Planning Case Competition fosters experiential education for MES students

Image announcing Awards

Students in York University’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC) had an opportunity for innovative experiential education during the second virtual Planning Case Competition, held earlier this fall. 

The event, designed for Master in Environmental Studies (MES) planning students, was hosted by the MES York Planning Alumni Committee (MYPAC) and connects students with alumni and professionals in the field of urban planning. 

Students were welcomed by Professor Philip Kelly, associate dean of research, graduate and global affairs, who explained they would have an opportunity to participate in a project they may encounter in the planning field.

“At EUC we see our mandate, not just studying changing cities and environments, but also effecting change by imparting the skills and active citizenship among our students to make change out in the world,” said Kelly. “I hope that today’s event equips you with some of those skills. As you embark on your planning careers […] have a lot of fun and learn a lot in the process.” 

The case study was presented by Chris Wong, director of transportation and master planning, York University Development Corporation (YUDC). 

“Being invited to prepare the planning challenge for the MYPAC Case Competition was a huge privilege,” said Wong. “The competition is not only an innovative experiential education platform for the next generation of city planners who participated, but it allowed YUDC to use an emerging new vision and strategy initiative for the Keele Campus as a real-world demonstration of what they could be a part of over their careers.” 

Students were asked to create a plan for the ‘Village Main’ neighbourhood in the southern quadrant of area surrounding York University. The plan would need to be consistent with York’s campus vision and incorporate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which York is committed to. This case gave excellent insights into the kinds of projects students might encounter in future roles as planners.  

Wong, as part of a panel of judges that included: David MacMillan, MES ’14, project manager, City of Toronto; Adam Zendel, MES’13, director of investments and planning, Royal Indevco Properties; and Gabriella Sicheri, MES ’94, vice-president, CreateTO. The panel assessed the students’ presentations, offered feedback and answered questions about city planning. 

After much deliberation, the judges awarded the $2,000 cash prize to the winning team of MES students Justin MinorAllsun Campbell and Erin Foster. The team was recognized for making connections to the existing infrastructure and implementing focus on the density that would be needed in this area. Their proposal encapsulated the following vision:

“The village corner will be an anchor of the York Community. A gathering space that provides a full host of amenities and services. It is connected to the university precincts and surrounding communities by network that prioritises transit, active transportation modes and green spaces. The land use and building types will be flexible enough to meet current demands and future needs.” 

The second-place team – Paul Berkun-Drevnig, Jasmine Mohamed and Elika Zamani – earned $800 for their submission that demonstrated a strong land use plan and strong connection to the University’s physical and educational uses. 

The third-place team – Bria Hamilton, Nigel Carvalho and Amanda Rooney – won $400 for their submission that showed a great understanding of open space and programming.  

“The MYPAC case competition was a valuable experience as it allowed for my team and I to think of an urban-design solution for a particularly challenging space. We were able to create an innovative solution that consolidated a variety of perspectives and strategies,” said Berkun-Drevnig. 

Brandon Stevens and Patrycja Jankowski of MYPAC organized the annual event and noted that MYPAC is proud to have hosted the Case Competition this year for students to have the opportunity to work on a planning case. The event builds on the positive reception from last year’s case competition and provides students the opportunity to showcase their work to their peers and alumni.  

The 2021 MYPAC Case Competition proved to be an extremely useful tool for MES planning students in gaining experiential education that will support them in their studies as well as afterwards in their careers. 

Nomination deadline for the President’s Research Awards extended to Dec. 20

research graphic

The Senate Committee on Awards invites current or emeritus tenure-stream faculty members to nominate colleagues for the President’s Research Excellence Awards.

As introduced in 2018-19, there are two disciplinary clusters for the President’s Emerging Research Leadership Award and the President’s Research Excellence Award: 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(s) and made a significant contribution to advancing the University’s international reputation for research excellence while significantly and positively contributing to one or more aspects of 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, or translated successfully into impactful commercial or other applications, while significantly and positively 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(s) and made a significant contribution to advancing the University’s international reputation for research excellence while significantly and positively contributing to one or more aspects of 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 web page. The deadline for receipt of nominations has been extended to Dec. 20, by 4:30 p.m.

