The Multi-faith & Reflection room offers a space for quiet prayers and introspection for the York University community. This space welcomes students, faculty and staff of any faith or religious background.

On Tuesday, October 1, the Career Centre and Black Excellence at York University (BE YU) hosted Diversity & Inclusion Career Day. Here, BE YU's student success mentor leads had the opportunity to facilitate a workshop for participants.

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.

Procrastination Awareness Week offers students from across North America a virtual study hall and a series of remote learning skills workshops in March. The YorkU Learning Commons will be presenting our YU Got This!: Academic Tips & Tools for End of Term workshop as part of this week.

The Black Excellence at York University (BE YU) team hosted an interactive panel conversation as part of Black History Month on Feb. 23. Featuring undergraduate and graduate students, the panel explored a variety of themes related to Black experience and Black excellence at the University.

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.

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.

Becoming YU piloted its first-year program with international students in November. The Becoming YU First-Year Program provides students with a pathway of experiences that will help them succeed at the start of their journey at York University and beyond.

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.

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.

Through July 2021, Black Excellence at York University (BE YU) partnered with the Toronto District School Board to take on three soon-to-be undergraduate students as part of the Black Student Summer Leadership Program. Participants worked with BE YU mentors and created a culminating presentation.

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.

Learning Skills Specialists, Cathy Boyd-Withers and Nicole Joron, shared innovative work to a national audience about Student Guide to Remote Learning & Remote Student Team Building and Personal Wellness & Learning Skills Certificate Program (a partnership with FGS supporting graduate students).

BE YU supports York's Black students to transition to university and maximize their student experience on the path to graduation. BE YU champions the academic, professional and personal success of York’s Black student community through workshops, events, mentoring, academic advising and more.