We are your vibrant and diverse neighbourhood within the bustling city that is York University. Guided by our motto — Self, Culture and Society — Founders College supports your academic success while creating opportunities to connect, participate, lead and grow as a well-rounded individual.
At Founders, you will find welcoming places to study and socialize, opportunities to attend academic, cultural and social events, and many ways to become actively involved in college life. Our students are not simply members of the Founders community — they help shape it.
The Founders College Student Council (FCSC) is a student-run organization representing and serving Founders students. Through events, advocacy, community-building and opportunities for student leadership, FCSC plays an important role in creating a strong sense of belonging and making the Founders experience memorable.
Whether you want to attend an event, join a student organization, meet new people, contribute your ideas or take on a leadership role, there is a place for you at Founders College.
Get involved. Find your community. Help shape Founders.
Learn more about the Founders College Student Council →
Are you a student of a program that affiliated with Founders college?
What We Offer
Advancing YU
Designed specifically for third- and fourth- year women and/or Black-identifying students, Advancing YU is a mentorship program that pairs students with York alumni who have found success in their chosen fields.
BIPOC Programs & Events
Founders College is proud to support BIPOC and international students through events and initiatives like Decolonization Seminar Series, the Global Cities Initiative and more.
Coming soon...
History & Affiliated Programs
Since our founding in 1965 as the first college at York, Founders College, its academic leaders, Fellows and students have participated actively in the development of the university.
College Head: Akolisa Ufodike
Associate Professor, School of Administrative Studies
Akolisa Ufodike's research interests include accountability, actor networks, common pool resources, public sector finance, and public-private partnerships. He serves as an ad hoc reviewer for several academic journals, including the Journal of Business Ethics, Accounting Perspectives, Chinese Management Journal, and Sustainability. His research has been presented at prominent conferences such as the British Accounting and Finance Association (BAFA), the American Accounting Association (AAA), and the Canadian Academic Accounting Association (CAAA), where he has also served as a reviewer.
Ufodike is a CPA case examiner and brand ambassador. Before entering academia, he spent 25 years as a finance executive, with professional experience across industries including telecommunications, banking, oil and gas, utilities and consumer packaged goods. He held leadership roles at organizations such as Bell Canada and Molson Coors. Notably, he was the co-founder and CFO of Jaguar Wireless, a participant in the 2007 Canadian wireless spectrum auction, and later served as CFO and COO of Corridor Communications Inc. (CCI Wireless), one of Canada’s largest wireless ISPs.
A graduate of the Haskayne School of Business PhD program and Cornell University’s MBA program, Ufodike is a Canadian FCPA, a U.S. CPA, a UK FCCA, a Certified Fraud Examiner, and a Certified Director (ICD.D) through the Institute of Corporate Directors.
He is the founder of the John Ware Institute—an organization that has placed more Black Canadians on paid boards than any other in the country. His public service includes roles on the Provincial Audit Committee for Alberta, the Board of the Canada-Nigeria Chamber of Commerce, and the Senate of the University of Calgary. He also served on the board of the TSX-listed Loyalist Group, where he chaired the Audit Committee, and on the boards of several charities, including the Peel Literacy Guild (as Treasurer) and the Black Business and Professional Association. Additionally, he served as Treasurer and later Chairman of Scouts Canada’s Chinook Council.
In 2022, Ufodike made history as the first Black Canadian appointed as a Deputy Minister in the history of Alberta. During his tenure, he led two ministries: Trade, followed by Immigration and Multiculturalism. In recognition of his public service and scholarly contributions, he has received several prestigious honors, including the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) Established Leader Award, and the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
