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Press Room > Backgrounder
Faculty of Health Backgrounder

(380 words)
The Faculty of Health at York University was founded in 2006 by integrating the Schools of Health Policy & Management, Kinesiology & Health Science, Nursing and the Department of Psychology.  York is the only university in Canada to combine these strengths under one Faculty. The Health Leadership & Learning Network (HLLN) for continuing education and professional development in the health sector has recently been added. The Faculty’s emphasis is on prevention first, and then care when needed to make a difference in people’s lives in order to make health and health care sustainable for all.  The Faculty of Health believes the key to preventing a crisis in Canada’s health care system is to keep people informed and healthier longer.  We are proud to be affiliated with the York-UHN (University Health Network) Nursing Academy and to collaborate with major institutions around the world.

Harvey Skinner, PhD, CPsych, FCAHS is the inaugural Dean of the Faculty of Health at York University.  Skinner is charged with leading the Faculty’s ambitious mission to be an integrative force for promoting health – locally and globally. He is a published researcher and the first to focus on linking changes in behaviour, organizational improvement and information technology (e-health), as described in his book Promoting Health Through Organizational Change (2002).  Under his leadership, the TeenNet and Youth Voices program (www.youthvoices.ca), innovative websites have been created for engaging youth in health promotion, including smoking prevention, gambling education, and youth action projects. Dr. Skinner’s expertise is sought by health organizations, governments, universities and practitioners all over the world.

With 8,500 undergraduate students, 500 graduate students, 30,000 alumni and a world class team of faculty researchers, educators and staff we will be able to design and test ways to dramatically improve our capacity to keep people and their communities healthier, longer.  We work with an integrative education model linking undergraduate, graduate and continuing education programs in each of our five areas.  This model supports knowledge translation and mobilization that engages communities in health promotion and improving health systems.  We must work together in order to reach our goal; we know we must go beyond traditional boundaries in health care, medicine and public health.  Our vision is to educate future global leaders who will redefine and advance health and human science.

Faculty of Health Backgrounder - Short Version

(145 words)
The Faculty of Health at York University (www.yorku.ca) was founded in 2006 by integrating the Schools of Health Policy & Management, Kinesiology & Health Science, Nursing and the Department of Psychology.  York is the only university in Canada to combine these strengths under one Faculty. The Health Leadership & Learning Network (HLLN) for continuing education and professional development in the health sector has recently been added. The Faculty’s emphasis is on prevention first, and then care when needed to make a difference in people’s lives in order to make health and health care sustainable for all.  The Faculty of Health believes the key to preventing a crisis in Canada’s health care system is to keep people healthier, longer.

York University

(100 words)
York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 200,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 10 Faculties and 28 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries.

This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.