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E. Louise Spencer appointed acting vice-president, advancement

Drone image shows Vari Hall and the Ross Building on Keele Campus

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

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Dear Colleagues,

I am delighted to announce that E. Louise Spencer has been appointed acting Vice-President, Advancement, effective April 1.

In her current role as Assistant Vice-President, Development, Louise is responsible for the strategic direction and leadership of a team of 30 Advancement colleagues, who represent the faculties and key interests of the University, including the Annual Fund and Planned Giving programs. Under Louise’s leadership, the team has raised more than $60 million in the past three and a half years.

Louise joined York in September 2017 as Senior Director, Major Gifts and Planned Giving, and was appointed Assistant Vice President, Development in April 2018.

Prior to this, she spent 11 years at the Ivey School of Business at Western University where she held senior fundraising, strategy, and leadership roles in Executive Development, Advancement, and Development, and 14 years in sales and senior management functions at Xerox Canada. She has also taught several sales and marketing courses at Fanshawe College.

Louise holds a Bachelor of Arts, History and Art History from Western University.

Please join me in congratulating Louise on this new role, and once again thanking Jeff O’Hagan, outgoing Vice-President Advancement, for his strong leadership and significant contributions to the Advancement portfolio over the past 10 years.

Sincerely,

Rhonda L. Lenton
President and Vice-Chancellor

Nomination de E. Louise Spencer au poste de vice-présidente par intérim de l’avancement

Chers collègues,

Je suis ravie de vous annoncer la nomination de E. Louise Spencer au poste de vice-présidente par intérim à l’avancement à compter du 1er avril 2021.

Dans son rôle actuel de vice-présidente adjointe au développement, Louise est chargée de la direction stratégique et de la conduite d’une équipe de 30 collègues de l’avancement représentant les facultés et les parties clés de l’Université, tel le Fonds annuel et les programmes de dons planifiés. Sous sa direction, l’équipe a récolté plus de 60 millions de dollars en trois ans et demi.

Louise a intégré l’Université York en septembre 2017 en tant que directrice principale des dons majeurs et des dons planifiés; elle est devenue vice-présidente adjointe au développement en avril 2018.

Auparavant, elle a passé 11 ans à la Ivey School of Business de l’Université Western, durant lesquels elle a occupé divers postes stratégiques de haut niveau liés à la collecte de fonds, à l’avancement et au développement, et 14 ans chez Xerox Canada, où elle a occupé des postes de direction, notamment dans les ventes. Louise a également donné plusieurs cours de marketing et de vente au Fanshawe College.

Elle détient un baccalauréat ès arts en histoire et histoire de l’art de l’Université Western.

Veuillez vous joindre à moi pour féliciter Louise pour sa nomination et pour remercier une fois de plus Jeff O’Hagan, vice-président sortant à l’avancement, pour son leadership solide et ses importantes contributions à l’avancement au cours des dix dernières années.

Sincères salutations,

Rhonda L. Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière

Reminder: Virtual Town Hall planned for March 30

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

The following is a message to students, faculty and staff from President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton:

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to remind you that all students, staff, instructors and faculty are invited to join us for a Virtual Town Hall on Tuesday, March 30, where we will discuss our plans for a return to on-campus activities in the Fall and address questions from our community members.

As always, we encourage you to submit questions in advance of the event using this form.

Date: Tuesday, March 30

Time: 1:30 pm – 3 p.m. 

Zoom Webinar: https://yorku.zoom.us/j/96495606903?pwd=YXl1Ym55Slk5aGh1alVyNWxiVnFmZz09

Webinar ID: 964 9560 6903

Telephone Dial-In: (647) 374-4685 

Password: 502249 

Link to Livestream: https://conversations.info.yorku.ca/

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

  • Lisa Philipps, vice-president academic and provost,
  • Carol McAulay, vice-president finance and administration,
  • Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation,
  • Jeff O’Hagan, vice-president advancement,
  • Lucy Fromowitz, vice-provost students,
  • Mary Catherine Masciangelo, assistant vice-president and chief human resources officer.

