Tag: YFile

Internal YFile sub-tag

Attend virtual launch of EUC Prof. Andil Gosine’s new book

An open book

Professor Andil Gosine of York University’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC) is hosting a virtual launch for his award-winning new book, Nature’s Wild: Love, Sex and Law in the Caribbean (Duke University Press), on Thursday, Sept. 23 at 4 p.m. via Zoom, in conjunction with the Art Gallery of Ontario exhibition Fragments of Epic Memory.

Andil Gosine "Nature's Wild" North America Book Tour Fall 2021. Toronto, September 23 (international day of publication), 4 p.m., register online at ago.ca/events

In Nature’s Wild, the Trinidad-born scholar-artist contends with his own animality. The story begins in his classroom at an all-boys Catholic high school in Trinidad, when a priest points to a row of boys and demands, “Prove to me that you are not homosexual.” From there, Gosine takes readers on a journey that mixes personal narrative with historical analysis of the ways in which anxieties about humans’ animality have produced various kinds of disciplinary strategies in law and culture. Gosine draws from historical and contemporary visual art representations, dress code regulations and recent legal challenges to the criminalization of sodomy, to argue for the embracing of one’s “wild nature.”

Headshot of York University Professor Andil Gosine
Andil Gosine

Gosine is a professor of environmental arts and justice at York University. He is also the curator of the exhibition Everything Slackens in a Wreck, which will open at the Ford Foundation Gallery in New York next spring. The companion touring exhibition for his book Nature’s Wild will launch its three-year tour in Port of Spain, Trinidad, in January 2022.

Joining Gosine at the launch for a discussion about his new book are Richard Fung, Kamala Kempadoo and Jillian Ollivierre. Fung is a Trinidad-born, Toronto-based video artist, cultural critic and community activist, whose seminal and celebrated works include the films Sea in the Blood, My Mother’s Place and Dal Puri Diaspora. Kempadoo is a professor in the Department of Social Science at York University and director of the Graduate Program in Social and Political Thought. She teaches Caribbean studies, transnational feminisms, sex work studies, Black studies, and critical perspectives in gender and development, and is the author of Sexing the Caribbean. Ollivierre is a doctoral candidate in social anthropology at York University. Her interview essay on Gosine’s artistic practice, “After Indo-Caribbean: Interrogating Interstitial Identities and Diasporic Solidarties in Conversation with Andil Gosine,” is forthcoming in the journal Histoire sociale.

To register for this event, visit bit.ly/3tOqQPm. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email including details about how to join the webinar.

Nature’s Wild: Love, Sex and Law in the Caribbean is available for purchase now at Another Story Bookshop.

Cognitive Science Speaker Series returns with the psychology of explanation

Woman explaining something to a child, pointing at computer monitor

On Sept. 22, the Cognitive Science Speaker Series returns with a discussion about the psychology of explanation, titled “Explanation: The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful,” featuring guest speaker Tania Lombrozo, the Arthur W. Marks ’19 Professor of Psychology at Princeton University.

Headshot of Tania Lombrozo
Tania Lombrozo

Like scientists, children and adults are often motivated to explain the world around them, including why people behave in particular ways, why objects have some properties rather than others and why events unfold as they do. Moreover, people have strong and systematic intuitions about what makes something a good (or beautiful) explanation. Why are we so driven to explain? And what accounts for our explanatory preferences? In this talk, Lombrozo will present evidence that both children and adults prefer explanations that are simple and have broad scope, consistent with many accounts of explanation from the philosophy of science. The good news is that a preference for simple and broad explanations can sometimes improve learning and support effective inferences. The bad news is that under some conditions, these preferences can systematically lead children and adults astray.

Lombrozo’s research aims to address basic questions about learning, reasoning, and decision-making using the empirical tools of experimental psychology and the conceptual tools of analytic philosophy. Accordingly, much of her work is informed by the philosophy of science, epistemology and moral philosophy alongside cognitive, social and developmental psychology. Beyond her research on the human drive to explain, she studies intuitive beliefs about causation, moral responsibility and the nature of knowledge.

The Cognitive Science Speaker Series is presented by York University’s Department of Philosophy in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. All talks take place on Wednesdays from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. via Zoom. Prior to each talk, the Zoom link will be emailed to all students and faculty from the cognitive science and philosophy departments. Those who want to attend but are not in those departments can email Professor Jacob Beck at jbeck@yorku.ca from a York email address to request the Zoom link.

