An initiative designed to foster inclusive dialogue, resilience and engagement relating to some of today’s most complex and divisive global issues will run again this fall for York University community members.
The Better Together series of events returns to York Oct. 6, offering a space for staff, faculty and students to engage with pressing challenges worldwide. Co-led by Equity People & Culture, the Division of Students and the Faculty of Graduate Studies, this year’s programming builds on last year’s efforts to create opportunities for connection and growth. It also coincides with Fall Well-being Week, tapping into the week’s theme of social well-being as vital to thriving.
Better Together was created in Fall 2024 to provide time, space and skills for the York community to engage across differences. “York’s diversity is a source of strength, but it also presents the challenge of navigating a wide range of identities, histories, worldviews and priorities,” observes Vice-President Equity, People and Culture Laina Bay-Cheng. “This year’s programming reflects what we have learned as a university community and what we see in the world around us: that thriving as a diverse collective requires thought, care, skill and investments in equity and relational culture.”
Programming begins Monday, Oct. 6, with Leading Through Differences: Supporting Faculty & Staff When Values or Views Diverge, an interactive session for faculty and staff leaders provided by Oliver Martin, director of workplace restoration and culture at the Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion (CHREI). The session offers practical strategies for guiding teams through tensions and fostering psychological safety, with a focus on constructive engagement and shared goals.
Marian MacGregor, executive director CHREI, notes that “in order for us to continue to thrive as a healthy and diverse university community we must engage across our differences, allowing for our distinct views and perspectives, which can, at times, present challenges. CHREI is actively supporting the community with resources, training and supports to build a strong relational culture at York.”
Wednesday, Oct. 8 will be the first meeting of the Third Rail Teaching Collaborative, a new community of practice designed to support faculty who teach courses that engage with politically sensitive, socially charged or otherwise controversial topics. These “third rail” subjects – such as race, gender, climate change, religion and geopolitical conflict – can place unique intellectual and emotional demands on instructors. The collaborative offers an environment for faculty to share experiences, exchange strategies and co-develop resources, while upholding the values of academic freedom, inclusivity and mutual support. As part of ongoing work led by Faculty Affairs, in partnership with the Teaching Commons and CHREI, the initiative aims to bridge the gap between the principle of academic freedom and its everyday enactment in the classroom.
Programming on Thursday, Oct. 9 includes a lunchtime panel with York scholars on academic freedom, followed by Do the Work: Dialogue Across Difference, an online workshop offered to all York community members by educators from CHREI and which encourages thoughtful engagement with contentious topics.
The week will conclude on Friday, Oct. 10 with two events. The first will be an Interfaith Gathering that welcomes all members of the University to participate and hear from a panel of faith and student leaders who provide support and care to York’s diverse multifaith communities. The second event will be Toward a Fourth Culture: Dialogue, Healing and Collective Well-Being, a workshop for staff, faculty and student leaders focused on transforming conflict and fostering resilience. It is offered by Alicia Kuin, a dialogue facilitator and conflict management consultant and Osgoode Professional Development instructor.
Yvette Munro, vice-provost students, emphasizes, “student well-being is foundational to our mission. Better Together events provide opportunities for us to learn how to build space for students – and faculty and staff – to connect in ways that support their academic and personal growth.”
Alice MacLachlan, dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies, adds, “The University Academic Plan calls on us to make Living Well Together a priority. Better Together events are a direct expression of this commitment, helping us develop the skills and understanding needed to foster a campus where everyone feels they belong. By engaging with these opportunities, we are putting the University’s values into action and building a stronger, more connected community.
Visit the Better Together website for details and to register.