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.

You can add the town hall to your Outlook calendar using the attached .ics file.

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

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

I look forward to your questions.

Sincerely,

Rhonda L. Lenton 
President & Vice-Chancellor

Rappel : Joignez-vous à nous demain pour une conversation communautaire virtuelle

Chers collègues,

Nous tenons à rappeler aux membres du corps étudiant, du personnel, du corps enseignant et du corps professoral qu’ils sont invités à se joindre, le mardi 30 mars, à une conversation communautaire virtuelle durant laquelle nous discuterons de la reprise prévue de nos activités sur le campus en automne et nous répondrons aux questions des membres de la communauté.

Comme toujours, nous vous encourageons à soumettre vos questions à l’avance à l’aide de ce formulaire.

Date : Mardi 30 mars 

Heure : de 13 h 30 à 15 h

Webinaire Zoom:
https://yorku.zoom.us/j/96495606903?pwd=YXl1Ym55Slk5aGh1alVyNWxiVnFmZz09 

Code du webinaire : 964 9560 6903 

Numéro de téléphone : (647) 374-4685  

Mot de passe : 502249 

Lien pour la diffusion en direct : https://conversations.info.yorku.ca/

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

  • Lisa Philipps, vice-présidente aux affaires académiques et rectrice
  • Carol McAulay, vice-présidente des finances et de l’administration
  • Amir Asif, vice-président de la recherche et de l’innovation
  • Jeff O’Hagan, vice-président de l’avancement
  • Lucy Fromowitz, vice-rectrice aux affaires étudiantes
  • Mary Catherine Masciangelo, vice-présidente adjointe et dirigeante principale des ressources humaines

Si vous avez des besoins, des remarques ou des commentaires en matière d’accessibilité, veuillez nous le faire savoir à l’aide de ce formulaire.

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

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

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

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

J’attends vos questions avec impatience.

Sincères salutations,  

Rhonda Lenton, 
Présidente et vice-chancelière

Student Counselling, Health & Well-being aligns services to better support students

A woman looking at a laptop that says "Mental Health"

The Division of Students is aligning its services to better support the mental health and well-being of students at York University. Student Counselling & Development (SCD) and Health Education & Promotion (HEP) are now operating as one unit under the new name Student Counselling, Health & Well-being (SCHW).

The two units have joined forces to provide a holistic approach to mental health and well-being programming within the York community. This organizational repositioning brings together the services at HEP with the services at SCD. Students will have access to a comprehensive suite of services led by experienced staff and student peers dedicated to addressing their ever-changing needs. Learn more about SCHW’s realignment of services in Mental Health Matters, the Student Counselling, Health & Well-being’s 2019-20 Annual Report.

A woman looking at a laptop that says "Mental Health"
Student Counselling & Development (SCD) and Health Education & Promotion (HEP) are now operating as one unit under the new name Student Counselling, Health & Well-being (SCHW)

Driven by creating proactive approaches to well-being on campus, HEP’s programming and mission naturally align with the goals of SCD. Student Counselling, Health & Well-being now offers a range of services including training programs, workshops and peer-to-peer consulting in addition to the services traditionally provided by student counselling services such as walk-in counselling, short-term therapy, emergency support, group counselling, informational sessions and more. The team aims to continue to educate in the areas of physical health, nutrition, sleep, sexual health, and the use of alcohol, cannabis and other drugs.

“By bringing these two departments together and broadening our scope to include well-being, students will have access to services and resources that promote and support their happiness, health and academic success,” said Lori Walls, director of Student Counselling, Health & Well-being.

The SCHW team hopes these initiatives will lead to an expansion of their partnerships with the Faculty of Health, School of Nursing, Department of Psychology, student groups and partners in the Division of Students, as well as external community partners.

While most sessions are student-focused, SCHW workshops are open to the whole York community. The calendar for upcoming workshops and training sessions can be found on the SCHW Events & Workshops webpage.

Students interested in speaking with a counsellor for same-day support and/or short-term therapy can call 416-736-5297. SCHW’s hours of operation can be found on the Contact Us page.