New partnership gives boost to Schulich’s continuing education for healthcare sector

A stethoscope and patient chart

York University’s Schulich Executive Education Centre and Krembil Centre for Health Management and Leadership have come together to create executive development programs for the healthcare sector. 

The Schulich Executive Education Centre (SEEC) and the Krembil Centre for Health Management and Leadership announced a partnership to enhance and enrich Schulich’s executive/continuing education for the healthcare sector. The new partnership, announced Dec. 6, will create relevant, cutting-edge, evidence-based development paths for people in the healthcare industry at any stage in their careers. 

Robert Krembil
Robert Krembil

The Krembil Centre for Health Management and Leadership, established in September 2021 and located at York University’s Schulich School of Business, was made possible by a generous $5-million donation from the Krembil Foundation and Schulich graduate Robert Krembil (MBA ’71, Hon LLD ’00). The facility is a leading hub of education, applied research and industry outreach and will help expand Schulich’s reputation as an international thought leader in health sector strategy, transformation, and organizational leadership. 

SEEC has established itself as a leading provider of executive education programs aimed at the healthcare sector, with customized, needs-based executive education for physicians, dentists, clinicians, healthcare practitioners and non-medical staff in the healthcare industry. 

“SEEC and the Krembil Centre share a common mission to cultivate and advance high-performance leadership,” said Detlev Zwick, dean of the Schulich School of Business. “This exciting new collaboration that will result in additional successful executive and continuing education programs for healthcare professionals.” 

For more information on SEEC’s programs for healthcare professionals, visit:

Chloe Brushwood Rose

Chloe Brushwood Rose
Chloe Brushwood Rose

Faculty of Education Associate Professor Chloe Brushwood Rose discusses why children must be involved in research in the aftermath of COVID-19 in The Conversation.

Schulich research challenges conventional thoughts on high-speed train sector in China

An image depicting the logo for Schulich School of Business

Relational assets or liabilities? New research out of the Schulich School of Business examines competition, collaboration and firm intellectual property breakthrough in the Chinese high-speed train sector.

How does government coordination in the strategic sectors affect the impact of relational resources on firm intellectual property (IP) development in emerging economies?

A photo of Justin Tan
Justin Tan

A research team led by Professor Justin Tan of York University’s Schulich School of Business attempted to address this question by investigating innovative performance in China’s high-speed train sector.

The research, reported in a new paper recently published in the Journal of International Business Studies, challenged some widely held conventional wisdom. For instance, contrary to prior findings that international joint ventures (IJVs) lead technological innovation in the emerging economies, IJVs under-perform in IP development in the context of China’s high-speed train sector, whereas government-affiliated domestic firms out-perform.

The authors argue government coordination in the strategic sector has escalated cross-border competitive tension but facilitated domestic collaborative innovation. Hence, IJVs face relational liabilities that hinder IP breakthrough, whereas government-affiliated domestic firms can leverage relational assets for innovation. The authors further examine the effects of ego-network density in the innovation network, which captures the degree to which a firm relies on partners to innovate. Consistent with this theory, innovation network density hampers IP development for the IJVs but promotes it for the government-affiliated domestic firms.

The findings, based on comprehensive proprietary panel data from 1993 to 2014, offer actionable insights for innovation managers and policymakers in the strategic sectors. Firm managers should consider the potential influences from government coordination when acquiring relational resources for innovation. Policymakers should keep in mind how government actions may influence both inter-firm collaboration and competition when building an innovation network. Given the significant role, Canadian companies such as Bombardier have played in the development of the Chinese rail transportation equipment manufacturing industry, and many other key suppliers who are customers, suppliers, research and development partners, and competitors, this line of research has profound implications for vital Canadian economic interests.

The research paper, titled “Relational Assets or Liabilities? Competition, Collaboration, and Firm Intellectual Property Breakthrough in the Chinese High-Speed Train Sector,” was co-authored by Aurora Liu Genin (PhD, Schulich), assistant professor of management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the U.S.; Tan, professor of management and the Newmont Chair in Business Strategy at the Schulich School of Business in Canada; and Juan Song, professor of management at Central South University in China. It is part of a comprehensive research project about governance reform, innovation and technology development in the rail transportation equipment manufacturing industry. Another research paper from the project was also published in the Journal of International Business Studies in 2021 (“State Governance and Technological Innovation in Emerging Economies: State-Owned Enterprise Restructuration and Institutional Logic Dissonance in China’s High-Speed Train Sector”).

