SAVY entered a new era on November 1 with the full launch of its generative AI version, powered by GPT-4. "SAVY GPT," as it has been nicknamed, answered 108 student questions in its first full weekend as SAVY's primary bot, with "How is SAVY changing?" being the top question.

Markham Campus has officially opened its doors to its first full cohort of students, marking a significant milestone. The launch includes an innovative student services model, a proud achievement for the Division of Students. We extend our gratitude to all who made this possible!

Athletics and Recreation hosted the fifth annual Women and Girls Leadership and Sport Conference in April. Beyond Bodies: Navigating Gender in Sport, explored the role of gender, including the impact on access and inclusion, policy and performance expectations.

Together, ACMAPS and the TD Community Engagement Centre offered a webinar for mature and part-time students. With Partnership for Education, Apprenticeship and Training, students received guidance on their path to education and training from experts from across Toronto institutions.

On Thursday, February 22, SAS hosted hybrid sessions focusing on transition, accessing support, strategies for academic success and methods to nurture and strengthen independence. Participants also got the chance to engage in a student panel and tour.

The new OUR Intranet is available to partners across York, and is a central location for a variety of information. Visit the site for key contacts, awards management, employment administration, grades, academic scheduling, room bookings, exams, transfer credits, technology governance and more.

Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) high school students, parents and teachers from the Toronto District School Board joined SAS, students and faculty members from the DHH teaching program. Participants learned about transitions through a panel discussion, on a tour and by watching a presentation.

Christina Abounassar, Accessibility Counsellor at SAS created, and co-chairs, the Ontario BIPOC Counsellor & Accessibility Counsellor Group for over 16 different institutions and expanding. The group won the President’s Award for Innovation in Student Learning & Success from Niagara College.

With new leadership in Athletics & Recreation, the team has been taking time to reflect and engage in collaborative discussions. Connecting with colleagues will holistically guide future planning initiatives going forward for the development of key priorities for the next two years.

Come along for a tour as Athletics & Recreation's new Executive Director, Steven Chuang, visits the Tait Mackenzie Centre and saw what changed after he had graduated as a York alumnus.

Implementation for the new curriculum management system (CMS), Kuali, began in 2016. Kuali CMS includes course program and degree program information. We are currently working to leverage Kuali course program & degree program records to underpin the undergrad academic calendar publication.

SAVY is a frequent path students take for back-to-school information. Two weeks before the fall term began, more than 700 students had over 1,000 conversations with SAVY. More than 150 of those conversations included questions about York's pandemic approach for the upcoming term.

GNL enables collaboration with students and Faculties around the world, integrating vast perspectives in the classroom. With education technologies, they work on a variety of discussions. Information and workshop sessions will take place on select dates in 2022 and 2023 for faculty.

A recent speaker series featured Jack Saddleback baring raw stories with humorous musings to uplift spaces for identities like his, a Cree, two-spirit, transgender gay man. Weaving experiences of personal resilience and community compassion, Saddleback inspires an intersectional holistic society. 

The Drew Green Lions Award recognizes student-athletes from the York Lions men's and women’s basketball teams. The award aims to ensure that talented, high-achieving student-athletes can realize their dream of a world class university education while competing as a York Lion.

The new Student Organization Conference provided student leaders with training, development and networking opportunities. This conference is a mandatory component for student organizations to be recognized by York and also offers an opportunity to connect student organizations with campus partners.

In collaboration with the Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion, the team presented about the community impact, proactive event planning and considerations surrounding offensive expression at student-led events at a Canadian Association of College and University Student Services session.

The Division of Students team, along with several GTA higher education institutions, celebrated Pride Month by participating in the annual #DisplayYourPride event on June 15 to build awareness and create safer, more 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming spaces on all our campuses.

As part of our commitment to service excellence, the Office of the University Registrar has launched an external review of the University’s academic scheduling practices. This review will assist in developing a more student-centred scheduling process, in collaboration with campus partners.

SAVY, York's student virtual assistant, saw an increase in student use during May. The number of average conversations and number of students using the platform per day increased by 28 and 35 per cent, respectively, from April. Students mostly asked questions about eClass and summer course delivery.

The 19th annual York University Lions Cup Golf Tournament raised $144,000 for athletic scholarships.

Since 2021, the Student Systems team has been configuring the Student Information System to be Markham-ready, a critical part the campus' launch. The admissions phase (the first of three distinct phases, which also includes enrolment and reports) is now complete and the project remains on track.