For more information about how to access services, eligibility for services, after hours support resources and more, visit the Student Counselling, Health and Well-being website.

Annual Avie Bennett Historica Lecture remembers 20th century’s ‘forgotten’ pandemic

"Carried Away" Avie Bennett Lecture banner

Esyllt Jones, award-winning author and history professor at the University of Manitoba, will deliver this year’s annual Avie Bennett Historica Canada public lecture on March 26.

“Carried Away: Forgetting and Remembering the Great Influenza Pandemic in Canada” will shed new light on the 1918 Influenza pandemic by exploring the experiences of the ordinary people who lived through it. The lecture will take place virtually from 4 to 5 p.m. via Zoom.

Esylit Jones
Esylit Jones

While COVID-19 has generated intense recent interest in the Great Influenza pandemic (1918-20), that event was long referred to as the 20th century’s “forgotten” pandemic. With no “Great Men” to canonize, or moment of victory to celebrate, the influenza pandemic was largely excluded from national histories. Yet for a century its effects lingered in the lives and memories of its survivors.

In this public lecture, Jones will use work by writer Alice Munro to suggest a new interpretation of how pandemic disease survivors remembered their experiences, and how those intimate histories interacted with large-scale social forces and upheavals. By placing the experiences of ordinary men and women in the center of the frame, she will explore not only whether the pandemic was forgotten or remembered, but also by whom, and in what ways.

Jones’ research focuses on the history of health and disease in Canada and the modern world, 20th century health activism and politics, transnational social movements, working class history, and the history of Winnipeg. Her book, Influenza 1918: Death, Disease and Struggle in Winnipeg (University of Toronto Press, 2007), examines the impact of the Great Influenza pandemic on the community of Winnipeg, particularly its role in the eruption of the largest labour confrontation in Canadian history, the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919. Jones also co-edited a book on the national impact of the pandemic, called Epidemic Encounters: Influenza, Society, and Culture in Canada, 1918-20 (UBC Press, 2012).

The Avie Bennett Historica Chair was established at York University in 2004 by the Historica Foundation of Canada, endowed by York Chancellor Emeritus Avie Bennett. Its purpose is to promote the study of Canada’s heritage and ensure the academic vitality of the discipline. Each year, an esteemed lecturer is invited to share their research with historians, students, faculty and the public at large.

Register for the lecture here.

Building blocks: Lassonde grad student works to make concrete block walls safer

Bergeron Centre

Adrien Sparling, a PhD candidate at the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University, is working to make concrete block masonry walls stiffer, taller and safer by conducting full-scale testing and research in the High Bay Lab at the Bergeron Centre.

Adrien Sparling’s research is being conducted under the supervision of Professor Dan Palermo in the Department of Civil Engineering and explores the stiffness response of masonry walls, including how different methods of reinforcement impact these characteristics
Adrien Sparling’s research explores the stiffness response of masonry walls, including how different methods of reinforcement impact these characteristics

Sparling’s research is being conducted under the supervision of Professor Dan Palermo in the Department of Civil Engineering and explores the stiffness response of masonry walls, including how different methods of reinforcement impact these characteristics.

The latest test was done on a masonry block wall measuring 7.8 m in height, representing a full-scale test. This size of testing is very rare in academic settings across Canada and is made possible by the infrastructure available at the High Bay Lab in the Bergeron Centre.

The testing procedure represents an important opportunity to develop information that can advise structural standards and building codes in Canada. The 7.8 m wall was constructed by a mason, while Sparling developed and applied novel methods of reinforcement. The construction and reinforcement of the four walls that are part of this project took approximately one month.

Once in place and supported, the experimental setup includes hydraulic actuators, both above and behind the wall, which apply forces that resemble what may occur in high winds. In a building with tall walls, strong winds can cause the walls to bend; if the walls are not stiff enough, heavy loads from the roof can make the bending forces on the wall much larger (picture pushing down on a piece of dry spaghetti).