A copy of the study can be found here.

Professor co-edits book on remorse and criminal justice

An open book

York University Professor Richard Weisman is the co-editor of a new book Remorse and Criminal Justice: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives published Nov. 29 by Routledge.

Weisman is Professor Emeritus in the Law and Society Program in the Department of Social Science in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.  For the past two decades, his research has centered on exploring the interpenetration of law and moral regulation as well as the interrelationship between legal discourse and popular discourse.

York Professor Emeritus Richard Weisman
York Professor Emeritus Richard Weisman

Remorse and Criminal Justice: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives is a multi-disciplinary collection of essays that brings together original contributions on current thinking about the nature and place of remorse in the context of criminal justice. Despite the widespread and long-standing nature of interest in offender remorse, the topic has until recently been peripheral in academic studies. Weisman worked with co-editors Steven Tudor (La Trobe University, Australia), Michael Proeve, (University of Adelaide, Australia), and Kate Rossmanith (Macquarie University, Australia) to bring together a diverse array of contributors who are scholars from North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, South Africa and Australia, and from diverse academic disciplines. The resulting text reflects on the role of remorse in law, for better or for worse; on how expressions of remorse are affected by the legal contexts in which they arise; and on the impact of these expressions on the individual, the court and the community.

The book is divided into four parts – Part one, “Judging Remorse,” addresses issues concerning the task of assessing remorse in the courtroom, usually prior to determining sentence. Part two, “Remorse Beyond the Courtroom,” explores the place and significance of remorse in various post-court settings. Part three, “Remorse, War and Social Trauma,” addresses remorse in the context of political violence and social trauma in the former Yugoslavia and South Africa. Finally, Part four, “Reflections,”seeks to underscore the multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary nature of the collection through personal and disciplinary reflections on remorse.

Remorse and Criminal Justice: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives provides a showcase for how diverse academic disciplines can be brought together through a focus on a common topic. The book is available from Routledge and through Amazon.

York U in the news: paid sick days, honey bees and more

An image of a woman with a laptop that shows the YFile website

China’s hockey team wins right to play in Olympics—despite concerns it’s too bad to compete
York University student Rachel Doerrie was quoted in Fortune Dec. 8.

Families of Quebec seniors who died in long-term care split on idea of public inquiry
York University Professor Mark Winfield was quoted in CBC News Dec. 8.

Ontario extends paid sick days program
York University Professor Leah Vosko was quoted in HR Reporter Dec. .8.

Cluep CEO Karan Walia Shares The Origin Story Of His Company, A Leader In Mobile Advertising
York University was mentioned in Outlook India Dec. 8.

Poko Ponders: Curses
York University Professor Tony Burke spoke to SaltWire Dec. 7.

Genetic Analysis Reveals the Origins of the World’s Most Common Honeybee Species
York University student Kathleen Dogantzis was featured in Smithsonian Magazine Dec. 7.

Newly installed statues suddenly removed
York University Professor Brandon Vickerd was featured in Kingstonist Dec. 7.

‘COVID-19 did discriminate’: Labour force data sheds light on economic disparities during pandemic
York University Assistant Professor Angele Alook was featured in Toronto.com Dec. 7.

Even before the pandemic global supply chains were pretty stretched: Professor
York University Professor Johnny Rungtusanatham spoke to BNN Bloomberg Dec. 7.

Laurentian Athletics roundup: Zongo comes out flying to start OUA track and field season
York University was mentioned in The Sault Star Dec. 7.

On Sets, Rachel McAdams Discusses Making Friends
York University alumna Rachel McAdams was featured in Ceng News Dec. 7.

Dance department chair awarded Asia’s Best Independent Documentary Film

Film reel

Patrick Alcedo, chair of the Department of Dance at the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD), received Asia’s Best Independent Documentary Film award at this year’s All Asian International Independent Film Festival for his feature documentary titled, A Will To Dream.