The Division of Students collaborated with VPEPC, VPFA and C&PA to host the Pride opening ceremonies on June 2. The event featured the unfurling of a Pride flag in Vari Hall and treats were available to attendees as they visited tables set up by various campus departments and services.

The Black Excellence & Grit Black & Indigenous Varsity Student-Athlete Alliance Speaker Series features outstanding Black members of the community presenting on topics highlighting Black excellence and achievement. Sessions are virtual, ongoing throughout the year and available to all. 

The Keele-Markham Collaboration Framework will guide the relationships and collaboration between Markham and Keele colleagues in the development and operationalization of student services at the Markham campus. It has been tested and finalized throughout the winter term.

Student Accessibility Services celebrated interconnectedness during the fourth annual Faculty and Staff Recognition event on April 28.  Knowledge Keeper Amy Desjarlais, Centre for Indigenous Students Success, shared insights as the keynote speaker.

In March, the Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey was issued to all York students, giving them the opportunity to share their experiences and shape a culture of wellness on our campuses. Survey results will be used to enhance health and well-being resources and services available to students.

The Centre for Indigenous Student Services hosted a Graduation Celebration to commemorate the achievements of York’s graduating students with friends and family before they continue to the next part of their journey.

Staff learned about key findings from student journey maps developed last fall and how these findings have been applied (SAVY, SSRP and the website re-development project) during the Learning Days on Feb. 22 and 23. Participants contributed to interactive breakout sessions to pave the way forward.

Career Education & Development invited students to connect with hiring recruiters during the Employer Meet & Greet: Diversity and Inclusion Recruitment Event, where they learned about upcoming career opportunities with inclusive and equitable employers. 

The SDGs in Action Knowledge Fair is taking place on Monday, March 28th from 6:30pm to 9:30pm EST online. Come learn and see YorkU students and their peers from around the world research and create action to address the United Nations SDGs. 

The Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey helps Canadian post-secondary institutions better support campus health and well-being. As part of York's commitment to well-being, all students, across both campuses, are invited to participate from Feb. 28 to March 18.

Students and graduates attended the Spark: Winter Leadership Summit, organized by The Office of Student Community & Leadership Development and Alumni Engagement, to help attendees build leadership capacity with the return to society and help them thrive in the ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic.

Career Education & Development partnered with the Government of Canada to provide students with opportunities to connect with hiring managers from the Federal Government, which included the Strategies for Getting Hired with the Federal Government virtual panel and a virtual speed hiring event.

Phase I of a redesigned website for prospective York students launched in December 2021. The project, a collaboration between Student Recruitment & Admissions & the Communications & Marketing teams, offers a student-centric website that merges a data-driven design with a user’s application journey.

In December, VPS leaders joined staff from across the University in a visioning session to establish a collaboration and support framework between the Keele and Markham campuses. This framework will guide VPS Working Groups tasked to develop and implement Markham's students services.

York University has won the 2021 Gartner Eye on Innovation Award for Higher Education in the category of Student Experience for our work on SAVY, our student virtual assistant. This award recognizes all the members of the York community whose contributed to SAVY.

Winter Orientation 2022 offers a wide variety of programming for all new and incoming students. It is a great way for new students to meet new people, discover campus resources and learn all about their degree while providing students with a smooth transition to York.

SAVY, York's student virtual assistant, answered 34,555 questions from 9,964 unique students since January 1, 2021. The busiest days for questions were January 13 and September 7. In its lifetime, SAVY has answered more than 62,000 questions from just under 16,500 unique students.

After consultation with students and the York community, York introduced its first Student Equity & Diversity Census. Students were invited to participate from Sept. 21 to Oct. 29. Twenty per cent of York's students responded. A report will be made available on the VPS website in 2022.

Census Days, led by SCLD, took place on Oct. 19 and 27 to help encourage students to complete the Student Equity & Diversity Census Survey. With support from volunteers across the Division, students were invited to complete the survey while being treated to candy and additional prizes.

Recruitment & Admissions, Communications & Marketing and Student Systems are developing plans to recruit and admit our first class cohort (Fall 2023) at Markham! A major milestone is the recent refresh of the Markham website where prospective students and their parents can see the program offerings.

