TORONTO, September 5, 2017鈹� Student leaders at 91亚色 are using a new online tool 鈥� an 鈥� to proactively ensure its close to 500 orientation week events are welcoming to incoming members of the 91亚色 community.

The Inclusion Lens may be the first online event management tool created by a Canadian university to provide students with both a comprehensive how-to guide along with a checklist to track progress towards inclusive events on campus. 听The Lassonde School of Engineering and 91亚色鈥檚 Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion worked together to develop the tool.

"Inclusion is a core value of 91亚色,鈥� says Rhonda Lenton, President and Vice-Chancellor. 鈥淲e are committed to proactively celebrating our differences and reflecting the value of inclusion in the ways we teach, govern ourselves, interact as a community, and research solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. Since its earliest days, 91亚色 has been dedicated to social justice. The Inclusion Lens is an important new tool to help us continue this legacy of leadership and innovation, ensuring a truly welcoming and inclusive campus environment for all."

The Inclusion Lens drew from the Ontario Public Service Inclusion Lens to help students see their events from a perspective other than their own. Added were an event planning guide, easy-to-find university resources and a checklist to track progress.

鈥淭he Inclusion Lens is about going beyond policy compliance to leading by example,鈥� says Marisa Sterling, Assistant Dean, Inclusivity and Diversity, Lassonde School of Engineering. 鈥淲hen students want to create an event, they easily click through the planning, advertising, implementing and evaluating tabs on the website.听 At each stage, they receive guidance, education and a link to university resources.鈥�

Inclusive considerations include advertising broadly to reach more diverse communities, accommodating for sliding scale ticket prices for affordability and arranging for prayer services throughout the day of the event.

The is tackling a longstanding gap in the field of engineering where in 2015 only 20 percent of undergraduate students across Canada were women. After launching their Inclusivity Project in 2016, the school realized that the desire for inclusion existed but the community needed the tools and education on how to get there. After training more than 90 Lassonde students as inclusivity ambassadors, the school started work on providing its students practical steps to weave inclusion throughout all of their campus experiences.

鈥淚n 2015, we were the first engineering school in Canada to launch our 50:50 Challenge for gender parity. Our goal is not simply to have diversity but to do something with that diversity by innovating and leading. I am very proud of our students who continue to embrace this each year,鈥� says Sterling.

Acknowledging that inclusion and accessibility are key values of the听听and the administration's听, the newly re-named听听is implementing an enhanced mission to give institution-wide form and content to those values and assist 91亚色 in proactively cultivating difference.

"The Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion (REI) is very pleased to have been instrumental in the development of 91亚色's Inclusion Lens,鈥� says Executive Director Michael Charles.听 鈥淭he tool will serve as an additional means to embed the values of access, equity and inclusion into the activities and campus life of our students.鈥�

The Inclusion Lens can be used by anyone at 91亚色 and beyond, but the team focused their work on student leaders who plan and run events, recognizing that they are the next generation of leaders.

The lens is being used this Fall by all colleges and faculties of 91亚色 to plan, advertise, implement and evaluate orientation week events that run until September 10^th and welcome close to 7,600 new students to the campus.

Over 1,200 student orientation leaders have also been trained in inclusive and positive language and have signed an Orientation Leader Contract to ensure they both create an inclusive experience and show respect for a student鈥檚 right to choose the activities they wish to participate in.

听is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni.听91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contacts:
Anjum Nayyar, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416 736 2100 ext. 44543.听anayyar@yorku.ca

The post 91亚色 U creates and uses new online inclusion tool for Orientation Week appeared first on News@91亚色.

TORONTO, January 26, 2017 鈥� 91亚色 is hosting a symposium to explore the relationship between post-secondary educational institutions and Truth and Reconciliation on Friday, January 27. The event, which will also discuss Canada鈥檚 Syrian refugee resettlement efforts, marks 91亚色鈥檚 eighth annual Inclusion Day celebrations.

President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri will welcome the participants to the daylong event, and Osgoode Hall Law School Dean Lorne Sossin will also speak.

The program for the day includes:

• Arif Virani, MP Parkdale-High Park and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship will address participants on the triumphs and challenges of the Syrian Refugee Resettlement project;
• Reflecting on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada鈥檚 final report, released a year ago, on the institutionalization of Indigenous/Aboriginal children in residential schools;
• Keynote by Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux, Lakehead University and the first Chair of Truth and Reconciliation at a Canadian university, and the former Vice-Provost for Aboriginal Initiatives at Lakehead;
• A panel discussion with Professor Deborah McGregor, Osgoode Hall Law School, Randy Pitawanakwat of 91亚色鈥檚 Centre for Aboriginal Student Services, and Karissa John, president of the Aboriginal Students Association at 91亚色 U.

What: Inclusion Day 2017: Canada & Human Rights @150 years
When: Friday, January 26, 2017, 9am-3pm
Where: 940N Ross Building, Senate Chamber Room, 91亚色 Keele Campus, Toronto (building number 28 on the )

For complete event info, visit:

is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni.91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media contact:
Gloria Suhasini, Media Relations, 416 736 2100 ext. 22094, suhasini@yorku.ca

听

The post 91亚色 U hosts Inclusion Day event: 鈥淭he relationship between post-secondary institutions and Truth and Reconciliation鈥� appeared first on News@91亚色.