Climate action is at risk because of the snap federal election call. Click here for more York U in the news

An op-ed by York University Professor Mark Winfield was published in the Conversation Sept. 14. Read full story.

Federal election 2021: More supply won’t solve Canada’s housing affordability crisis
An op-ed by York University PhD candidate Joel Roberts was published in the Conversation Sept. 15. Read full story.

Canada’s women’s soccer team is more popular than ever – so where’s the merch?
Schulich School of Business marketing instructor Vijay Setlur was quoted in CBC News Sept. 17. Read full story.

How accessible is voting for people with disabilities?
Osgoode Hall Law School Visiting Professor David Lepofsky was quoted in CBC News Sept. 15. Read full story.

Young NDP candidates cut their teeth in short campaign
York University student Christina Love was quoted in the Toronto Star Sept. 15. Read full story.

SpaceX’s all-civilian Inspiration4 crew readies for launch
York University Professor Kathryn Denning was quoted in Wired Sept. 15. Read full story.

Amazon faces union drive in Canada months after Alabama win
York University Professor David Doorey was quoted in Bloomberg Sept. 14. Read full story.

Leena Manimekalai moves Madras HC challenging order to impound her passport
York University student Leena Manimekalai was profiled in the Wire Sept. 16. Read full story.

Me Too: WCC asks film industry to support Leena Manimekalai who outed Susi Ganesan
York University student Leena Manimekalai was profiled on TheNewsMinute.com Sept. 15. Read full story.

Conservative candidate looking to ‘pay it forward’
York University alumna Leslyn Lewis was profiled in the Simcoe Reformer Sept. 14. Read full story.

COVID-19 created ‘perfect storm of market volatility,’ says director of investor clinic
Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Poonam Puri was quoted in the Lawyer’s Daily Sept. 15. Read full story.

Shulman & Partners lends support to Family Justice Centre
Osgoode Hall Law School alumnus Ron Shulman was quoted in the Lawyer’s Daily Sept. 16. Read full story.

Royal Society of Canada recognizes York University professor
Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Poonam Puri was mentioned in the Lawyer’s Daily Sept. 16. Read full story.

NBA Films for Fans created with OLG: Previewing the five films set to premiere at TIFF 2021
York University alumnus Shawn Gerrard was mentioned on nba.com Sept. 17. Read full story.

Howie, Sacks & Henry hires new associate
Osgoode Hall Law School alumna Pooneh Sooresrafil was mentioned in the Lawyer’s Daily Sept. 14. Read full story.

Jess Dobkin, a performance artist with a unique sense of humour
The Art Gallery of York University was mentioned on hyperallergic.com Sept. 16. Read full story.

Angels care about what you mean, while devils care about what you say
York University was mentioned in Forbes Sept. 15. Read full story.

Newish to Manitoulin: Arthur Ross and Candice Irwin
York University was mentioned in the Manitoulin Expositor Sept. 15. Read full story.

Quebec book industry calls for reform of the Copyright Act
York University was mentioned in Canadian Lawyer Sept. 14. Read full story.

Two new associates for Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers
York University alumna was mentioned in the Lawyer’s Daily Sept. 14. Read full story.

Match analysis: York United 2-0 Atlético Ottawa
York University was mentioned on canpl.ca Sept. 14. Read full story.

Canadiens hire ex-army trainer Dale Lablans as strength coach
York University was mentioned on DailyHive.com Sept. 14. Read full story.

Alouettes coach Khari Jones isolating after positive COVID-19 test
York University was mentioned in the Regina Leader-Post Sept. 14. Read full story.

York Lions football team ready to roar

York University Lions football team on the field with the Lions flag

There is no shortage of energy in the York Lions football locker room as the team prepares to hit the field for the first time in nearly two years.

Head coach Warren Craney and his coaching staff have been preparing the group for this moment since the day the world shut down. They’ve relied on team meetings, home gyms, the outdoor High Performance Centre – anything to keep players engaged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, the Lions intend to take the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) by surprise in 2021, and hope that two years’ worth of preparation will help them dominate the field against an array of able opponents.

Craney says, in training camp, it appears the extra preparation has paid off.

“This is the best football team I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” says Craney. “I think this team speaks a lot to our depth. Our coaches have done a great job in terms of recruiting high-impact players and have solved a lot of depth issues that we’ve had in the past. It’s the fastest football team I’ve ever seen on the field, both on offence and defence.”

2021 Football Schedule

One of the reasons behind the 12-year coach’s excitement is his new addition into the offensive co-ordinator role, Tommy Denison. Denison was hired in March 2020, and though it may have taken him a while to set foot on York’s campus, he has his fingerprints all over the 2021 Lions offence.