The new reinforcement process being tested by Sparling puts steel reinforcing bars near the outside surfaces of the wall (near-surface mounted, or NSM technique). This makes the wall much stiffer than it would be if the same amount of reinforcement was placed down the middle of the wall, as is done in conventional concrete block masonry construction. The testing process applies different combinations of vertical and horizontal loads on the walls, so that the strength, and stiffness of walls reinforced with the new and conventional process, can be compared.

“The main purpose of this project is to assess how tall concrete block walls behave under extreme loading conditions. We need to know how much force it takes to break this kind of wall so that we can be sure what loads are safe. Ultimately, our goal is to demonstrate the benefits of using NSM reinforcement for tall masonry walls. The data we produce will also help improve the next round of design standards so that we can use our construction materials more efficiently and safely,” said Sparling.

The current test builds on a past study authored by Sparling, which assessed how near-surface mounted reinforcement can be applied to new masonry construction. In their work, which was published in 2020 in the Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, the team used 3.2 m masonry walls with conventional grouted reinforcement or near-surface mounted reinforcement. They found that the flexural strength of both walls was similar; however, the stiffness of the near-surface reinforcement walls was twice as high, indicating that the near-surface mounted reinforcement may be a preferable option in tall unsupported masonry walls, such as box stores or commercial warehouse buildings.

The research and testing by Sparling will help to identify potential reinforcing strategies for standard block walls. The work also has potential as an alternative to newer tilt-up walls that are used in many commercial settings. As current Canadian masonry design standards are restrictive to the design of reinforced masonry walls, the work may identify aspects of these standards that can be modified in the future.

Sparling will be conducting three more tests over the next three months.

About the High Bay Lab
The High Bay Lab is a state-of-the-art laboratory in the Bergeron Centre at the Lassonde School of Engineering. With a floor that is one-metre thick, it can withstand earthquake level forces, has professional grade equipment for testing and prototyping of materials and includes an overhead crane that can support over 10 tonnes. Located centrally within the Bergeron Centre, the High Bay Lab enables for ground-breaking work to be done on the York University campus.

2021 Wendy Michener Memorial Lecture explores art and design in climate justice

glass planet in a forest with sunshine

On March 29, the 2021 Wendy Michener Memorial Lecture will feature a dynamic group of artist-scholars from different international sites (Canada, New Zealand and the U.K.) for an engaging discussion that explores the role of art and design in climate justice.

This online event takes place from 2:30 to 4:15 p.m. and is co-presented by York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD), Sensorium: Centre for Digital Arts & Technology, Institute for Research on Digital Literacies (IRDL), CITY Institute, and Glendon Communications Program.

During the lecture, titled “Art, Design, and Climate Justice,” presenters Huhana Smith, Rachel Hann and Ian Garrett will reflect on the vital role that artists can play in designing for climate, urban and environmental justice. This will be the first event in the 2021 Design Justice Speaker Series, which explores how design can challenge social inequities, empower marginalized communities, and engage in worldbuilding that supports cultural and ecological survival.

Huhana Smith
Huhana Smith. Photo: Massey University

Smith is an associate professor at New Zealand’s Massey University, visual artist and curator who engages in major environmental, trans-disciplinary, kaupapa Māori, and action-research projects. She is co-principal investigator for research, which includes mātauranga Māori methods with sciences to actively address climate change concerns for coastal Māori lands in Horowhenua-Kāpiti. She is currently undertaking Phase 3 of Deep South National Science Challenge funding from the Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment, Wellington, New Zealand with additional funding that began in 2015. Smith and co-collaborators actively encourage the use of art and design’s visual systems, combined in exhibitions, to expand how solutions might integrate complex issues and make solutions more accessible for local communities.

