Priscila Uppal

“Canada’s coolest poet”, 91��ɫ English Professor Priscila Uppal (BA Hons. ’97, PhD ’04), has received one of the country’s highest forms of recognition – election as a Fellow to the (RSC).

Uppal has accomplished a great deal in her 39 years. She has published 10 collections of poetry, two novels, a memoir, a play, an academic monograph and several anthologies. Her poetry includes Traumatology (2010), Successful Tragedies: Poems 1998-2010 (2010), Winter Sport: Poems (2010) and Ontological Necessities, which was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize.

“This is a wonderful achievement for Professor Uppal, who exemplifies the excellence, dedication and engagement of our 91��ɫ faculty," says 91��ɫ President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. "A gifted poet, writer and teacher, she is an incredible role model for our students and for the arts community. On behalf of all of us at the University, I’d like to congratulate her on this special recognition of her contributions.”

Uppal's other work includes the critically-acclaimed novels The Divine Economy of Salvation (2002) and To Whom It May Concern (2009); and the study We Are What We Mourn: The Contemporary English-Canadian Elegy (2009), as well as the memoir Projection: Encounters with My Runaway Mother (2013), which was nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Award and the Hilary Weston Prize for Non-Fiction.

“It’s a big honour and it obviously puts me in the company of some very remarkable people, past and present,” says Uppal, who is one of 90 new Fellows announced Tuesday by the RSC. “I’m also thrilled to be inducted at such a young age, which I understand is quite rare.”

Uppal's work has been translated into Dutch, French, Greek, Italian, Korean, Latvian and Serbo-Croatian. Uppal was the first-ever poet-in-residence for Canadian Athletes Now during the summer and winter Olympics and Paralympic games, as well as the Rogers Cup tennis.

“I was very pleased to see that recognition for my work, but also the continued recognition…that creative work is a form of research that is highly respected and it is a field of knowledge that is important and vital to society and to Canadian citizenship,” adds Uppal.

She is looking forward to the opportunity to learn about research and discoveries in drastically different fields from her own. She believes one of the strengths of the RSC is that is brings people together from such diverse disciplines allowing for a cross-pollination of ideas and the spawning of innovative ways of thinking, adapting and approaching one’s work.

“I’m delighted to be a Fellow,” she says. “It’s a great honour to represent the arts at 91��ɫ, but also to represent the field of artistic production and inquiry. It should be seen as not only a legitimate form of research, but also as an incredibly important one that can stand side by side the hard sciences and other more conventional forms of scholarship."

The RSC website states that the “fellowship of the RSC comprises distinguished men and women from all branches of learning who have made remarkable contributions in the arts, the humanities and the sciences, as well as in Canadian public life”. Uppal will join the ranks of more than 2,000 Canadian scholars, artists and scientists, who have been peer-elected as the best in their field.

Uppal will be inducted as a Fellow in the ’s Academy of the Arts and Humanities on Saturday, Nov. 22 in Quebec City.

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“Perfectionism does not necessarily result in higher levels of performance and may even backfire,” says Gordon Flett, a psychology professor in 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Health and Canada Research Chair in Personality��& Health.��“Students can be vulnerable to negative automatic thought patterns, which can lead to psychological distress and performance avoidance.”��

Gordon Flett

Flett, lead author of “Procrastination Automatic Thoughts as a Personality Construct: An Analysis of the Procrastinatory Cognitions Inventory”, a new article soon to be published in the Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, found related patterns of negative ruminations among procrastinators focused on perfectionism, fear of failure and guilt. These negative thought patterns ��contributed to an increased stress level in students and delay in accomplishing tasks, findings that are similar to a previous study by the same research team showing that perfectionistic professors produce fewer published articles.��

Recent surveys show that between 50 and 60 percent of responding students rated themselves as perfectionists, and 45 per cent indicated a problem with chronic procrastination.