Denison’s tried-and-true system has made the Lions offence look dynamite. Leading the way will be fifth-year receiver Alex Daley, who was among the OUA’s leaders in his stat lines during the past two seasons. Retson Daley, Alex Daley’s brother, is also set to make a big impact on the Lions as an NCAA Division I student-athlete.

Running back Darnel Jarret burst onto the scene in 2019 with authority and will be looking to follow up that campaign with an even bigger one this season.

Jaxon Hume, a two-sport athlete also competing in track and field, brings size, speed and athleticism as a return specialist. He arrived on the scene in 2019 in a big way, scoring his first career touchdown on a 107-yard kick-off return against Ottawa in week five. More of that is expected this year, as Hume showcased his impressive quickness over the duration of Lions training camp.

The biggest change on the offence arguably comes at quarterback. Brett Hunchak, York’s all-time leader in passing yards, touchdowns, completions and attempts, has transitioned to Craney’s coaching staff. Noah Craney will start this year, and his coach believes his athleticism will help him excel as the Lions’ starting quarterback.

They will all play behind an offensive line that is anchored by second-year tackles Evan Anseeuw and Logan Scott.

When asked about the defence, Coach Craney had trouble coming up with the proper words to describe the group. He settled on “insanity.”

On the defensive line, tackle Kwadwo Boahen has been unblockable all camp. He will be flanked by Nate Brennan and Kevin Musai, who round out the veteran defensive line, and new addition Jason Janvier-Messier, a top 2020 recruit who has left good impressions on his teammates and football operations staff after proving himself to be a hard worker on the field and in the gym during the 2020 shutdown.

Behind them, Matt Dean, Dawson Davis and Desi Dixon Jr. make up the “triple D linebackers,” as Coach Craney calls them, and are dominating figures showcasing a great deal of chemistry together in camp.

In the secondary, Daniel Amoako has stepped up into a leadership position along with the team’s 2019 leading tackler, Talik Ehouman.

The pandemic has brought a lot of uncertainty – and the OUA standings are likely to be affected by that in 2021. With no football played in 2020, and a shortened six-game schedule upcoming, the OUA is sure to be hit with many surprise performers.

Coach Craney believes his team is well-suited to be one of the surprises.

“I think this team can accomplish great things,” he says. “Our team’s goal is to host a playoff game this year. And I believe it’s something we can do.”

This year, there are East and West Divisions in football and eight teams will make the playoffs. The post-season will begin with the top seed in each division hosting the fourth-place team while the second and third seeds do battle. The following week will be the semifinals, with the remaining two teams in each division facing off against each other. On Saturday, Nov. 20, the 113th Yates Cup championship will cap off the OUA campaign with each division’s winner competing for the trophy.

Register now for 2021-22 employee learning programs, series and courses

A virtual classroom displayed on an open laptop

The following is a message from York University’s employee learning and development team to faculty and staff:

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Dear colleagues,

Your employee learning and development team is delighted to announce the opening of the 2021-22 employee learning and development programs, series and courses.

Links to more information and to register appear below.

The learning content presented in our 2021-22 employee learning and development programming will enable you to develop your skills, navigate your careers and create positive change. Discover our new and enhanced certificate programs, specialty series and elective courses, and meet YU Learn, York’s first employee learning management system, designed to help you peruse, register for, track and recommend learning opportunities. You may also access customized services and self-directed learning opportunities including LinkedIn Learning, available to York students, faculty, instructors and staff.

Programs and Series

Core certificate programsSpecialty series
Emerging Leaders U (new) 
Leader U 
Executive U  
Tech U 		A Resilient Return to Campus (new) 
Digital Workplace Series (new) 
Management and HR Learning Forum (new) 
Onboarding Learning  
Manager U Series for New Managers (new) 

Career Navigation and Skills Development

These elective courses include diverse stand-alone elective courses that empower employees to build their skills and navigate their careers.

Sample Talent ElectivesSample Technological Electives
Managing in the Grey: Managing Change (new)
Learn White Belt Training: Introduction to
Learn Continuous Improvement (new)
Managing Remote and Hybrid Teams (new)
Digital Storytelling (new)
Communicating with Influence and Impact
Leading with Emotional Intelligence		Managing Files in Microsoft 365 (new)
Leveraging the York-Branded Word Template (new)
Leveraging the York-Branded PowerPoint Template (new)
Designing Accessible Word Documents
Mastering Collaboration in Teams
Sharing and Collaborating Securely in Microsoft 365
Cybersecurity in the Digital Workplace

Customized Solutions

Our customized solutions are available to leaders and intact teams on an on-demand, year-round basis and focus on three areas: high-performing teams, maximizing your leadership impact and supporting positive change. To learn more about our customized solutions or expert partners, email us at hrlearn@yorku.ca.

