Rooted in the Anishinaabe concept of Mino Bimaadiziwin, “the good life”, York is committed to fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and supportive community where all can thrive. Guided by our established commitments, including our new well-being and sustainability strategies, we continue to find new ways to make life better for those living, studying, and working at York.
Throughout my presidency I’ve been inspired by York’s commitment to being not only a place of learning, but also a community grounded in connection and shared responsibility. Mino Bimaadiziwin reminds us of the importance of both individual and collective well-being, and I’m proud of the ways we’ve embraced this, from sustainability and mental health initiatives to our focus on belonging and recognition. Together, we’ve made York a stronger, more connected place.”
Rhonda Lenton, President & Vice-Chancellor
By the Numbers
Living Well Together Highlights
Launching the York U Forward Action Plan
In July 2024, York University launched a dedicated website outlining the York U Forward Action Plan, a new strategy for achieving long-term financial sustainability and advancing the university’s vision.
The multi-year strategy features 17 projects across three key streams: Program Enhancement and Sustainability, Enrolment Recovery, and Administrative Projects. Designed to address financial pressures stemming from factors such as lower enrolment and policy changes, the plan aims to align York with ongoing transformations in higher education while strengthening its leadership as a progressive teaching and research university.
The York U Forward Action Plan website is accessible to the entire York community, identifies project leads, and is regularly updated to track progress, underscoring York’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and collaboration.
York advances in global and national university rankings
York University continues its upward momentum across major global and national rankings. Globally, York landed 38th out of 2,318 institutions in the 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings and 7th in Canada, while also moving up hundreds of spots in SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.
In the most recent QS World University Rankings, York climbed 29 spots to 333rd globally out of 1,501 institutions and ranks 14th in Canada, and in Maclean’s 2025 University Rankings, York remains one of Canada’s top five comprehensive universities.
The university also placed in the top 100 globally in six subjects in the prestigious ShanghaiRanking Consultancy’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, while in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, York is ranked top 10 in Canada in over 15 areas and is in the top 100 worldwide for English language and literature.
Realizing a greener future with a new sustainability strategy
Guided by a new strategy, Positive Change: Connecting People, Planet and Purpose, York University is strengthening its commitment to sustainability and positive impact.
Developed through more than 5,000 community interactions, the strategy outlines specific, measurable actions across three pillars — people, knowledge and place — which will advance both York’s University Academic Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals at their heart. It will also chart a course for the university to meet its near-term emission reduction and sustainability targets by 2030 and lay a strong foundation for its goal of achieving net zero in direct and indirect emissions by 2040.
The strategy builds on York’s legacy of sustainability leadership both on- and off-campus, which includes using its own cogeneration units to generate cleaner energy across Ontario — an initiative projected to reduce provincial carbon emissions by 17,000 tonnes.
Launching York's inaugural Well-being Strategy
In October 2024, York University launched its first five-year institutional Well-being Strategy (2024–2030), marking a major milestone in its commitment to fostering healthier, more supportive and inclusive campus environments.
Developed through extensive consultation with students, faculty, instructors and staff, the pan-university strategy outlines six dimensions of well-being and six institutional priorities to guide meaningful change. Aligned with the University Academic Plan and the Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, it affirms York’s commitment to integrating well-being into everyday university life, from academics and resources to operations and culture.
As part of this commitment, York has also signed the Okanagan Charter, joining a global network of health-promoting universities. Together, the strategy and charter position the university as a leader in advancing equity and well-being.
Fostering conservation with World Wildlife Fund Canada
In October 2024, York University was certified as a Living Campus by World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada), the country's largest conservation organization, and recently received this certification for the second year in a row — a testament to the university’s environmental stewardship across teaching, research, and operations.
As a Living Campus, York collaborates with WWF-Canada and benefits from conservation and engagement resources, including the Living Planet Leader certification program, which supports students in developing sustainability leadership skills.
This certification is one of the many accolades York has received for its sustainability leadership, including being named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for 13 consecutive years and receiving gold accreditation from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (AASHE STARS).
Championing equity, sustainability and excellence through sport
York University Athletics & Recreation (A&R) is advancing key institutional goals through a new Leaping Forward 2025 strategy, built around six priorities: bolstering community engagement, breaking down barriers, launching an EDI-focused athlete support model, elevating the York Lions brand, creating collaborative resource development opportunities, and fostering a more equitable environment.
From mandating EDI training and creating safe spaces to launching new transition services for athletes and introducing eco-friendly fitness equipment, A&R has been leading transformative change on campus and beyond, including through events such as the Women & Girls Leadership and Sport Conference, Canada’s only event uniting academics and sports leaders.
Following a year highlighted by York athletes’ record-setting achievements at the 2024 Olympics, the Leaping Forward 2025 strategy opens a new chapter in cultivating excellence, equity, and sustainability.
Driving global efforts to reduce inequalities through UN distinction
York University was appointed the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) Hub Chair for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reducing Inequality for a three-year term from 2025 to 2027. Selected from over 1,700 global institutions, this latest distinction spotlights York’s leadership in tackling systemic inequality through its Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and related frameworks.
Joining 20 universities worldwide as SDG Hub Chairs, York will collaborate with UNAI and other institutions to promote innovative research and best practices related to SDG 10, drawing on the university's prior achievements in addressing inequality, discrimination and exclusion across the University’s operations, teaching, research and outreach.
This appointment builds on York’s ongoing partnership with the United Nations, following its hosting of Canada’s first UNITAR CIFAL Centre in 2021 and its role as the academic lead of the UNITAR Global Water Academy.
Developing an interactive employment equity dashboard
As one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for the second year in a row, York University has further actioned its dedication to fostering inclusivity in the workforce by launching a new, publicly accessible employment equity dashboard.
Developed in response to a key recommendation in York’s Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (DEDI) Strategy, the dashboard provides dynamic, filterable data on workforce representation across employee and equity groups. Hosted on the York Data Hub, the tool enables users to explore three years of workforce equity data (2022–2024), track representation trends, and compare York’s workforce to Ontario-wide benchmarks and student census data.
More than just a reporting tool, the dashboard is a strategic resource for building accountability, guiding policy, and supporting inclusive hiring, retention, and leadership development. It will serve as the foundation for a full employment systems review, making this data transparent and actionable.