A Will To Dream film poster

Through themes of dance and social justice, the film tells the story of a former ballet star in the Philippines. The protagonist, Luther Perez, surrenders his U.S. green card to teach dance to underprivileged children and youth in urban poor districts in Quezon City, Philippines in order to continue the heroic work started by his close friend, Eddie Elejar, and domestic partner, Tony Fabella, of empowering marginalized communities through ballet.

A Will to Dream touches on issues of teenage pregnancy, illegal drugs, the precarity of labour, and inconsistent governmental support in poverty alleviation. The film illustrates how dance, when partnered with altruistic teaching, has the power to possibly overcome socio-economic inequities and political challenges.

Patrick Alcedo

“Documentary filmmaking is deeply collaborative. This film would not have been possible if not for the trust that the cast gave to me and my small production team,” says Alcedo. “On behalf of cinematographers Alex Felipe and John Marie Soberano, my sincerest thanks to Luther, Dorothy ‘Dax’ Echipare, Jon-Jon Bides, Justin Bonganciso, Princess Verona and Rafael ‘Raprap’ Daton. Alec Bell’s incredible editing, the beautiful musical scoring of Peter Alcedo Jr., and the rare archival footage from Mark Gary and Denisa Reyes make this documentary truly special.”

Alcedo has created eight documentary films to date. They encompass the ways in which Filipinos “choreograph” their own cultural identities in his hometown Manila, Philippines, and Toronto where he resides and received post-secondary education and professional training in the field of dance.

Intersecting throughout his films is his lifelong passion for exploring issues surrounding folk Catholicism, race and ethnicity, class disparity, urban overdevelopment, and transnational and emotional labour. The desire for telling these stories is always partnered with dancing and moving bodies and the agency of the disparate individuals featured in his films.

A Will to Dream has garnered 17 other accolades, including an Official Selection from Los Angeles International Film Festival (LAIFF). According to festival director, Natasha Marburger, the LAIFF received more than 200 feature film submissions and 13 were selected for the festival screening. A Will To Dream also received Best Documentary Feature from Hong Kong Indie Film Festival, Best Director for Documentary Feature from Hollywood On The Tiber Film Awards and Official Selection from the San Diego Filipino Film Festival.

Patrick Alcedo at the Cannes International Independent Film Festival in Cannes

Earlier this year, Alcedo’s documentary, They Call Me Dax, earned the Silk Road Production Special Prize at the Cannes International Independent Film Festival in Cannes (CIFF). The film was also awarded Best Foreign Documentary at the San Francisco Short Film International Film and was announced in the Finalists category for the Canada Shorts Film Festival.

Alcedo’s documentary films have received support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of Ontario’s Early Researcher Award, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Research-Creation Grant and the York Centre for Asian Research.

Announcing York University’s Action Plan on Black Inclusion

Vari Hall Winter scene showing the Harry Arthurs Common

Today, York University launches its Action Plan on Black Inclusion: A Living Document for Action. The document outlines a series of strong and accountable commitments and is informed by input received from the community.

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past year, York University, with the help of community members, has intensified its efforts to address systemic anti-Black racism at the University.

In February 2021, following meetings with more than 200 Black community members and other stakeholders, the University released two significant documents for further consultation: Addressing Anti-Black Racism: A Framework on Black Inclusion, and the accompanying Draft Action Plan on Black Inclusion.  A virtual town hall was held in March 2021 to seek input from faculty, staff and students, followed by a subsequent round of consultations resulting in broad feedback and suggestions from community members across the University. An important theme throughout the consultations was the need for action even while recognizing that input would be ongoing and continue to shape annual priorities. 

We are therefore pleased to be announcing today the launch of York’s first Action Plan on Black Inclusion: A Living Document for Action. The framework and action plan are both available on the Addressing Anti-Black Racism at York website

The action plan outlines a series of strong and accountable commitments informed by the input received, marking an important step that York University is making to combat anti-Black racism and provide equitable access to learning, teaching, research and professional environments. Commitments in the action plan include: hiring a minimum of 12 new Black faculty members by 2023; creating a new physical space to facilitate meetings among Black faculty, staff and students; increasing funding for scholarships, bursaries and other forms of financial aid in support of Black students; developing Black scholarship incentive grants to support research grant applications; and establishing a new, culturally safe tool for complaints about racial discrimination and harassment, available in English and French.