Rachel Hann
Rachel Hann. Photo: Northumbria University

Hann is a cultural scenographer and Senior Lecturer in Performance and Design based at Northumbria University, Newcastle, U.K. Her research is focused on the material cultures of scenography, climate crisis, and trans performance. Hann is author of Beyond Scenography (Routledge, 2019), which was shortlisted for the Prague Quadrennial 2019 Publication Prize. Her next book, provisionally titled Enacting Worlds: Climate Crisis Scenographics, investigates the social, political, and cultural staging of ‘world feelings.’ Rachel also collaborates with the Design Studio for Social Intervention (Boston, U.S.), including a short article on “Justice Scenographics: Civilization change in a time of Anywheres and Somewheres.”

Ian Garrett
Ian Garrett

Garrett is a designer, producer, educator and researcher in the field of sustainability in arts and culture. He is the director of the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts; associate professor of Ecological Design for Performance at York University, and producer for Toasterlab, a mixed reality performance collective. He maintains a design practice focused on ecology, technology and scenography. With Chantal Bilodeau, he co-directs the Climate Change Theatre Action. His writing includes “Arts, the Environment, and Sustainability for Americans for the Arts,” “The Carbon Footprint of Theatrical Production in Readings in Performance and Ecology,” and “Theatre is No Place for a Plant” for the Ashden Directory.

The Wendy Michener Lecture, named in commemoration of the Canadian arts critic and journalist, was established at York University in 1986 to provide a forum for discussion of vital issues and developments in culture and the arts. Some of the past presenters of the lecture include journalist Anna Maria Tremonti, artist Matthew Ritchie, and creative industries executive Hael Kobayashi.

Register for the lecture here.

Coming to campus? Complete the Daily COVID-19 Screening using the Campus Access System

Featured illustration of the novel coronavirus

The following is a message to students, faculty and staff from Parissa Safai, who is special advisor to the president for Academic Continuity Planning & COVID-19 Response:

Dear Colleagues:

In an effort to keep campuses safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, all faculty, staff, instructors, students and researchers who are planning on visiting York at this time must use the campus access system. The system allows anyone with a Passport York account to book the date(s) that they expect to be on campus in advance, requiring one week for requests to be approved.

Once the dates have been accepted and you have received your confirmation email, you will be asked to complete a daily screening checklist before coming to York. If your area is already keeping a manual log of screening for staff, you should continue to follow this process. Below is some guidance on how to use the system at this time.

Tips for completing the Campus Access Form and Daily Screening 

  • Have your Passport York login information handy to access the form.
  • As soon as you log in to the campus access system, you will see two tabs:
    • The Access Request Form, which is the tab to use to submit new campus access requests, and
    • The COVID-19 Screening Checklist-pre campus tab, which is used for completing daily screening before coming on campus.
  • Complete the campus access questions first and submit your request. For the dates that you have been approved to be on campus, you will receive a daily email requiring you to complete the screening checklist.
  • After reviewing each question, if you have answered “no” in each case, you will need to confirm your response by checking the “confirm” button at the bottom of the email in order to complete the process. The system will then provide you with a response to attend campus.
  • Where someone has answered “yes” to any of the screening questions, they will be asked not to come onto our campuses and see What You Need to Know on the YU Better Together website.
  • This process must be repeated each time before you attend campus and a reminder email will be sent to you through the system to complete your screening questions.

Please know that Faculty, staff, instructors and researchers who have been approved for ongoing access will only need to submit the Campus Access Request Form once. All other access requests must be submitted for each time you require access to campus.

The process plays a key role in managing campus density and ensuring that those who need on-campus access will be prioritized, as the University complies with requirements from the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development to support screening and campus-based activities.

Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to protecting the health and safety of the York community at this time. For regular updates on the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please continue to visit YU Better Together.

Sincerely,

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

Dépistage quotidien de la COVID-19 à l’aide du système Campus Access

Chers collègues,

Dans le cadre de nos efforts pour préserver la sécurité du campus durant la pandémie de la COVID-19, tous les membres du corps professoral, du personnel, du corps enseignant, du corps étudiant et des équipes de recherche qui prévoient se rendre à York durant cette période doivent utiliser le système Campus Access. Ce système permet à toutes les personnes ayant un compte Passport York de réserver une ou plusieurs dates de fréquentation du campus. Veuillez prévoir une semaine pour que les demandes soient approuvées.

