A few simple practices that take 30 minutes can help to reduce stress and boost energy will be taught during the Fall 2021 Stress Busting Series at York University.
Offering “30 minutes of magical practices,” the series runs over 10 weeks beginning Sept. 27 and features qigong, mindfulness meditation and Capacitar wellness.
Faculty of Health Professor Harvey Skinner will teach how these practices can empower us to care for our health and well-being, with sessions open to everyone at York and running from 12 to 12:30 p.m. Each session will follow with a Q-and-A, which is optional for participants.
For Fall 2021, the program includes:
Qigong (Mondays and Thursdays) – a typical 30-minute session involves breath work, energizing movements, purging exercises, flowing movements and meditation. These sessions run Sept. 27 to Dec. 2.
Mindfulness Meditation (Tuesdays) – a typical 30-minute session involves mindfulness of breath, awareness of body sensations, loving kindness and self-compassion practices, and RAIN meditation for strong emotions. These sessions run Sept. 28 to Nov. 30.
Capacitar Healing Practices (Wednesdays) – a typical 30-minute session involves meditation and mindfulness, finger holds and other body holds for managing emotions, t’ai chi/qigong movements, emotional freedom technique and acupressure points. These sessions run Sept. 29 to Dec. 1.
These programs are offered for free to the York University community. Details about the series and registration are available from the Stress Busting website or by contacting Skinner directly by email at harvey.skinner@yorku.ca.
Skinner is a professor of psychology and global health and was founding dean (2006-16) of the Faculty of Health. His daily wellness routine includes: qigong energy and movement practices, mindfulness meditation and body work exercises.
Hellenic Heritage Foundation donation will highlight experiences of Greek diaspora in Canada
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The funding will expand the existing physical archive and establish a digital archive of images, documents, video and other assets that are related to Greek Canadian history.
When Christopher Grafos entered the Graduate Program in History at York University, he encountered the same problem time and time again.
“When I spoke to Greek Canadians about their immigration experiences and their time in Canada, they would often tell me that they had thrown out a lot of the materials that would help researchers examine their history,” says Grafos, who completed his PhD in 2016. “It was such a tragedy for me to learn that we were in danger of allowing these experiences to fade away without preserving them through images, videos, newsletters, and other materials that brings this history to life.”
Together with his then-supervisor, Professor Sakis Gekas, HHF Chair in Modern Greek History, Grafos founded the Greek Canadian History Project in 2012. As the archives grew, so did the need to catalogue, digitize, present and preserve these materials, and to help Greek Canadians tell their stories through recorded oral histories and other methods.
On Sept. 22, the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies announced an important $1.4-million gift from the Hellenic Heritage Foundation (HHF) that will help York preserve, catalogue, digitize and teach these histories.
In recognition of this new gift, the Greek Canadian History Project will receive a new name; starting Sept. 27, the project will be known as The Hellenic Heritage Foundation Greek Canadian Archives.
Above: From left, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Dean JJ McMurtry; Hellenic Heritage Foundation President Tony Lourakis; York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton; and, Acting Vice-President Advancement E. Louise Spencer
“This support from our partners at HHF will allow us to add resources that will expand the archives and increase our capacity to engage with our community’s past and present,” says Gekas. “In collaboration with the Clara Thomas Archives, York libraries and community partners, our intention is to digitize a lot of the paper material that we already hold and will acquire in the future for preservation and dissemination purposes, primarily in research and teaching. For example, historical material such as photographs and films, but also written records like old newspaper articles, which would otherwise be destroyed without preservation.”
This gift from HHF will help expand the existing physical archive and establish a digital archive to be housed at York University. As well, the funding will provide a framework for the study of Greek diaspora around the world.
“Focusing on the experiences of average Greek Canadians has tremendous importance,” says Grafos, who is currently the project’s director. “That’s because during the early days of the project, almost everyone said that they never saw themselves as important enough to preserve their story in an archive.”
“York University is profoundly grateful for its longstanding partnership with the Hellenic Heritage Foundation,” said Rhonda Lenton, president and vice-chancellor. “For more than two decades, the Hellenic Heritage Foundation has been a generous supporter of the University and the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. Today’s landmark $1.4-million contribution will serve to expand the newly renamed Hellenic Heritage Foundation Greek Canadian Archives, providing indispensable resources for scholars and researchers exploring the immigrant experience in Canada.”
The partnership between HHF and York University started in 2000, when the Foundation made a landmark contribution to create the Hellenic Heritage Foundation Chair in Modern Greek History, an endowed chair position currently held by Prof. Gekas.