This work is already well underway, and we are pleased to report on some of the important steps that have already been taken at an institutional level as well as in local units:

  • Twelve new Black faculty members have been welcomed to the University, with one additional Black faculty member confirmed for 2022. 
  • A new Provost’s Post-Doctoral Fellowship program was launched specifically for Black and Indigenous applicants, with this year’s four recipients announced in August 2021.
  • mentorship program for Black and women students was launched by the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.
  • $150,000 has been committed to support Black scholars in 2021-22, and consultation has begun on the formation of a funding program for Black scholars, with the goal to launch by early 2022. As part of a $2.25 million commitment over the next three years to advance equity, diversity and inclusion through community engagement and research activities, $50,000 per year has been committed to Black community engagement projects and $250,000 per year to Black research and knowledge mobilization projects, beginning in 2022.
  • $100,000 has been committed to support the activities of York’s Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC) and the Harriet Tubman Institute ($50,000 per research unit). 
  • The Department of Community Safety has taken steps to undertake a review of services and to explore alternative community safety models.
  • The Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion continues to offer its Anti-Racism Training to community members, and to record numbers of participants.
  • The Black Excellence at York University recruitment and student support hub was launched to support Black student achievement.
  • The Gertrude Mianda Prize for Excellence in Essay Writing was launched by the Glendon Race Equity Caucus. 
  • New Human Rights Policy and Procedures were approved by the Board of Governors in June 2021.

We have committed to the Action Plan on Black Inclusion being a living document, open to review, and evolving over time. This approach allows us to move forward with the urgent action that is needed while at the same time appreciating that changes may be required as circumstances change. We will also be reporting back to the community on our progress in implementing the action plan on an annual basis. We anticipate that the first progress report will be released in February 2022.

We are also pleased to share that York University signed on to endorse the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education on Nov. 18, 2021. Endorsement of this charter is continued affirmation of York’s commitment to addressing the systemic anti-Black racism that pervades academia, and to fostering pan-Canadian communities of learning that build inclusive, substantive equality.

Bringing about systemic change is everyone’s responsibility. We call on all members of the York community to read the Framework on Black Inclusion and Action Plan on Black Inclusion: A Living Document for Action, as well as the Scarborough Charter. We also encourage community members to identify actions in their individual, divisional and unit work to address anti-Black racism and white supremacy.

We recognize that this message or topic may have a personal impact for some. Should you feel that you might benefit from support, there are a variety of resources available to the York community listed on the Mental Health and Wellness website and through the Employee and Family Assistance Program

Sincerely,

Rhonda Lenton
President and Vice-Chancellor

Sheila Cote-Meek
Vice-President Equity, People and Culture


Mise à jour au sujet des actions pour lutter contre le racisme anti-Noirs à York

Chers collègues, chères collègues,

Au cours de l’année écoulée, l’Université York, avec l’aide des membres de sa communauté, a intensifié ses efforts pour lutter contre le racisme anti-Noirs systémique à l’Université.

En février 2021, à la suite de réunions avec plus de 200 membres de la communauté noire et d’autres parties prenantes, l’Université a publié deux documents importants en vue d’une consultation plus approfondie : Lutte contre le racisme anti-Noirs – cadre d’inclusion des personnes noires et le document connexe Ébauche d’un plan d’action sur l’inclusion des personnes noires. Une assemblée publique virtuelle a été tenue en mars 2021 pour recueillir les commentaires du corps professoral, du personnel et de la communauté étudiante. Puis une série de consultations a permis de recueillir de nombreuses contributions et suggestions de la part des membres de toute l’Université. Un thème récurrent tout au long des consultations était la nécessité d’agir, tout en reconnaissant que la collecte des contributions serait régulière et continuerait à déterminer les priorités annuelles. 