Une fois que vos dates ont été acceptées et que vous avez reçu un courriel de confirmation, vous devez remplir le questionnaire de dépistage quotidien avant de venir à York. Si votre zone de travail tient déjà un registre manuel de dépistage pour les membres du personnel, vous devez continuer à observer ce processus.

Conseils pour remplir le formulaire d’accès au campus et le questionnaire de dépistage quotidien 

  • Ayez vos identifiants Passport York à portée de la main pour accéder au formulaire.
  • Dès que vous aurez ouvert une session dans le système Campus Access, vous verrez deux onglets :
    • L’onglet « Access Request Form » (formulaire de demande d’accès) est celui à utiliser pour envoyer les nouvelles demandes d’accès au campus; et
    • L’onglet « COVID-19 Screening Checklist-pre Campus Attendance » (questionnaire de dépistage de la COVID-19 avant de venir sur le campus) est celui à utiliser pour effectuer le dépistage quotidien avant de venir sur le campus.
  • Pour commencer, remplissez les questions du formulaire d’accès et envoyez votre demande. Vous recevrez chaque jour un courriel vous demandant de remplir le questionnaire de dépistage pour les dates faisant l’objet de l’autorisation.
  • Si vous avez répondu « non » à chaque question, vous devrez confirmer vos réponses en cliquant sur le bouton « Confirm » au bas de la page pour finaliser le processus. Le système vous fournira alors une réponse relative à votre visite sur le campus.
  • Si vous répondez « oui » à l’une des questions de dépistage, on vous demandera de ne pas venir sur nos campus et de consulter la section What You Need to Know (Ce que vous devez savoir) sur le site Web YU Better Together.
  • Ce processus devra être répété avant chaque visite sur le campus; un courriel sera envoyé par le système pour vous rappeler de remplir les questions de dépistage.

Veuillez noter que les membres du corps professoral, du personnel, du corps enseignant et des équipes de recherche dont l’accès permanent a été approuvé doivent remplir le formulaire d’accès au campus une seule fois. Toutes les autres demandes d’accès doivent être soumises chaque fois que vous souhaitez accéder au campus.

Ces mesures sont nécessaires pour contrôler la densité du campus et pour donner la priorité aux personnes ayant besoin d’avoir accès au campus; nous nous conformons aux exigences du ministère du Travail, de la Formation et du Développement des compétences pour effectuer le dépistage et gérer ce processus.

Nous vous remercions pour votre coopération et votre engagement envers la santé et la sécurité de la communauté de York durant cette période. Pour connaître les derniers développements de la réponse de l’Université à la pandémie de la COVID-19, veuillez continuer à visiter le site YU Better Together.

Sincères salutations,

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

Advantages of Open Education at the heart of a panel discussion, March 25

Student working at home having a video conference with colleagues

The advantages and learning opportunities offered by Open Education will be at the heart of a virtual panel planned for Thursday, March 25, taking place, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the York University community, will be offered over the Zoom platform. It will feature a panel discussion on the use of open educational resources (OER) and open pedagogy.

Registration is required and can be completed at:   https://scottlibrary.apps01.yorku.ca/machform/view.php?id=101554.

Participants will hear from York University professors, a course instructor, students and an instructional designer about their experiences with OER and open pedagogy. The panel is presented by the York University Libraries and the Open Education Steering Committee.

Dean of Libraries Joy Kirchner
Dean of Libraries Joy Kirchner

“As Open Education, inclusive of open pedagogy, finds fertile ground in York classrooms and libraries, the relationship students have with learning is changing,” says York University’s Dean of Libraries Joy Kirchner. “This event will demonstrate the innovative pedagogical opportunities that open education is creating – particularly in light of the swift pivot to pandemic related remote education – as an avenue to pursue evolutionary teaching practices and reimagined course delivery by making content co-creation possible through open practices, while also creating a pathway for affordable education. This may well be a catalyst for what will come next.”