Looking to contribute more meaningfully?

A call for participation on the Employee Learning Council is underway. Council members will support and advise on York University’s employee learning and development across the organization with a focus on future business needs and future readiness. Vacant seats are available to be filled for employees in the YUSA bargaining unit (two vacant seats) and the CUPE 1356 bargaining unit (one vacant seat). Please express your interest by writing to hrlearn@yorku.ca by Sept. 30.

The Employee Learning and Development Team

Inscrivez-vous dès maintenant aux programmes, séries et séances de formation pour les employés en 2021-2022

Chers collègues,  

L’équipe d’apprentissage et de perfectionnement des employés est ravie de vous annoncer le lancement de ses programmes, séries et cours d’apprentissage et de perfectionnement des employés et employées en 2021-2022!  

Vous trouverez tous les liens pour obtenir plus d’information et pour vous INSCRIRE ci-dessous. 

Le contenu d’apprentissage de notre programmation 2021-2022 vous permettra de développer vos compétences, de faire progresser votre carrière et de créer des changements positifs! Découvrez nos programmes de certificats « nouveaux ou améliorés », nos séries spécialisées et nos cours optionnels. YU Learn est le premier système de gestion de l’apprentissage à York. Il a été conçu pour choisir, s’inscrire, suivre et recommander des possibilités d’apprentissage aux employés. La population étudiante, le corps professoral, le corps enseignant et le personnel de York ont également accès à des services personnalisés et à des possibilités d’apprentissage autodirigé, notamment grâce à LinkedIn Learning. 

Programmes et séries 

Programmes de base menant à un certificat Séries spécialisées 
Emerging Leaders U (nouveau) 
Leader U 
Executive U  
Tech U 		A Resilient Return to Campus: 
Digital Workplace Series (nouveau) 
Management and HR Learning Forum (nouveau) 
Onboarding Learning  
Manager U Series for New Managers (nouveau) 

Carrière et perfectionnement – Cours optionnels
Ces cours optionnels autonomes permettent aux employés de développer leurs compétences et de progresser dans leur carrière.

Exemples de cours optionnel pour développer des talents Exemples de cours optionnel pour développer des connaissances technologiques 
Managing in the Grey: Managing Change (nouveau) 
Lean White Belt Training: Introduction to Lean Continuous Improvement (nouveau) 
Managing Remote and Hybrid Teams (nouveau) 
Digital Storytelling (nouveau) 
Communicating With Influence & Impact 
Leading with Emotional Intelligence		Managing Files in Microsoft 365 (nouveau) 
Leveraging the York Branded Word Template (nouveau) 
Leveraging the York Branded PowerPoint Template (nouveau) 
Designing Accessible Word Documents 
Mastering Collaboration in Teams  
Sharing and Collaborating Securely in Microsoft 365 
Cybersecurity in the Digital Workplace 

Solutions personnalisées

Des solutions personnalisées sont offertes aux leaders et aux équipes interfonctionnelles sur demande, tout au long de l’année. Elles sont axées sur trois domaines : High Performing Teams (équipes performantes), Maximizing Your Leadership Impact (maximiser les effets du leadership) et Supporting Positive Change (appuyer les changements positifs). Pour en savoir plus sur ces solutions personnalisées ou sur nos partenaires experts, veuillez envoyer un courriel à hrlearn@yorku.ca.

Vous aimeriez contribuer de façon plus concrète?

Une invitation à participer au Conseil d’apprentissage des employés a été lancée. Les membres de ce Conseil fourniront un soutien et des recommandations en matière d’apprentissage et de développement des employés à l’échelle de l’Université en privilégiant les défis professionnels futurs. Des sièges sont à pourvoir pour représenter les employés de l’unité de négociation YUSA (2 sièges vacants) et les employés de l’unité de négociation CUPE 1356 (1 siège vacant). Veuillez manifester votre intérêt en écrivant à hrlearn@yorku.ca avant le 30 septembre 2021.