Nous sommes heureuses d’annoncer aujourd’hui le lancement du tout premier Plan d’action sur l’intégration des personnes noires : un document évolutif pour passer à l’action. Le Cadre et le Plan d’action sont disponibles sur la page Web de York : Addressing Anti-Black Racism.

Le plan décrit une série d’engagements forts et responsables, fondés sur les contributions reçues, marquant une étape importante dans la lutte de York contre le racisme anti-Noirs et vers la réalisation d’un accès équitable aux environnements d’apprentissage, d’enseignement, de recherche et de travail. Les engagements du Plan d’action comprennent l’embauche d’au moins 12 nouveaux membres du corps professoral noirs d’ici 2023; la création d’un nouvel espace physique pour faciliter les rencontres entre les professeurs, le personnel et les étudiants noirs; l’augmentation du financement sous forme de bourses d’études et autres types d’aide financière en faveur des étudiantes et étudiants noirs; le développement de subventions d’encouragement pour les travaux de personnes noires afin de soutenir des demandes de subventions de recherche; et la création d’un nouvel outil adapté aux réalités culturelles pour les plaintes de discrimination raciale et de harcèlement, offert en anglais et en français.

Ce travail est en bonne voie, et nous avons le plaisir de rendre compte de certaines mesures importantes déjà été prises au niveau institutionnel ainsi que dans les unités locales :

  • Douze nouveaux membres noirs du corps enseignant ont été accueillis à l’Université, et un autre membre noir du corps enseignant a été confirmé pour 2022.
  • Le nouveau programme de bourses postdoctorales de la rectrice a été lancé spécifiquement pour les candidates et candidats noirs et autochtones. Les quatre lauréats de cette année ont été annoncés en août 2021.
  • Un programme de mentorat pour la communauté étudiante et les femmes noires a été lancé par la Faculté d’arts libéraux et d’études professionnelles.
  • 150 000 $ ont été engagés pour appuyer les universitaires noirs en 2021-2022. Une consultation a été lancée sur la formation d’un programme de financement pour les universitaires noirs, dont le lancement est prévu au début de l’année 2022. Dans le cadre d’un engagement de 2,25 millions de dollars sur les trois prochaines années pour faire progresser l’équité, la diversité et l’inclusion par le biais d’activités d’engagement communautaire et de recherche, 50 000 $ par an ont été engagés pour des projets d’engagement communautaire des Noirs et 250 000 $ par an pour des projets de recherche et de mobilisation des connaissances des Noirs, à partir de 2022.
  • 100 000 $ ont été engagés pour soutenir les activités du Centre de recherche sur l’Amérique latine et les Caraïbes (CERLAC) de l’Université York et du Harriet Tubman Institute de York (50 000 $ par unité de recherche). 
  • Le Département de la sécurité communautaire a pris des mesures pour entreprendre un examen des services et pour explorer des modèles alternatifs de sécurité communautaire.
  • Le Centre des droits de la personne, de l’équité et de l’inclusion continue d’offrir sa formation contre le racisme aux membres de la communauté et à un nombre record de participants.
  • Le pôle de recrutement et de soutien à la population étudiante Excellence Noire à l’Université York a été lancé pour soutenir la réussite des étudiantes et étudiants noirs.
  • Le Prix Gertrude Mianda d’excellence en rédaction d’essai a été lancé par le Caucus d’équité raciale de Glendon. 
  • De nouvelles politiques et procédures en matière de droits de la personne ont été approuvées par le Conseil d’administration en juin 2021.

Nous nous sommes engagées à ce que le Plan d’action sur l’intégration des personnes noires soit un document vivant, ouvert à la révision et évoluant dans le temps. Cette approche nous permet d’aller de l’avant en prenant les mesures urgentes qui s’imposent, tout en sachant que des changements peuvent être requis en fonction de l’évolution des circonstances. Nous rendrons également compte à la communauté de nos progrès dans la mise en œuvre du Plan d’action sur une base annuelle. Nous prévoyons publier le premier rapport d’étape en février 2022.

Nous sommes également heureuses d’annoncer que l’Université York a signé le 18 novembre 2021 la Charte de Scarborough contre le racisme anti-Noirs et pour l’inclusion des Noirs dans l’enseignement supérieur au Canada. L’adoption de cette charte est une affirmation continue de l’engagement de York à s’attaquer au racisme anti-Noirs systémique qui est omniprésent dans le milieu universitaire et à favoriser les communautés d’apprentissage pancanadiennes qui construisent une égalité inclusive et substantielle.