There are a variety of ways to incorporate OER and open pedagogy into the classroom. This panel will showcase unique approaches from three disciplines and will also highlight how it improved the student learning experience. Participating in the panel are:

  • Dawn Bazely, University Professor, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science.
  • Deborah Davidson, associate professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.
  • Matthew Dunleavy, PhD candidate and course director, Department of English, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies.
  • Jonathan Whatley, instructional designer, editor and writer.

Joining them will be three York University students:

  • Iqra Aqib, third-year student in the Honours Human Resource Management program.
  • Cheyenne Gumbs, graduate of York University’s Bachelor of Science program.
  • Araceli Ferrara, fourth-year student in the Honours Theatre & History program.

Open educational resources are free, openly licensed teaching and learning materials that are created by educators and subject matter experts. They can take the form of textbooks, slide decks, assignments, and much more. They remove financial burdens for students and provide access to course learning materials on the first day of classes because they are free for faculty and students to use.

Open pedagogy, also known as open educational practices, create opportunities for students to become collaborators in the knowledge creation process. Building on the use of OER in the classroom, open pedagogy goes one step further as instructors use open educational practices to design assignments that allow students to practice knowledge creation in open, supportive learning environments.

To learn more about OER and open pedagogy, check out the University Libraries’ OER Guide and OER webpage.

Drive-through simulation helps agencies in Canada and U.S. to vaccinate more people

An image of cars lined up on a street in traffic

As cities and towns across Canada and the United States grapple with the logistics of planning COVID-19 vaccine sites, York professors have been busy helping to plan mass vaccinations using different methods, including drive-through vaccination centres.

The vaccination drive-through simulation, which has now helped organizations in both countries to plan how to get as many people vaccinated as possible, was developed by Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Associate Professor Ali Asgary, associate director of the Advanced Disaster, Emergency and Rapid Response Simulation (ADERSIM) in collaboration with the Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (LIAM), led by Professor Jianhong Wu of the Faculty of Science.

Aerial view of vaccination clinic at Armprior District High School in Renfrew County (Image: Scott McLeod, paramedic)
Aerial view of vaccination clinic at Arnprior District High School in Renfrew County (Image: Scott McLeod, paramedic)

The simulation has been listed as one of the best community models on the AnyLogic software website and the peer-reviewed paper has been downloaded around 5,000 times so far.

“The development of simulation tools that enable planning and preparation are essential for the success of timely and efficient vaccine dispensing,” says Asgary. “Planning and operation of drive-through clinics for mass vaccination requires extraordinary advance planning and preparation at the local, national, and international levels. Health agencies are looking for tools that will help them with these planning and operation complexities.”

Asgary worked with Jeff Dodge, advanced care and community paramedic A/commander for the County of Renfrew Paramedic Service, to plan three vaccination drive-through clinics for frontline healthcare workers in Renfrew, Ontario, with the Arnprior & District Family Health Team this month.

“Efficiency is everything. This model allows us to predict how many people we can vaccinate in an hour,” says Dodge, who has used it to run three drive-through vaccination clinics for healthcare workers in the local Arnprior District High School parking lot. “We started with 50 vehicles per hour at the first clinic and are now up to about 84 an hour and there is still room to go up a bit more.”

Each vehicle was registered in 45 seconds, plus another 60 seconds for the needle in the arm, followed by a 15-minute observation period. At their last clinic, they vaccinated 265 people in two hours and more clinics are on the way.

The trick he says is to make sure the line up doesn’t block the adjacent highway, but the model factors that in. He’s now using the simulation tool to evaluate additional sites for drive-through vaccination clinics for the public. “I’ve been using this model a lot. It’s really practical for planning, as well as ruling future sites in or out. I don’t know why everyone isn’t using it.”

UCHealth, a non-profit health system based in Colorado with multiple hospitals and clinics, also reached out to Asgary when they were planning a mass vaccination drive-through with their partners and collaborators. The result is that they were able to vaccinate 10,000 people in one weekend or 12 hours. That worked out to 834 cars per hour and 22.4 minutes per car, including a 15-minute observation period.

