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Dear colleagues:
I am delighted to announce the current Interim Vice-President Equity, People and Culture (VP-EPC), Laina Y. Bay-Cheng, has been appointed in the continuing role as the VP-EPC, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Professor Bay-Cheng was appointed as the interim VP-EPC on Jan. 1, 2024, after a comprehensive search chaired by me. Over the past seven months, she has demonstrated strong leadership and a steadfast commitment to the University, incorporating her academic background and prior experience.
During this past year, Professor Bay-Cheng has supported Labour Relations, most notably through bargaining with CUPE 3903 and now with YUFA, led the successful and timely search for a new CHRO and AVP human resources, supported the AVP Indigenous initiatives to bring major projects to fruition, collaborated with others, including the Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Inclusion (CHREI) to enrich York’s relational culture at York, and sought to embed and advance equity – in all forms and for all groups – throughout York’s communities and practices.
Professor Bay-Cheng joined York in July 2022 after spending 17 years on faculty at the University at Buffalo, including as associate dean for faculty development. Her achievements show her dedication to working from the ground up to build diverse, equitable and fruitful intellectual communities.
Professor Bay-Cheng was hired at York to serve as the inaugural associate vice-president, faculty affairs. In that role, she was charged with cultivating an environment in which faculty members across the institution would thrive in their careers as scholars, educators and colleagues. Building the portfolio from scratch, she developed supports to serve faculty colleagues in all career stages and roles, including welcoming new assistant professors on the tenure track; mentoring associate professors pursuing promotion to full professor; ensuring the integrity and effectiveness of York’s faculty hiring processes; and building capacity and networks of support among academic leaders.
Professor Bay-Cheng has a faculty appointment in the Department of Psychology and maintains a research program examining the impact of interlocked social injustices on young women’s sexual rights and lives. She remains grateful for her undergraduate education at Wellesley College and her doctoral training in social work and psychology with Dr. Abby Stewart at the University of Michigan.
This is an important time for York as it continues its work to decolonize and address issues of equity and inclusion, strengthening our reputation as a welcoming environment where everyone feels they belong. In the role of vice-president equity, people and culture, Professor Bay-Cheng will draw on her expertise and past work to further drive the implementation of York University’s Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, facilitate the York U Forward Action Plan for sustainability and support the continued development of the division in its efforts to facilitate the University Academic Plan.
Please join me in congratulating Professor Bay-Cheng. I look forward to working with her over the coming years as we continue to strengthen equity, people, and culture initiatives across York and with our community partners.
An internal search for a new associate vice-president faculty affairs will commence shortly.
Sincerely,
Rhonda Lenton
President & Vice-Chancellor