La concrétisation d’un changement systémique est la responsabilité de tous. Nous invitons tous les membres de la communauté de York à lire le Cadre d’inclusion des personnes noires et le Plan d’action, ainsi que la Charte de Scarborough. Nous encourageons également les membres de la communauté à identifier des actions dans leur travail individuel, de division et d’unité pour lutter contre le racisme anti-Noirs et la suprématie blanche.

Nous reconnaissons que ce message ou ce sujet peut avoir une résonance personnelle pour certains. Si vous pensez avoir besoin de soutien, la communauté de York met à votre disposition une vaste gamme de ressources répertoriées sur le site Web de la santé mentale et du bien-être et offertes par le programme d’aide aux employés et à la famille

Sincères salutations,

Rhonda Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière

Sheila Cote-Meek
Vice-présidente de l’équité, des personnes et de la culture

York University’s social procurement program in full swing at Markham Campus

Apprentices at Markham Campus construction site


York University is one of Canada’s first universities to establish a comprehensive Social Procurement Policy. That’s because York is a leader in understanding how a community-leading institution can positively drive social change and inclusive economic growth.

Dexter King, York’s procurement services director, is spearheading this innovative drive to change how the University buys goods and services, which is highlighted by how York is building its new Markham Campus.

Markham campus construction
Social procurement seeks to increase community benefit by being intentional about how an organization buys its goods and services

Located in the heart of one of the country’s fastest-growing cities, the project involves the construction of a 10-storey, 400,000-square-foot campus, which will increase access to high-quality, research-intensive and inclusive learning experiences for nearly 4,200 students. Through the new policy, vendors are being drawn from across the community. And it is making a difference.

“It takes a team of dedicated and talented people to successfully build a campus,” says King. “We’ve been proud to extend our Social Procurement Policy to vendors in the GTA and York Region as we continue to supply goods and services towards this groundbreaking project – bringing to life Markham’s first university campus.”

Social procurement seeks to increase community benefit by being intentional about how an organization buys its goods and services. Effort is made to consider vendors from the local community to provide opportunities to participate in the construction of Markham Campus. The premise is simple: as York benefits, local communities should share in the success.

But it’s not just local communities who can benefit from social procurement. York’s social procurement also seeks to positively impact historically disadvantaged and marginalized equity-seeking people and their communities. By keeping community economic development as a core principle, social procurement will create healthy and sustainable communities.

“The University’s Social Procurement Policy is underpinned by its pillars of accessibility, connectedness, excellence and impact, and reflects its values of equity, inclusivity and social justice, values which have propelled the University forward for more than 60 years,” says Carol McAulay, York’s vice-president finance and administration. “We have successfully implemented the policy through several construction projects, and we look forward to further implementing it as a key part of Markham Campus’s success.”  

In July 2020, the Ontario government announced its approval for York to proceed with the $275.5-million project planned to help meet the future skills needs of the province. Together with the project’s construction manager Stuart Olson, York is ensuring the campus’s construction is a catalyst for economic growth for the residents of Markham and York Region. To date, in response to the Social Procurement Policy, Stuart Olson and their subcontractors have hired nine apprentices on the project.

Speaking about the opportunity to work on Markham Campus with Stuart Olson, local apprentice Zoe Scott said: “I feel like York is behind me as I go through my apprenticeship to fulfil my career goals. And with places like York putting such a heavy emphasis on diversity and ensuring that these opportunities exist, I feel like my eyes are opened to the future possibilities that exist for me.”

Markham Campus is also seeing local investment in York Region’s businesses to help with the building’s construction. So far more than $1 million has been spent at businesses headquartered and operated in the region in diverse fields like concrete, building supplies and technical consultations.

“Offering these opportunities in the spirit of social procurement is one way we can show our commitment to York Region,” says McAulay. “We look forward to continuing to build meaningful, long-term relationships with the community.”

This article was updated by YFile editors on Dec. 16.