The Division of Students hosted Learning Days for staff on October 14 & 15, 2021. Staff learned about York University's student demographics, heard from a panel of Divisional staff about how they are living the Divisional values,  and worked across units to develop student journey and empathy maps.

From October to December 2021, Art Therapy group sessions are available for all York University community members. Participate and explore the therapeutic benefits of art making, such as: self-expression, stress relief, relaxation, and much more!

This campaign, Kindness is the New Normal, is being celebrated and encouraged throughout the community during the months of October and November 2021.

SAVY, York's student virtual assistant, answered 15,382 questions in 8,153 conversations held during York's back-to-school period, from August 25 to September 29, 2021. During that time, SAVY saw a total of 3,138 student logins and was able to answer 88.6% of all their questions.

The Office of the University Registrar (OUR) is developing strategic priorities, aspirational goals, and supporting actions that align with the Division of Student's Strategic Plan. OUR staff reviewed the draft OUR plan on October 14 and 15. The final OUR plan will be released in early November.

This is a semester like no other. One thing we all have in common is that we are all adjusting to a new normal. This adjustment all begins with YU. This fall, we launched the Kindness Campaign complete with tips for spreading kindness, a Kindness Toolkit, and a list of support services for students.

For the first time, SAVY achieved a 90% success rate in answering student questions. SAVY has consistently answered about 80% of student questions. Reaching 90%, even as the number of questions peaks with the beginning of term, is a huge benefit to students.

This year, 12 courses will feature GNL collaborations in AMPD, LA&PS, Education, Health, and Glendon College. The GNL Project team will also be hosting free monthly information sessions and weekly drop-ins for York U faculty and staff to learn about the pedagogy, funding, and supports.

This September 2021, the second edition of the Program welcomes Indigenous students from York University and their peers in Australia, Ecuador, Mexico, and the Philippines. The students will engage in weekly dialogue and collaborative projects around themes relating to Global Indigeneity. 

The Division of Students Strategic Planning Days were held Aug 5 & 6 2021. Staff learned about and contributed to the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan through engaging in dialogue, reconnecting & working across units in the Division. More learning opportunities will be provided in October.

This Fall, York University is launching the second edition of the International Indigenous Student Exchange Program which aims to provide opportunities for dialogue and cooperation between Indigenous York students and their peers in Australia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico and the Philippines.

Fathers have had a lot on their plates during this pandemic. To provide a safer space for dads, The Centre is hosting weekly support groups starting on June 20 to connect, converse and share coping strategies about during these unprecedented times.

Student Counselling, Health & Well-being launched its inaugural Health & Wellness Student Needs Assessment Survey in June to better understand student perceptions on health and well-being services. Data from the survey will be used to evaluate and enhance services available to York students.

SAVY, York's Student Virtual Assistant, has reached the final stage of CUCCIO's 2021 Innovation Awards, honouring IT projects that advance teaching, learning, research or administration in Canadian higher ed. Congratulations to the team members who contributed to this nomination and SAVY's success.

Most strategy websites are static and short lived. To set the right tone for the Division of Students Strategy 2020-2025, a dynamic website has been created with monthly updates, filters by commitment, and views by unit and by progress. The site is also mobile optimized and printer-friendly.

York University Pride 2021 will be held on June 21-25, 2021, and will celebrate and honour Artists and Activism. The week of Pride is being organized by SexGen, with the support of The Centre for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education and the Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion.

Throughout the 2020-2021 academic year, SCHW engaged in bi-monthly clinical consultations on the topic of anti-oppressive practice. In May 2021, guest speakers from CAMH facilitated a departmental workshop on supporting Black Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) and queer students.

Led by the VPS Communications & Marketing team, Divisional websites are undergoing major redevelopment to centre on user experiences and student journeys. Consultations are underway for key websites. Other sites across the Division will be introduced to the project starting Fall 2021.

We’ve accomplished a lot -- and it’s time for us to celebrate! Check out the 2-year report that highlights major accomplishments completed across the Division.

YI in partnership with faculties and 30+ global partners supported the participation of 300+ students in Globally Networked Learning, virtual exchanges, and remote internships, helping them develop global and intercultural perspectives and digital skills. More info on Global Engagement enewsletter!

This year, York joined ARUCC to deliver digital documents to students through MyCreds - a trusted, centralized digital wallet that is easily accessible. This development is a critical step in modernizing our services to meet student needs and help them succeed, which is a central tenet of the UAP.