Here’s your timely & targeted compilation of key events, noteworthy news and important dates for the remainder of the week.
Note: any information related to changes due to COVID-19 found in this newsletter has already been communicated to the community and can be found at York’s YU Better Together website. All this information is accurate at the newsletter’s time of publication.
If you don’t have time to read This Week @ York, or would like to refer to it again, every edition can be found on the This Week @ York Archive web page.
Here are some other important items to keep in mind this week.
| 1 | VIDEO: 2020 York President's Report: Creating Positive Change. President Rhonda Lenton is delighted to share Creating Positive Change: 2020 President’s Report with you. This year’s report looks back at the 2019-20 academic year and tells the story of our community’s inspirational response to the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic and how we joined together to make significant progress on our shared goals and priorities.
All-Community Virtual Town Hall. Join President Rhonda Lenton and other York senior leaders at this all-community Virtual Town Hall. The panel will answer questions from students, staff, instructors and faculty concerning the upcoming months. Submit your questions in advance using this Virtual Town Hall question submission form. Wednesday, October 21, 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. Take part in York’s first-ever virtual Red & White Day on Thursday, October 29! Though we may not be together physically, this Red & White Day will be special in many ways. We encourage you to participate in activities and virtual events including demos, a fitness class, contests, a York U Bookstore sale and more! Make new connections and have fun amidst the bustle of the fall term. Of course, don’t forget to wear red and white, or your York gear for your Zoom lectures and meetings. |
| 2 | Announcement: Hold on Resumption of Paid Parking. Paid parking had been planned to resume in November of this year as part of the University’s gradual re-opening of the campuses over the summer; however with the current rise in COVID-19 cases and the regional return to a modified stage 2 status, the reinstatement of paid parking has been put on hold until further notice. Parking will continue to remain complimentary for those individuals approved to be on campus. |
| 3 | Let your voice be heard before this important feedback survey closes! The Office of the University Registrar (OUR) is conducting an external review of its services and they want to hear from you. Please take 10 minutes to fill out the Student Feedback Survey and tell them about your experiences when working with units in the OUR – Recruitment and Admissions, Client Relations, Records and Scheduling, Student Financial Services and Student Systems. This will help the OUR better understand your experience and identify areas that are working well and what can be improved upon to serve you better. Survey Closing Date: Tuesday, October 20 at 11:59 p.m. |
| 4 | Anti-Racism Workshop: Racial Inclusion & Employment Equity. This workshop hosted by the Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Inclusion focuses on racism and discrimination in the workplace, highlighting the relevant policies and laws in place to support efforts that build healthy and inclusive workplace environments and culture. Wednesday, October 21, 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Race & Privilege: An Honest, Overdue Conversation with Ourselves. Join the York community in this interactive session hosted by Student Community & Leadership Development where participants will utilize a conversational toolkit, wildcards and a series of dialogue-based questions that will help to empower difficult conversations around race and privilege with one another, but most importantly — with ourselves. Gain perspective on, and challenge, the assumptions we make about one another based on our personal privileges. Friday, October 23, 1 p.m. Registration required. |
| 5 | Drop by the new virtual Learning Commons Welcome Desk at the top right of the Learning Commons website! It is an instant chat tool with Zoom integration for screen-sharing and is available Monday to Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. This service helps you navigate academic supports and resources available via the Learning Commons and is a convenient first check-in point with friendly and well-informed Learning Skills Services peers. The peers can provide direct assistance with a host of learning skills-related queries and can help you connect with the best resource or service you need, including library research, writing, career and English language support.
Outside these hours, you can always check out the Learning Commons website for more information. The web site also now offers a Learning Commons FAQ page to answer popular questions for those who prefer anytime support. Learning Skills Services Workshop: Exam Prep. Join this session and learn tips to effectively prepare for all types of exams, including multiple choice, short answer, calculations, essay-style and more. If you feel like you could use some help preparing for exams, whether it’s a midterm or a final, then this workshop is for you. Wednesday, October 21, 10 to 11 a.m. Registration required. Workshop: Managing Academic Stress. Attend this workshop and learn tips and strategies for handling the anxieties and stresses of university life. Wednesday, October 21, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Registration required. Workshop: Presentation Skills. Join this workshop and learn some basic tools and strategies to effectively develop and deliver a presentation. Thursday, October 22, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Workshop: Mastering Group Work. Group assignments are an inevitable part of every student’s experience. Working collaboratively is a key skill not just for success at university, but also in the work world. This workshop is designed to help you and your classmates master the art of effective group work. Friday, October 23, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. |
| 6 | Career Centre Webinar: What Can I Do With My Degree? Attend this webinar to learn how the skills you are developing in your degree and the experiences you are gaining while at York will help build a foundation for your future. Wednesday, October 21, 10 to 11 a.m. Registration required at Experience York.