“The establishment of the HHF Chair in Modern Greek History was a visionary act,” says JJ McMurtry, dean of LA&PS. “Under Prof. Gekas’ exceptional leadership, the Chair has opened up new lines of inquiry, which have led to important new academic activity focusing both on Modern Greece, and on Greece’s many intersections with modern Canada.”
For HHF President Tony Lourakis, the most exciting part of the Foundation’s investment is the long-term and infinite possibilities that will come from expanding the archives.
“Investing in the HHF Greek Canadian Archives represents the foundation of what we hope to achieve,” says Lourakis. “The archives will be public and available for people to study. They’ll be able to learn about Greek Canadian history in a way that they might not experience from other public historical records. And in turn, we can engage with the public in a more familiar and intimate way than we might have otherwise.”
For Grafos, the recognition that this investment from HHF brings validates the importance of the archives.
“With this recognition, we hope to collect even more materials and more stories about the Greek immigrant experience in Canada,” he says. “It’s time to let community members tell their own stories.”
Next Scholars’ Hub @ Home looks at equity and inclusion in online classrooms
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The Sept. 29 edition of the Scholars’ Hub @ Home speaker series features Associate Professor Sarah Barrett from York University’s Faculty of Education with a discussion titled “The key to equity and inclusion in online classrooms: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Sarah Barrett
Equity was one of the first casualties of change when schools closed in March 2020 and teachers and students were suddenly physically separated from each other. This talk will describe the experiences of Ontario teachers and the students facing disproportionate academic, psychological and social consequences. These findings can inform how to best create equitable and inclusive classrooms online.
Brought to you by York University’s Office of Alumni Engagement, the Scholars’ Hub @ Home speaker series features discussions on a broad range of topics, with engaging lectures from some of York’s best and brightest minds. Students, alumni and all members of the community are invited to attend. All sessions take place at noon via Zoom.
Events are held in partnership with Vaughan Public Libraries, Markham Public Library and Aurora Public Library.
One or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine that is not authorized by Health Canada, followed by one dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine authorized by Health Canada; or
Three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine that is not authorized by Health Canada; and
It has been at least 14 days since their final dose of their COVID-19 vaccine.
What This Means
If you are considered fully vaccinated as described above, no further vaccination is required at this time. Please ensure you upload your proof of vaccination to YU Screen as soon as possible.
If you are not considered fully vaccinated as described above, we encourage you to get your remaining dose or doses as soon as you are eligible and to upload your proof of vaccination to YU Screen.
All York community members who are coming to campus for classes or in-person activities must be fully vaccinated with the full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine or combination of vaccines and must upload proof of vaccination to YU Screen in order to continue accessing York’s campuses in person by October 18, 2021. York will directly communicate with the full community about the date by which those requiring a third dose will be required to provide proof of their third dose.
If you have received one or two doses of a COVID vaccine that is not yet approved by Health Canada, please review the guidelines from the Ministry of Health to determine your remaining course of vaccination.
Key Dates
Sept. 21-23, 28-30: vaccine clinics are running at the Aviva Centre on Keele Campus. You do not need an appointment and will be required to show one piece of identification. Those working or studying on the Glendon Campus can also continue accessing walk-in clinics available through Sunnybrook Hospital.
Sept. 22: Ontario will require proof of vaccination to access certain businesses and services including indoor dining and other indoor public settings. Get more information about Ontario’s vaccine passport.
Oct. 18: All community members are required to provide proof of vaccination through YU Screen.
If you have questions about York’svaccine policy, please see the Proof of Vaccination FAQs and Mandatory COVID-19 Testing FAQs on the Better Together site. Thank you for continuing to keep York’s campuses safe and I hope you will join us later today at our next Town Hall.
Sincerely, Parissa Safai Special Advisor to the President for Academic Continuity Planning & COVID-19 Response
Nouvelles directives de vaccination pour l’Ontario
Selon ces directives, en Ontario, une personne est considérée comme entièrement vaccinée si :
elle a reçu une série complète de vaccins contre la COVID-19 approuvés par Santé Canada et une combinaison de tels vaccins;
elle a reçu une ou deux doses d’un vaccin contre la COVID-19 qui n’est pas autorisé par Santé Canada, suivi d’une dose d’un vaccin contre la COVID-19 à ARNm autorisé par Santé Canada; ou
elle a reçu trois doses d’un vaccin contre la COVID-19 qui n’est pas autorisé par Santé Canada; et
il s’est écoulé au moins 14 jours depuis la dernière dose du vaccin contre la COVID-19.
