CAMPUS NOTES

Construction continues on Archives of Ontario project
Preparation for the start of construction on the Archives of Ontario Building, positioned adjacent to York Lanes on the Keele campus, continues. There will be covered hoarding on the east and south frontages of the development site (at the VIVA transit stops, and along the north side of the Common), while the north and west site edges will have uncovered hoarding. Following hoarding, the site will be stripped of topsoil and levelled. Once this is completed, work will begin on drilling the foundation caissons.

The Vanier Parking Lot has been taken out of service and is not available to the York University community. The lot is being used by the contractor as a trailer compound and construction staging area for the duration of the project which is expected to continue until March 2009. The lot will be fenced-in to maintain safe and secure conditions for community members and the contractor.

Once construction peaks, pedestrian and traffic flows around the project site will be affected. The contractor working on the project will take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of members of the York community. Precautionary measures include posting warning signs, use of flag persons to direct pedestrians and traffic, and scheduling certain activities at off-peak times.

Access to parking lots and garage limited
The entrance to the Shoreham Unreserved Lot has now been closed due to construction on Shoreham Road. The lot is still open to permit holders and will remain accessible throughout the construction period, but access will be through the Ice Gardens Parking Lot entrance.

Arboretum Parking Garage and Library Lot permit holders will be able to access their lots at all times throughout the construction period, but will be unable to drive through Shoreham Road and will have to approach from Northwest Gate to gain access to Arboretum Lane.

These changes are a result of the Pond Road West and Shoreham Drive reconstruction project.

Learn to fix your bike
On Wednesday, May 30, Bike to York is running a do-it-yourself bicycle maintenance workshop. From noon to 4pm outside the north entrance to the Health, Nursing & Environmental Studies Building, volunteers will be showing bicycle owners how to do routine maintenance and minor repairs.

If your bike needs fixing, bring it along, or come to observe. If you have skills already, feel free to share them at this event. For more information, e-mail Bike to York.

Help mentor a future leader
Are you an Atkinson alumnus/alumna working at York? Want to give back to your alma mater?

The Atkinson Student-Alumni Mentorship Program is looking for Atkinson alumni with vision, creativity, energy and time to share their experience and knowledge with current students. You will acquire sophisticated leadership and coaching skills while making a meaningful impact on the University community.

In 2006-2007, 81 Atkinson students were unable to benefit from the program due to a lack of alumni mentors. Your involvement can make a profound difference in the life of an Atkinson student.

Information sessions about the mentorship program will be held May 30, June 19, July 18 and Aug. 14 from 6:30 to 7:30pm in the Harry Leith Room, 004 Atkinson Bldg.

Expand your professional development while connecting with your community. Learn more and register for one of the sessions here or by calling ext. 33572.

Summer Slo-Pitch League looking for players
The York University Summer Slo-Pitch League is looking for male and female players to fill out its team rosters. The recreational league is open to York students, staff, faculty and alumni. The weeknight league (games are played Monday to Thursday) begins play on May 7 and runs through Labour Day.

SSH! is a new silent study hall for students in Scott Library
As part of ongoing plans to provide York's students with more study space that is quiet, the University Libraries have transformed a meeting space into a new Silent Study Hall, or the "SSH!" Intended to assist in addressing the shortage of quiet study space for undergraduate students in Scott Library, SSH! is located in room 204, on the second floor of Scott Library in the area to the north of the Information Desk. The space accommodates up to 40 people.

SSH! will serve as a space where library staff can refer undergraduate students who are especially sensitive to ambient noise. To maintain silence, SSH! users are expected to turn off their cell phone ring tones and take conversations outside the room. Library staff will assist by monitoring the study room on a regular basis. However, because the room contains a small number of study spaces at open tables and is a closed facility, it is anticipated that students using the space will exert sufficient peer influence to keep it free from noise and conversation. As part of the renovation, a window has been installed in the wall beside the door so that it will not be necessary for people to open the door to see who is in the SSH!

At present, the only other spaces designated for silent study are the quiet room in the Peter F. Bronfman Business Library, S237 Seymour Schulich Bldg., and the Graduate Student Reading Room on the fourth floor of Scott Library, so this new facility advances the libraries' goal to provide additional targeted student study space.

See the University Libraries Web site for more information on SSH!

Extended hours at the Scott Library for Summer 2007 and for the 2007-2008 academic year
During the summer of 2007, the study area on the first floor of Scott Library will be renovated. The renovations will improve usability, noise control and security and will allow the University Libraries to keep the first floor (only) of the Scott Library open after 11pm when the rest of the Library closes. From September 2007 to April 2008, the Scott Library will remain open until 1am from Sunday to Thursday.

For a full description of the hours of operation for the Scott Library, the Steacie Science & Engineering Library and all of the other York Libraries, visi the University Libraries Web site and click on Hours.

Work continues on a new colonnade for Accolade
Work began April 2 on the construction of an integrated colonnade to provide a covered walkway on the full length of the south side of the Harry Arthurs Common from Vari Hall to the east end of the Accolade East Building. The Accolade Colonnade will complete the colonnade system already in place on the north and west sides of the common. When the project is completed at the end of August 2007, the colonnade will provide an indoor walkway as well as a comfortable environment for commuters waiting on public transit in the area.

Watch your step near Curtis
The installation of a new walkway at Curtis Green will start on May 3. The work should be completed by mid-May. Curtis Green is the area contained by Campus Walk, Curtis Lecture Halls, Arboretum Lane and Parking Garage, and the William Small Centre.

Changes to GO bus services to universities and colleges
Starting Sunday, April 29, GO Transit made some changes to its bus services because fewer people will be travelling to universities and colleges. These changes will affect service to:

• York University
• McMaster University
• Sheridan College
• University of Guelph
• Centennial College
• University of Toronto – Scarborough campus
• Durham College/University of Ontario Institute of Technology

In most cases, GO will revert to a back to basics schedule without many of the extra buses that were required to handle the extra passengers during the school year.

Several routes serving York’s Keele campus reverted to their spring/summer schedules on April 6. GO bus service on the Hwy. 407 routes from Square One, Meadowvale, Scarborough Town Centre, Pickering GO Station and Unionville will be reduced for the summer. New schedule times for Fall 2007 will be posted in late August.

For more information, visit the GO Transit Web site or call 1-800-GETONGO (438-6646).

Join York's team on the World Community Grid
The World Community Grid, powered by IBM, uses idle home or work computers – PC or Mac – joined by grid technology to provide researchers with a large system of massive computational power that far exceeds the power of a few supercomputers.

York has established its own group on the grid, the "York University Research" team. To join the York University Research team, individuals should go to York’s World Community Grid Web page. They will be asked to download and install a free, small software agent onto the computer – either home, school or office. The York page explains how to register as part of the York team.

To learn more about York University’s involvement in this global research effort, and for information on how to register and join the York University Research team, visit York’s World Community Grid Web page.

Important dates for 2007-2008 are now available online
Dates for York's Summer 2007 and Fall/Winter 2007-2008 sessions have been published online. This important notice, the official source for sessional dates, uses a new calendar format to list University closures, make up days, class end dates and the like in an easy-to-follow visual format.

To view the updated list of important dates, visit the Registrar's Web site.