Alumni Guest Speaker: Ask the Right Questions: Success Strategies for Networking. Join presenter Stacey Ann Berry (Hons. BA '08, MPPAL '14), an author, speaker, founder and president of Bstellar Group Inc., as she discusses the power of informational interviewing for students and new graduates as well as the secret behind asking the right questions. Wednesday, October 21, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Registration required at Experience York. If you have time, check out My Career Plan on the Career Centre’s eClass page. If you’d like to learn more about My Career Plan, read this recent #YUBlog post, “Career Centre’s New Module: My Career Plan on eClass,” where the team walks you through the different sections, the Career Exploration Guide and the Career Exploration Workbook. |
| 7 | Health Education Workshop: Nutrition Basics: Food & Mood. This practical workshop aims to help educate students about the relationship between nutrition and food choices and how it impacts well-being and our ability to manage stress. Learn about mood-boosting food and nutritional hacks with simple and practical recipes on a student budget. Thursday, October 22, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration required.
Workshop: Healthier Coping Strategies: Alcohol & Drug Use During Pandemic Times. This workshop aims to educate and support students in implementing harm reduction strategies for moderating alcohol and drug use. Healthier coping strategies to mitigate feelings of anxiety and isolation during uncertain times are explored. Thursday, October 22, 4 to 5:30 p.m. Registration required. |
| 8 | Mindful Meditation Session. Join this meditation session facilitated by Psychologist Scott Pope from Student Counselling & Development. These sessions will help you to de-stress, decrease loneliness and increase positivity. Thursday, October 22, 1 to 1:45 p.m.
Mature Student Event Schedule. Are you a mature student at York? 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. |
| 9 | Toronto Public Health Rapid Response Team Student Information Session. Join this interactive online session for York students, delivered in partnership with Toronto Public Health’s Rapid Response Team and hear the latest information on COVID-19, how to protect yourself and others, choosing and effectively using a mask/face covering, accessing reliable advice and resources and more. You will have an opportunity to submit questions in advance using this question submission form. Registration not required. Tuesday, October 27, 4 to 5:30 p.m. |
| 10 | Experience Grad Studies. The Faculty of Graduate Studies invites you to a three-day virtual event this November. Experience Grad Studies features a series of information sessions and a Virtual Fair, which is your opportunity to engage with Graduate Program and Graduate Diploma representatives. Explore York's 60+ graduate programs and diplomas, and learn about funding, scholarships and how to apply. Wednesday, November 4 to Friday, November 6. See the full detailed list of information sessions and register online at the link above. |
| 11 | Student Accessibility Services continues to meet with students virtually! Students already registered with Student Accessibility Services can connect with their Accessibility Counsellor by email or via sasinfo@yorku.ca.
Interested in registering with Student Accessibility Services? Visit the New Students page on their website. |
| 12 | Student Counselling & Development is continuing to offer individual remote single-session counselling and telephone support at 416-736-5297, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. They have also provided a suite of COVID-19 mental health resources to help you prioritize your mental health and wellbeing and access additional community supports.
Glendon Campus students can access individual counselling through Glendon’s Accessibility, Well-Being and Counselling. |
WORTH REPEATING
Experiential Education (EE) Symposium 2021 Application. Did you work on a research project or field activity for a course with experiential education components that you are exceptionally proud of? If yes, you should become a Poster Presenter and show off your project virtually at the Experiential Education Symposium in January! Application Deadline: Tuesday, November 2.
Limited Study Spaces on Campus: Students living in proximity to campus, in undergraduate residences, York Apartments and The Quad, and those in on-campus courses have indicated a need for accessible, quiet spaces with reliable internet access to study and work on projects. In response to this need, York is making a limited number of student study spaces available to students on campus. Use of all study spaces will require pre-booking, via the study space online reservation tool.
To ensure your safety while on campus, we have instituted designated entrances for student access that will require your YU-card to gain entry. Please visit the Building Access on Campus web page for a map of designated building entrances and details about which buildings do not have YU-card readers and how to access them.
View the York International Events Calendar for the full Virtual Coffee Break weekly schedule. 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.
Ideas about how to improve This Week @ York? Email thisweek@yorku.ca.