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.

York introduced the Student Services stream within the SEP, co-sponsored by Darran Fernandez and Dean McMurtry. The team just completed focus groups with students, an important step to improving processes and structures at York. This feedback will be vital in informing University initiatives.

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.

The OUR will be introducing the Student Advisory Committee (SAC) this academic year to ensure that policies, projects and services reflect students’ diverse thoughts, ideas and perspectives. Students can apply to the SAC starting this September. We look forward to kick-starting this initiative!

In Fall 2021, York will launch its inaugural Student Equity & Diversity Census. To serve all our students, we must first know more about them. The Census will support our commitment to creating inclusive learning environments through better understanding the characteristics of our student body.

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.