Cordialement,

L’équipe d’apprentissage et de développement des employés

An update on the work of the President’s Advisory Council on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Keele Campus Fall image of Stong Pond FEATURED for new YFile

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Dear colleagues,

We are excited to share some important updates on the work of the President’s Advisory Council on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), and to explain how York community members can support our efforts to make York University a more diverse, inclusive and equitable place for all. 

Chaired by Sheila Cote-Meek, vice-president equity, people and culture, the council was formed in November 2020 with the task of providing advice and counsel on building an institutional EDI strategy for the University. 

Over the past several months, the council has solidified its mandate and structure, and undertaken an environmental scan of the best and most promising EDI practices in post-secondary institutions, including a comprehensive scan of existing practices at York. Several sub-committees have also been formed to explore the experiences of community members as they relate to EDI through an intersectional lens. These sub-committees are currently drafting strategic recommendations based on existing data and knowledge for consideration by the council, and a draft University-wide equity, diversity, and inclusion strategy will be shared for consultation and feedback from York community members before the end of the calendar year. York community members will also have further opportunities to provide feedback on the strategy before it is released. 

Share your ideas with the council

As part of the work to develop the EDI strategy, the council would like to understand what your priorities are as they relate to equity, diversity and inclusion at York. Community members who are interested in sharing their thoughts and ideas can submit their answers to the following question by Oct. 1:

What key priorities should be included in our EDI strategy?

Insights Speaker Series

Last year, the council launched Insights: A Speaker Series on EDI to help inform and inspire community members and encourage open dialogue and critical thinking about EDI issues, strategies and planning. The first two virtual events in the series were held in Winter 2021, with hundreds in attendance.

The council will be hosting the first Insights event of this academic year – a virtual panel discussion about the intersection of disability and the arts – on Tuesday, Sept. 28, and all community members are welcome to attend. Details about the event and registration are available on the Insights website.

We want to thank everyone in the community for their continued efforts to support EDI initiatives across our campuses and in our broader communities. We look forward to continuing to work together to cultivate a diverse campus culture that is equitable and inclusive of all.

Sincerely,  

Rhonda Lenton  
President and Vice-Chancellor

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

Mise à jour sur les travaux du Conseil consultatif de la présidente sur l’équité, la diversité et l’inclusion

Chers collègues,

Nous sommes ravies de partager d’importantes mises à jour sur les travaux du Conseil consultatif de la présidente sur l’équité, la diversité et l’inclusion (EDI) et d’expliquer comment les membres de la communauté de York peuvent appuyer nos efforts pour faire de l’Université York un lieu plus diversifié, inclusif et équitable pour tous.  

Présidé par Sheila Cote-Meek, vice-présidente de l’équité, des personnes et de la culture, le Conseil a été formé en novembre 2020. Il a pour mission de fournir des avis et des conseils sur l’élaboration d’une stratégie institutionnelle d’EDI pour l’Université.

Au cours des derniers mois, le Conseil a solidifié son mandat et sa structure et a entrepris une analyse environnementale des pratiques d’EDI les plus prometteuses dans les établissements postsecondaires, qui comprend une étude complète des pratiques actuelles de York. Plusieurs sous-comités ont également été formés pour explorer les expériences des membres de la communauté en matière d’EDI dans une optique intersectionnelle. Ces sous-comités rédigent actuellement des recommandations stratégiques basées sur les données et les connaissances existantes à des fins d’examen par le Conseil. Un projet de stratégie d’équité, de diversité et d’inclusion à l’échelle de l’université sera communiqué aux membres de la communauté de York à des fins de consultation et de rétroaction avant la fin de l’année civile. Les membres auront également d’autres occasions de fournir des commentaires sur la stratégie avant sa diffusion. 

Partagez vos idées avec le Conseil

Dans le cadre des travaux d’élaboration de la stratégie d’EDI, le Conseil aimerait connaître vos priorités en matière d’équité, de diversité et d’inclusion à York. Les membres de la communauté qui le souhaitent peuvent soumettre leurs réponses à la question suivante avant le 1er octobre 2021 :

Quelles priorités clés devraient faire partie de notre stratégie d’EDI?

Série de conférences sur l’EDI

L’année dernière, le Conseil a lancé Insights : A Speaker Series on EDI pour informer et inspirer les membres de la communauté et encourager un dialogue ouvert et une réflexion critique sur les questions, les stratégies et la planification en matière d’EDI. Les deux premiers événements virtuels de la série ont eu lieu à l’hiver 2021 et ont attiré des centaines de participants.