Ce que cela signifie :
Si vous répondez aux critères de vaccination complète mentionnés ci-dessus, aucune autre vaccination n’est nécessaire pour le moment. Veuillez télécharger votre preuve de vaccination dans YU Dépistage le plus rapidement possible.
Si vous ne répondez pas aux critères de vaccination complète mentionnés ci-dessus, nous vous encourageons à recevoir la ou les doses restantes dès que vous êtes admissible et à télécharger votre preuve de vaccination dans l’outil YU Dépistage.
Tous les membres de la communauté de York qui viennent sur le campus pour des classes ou des activités en personne doivent être entièrement vaccinés avec une série complète de vaccins ou la combinaison de vaccins COVID-19; ils doivent télécharger leur preuve de vaccination dans YU Dépistage pour pouvoir continuer à accéder aux campus de York en personne après le 18 octobre 2021. York communiquera directement à toute la communauté la date à laquelle les personnes nécessitant une troisième dose devront fournir la preuve de leur troisième dose.
Si vous avez reçu une ou deux doses d’un vaccin contre la COVID-19 qui n’a pas encore été approuvé par Santé Canada, veuillez consulter les directives du ministère de la Santé pour déterminer le reste de votre programme de vaccination.
Dates importantes
Du 21 au 23 septembre et du 28 au 30 septembre :Les cliniques de vaccination continuent au Centre Aviva sur le campus Keele. Vous n’avez pas besoin de prendre rendez-vous et vous devrez présenter une pièce d’identité. Les personnes qui travaillent ou étudient sur le campus Glendon peuvent également continuer à accéder aux cliniques sans rendez-vous offertes par l’hôpital Sunnybrook.
22 septembre : L’Ontario exigera une preuve de vaccination pour accéder à certaines entreprises et certains services, notamment les salles de restaurants intérieures et d’autres lieux publics intérieurs. Obtenez plus d’information sur le passeport vaccinal de l’Ontario.
18 octobre : Tous les membres de la communauté doivent fournir une preuve de vaccination avec YU Dépistage.
Sincères salutations, Parissa Safai, conseillère spéciale de la présidente pour la planification de la continuité académique et la réponse à la COVID-19
Here’s how to get your story in the new YFile
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Last week, YFile marked a major milestone with the launch of its new website, archives and email newsletter that combine a modern design, improved functionality and enhanced user experience.
The project to overhaul the publication was undertaken with a community-first approach, with the goal of prioritizing the needs and requests of the York University community and YFile readers.
As part of this project, the YFile team has introduced several new resources to help community members share their important York stories through YFile.
Online story submission form
The updated YFile website features a new online story submission form to make it easier than ever to share ideas, stories and information with the YFile team. The online story submission form is accessible from the YFile homepage, the About YFile page and directly, using this link.
Designed and adapted from the previous downloadable story form, the new online story submission form allows content creators and community members to upload and send all of the information the YFile team requires for story development. In addition to filling out basic information – such as relevant dates and story description – this new form also encourages community members to consider how the story relates to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), which will amplify York’s leadership in SDG-related teaching, partnerships and campus practices.
Further to that, York communications staff and content creators now have the option of requesting up to five different tags for their story, which helps individual units meet their own digital-based goals and benchmarks. (See YFile’s Tagging Conventions and Master Tag List for more.)
Users of the online story submission form will be able to upload one document and up to three images. This new process will help to ensure balanced coverage of stories in YFile, and will save time and make the submission process more transparent.
The YFile team recognizes there are many aspects to consider when requesting coverage in the publication – whether for a story, an ad, an event or a special issue. To help guide the York community through some of the commonly asked questions, YFile has published a brand-new resource called the YFile User Manual. It is accessible from the About YFile page and directly, from this link.
In addition to following the York University Writing Style Guide, YFile has its own unique set of rules and conventions for writing and publication. Outlined in the YFile User Manual are details for items such as deadlines, image requirements, embargoes, publication schedule, event coverage and much more.
The YFile User Manual is now available; please bookmark it and start using it today.
York announces launch of Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages
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York University has launched a new organized research unit (ORU) that is the first at the University to focus on Indigenous and decolonizing scholarship.
The Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages (CIKL) is led by inaugural Director Deborah McGregor, an associate professor at York and the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Justice at Osgoode Hall Law School. The new ORU will host Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers and students engaged in these areas of scholarship, and aims to facilitate knowledge production and dissemination that re-centres Indigenous knowledges, languages, practices and ways of being. Moreover, CIKL will support research involving both traditional and contemporary knowledges, as care-taken, shared and created by Indigenous scholars at the University and from Indigenous knowledge holders in the community.
Deborah McGregor
Cross-appointed between Osgoode Hall Law School and the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, McGregor is Anishinaabe from Whitefish River First Nation, Birch Island, Ont. She has an extensive research background focusing on Indigenous knowledge systems and their applications in water and environmental governance, environmental and climate justice, and sustainable self-determined futures.
McGregor notes that “the Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages offers a generative space within and beyond York University to advance Indigenous scholarship, research theories, methodologies and practices that supports a keen understanding of the goals and aspirations of Indigenous Peoples. CIKL will foster collaborations and partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and others that create ethical space for dialogue on how research relationships can be envisioned, negotiated, practised in support of Indigenous futurities. Creating this ethical space in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and our colleagues across the University also creates opportunities for critical dialogue, reflection and change to take place in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges.”
Joining McGregor as a research leader is York University Professor Sean Hillier, who will become CIKL’s associate director. Hillier has recently been appointed a York Research Chair in Indigenous Health Policy & One Health. He is a queer Mi’kmaw scholar from the Qalipu First Nation, and an assistant professor at the School of Health Policy & Management. His collaborative research program spans themes of aging, living with HIV and other infectious diseases, and antimicrobial resistance, all with a focus on policy affecting health-care access for Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
“Having dedicated Indigenous research resources and space, as offered by the new CIKL, which is run by and for Indigenous Peoples on campus, is a critical first step,” says Hillier. “This centre will assist York in becoming a research-intensive institution and serves the principals of the Indigenous Framework and University Academic Plan.”
Amir Asif, York’s vice-president of research and innovation, says, “The establishment of CIKL creates a vital space for Indigenous researchers and all those engaged in decolonizing scholarship at York and beyond. The centre will play an important role in invigorating and disseminating groundbreaking, Indigenous-centred research taking place at and beyond York University.”
Stay tuned for upcoming events and initiatives at CIKL.
Watch the Sept. 21 community town hall
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On Sept. 21, York University held a virtual town hall to discuss the University’s ongoing plans for the safe return of in-person activities this academic year.
All students, staff, course instructors and faculty were invited to attend and submit questions in advance or live during the event.
The town hall was presented by York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton, who was joined by:
Lisa Philipps, provost and vice-president academic;
Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation;
Sheila Cote-Meek, vice-president equity, people and culture;
Carol McAulay, vice-president finance and administration;
Lucy Fromowitz, vice-provost, students; and
Parissa Safai, special advisor to the president for academic continuity planning and COVID-19 response and associate professor, School of Kinesiology and Health Science.
The full video of the town hall is now available and can be viewed here.
Announcing the Jack Leitch Award in Entrepreneurial Thinking
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Longtime York University supporter Jack Leitch will be celebrated with an annual award in his name that recognizes incoming MBA students. The inaugural recipient of the Jack Leitch Award in Entrepreneurial Thinking will be announced this fall.
Jack Leitch through the years
Leitch left an enduring legacy at York and the Schulich School of Business, beginning in 1965 when he made his first donation toward the Founders Fund at York during Schulich’s founding year. Leitch was close friends with James Gillies, the founding dean of Schulich, which at that time was known as the Faculty of Administrative Studies.
His support for York and Schulich continued for decades, and he served as a member of the University’s Board of Governors for many years. Over the years that followed, Leitch championed and contributed to the success, growth and innovation of the Schulich School of Business and York University through his generous support of various initiatives, including: student awards, scholarships and bursaries; capital projects and University-wide campaigns; and the Jarislowsky Dimma Mooney Chair in Corporate Governance, among many others.
“My father had core values that he followed through his family and business life: empathy, honesty and courage,” said Leitch’s daughter, Jean Vander Ploeg, when asked about her father’s enduring legacy. “Empathy for others and what they were experiencing; honesty to stand up for what is right; and courage to act on his convictions.”
The award celebrates Leitch’s generosity and the indelible mark that he left. It has been established at Schulich through a generous bequest of $250,000. The award will recognize and empower incoming MBA students who embody Leitch’s entrepreneurial spirit and acumen, and demonstrate experience in innovation, product design, leadership and entrepreneurship.
The application deadline is Friday, Oct. 8. For more information, contact finaid@schulich.yorku.ca.
