement claims. Short instructional videos are also available on demand when a quick refresher about a step in the process is needed, including how to add common expense types like mileage and per diems. A new quick reference guide will also be available, at the point of submission, to ensure all required information is provided before submitting a claim. For additional support, the USC will be rolling out bookable, one-on-one support sessions, where community members can ask the USC staff questions about their expense claims in real time – avoiding errors and further reducing delays.

In addition to this work to streamline the expense reimbursement process, the USC recently completed its institution-wide roll-out of the recruitment and onboarding (R&O) service provided by USC People Services. This service was shifted to the USC in response to pain points identified by hiring managers, support staff and human resources people partners regarding a range of administrative tasks for high-volume, non-academic recruitments.

Through this work, the USC team consolidated and streamlined approximately 700 different recruitment and onboarding practices from across the University into 23 best practice processes. During the past year, the R&O team supported 2,300 job postings and screened 56,000 resumes. Consolidating this service into the USC will ensure greater consistency in both recruitment and the institutional onboarding experience for new employees, and the USC’s approach to continuous improvement will lead to further improvements in service quality and efficiency.

The USC’s Classroom Operations and Contact Centre teams are also working to improve the experience when requesting technical support from classrooms, by making it faster to reach the right team and ensuring calls are answered by a live agent during peak periods.

To learn more, visit the new University Services Centre website.

Cherry trees on Keele Campus set to bloom

Sakura trees in bloom at York

The sakura cherry trees situated across York University’s Keele Campus are expected to reach peak bloom over the next week, providing an annual – but short-lived – opportunity for the community to take in their natural beauty.

Peak bloom, when 70 per cent of the blossoms on a sakura cherry tree have opened, typically only lasts a short time: four to 10 days. Those looking to enjoy the pink and white blossoms on Keele Campus – one of only a few places in the Greater Toronto Area that has the trees – are encouraged to seek them out soon.

The best display of sakura cherry trees is located adjacent to Calumet College. However, trees are also located in pockets around the campus, along Campus Walk, and there is a small group outside the Tait McKenzie Centre.

Sakura Cherry trees in bloom near Calumet College on the Keele Campus

The trees were planted as part of the Japanese government’s Sakura Project, which symbolizes the long-standing close relationship between Japan and Canada and York University’s many cultural and academic ties with Japanese institutions.

The Japanese flowering cherry tree, or sakura, is a revered symbol of Japan. Its blossoming marks the arrival of spring and is celebrated in waka and haiku poetry, and with annual hanami, or flower-viewing, picnics under the full blossoms of the sakura.

In 2003, York was the first university in Canada to participate in the Sakura Project, which had a goal of planting 3,000 trees in Ontario by 2005. More than a decade later, the trees planted on the Keele Campus continue to thrive.

York recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity, Greenest Employers

York University top 100 employer banner

Continued sustainability and decolonizing, equity, diversity and inclusion (DEDI) progress has earned York University a spot on Canada’s Greenest Employers list for the 12th year in a row, and its first ever inclusion in the Best Diversity Employers list.

Organized by the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project, both lists are annual editorial competitions that spotlight institutional excellence across the nation. The Greenest Employers list recognizes those that “lead the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness in their organizations,” and the Canada’s Best Diversity Employers list recognizes those with exceptional workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs.

“This is the first time York University has achieved two top employer designations. This impressive milestone is a testament to our community’s commitment to our values as a progressive university dedicated to excellence, social justice, diversity, inclusion and sustainability”, said President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton. “I am grateful for the significant contributions community members continue to make toward driving positive change locally and globally.”

“Being recognized as Canada’s Best Diversity and Canada’s Greenest Employers is possible because of the values and dedication of York employees, staff and faculty alike. I hope York and all our colleagues can take pride in how hard we work to be a place where so many different people, all taking so many different paths in their careers and lives, can thrive and feel like they belong,” said Laina Bay-Cheng, interim Vice-president of Equity, People and Culture.

Laina Ya-Hui Bay-Cheng
Laina Bay-Cheng

One of the reasons York was selected for Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for the first time was the launch of the Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, which formalizes and co-ordinates DEDI efforts across the institution. Importantly, the strategy appreciates that there are many forms of discrimination and oppression that exist in society that must be addressed to create an equitable and inclusive world. At York, DEDI values are also infused into other key planning documents, and existing frameworks, including the Framework and Action Plan on Black Inclusion and the Indigenous Framework.

The DEDI Strategy also includes the “rights of the planet,” reflecting York’s determined leadership and ambitious goals in advocating for environmental justice and sustainability. Over the years, the University has made considerable investments and proactive efforts to safeguard the environment in response to the burgeoning climate crisis, placing York’s campuses ahead of other post-secondary institutions, organizations and entire municipalities.

