Stong Administration
Welcome to Stong College!
Welcome to York University. As a student of Stong College, you belong to an interdisciplinary community of students, professors, staff and fellows.
Stong is one of the nine colleges of York University. Inspired by the colleges of Oxford University and the University of Cambridge, the colleges of York provide an intimate environment for students to thrive. York began with a small student population that was contained in one college—at the Glendon Campus. Half a century later, with a student population of 50,000, York continues to value the fellowship and the enhanced opportunities for learning fostered by the interaction between faculty and students beyond the walls of the classroom. An urban university serving also the suburbs, York through its colleges ensures that students, whether they are commuting or living in residence, can have their own space to study, build useful networks, participate in governance, launch their own initiatives, and mentor or be mentored by other students, faculty and fellows.
This year, 2009-2010, Stong is celebrating our college’s fortieth anniversary and York’s fiftieth anniversary. To mark this important year Stong is offering a rich line-up of co-curricular activities that include a public lecture series, “Health and the Imagination,” a research dissemination series titled “Research to Life,” art exhibitions, symposia, a Career Fair, and end of term celebrations. These activities reflect the vital interests of our academic affiliations: Nursing, Health Policy & Management, Health Science & Kinesiology, English, Creative Writing and Professional Writing. I encourage you to participate in the various activities as they give you a chance to meet renowned Canadians and people from the international community who are positively transforming our world. Our academic advising at Stong, in association with the advising systems of our affiliate academic disciplines, offers supporting workshops on how to tackle tests and exams, research and write academic papers and develop various strategies for succeeding, as well as peer advising and mentoring opportunities. It enables you to meet other students who may be confronting and surmounting similar challenges that you may encounter. Stong gives you a chance to try new initiatives and to gain experience that you will not find in textbooks. The various activities take place on different days of the week over lunch hour and late afternoon to evening to accommodate different schedules.
I encourage you to stay connected by looking out for the periodic announcements that we disseminate from the Master’s office through the listserv (don’t treat them as junk mail!) and through the Stong website, or by dropping by our office on the 2nd floor of Stong College—suite 314.
With best wishes for a successful year,
Modupe Olaogun, PhD
Master, Stong College
Associate Professor of English
314A Stong College
E-mail: scmaster@yorku.ca
Telephone: 416-736-2100 ext. 66176
Assistant To The Master
I started working at York University in 1999 and in February 2007, joined the staff at Stong College as the Administrative Assistant to the Master. At Stong I am responsible for the effective supervision for the Master’s Office and events sponsored by the College. I administer, prepare and monitor the college’s budget and assist with the administration and distribution of College Awards and Bursaries. My time here has been rewarding and enjoyable. I would like to welcome and congratulate new and returning students; you are joining a college with high academic and social values and team support. The door to my room 317 is always open so please drop by if you have any questions or just for a friendly chat.
Sylvia Waterman-Anderson
Stong College, 317, 165 Campus Walk
(416)736-5132 (Voicemail)
(416)736-2100 x 77305 (Voicemail)
Kari Hoffman, ACADEMIC ADVISOR
Stong College
Congratulations on your decision to come to York University and be a member of Stong College. Our community of researchers, teachers, staff and students come from around the world with a variety of interests and talents. We welcome you to develop and contribute your own interests, as you become a part of the Stong College community.
As Academic Advisor, I’m here to help provide guidance to students during their tenure at York. This includes directing students to the best academic resources to resolve questions about coursework and career decisions, but can also involve assistance in balancing time between in-class and out-of classroom experiences. One of my most important roles includes the facilitation of student-led efforts to enhance student quality of life. Several established and emerging student-based resources include:
- The “fish bowl” on the west end lobby of the main floor, which is staffed by students waiting to dole out good advice. You can drop by, call (416) 736-2100 x77337, or email scadvise@yorku.ca
- The peer mentor system, in which students are matched to a mentor for the year
- Stong Ambassadors, who represent Stong externally and stand as leaders of our community
In addition, you will find a variety of student-based activities and organizations that stem from the Stong College Student Government (SCSG). This is a great place to start if you are interested in getting involved.
Although I was never a student at Stong College, I was a part of a college system at my alma mater and had the pleasure of pursuing many and varied interests beyond the courses I took to fulfill my academic requirements. As I begin my first year as Academic Advisor, I am happy to offer any insights I may have and to help make your academic experience as fulfilling as mine was. But I would ask a favour of you in return: help me build up my own knowledge base. Tell me what works and what doesn’t in your own experiences, so that I can help pass that information on to the next generations of incoming students.
I look forward to meeting you soon.
Office Hours: 8:00 - 10:00 am Monday to Friday, or by appointment
Email: khoffman@yorku.ca
Telephone: 416 736-2100 ext. 77307
Stong College, 314C, 165 Campus Walk
Acting Manager, Residence Life
Melanie Sulan Chai
Welcome, all new and returning residents to Stong!
I believe that you have made an excellent choice in joining the Stong community and that
you will have an enjoyable and successful academic year.
Stong Residence is well known for its unique spirit and various academic and extra
curricular activities, so take the opportunity to get involved in as many of these as
possible. University life can be one of the best experiences in your life, but it is up to you to get involved and make the best of your time.
It is important to remember that your purpose here is to succeed in your studies, so I urge you to focus much of your energies on achieving academic excellence. However, extra curricular activities are just as important as they help you to relax, de-stress and grow in other ways.
Make sure you start the year with the right balance between academic work and extra-curricular activities. This will aid your overall success and will help you to avoid falling behind in your academic work or burning out.
Finally, I would like to wish you all the best for this year and remind you that help is never far away. The Residence Staff has considerable experience and training in what university life is all about and can be of help to you at any time.
I hope you enjoy your year with us!
stongRLC@yorku.ca
Stong Residence
Acting Manager, Residence Life
Stong Residence, 202
165 Campus Walk
Staff in the Master's Office
Cecilia Abrusci
Stong College Receptionist/Fellows Secretary
Master's Office, 315 Stong College
33063
cabrusci@yorku.ca