Le Conseil organisera le premier événement Insights de l’année universitaire : cette table ronde virtuelle portera sur l’intersection du handicap et des arts. Elle aura lieu le mardi 28 septembre et tous les membres de la communauté sont invités à y participer. Vous trouverez les détails de l’événement et les modalités d’inscription sur le site Web Insights.

Nous tenons à remercier tous les membres de la communauté pour leurs efforts constants envers les initiatives d’EDI sur nos campus et dans nos communautés élargies. Nous avons hâte de poursuivre notre collaboration afin de créer une culture de campus diversifiée, équitable et inclusive pour tous.

Sincères salutations,  

Rhonda Lenton 
Présidente et vice-chancelière 

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

Recipients of the Provostial Fellowships announced

A drone image of Vari Hall on the Keele campus

Professors Burkard Eberlein (Schulich), Sapna Sharma (science), Cheryl van Daalen-Smith (health, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies) and Qiang Zha (education) have been appointed York University Provostial Fellows.

Appointed for one year, each of the recipients will work to enhance collegial capacity at an institutional level to advance the priorities of the University Academic Plan (UAP) in demonstrable ways. The Provostial Fellowships also provide an opportunity for a diverse group of tenured faculty to gain hands-on experience in university leadership.

“I am thrilled to have these four faculty members dedicating some of their time and energy to help lead the implementation of our UAP. The University will benefit from their expertise and ideas, and I hope they too will find this a valuable opportunity to grow and develop as leaders and institution builders,” said Provost and Vice-President Academic Lisa Philipps. “The launch of Building a Better Future: York University Academic Plan 2020-2025 established six exciting and important priorities for York University. As a community, we now look to work together in advancing these.”

Fellows will work with the provost and relevant members of the senior leadership on a project or initiative intended to advance one of the UAP priority areas at an institutional level. Each project also seeks to enhance and intersect with the University-wide challenge to elevate institutional contributions to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Burkhard Eberlein
Burkard Eberlein

Burkard Eberlein
Professor, Public Policy and Strategic Management
Schulich School of Business

Professor Eberlein’s project, “York’s Journey toward Carbon Neutrality,” seeks to identify and advance specific and impactful initiatives that the University can take to reduce its carbon emissions.

Sapna Sharma
Sapna Sharma

Sapna Sharma
Associate Professor, Department of Biology
Faculty of Science

Professor Sharma’s project, “Working Towards Equitable Access to Clean Water,” looks to address the billions of people worldwide, including in Canada, who do not have access to clean freshwater. This project will seek student, faculty and staff collaborations across the University with a goal of raising awareness and identifying solutions to this critical issue, and will culminate with an event celebrating UN World Water Day.

Cheryl van Daalen-Smith
Cheryl van Daalen-Smith

Cheryl van Daalen-Smith
Associate Professor, School of Nursing
Faculty of Health
Associate Professor, School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies/Children, Childhood & Youth Studies Program.
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

Professor van Daalen-Smith’s project, “More than Bees and Trees: Seeing the SDGs in our Curriculum – A Pan-University Community Development Initiative,” seeks to track, weave, inspire and amplify curricular SDG initiatives and advance York University’s commitment to interdisciplinarity.

Qiang Zha
Qiang Zha

Qiang Zha
Associate Professor
Faculty of Education

Professor Zha’s project, “Reimagining and Transforming Liberal Arts Education with a Trans-Continental Partnership,” looks to explore a new model for practising liberal arts education in the current contexts of mass higher education, knowledge societies and globalization, including the prospects for infusing the concepts derived from the SDGs and promoting global competence.

New employee learning experiences will transform York’s workplace and talent

YFile Featured image VARI hall

This fall, York University will take the employee learning experience to the next level with the launch of new programs, series, elective courses and YU Learn, York’s first employee learning management system, complemented by a continuing commitment to LinkedIn Learning.

“York has become a global magnet for talented people drawn by our academic excellence, cosmopolitan character, and commitment to making a positive difference.” (Source: University Academic Plan, 2020-25)

Inspired and led by the 2020-25 University Academic Plan’s focus on “Living Well Together” and “21st Century Learning,” York employees and managers will have access to accelerated and modern learning experiences that already differentiate York University as a teaching, learning and research institution, and now as an employer as well.  

“We know that our employees continue to seek greater opportunities for connection, learning and career navigation,” said Assistant Vice-President of Human Resources (HR) Mary Catherine Masciangelo. “As York continues to move through challenge and change, a modern and agile employee learning experience is critical to York’s future-readiness and the ability to co-create positive change for our University and for the students we serve.”