For over a decade, those efforts have consistently led to York being named on the Greenest Employers list due to its sustainability initiatives aimed at reducing the overall environmental impact of the University through conservation and measurement, decarbonization and innovation. Among recent examples is the release of York’s own detailed emissions data and ecological footprint assessment, compiled by the Ecological Footprint Initiative at York. With its release, York became the first Canadian institution to compile and publicize its own comprehensive data of this nature.

The University also recently announced it would be accelerating its timeline and aiming to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040 – a decade sooner than its previous commitment.

This year’s Greenest Employers list recognized employee and senior-level involvement in new and ongoing sustainability projects across the University, such as annual Earth Month tree planting and campus clean-up events, community partnerships with organizations like the Global Footprint Network and the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce, and York’s leadership in hosting the 2023 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, the largest fair-trade event in Canadian history.

Other notable sustainable features highlighted through the editorial competition were long-standing York waste management initiatives such as Zero Waste, York’s comprehensive, multifaceted waste management program that was first established in 1990 and has been expanding for over three decades. The program has continually surpassed its targets, growing from an initial goal of 50 per cent waste reduction to a recent achievement of 70 per cent of waste diverted from landfills in 2019.

In areas of teaching and research, York’s over 500 sustainability-focused courses supported its application in being named as a Greenest Employer, in addition to its Eco-Campus in Costa Rica that operates as a local, national and international school dedicated to education and research on neotropical conservation, eco-health, community well-being and sustainable livelihoods for neighbouring communities.

“York’s collaborative and holistic approach to sustainability has played a large part in why we continue to excel in sustainability leadership,” said Mike Layton, York’s first chief sustainability officer. “This work wouldn’t be possible without the support of students, faculty, instructors and staff. Community adoption of green initiatives and a continued desire to support the University in expanding its impact to create a more sustainable future is integral. This recognition is a reflection of community efforts.”

For more information about the Top 100 Awards that York has been recognized for, visit the Diversity Employers site or the Greenest Employers site.

Message de la présidente

York U letters in Vari Hall

Chère communauté de York,

En date du vendredi 19 avril, le syndicat SCFP (CUPE) 3903, qui représente les auxiliaires d’enseignement, le corps professoral contractuel et les auxiliaires de cycles supérieurs a ratifié les ententes provisoires conclues avec l’Université, après plusieurs mois de négociations collectives, mettant ainsi fin au conflit de travail.

Je souhaite exprimer toute ma gratitude aux équipes de négociation des deux parties prenantes pour leurs efforts visant à renouveler pour trois ans des conventions collectives qui prennent également en compte les ajustements salariaux rétroactifs liés à la Loi 124, dans le contexte budgétaire difficile où se trouve l’Université.

Maintenant que nous nous apprêtons à reprendre toutes nos activités universitaires, nous devons bien évidemment porter notre attention sur notre population étudiante et appuyer ses ambitions, qu’il s’agisse de terminer le trimestre de printemps, de commencer le trimestre d’été ou encore d’obtenir un diplôme de fin d’études, que ce soit au premier cycle ou aux cycles supérieurs.

Le succès étudiant est au cœur de la réalisation du plan académique de York, qui consiste notamment à bâtir sur notre solide réputation d’excellence pédagogique, sur l’excellente qualité de nos programmes, sur l’interdisciplinarité et l’innovation en recherche, sur des partenariats locaux et internationaux sous le signe de l’engagement, et sur une expérience universitaire chaleureuse et inclusive.

Bien que le secteur postsecondaire ontarien continue d’être confronté à des défis considérables, l’Université York est bien placée pour saisir les occasions qui se présentent à elle pour continuer d’investir dans son avenir.

Ensemble, nous avons accompli tant de choses, et nous avons raison d’être fiers de nos réalisations, comme en témoigne notre ascension régulière dans les classements mondiaux. Publié récemment, le classement mondial QS plaçait l’Université York parmi les 100 meilleures universités au monde dans trois disciplines, soit l’éducation, la langue anglaise et sa littérature, et la philosophie. Nous avons obtenu l’approbation du Gouvernement pour la création d’une école de médecine, ce qui permettra une fois de plus de réaffirmer notre engagement à répondre aux besoins en santé de l’Ontario. Par ailleurs, notre campus de Markham ouvrira ses portes cet automne pour ainsi créer davantage de possibilités pour plusieurs Facultés de faire fleurir le talent nécessaire dans de nouveaux domaines en émergence, au carrefour de l’entrepreneuriat et de la technologie.

Je suis certaine que vous vous réjouirez comme moi de la reprise de toutes les activités universitaires et que vous souhaiterez que l’on s’unisse en tant que communauté pour continuer de travailler à la réalisation de notre vision, qui consiste à offrir aux étudiants et étudiantes de tous les horizons une expérience universitaire positive.

Veuillez agréer mes sincères salutations, 

Rhonda Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière