This Week @ York for Week of September 1, 2020

Announcement

  • Progress Update: Addressing anti-Black Racism at York. “We have undertaken a series of consultations with students, faculty, instructors, staff and other community leaders at York on anti-Black racism and to identify ways to address systemic barriers within the institution. We are grateful to the community members who have taken the time to share their experiences and thoughts with us.” Read the full message here.

  • Independent review of the culture in York's Athletics and Recreation varsity teams initiated. York University will always seek to promote an atmosphere of civility, diversity, equity, and respect in our interactions with others, either on or off campus. In response to concerns raised regarding the culture of our Athletics and Recreation varsity teams, York is launching an independent, third party review to explore the culture within York's athletic programs through the lens of the student-athlete’s experiences, and review York Athletics & Recreations’ policies. The review, commissioned by the Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion, on behalf of the Vice Provost, Students, has engaged Ethical Associates to lead the review. Anyone who would like to participate is invited to please contact: share@yorkathleticsreview.com. The review will begin immediately. Read the full message here.

  • The Creation of York’s new Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change . “I am very pleased to be able to announce the formal creation of the new Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC) which brings together the expertise housed in the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) and the department of Geography in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. This new Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change is believed to be the first faculty of its kind in the world to bring together a critical mass of physical geographers, ecologists, social scientists, humanities researchers and artists whose innovative, world-renowned research addresses natural, built and social spaces from a global perspective.” Read the full message here.

  • Announcement about Moodle/eClass: Effective September 1, your primary course platform, Moodle (for Keele Campus students), has been renamed eClass. eClass has all the same features as Moodle, with some enhancements including improved graphics, functionality, reliability, and an improved interface. Updates also include the ability to change your preferred name on eClass. Continuing students do not have to learn a new system.

Learning Skills

  • Workshop: Zoom & Moodle Survival Guide. In this session hosted by the Atkinson Centre for Mature & Part-time Students (ACMAPS), you can learn the ins and outs of Zoom and Moodle to prepare for online learning this year. Topics include setting up break-out rooms on Zoom, scheduling meetings, participating in Zoom lectures, navigating Moodle and much more! A mock lecture will be held to provide students with the opportunity to practice skills learned throughout the presentation. Registration required. Session Date: Thursday, September 3, 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Money Matters

  • Student Financial Services (SFS) Workshop: Money for YU: Financing Your Academic Year. Whether you are a first-year student or continuing student, domestic or international student, York is committed to supporting you financially so you can focus on your academic goals and maximize your funding. Join the Student Financial Services team for this one-hour live session, where you will learn how to access various financial resources and other possible sources of funding that you may not have previously explored! Wednesday, September 2, 10 to 11 a.m. and Friday, September 11, 10 to 11 a.m.

  • If you can't make the event or if you are looking for assistance with your OSAP application, check out #YUBlog’s “Understanding OSAP” series. This two-part series is aimed at helping you understand the OSAP application process and receiving your funds.

Connect with Community

  • ACMAPS Event Schedule.  Are you a mature student at York U? Are you interested in meditation or attending a casual, drop-in café hour to meet other mature students or a mature student peer mentor? Check the schedule at the link above and attend any session you wish, via Zoom.

International Connections

  • York International (YI) Session: Q&A for International Students. Are you an international student with questions around all the updates from immigration recently? Register for this session to find out what's new and ask any questions you may have. Thursday, September 3, 9 to 11 a.m. Registration required.

  • YI’s daily Virtual Coffee Breaks are an online space for international and domestic students from across programs, Faculties, countries and cultures to connect and get to know each other! Student Leaders are on Zoom every weekday with different fun and interesting topics. When you sign up, a confirmation email with the zoom link will be sent to you upon registration. View the York International Events Calendar for the full Virtual Coffee Break weekly schedule.

Student Support Services

Worth Repeating

  • How York plans to keep students on campus safe this fall. “While the majority of our community will be working and studying from home this fall, there are some important activities that will require a phased return to campus, such as ongoing research and a limited number of in-person courses. The gradual reopening of our campuses will continue to be guided by public health guidelines and the government. Our priority is keeping you safe. Unless have been approved for select in-person activities (e.g. in-person courses, residence) in the Fall term, you do not need to come to campus.

  • Information about Winter 2021: “We are now finalizing decisions about Winter 2021 term courses. We are all looking forward to being on our campuses as soon as it is safe to do so but whether your learning will be in-person or online, our instructors are finding innovative ways to provide the high-quality learning experience for which York is known.” Read the full message here. (En français)

  • Message from Vice Provost, Students, Lucy Fromowitz regarding Student Self-Identification Survey: “In our desire to serve all our students, we must first know more about you. To this end, with collaboration across our campuses, we are committed to implementing a self-identification survey. The survey will be distributed to all students for the Fall 2021 start, and annually thereafter. Your input will inform our policies, practices, programs, and services from an access and inclusion perspective.  It will also allow us to communicate directly about services and opportunities designed specifically for specific student populations.” Read the full message here.

  • When thinking about full-year courses for next year, don’t forget to check out the award-winning C4: The Cross-Campus Capstone Classroom. This unique learning opportunity brings together students at the third-, fourth-, and fifth-year levels to work in interdisciplinary teams on real work challenges with social impact. Learn more about the C4 Program in their weekly webinars, which you can find at the top of this C4 Program #YUBlog Post.