They point to the customizable drive-through vaccination model and simulation tool, developed by Asgary, which they used to help with the planning, including the number of cars and people entering, as well as the average time spent in the drive-through.

“Dr. Asgary’s simulation enabled us to predict bottlenecks and snags in our flow based on the complex and interdependent interactions at each step in the process. Ultimately, simulation identified a major, previously unforeseen design flaw in our anticipated model, leading to substantial change and likely averting catastrophe. Thanks to our close collaboration, we were able to pull off the most efficient mass vaccination to date,” says Dr. Daniel Resnick-Ault of University of Colorado’s Department of Emergency Medicine, one of the medical directors for the mass vaccination clinic.

The team is currently working with Cook County Health and other stakeholders to simulate and research their drive-through facility at the United Centre in planning and preparation for operation.

These are just two examples of how the York simulation tool is being used and modified depending on the specific parameters and goals of each organization.

“Vaccinating everyone is one of the biggest public health challenges this decade,” says Asgary. “The advantages of a drive-through clinic are many, including a low risk for disease transmission for staff and public, a large number of people can be vaccinated, and it is useful for a geographically scattered population.”

Join the York community for a virtual Town Hall, March 30

Drone image shows Vari Hall and the Ross Building on Keele Campus

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

We know that many of you likely have questions about the University’s plans for a safe return to our campuses for the Fall 2021 term. We invite all students, staff, instructors and faculty to join us for a Virtual Town Hall on Tuesday, March 30, where we will discuss our plans for a return to on-campus activities in the fall and address questions from our community members.

As always, we encourage you to submit questions in advance of the event using this form.

Date: Tuesday, March 30
Time: 1:30 pm to 2:45 p.m.
Zoom Webinar: https://yorku.zoom.us/j/96495606903?pwd=YXl1Ym55Slk5aGh1alVyNWxiVnFmZz09
Webinar ID: 964 9560 6903
Telephone Dial-In: (647) 374-4685
Password: 502249
Link to Livestream: https://conversations.info.yorku.ca/

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

  • Lisa Philipps, vice-president academic and provost
  • Carol McAulay, vice-president finance and administration
  • Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation
  • Jeff O’Hagan, vice-president advancement
  • Lucy Fromowitz, vice-provost students
  • Mary Catherine Masciangelo, assistant vice-president and chief human resources officer

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

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

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

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

I look forward to your questions.

Sincerely,

Rhonda L. Lenton 
President & Vice-Chancellor

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

Nous savons que beaucoup d’entre vous ont probablement des questions au sujet de la planification de l’Université afin d’assurer un retour sécuritaire sur nos campus pour le trimestre d’automne 2021. Nous invitons tous les membres du corps étudiant, du personnel, du corps enseignant et du corps professoral à se joindre, le mardi 30 mars, à notre conversation communautaire virtuelle durant laquelle nous discuterons de la reprise prévue de nos activités sur le campus en automne et nous répondrons aux questions des membres de notre communauté.

Comme toujours, nous vous encourageons à soumettre vos questions à l’avance à l’aide de ce formulaire.

Date : Mardi 30 mars
Heure : de 13 h 30 à 14 h 45
Zoom Webinar: https://yorku.zoom.us/j/96495606903?pwd=YXl1Ym55Slk5aGh1alVyNWxiVnFmZz09
Code du webinaire :964 9560 6903
Numéro de téléphone : (647) 374-4685
Mot de passe : 502249
Lien pour la diffusion en direct : https://conversations.info.yorku.ca/

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

  • Lisa Philipps, vice-présidente aux affaires académiques et rectrice
  • Carol McAulay, vice-présidente des finances et de l’administration
  • Amir Asif, vice-président de la recherche et de l’innovation
  • Jeff O’Hagan, vice-président de l’avancement
  • Lucy Fromowitz, vice-rectrice aux affaires étudiantes
  • Mary Catherine Masciangelo, vice-présidente adjointe et dirigeante principale des ressources humaines

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

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

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

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

J’attends vos questions avec impatience.

Sincères salutations,

Rhonda L. Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière