The Division of Students partnered with the McCall MacBain Foundation to support students with an info session. Participants learned about the scholarship, how to apply and asked FAQ. 2 York McCall MacBain finalists shared their experience with the application process and regional interviews.

In January, the Division of Students celebrated colleagues from across the division for their unwavering dedication to their work and the student experience. Colleagues were honoured for 15, 20 & 25 years of service at York. A heartfelt thank you to all those who reached these milestones!

The McCall MacBain selection committee recommended 3 York students to advance to the final interviews, from 700+ candidates this year!

20 students will be named McCall MacBain Scholars, which includes tuition/fees for eligible programs at McGill University.

Before the closure, the VPS connected with staff to wish everyone a restful holiday. Relevant updates were shared, including the announcement of the University Registrar & AV Provost, a grant received to support students, meeting our domestic retention goal, highlights from the A&R team and more.

The second Connect with the Vice Provost Students staff session took place last month. Yvette shared updates and information for the Division of Students, including the launch of the Well-Being Strategy, OUF interactions, YorkU Raptors partnership, convocation, Advising Pop-up Fair and more!

This month, the Division of Students partnered with the McCall MacBain Foundation to support future McCall MacBain scholar applicants. Students received information about the scholarship, how to apply and had the opportunity to ask questions about the award. 

The Vice Provost Students provided a weekly opportunity for staff to come together to provide updates, take questions and receive feedback about supporting students during the labour disruption. These sessions provided colleagues time to connect and to tap into each others’ experiences and ideas.

The Vice Provost Students offered a de-escalation staff training with Student Support & Advising, and the community of academic advisors. The training supported preparedness for potential student escalations that may require intervention or effective referrals. 

A series of virtual and in-person drop-in sessions helped more than 300 students navigate questions related to the remediation period. Staff volunteers from across York guided students in finding the answers they needed to make informed decisions. 

The Division held an in-person Mini PD Conference with 8 Toronto colleges and universities. Participants had the opportunity to come together to share, learn and network. 26 presentations focused on student affairs, service supports, programming and training.

The Canadian Association of College & University (CACUSS) provides access to communities, publications, awards/recognition and more for those who work in student affairs in Canadian post-secondary institutions. Contact the Vice-Provost, Students at vpstudents@yorku.ca to register.

The food insecurity roundtable launched a food resources website with a list of resources across York’s campuses. The website was created to increase awareness of supports as York’s 2022 Canadian Campus Well-being Survey data identified food security as a challenge for York students.

Nona Robinson, Vice-Provost, Students, led an AMA to launch the summer term. Robinson shared more about herself, her vision for the future and answered pre-submitted questions over two sessions. Sessions were attended by over 75 staff with extensive engagement across the Division.

Pham and Tesfaye are among 87 global finalists for the McCall MacBain scholarship. They completed a first round of regional interviews and will attend the final round of interviews in Montréal from March 8 to 12, meeting with leaders from academia, business, government and the social sector.

The annual holiday gathering was held in-person for the first time since 2019. The theme was Candyland, because nothing is sweeter than spending time together. Division of Students staff enjoyed a turkey lunch with all the fixings and a performance by the Vanier College Productions.

Weekly walks, followed by a sit-down mingling session, are scheduled for staff to get to know each other, meet other colleagues in the Division, take a wellness break and get better acquainted with the new Vice Provost, Students.

Almost 40 per cent of staff within the Division of Students attended the July Learning Days, hosted by the OVPS and volunteers from across the Division of Students. Attendees to the online and in-person event said they learned more about the division after participating.

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.

Over 70 students attended a March event about available prestigious awards/scholarships and how to create an impactful and meaningful application to grad school and external scholarships. Students were thrilled to learn about scholarship opportunities and network with panelists and others.

This fall 2022 students will access the Student Equity & Diversity Census during their course enrolment. The Census pilot launched (via email) with a 20% response rate in fall 2021.

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.

The Division of Students is hosting multiple events during Black History Month (BHM), including, but not limited to: Black Excellence in COVID Times: Connections & Conversations Celebrating Black History Month; Career Resources for Black Students; Racialized Students Support Groups and more.

Anmol Kaur (BA'22) is in the running for the McCall MacBain Scholarships, Canada’s first comprehensive, leadership-based scholarship program for master’s and professional studies. Kaur will be among 50 Canadian finalists representing 28 universities at a final round of interviews in March.

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.

As part of our commitment to building a community of care, the Care Ambassadors Program is designed to help all community members safely transition to being back at York. Ambassadors will help community members access general campus services and will promote York’s health and safety requirements.

This 10-part eLearning series, This Place: 150 Years Retold, is based on the groundbreaking and critically acclaimed graphic novel anthology. Launched this fall, each session guides participants through the stories that reflect a rich history of Indigenous resistance and resilience.

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.

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.

The Town Hall was held July 26, 2021. Questions about return to campus were answered by our Vice-Provost, Students, Special Advisor to the President for Academic Continuity Planning & COVID-19 Response, AVP, Human Resources & CHRO, & Executive Director, Resources & Strategic Planning.

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.

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.

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.