Featured image shows the words Career Navigation & Skills Development and then on a separate line Employee Learning and Development. The image shows a hand holding a compass. The word New is also present in the image.

The learning content lined up for York’s 2021-22 employee learning and development programming emphasizes career navigation, skills and leadership development, and building learning capacity. York’s employee learning lead, Jennifer Sipos, director of talent acquisition and development, shares some of the highlights: “York employees want personalized, 21st-century learning that enables them to self-direct positive work experiences and navigate distinct careers. Our offerings recognize and reflect the diverse employee learners we serve and the curricula they need and desire. Specifically, our employees want to build people leadership, digital collaboration and decision-making skills, and new programs like Emerging Leaders U and the Digital Workplace Series respond directly to that feedback.”

Virtual employee learning continues

During the early phase of remote work in 2020, more than 150 instructor-led employee learning courses were transformed into virtually delivered courses, and employee participation in learning increased by more than 200 per cent. Employee learning and development opportunities will continue to be offered virtually in 2021-22, and employee feedback will continue to drive and shape future learning experiences, whether in virtual, in-person or blended modes.

YU Learn: York’s first employee learning management system

Featured image. Shows a man standing on a mountain top with the words Employee Learning & Development.

This fall, York University will accelerate and modernize the employee experience with 21st-century learning practices and technologies already benefiting York students. The project began as an innovative partnership between key members of the HR and University Information Technology teams designed to technologically transform the employee experience. Employees and managers can now more purposefully and easily navigate careers, develop skills and build performance. They will benefit from a more user-friendly system of engagement, with the ability to register for, track and recommend learning opportunities while working towards digital credentials and program certificates. 

“The system was designed to facilitate an employee experience that aligns and reflects York’s commitment to service excellence, designed with local learning administrators and employees, with their input from concept to implementation – a hallmark of agile, user-driven design,” said Vanessa Capogreco, York’s technical learning lead and YU Learn project co-lead. 

A continuing commitment to LinkedIn Learning

An exciting commitment providing continuing access to LinkedIn Learning benefits all members of the York University community. York students, faculty, instructors and staff alike can continue to leverage LinkedIn courses, videos and learning paths to help customize their personal learning experiences and lifelong learning goals with self-paced, device-friendly accessibility. More information on accessing LinkedIn Learning can be found at yorku.ca/linkedinlearn.

“LinkedIn Learning has become a tool that thousands of people in our York University community use every day,” said Will Gage, associate vice-president, teaching and learning. “We are really excited to be able to continue providing access to LinkedIn Learning for all of our students, staff and faculty. I want to encourage everyone to check it out and give thought to how the platform can support your own continuing education and development.”

Register now

York employees can now access and register for programs, series, and elective courses and are encouraged to become familiar with the exciting opportunities available by visiting the Employee Learning, Development and Career Navigation page. For more information about employee learning and development, contact hrlearn@yorku.ca. 

A note to the University community from the YFile team

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

Dear YFile readers, 

Yesterday was a big day for the YFile team with the anticipated launch of a refreshed YFile website, archive and calendar of events, and a new format for our email newsletter. The project to refresh and revitalize YFile has been close to a year in the making and involved considerable effort, late nights, and numerous checks, balances and input from our partners. 

Despite our best efforts to ensure the seamless launch of this exciting refresh of YFile, an unforeseen technical issue may have prevented the YFile email newsletter from reaching your inboxes in a timely manner. Some of you received the morning email, others received it mid-afternoon, and some did not receive it at all. 

We are working closely with University Information Technology to sort out the issue. To ensure that we continue our 19 years of conveying the news that matters to the York University community, we decided to resend this newsletter this morning, even though some of you may have already received it. We apologize for any confusion.

Meanwhile, as we work out the kinks in the mailing system, we encourage you to visit our updated YFile website. We are proud of the result and hope that you will be too.

The YFile team

Welcome to the new and improved YFile

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

Today, YFile marks a major milestone in its 19-year history with the debut of a lively new website and newsletter. Both feature a modern design, improved functionality and an enhanced experience for the York University community.

As an essential source of institutional news since it was launched in 2002, YFile is the University’s official journal of record. The effort to refresh YFile was undertaken with a community-first approach that prioritizes the needs and requests expressed by the publication’s readers.

The project, which encompasses the entire YFile program, includes enhancements to the news website, story archive, online newsletter and central events calendar. Work has been underway for almost a year to review and refresh each of the YFile components, and the focus has been on delivering an updated, modern design, improvements to the search function and access to archived stories, along with a new archive of the online newsletters and a streamlined central events calendar.

“York University continues to demonstrate that education and critical inquiry, scholarship and knowledge translation can transform the world around us,” says President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton. “Over the past 18 months in particular, connectivity – with each other and our local and global communities – has been more important than ever. The revisions being made to YFile will enhance the accessibility of information and help ensure that our community remains connected, informed and engaged. Congratulations to the YFile team on the launch of this important initiative.”

Today, readers will discover that YFile’s focus on telling York University’s important stories is now further augmented through an updated, user-friendly design that incorporates the University’s brand visual identity. The YFile news website aligns with the University’s web optimization strategy that focuses on delivering a streamlined experience for users.

As with any new endeavour, there will be some bumps and unexpected glitches. Please let the YFile team know your thoughts by sending an email to yfile@yorku.ca with the subject line Feedback. Let us know what you like, and what could be improved or fixed.

The YFile news website

A key component of the YFile program, the publication’s website has been re-envisioned using new developments in content management and design. The result is a clean, modular, easy-to-navigate website that provides more flexibility and creativity in presentation and layout.

Content is curated into new categories that best reflect York University’s priorities and goals along with YFile’s mandate. Readers will notice new categories, including Teaching & Learning, Research & Innovation, Awards & Recognition, Latest News, Special Issues and Features. The popular Scoop section now includes an archive of previous entries, which fulfills an important request from community members.

There are also two new sections that enhance YFile’s presentation of its content and the community’s desire to see stories featured on the website for a longer period. The new sections, Spotlight@York and York in Focus, keep important initiatives and stories available on the YFile website.

Spotlight@York highlights stories that celebrate important innovations at York University. It is the place where the content from the special issues “Brainstorm” and “Innovatus” will be featured. As well, major stories such as the recent launch of York’s new University Academic Plan will be showcased in the Spotlight@York section.

The York in Focus section highlights stories that continue to be relevant for some time, or news that celebrates a major development at York University, such as the opening of the new Markham Campus, a major research award such as VISTA or a major funding announcement.

The YFile archive

For years, YFile staff heard from the community that there was a desire for an improved archive of past stories and a better way to search those stories. To respond to this need, more than 24,000 stories dating back to 2002 are now accessible in the story archive and technical innovations were implemented to the search function. The result is that users can find stories and sort their searches more effectively.

The YFile story submission form

A new online story submission form that was tested in the summer months has proven to be extremely popular with the University community. Accessible directly from the YFile website, the form guides community members and helps them pull together the information they need to submit a story to YFile’s editorial team. The form is easy to use, logical and it makes the submission of stories more organized.

The YFile email newsletter

The YFile email newsletter is delivered every morning to more than 6,000 full-time faculty and staff at York University. It is often the first interaction community members have with what is new and interesting on campus. With this in mind, and recognizing YFile readers have busy inboxes, the new YFile email newsletter has been designed to be informative, engaging and simple to navigate.

As part of this major refresh, the email newsletter is now developed using a new platform that provides greater flexibility in layout, design, and presentation of stories and content, allowing YFile’s editorial team to highlight stories about York University in a more balanced approach. Both responsive and web-friendly, the email newsletter is more accessible for all types of devices, from desktops to tablets and smartphones, and through all web browsers.

An outstanding feature that is particularly exciting to announce is the new archive of email newsletters, which will be available on the YFile website. That means no more searching through an email inbox, and faculty and staff can now save and print email newsletters that are published from Sept. 15 onward. This fulfills a frequent request from the community.

The University events calendar

A new online calendar of events offers a streamlined, optimized listing of new events taking place at York University’s campuses. The new centralized calendar, which is linked on the University’s homepage under Quick Links, is compatible on different devices and web browsers. With a focus on accessibility, the new events calendar launched in late August and more options will be rolled out over the coming months. Featured events of significance to the University will continue to be profiled on the YFile website and in the email newsletter.

Informed by industry best practices and with priority placed on accessibility and fulfilling the University community’s requests, this major evolution of YFile is an important milestone in the publication’s history.

Resources to help you

To help York community members navigate some of these changes, YFile has developed a YFile User Manual. This document will help guide content creators through YFile’s unique writing and publishing conventions, providing answers to frequently asked questions about deadlines, images sizes and more. The YFile User Manual is available on the About YFile page under YFile resources.

Tell us what you think

Feedback from the community is encouraged and welcomed, and can be shared through a link on the YFile website or by emailing yfile@yorku.ca. Please include Feedback in the email subject line.