So how can students move past the negativity and become high achievers? Flett offers��tips for starting the school year off right:��

Aim for excellence, not perfection
“The goals should be striving for excellence rather than striving for perfectionism,” says Flett.�� “This means that students should work strenuously – but not obsessively – in order to achieve their goals. The goals should focus on excellence and doing well rather than being flawless. The focus should be on learning effective and adaptive ways to learn new material and developing good study skills.”��

Don’t get bogged down with external expectations
“Some students suffer jointly from procrastination and perfectionism. Fear of failure is one personality style that links these. It is important here to be not too concerned with what other people think.”��

Learn to muzzle that negative inner voice
“Students are especially prone to stress if they ruminate and think continuously about the need to be perfect. Our work shows that students ruminate about their procrastination and have such thoughts as ‘Why didn’t I start earlier?’ and ‘Next time will be different.’�� Students can learn to control these thoughts and should do so since these thoughts are linked with depression, anxiety, lack of conscientiousness and avoidance.”����

Get help if you need it
“Perhaps the biggest problem is that perfectionistic procrastinators do not seek help, whether it is for assistance with their learning style or for their psychological issues. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness and is not something to be ashamed of. In fact, it is the smart thing to do.”

For more University news, photos and videos, visit the homepage.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The film by Osgoode grad Chris Hope (JD ’04) offers a moving account of Japanese Canadian detention during the Second World War,��as seen through the eyes of his grandmother, Nancy Okura.�� Hope spent more than ten years working on the film, which he also produced. Osgoode alumnus Anwar Deeb (JD ’04) composed the film’s original music.

Right: Osgoode Hall Law School grad Chris Hope with his grandmother, Nancy Okura.

"Most people my age have the beginning of a pension," said Hope, whose day job is as director of business and legal affairs for Alliance Films Inc.�� "I have a film; a massive debt, and, thankfully, a very patient wife."

Hope was able to attract community support to raise about 25 per cent of the overall budget, which allowed him to complete the film by the April 1 gala date.�� The film is now ready for distribution and broadcast.

His goal is to screen the film in schools across Canada. "The Japanese Canadian Internment story is one in which Canadians are painfully under-versed,” he said. “Hopefully, by presenting it in the first person with my grandmother, it will resonate on a more personal level than the few paragraphs in a history textbook that most of us experienced, and probably quickly forgot."

Hope says the universal message contained in his film is that everyone needs to take the time to learn the history of those closest to them, and not hesitate in the sharing that history.

“By openly discussing such stories, we may collectively learn from our past, regardless of racial, cultural, religious or political boundaries,” he said. “Knowledge and familiarity with ‘the other’ is the enemy of discrimination, so it is critical that that knowledge is constantly nurtured and encouraged."

For more information, visit the website.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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“The Case Competition was an excellent way to apply what we’re learning in our program,” said Latursia Kathiraveluppillai, of the winning team. “The added pressure of the time limit and the interactivity of the stakeholder groups made the experience much closer to solving real-world issues in the market.”

Members of Team ACE from 91��ɫ's Schulich School of Business: from left, Arnold Lai, Karen Tran, Latursia Kathiraveluppillai and Shelley Li

The other three victorious team members were Arnold Lai, Shelley Li and Karen Tran. In second place, Team Tryhard ��from Conestoga College in Waterloo, won $2,500. In all,�� 100 students competed from 16 Ontario universities and colleges. This year's competition was held at McMaster University in Hamilton.

During the competition, students were invited to put their management leadership skills to the test. The teams used ExperiencePoint, a computer-based, decision-driven simulation, where they were challenged to strategically advise a fictional company's senior management on a change management plan given limited resources of time and money. ExperiencePoint offers a range of award-winning web-based simulations that are used in top business schools and executive programs around the world.

This year, the teams were challenged to take on the role of a senior adviser to the fictional Global Tech Inc., a manufacturer of global positioning systems (GPS). Students were challenged to diagnose the business issues and using change management principles, plan and implement a solution.

Each team player taking part was a and had completed, or is in the process of completing, a .

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Organized by the Faculty's Committee on Research Policy & Planning, the celebration comprises four themed presentations from noon to 1:30pm daily. Scheduled venues include the Senate Chamber, Scott Library Atrium and the 91��ɫ Research Tower.

On Monday, the week begins with "Ideas at Work: Special Research Team Edition" in the Senate Chamber, 9th Floor, North Ross Building. Learning to work with each other is an important learning outcome in university education. In "Ideas at Work", students will discuss how their research can advance knowledge, how their collaborations work and what they are learning from the collaborative research experience.

Presentations by 11 91��ɫ undergraduates include topics such as the Stanford prison experiment of 1971, a look at the two Canadas through cheese production, supply chain economics and the environment, corporate tax cuts, and pornography and personal narratives.

Tuesday's presentations feature a series of one-minute lectures titled "Instant Knowledge Transfers" by LA&PS Faculty members in the Scott Library Atrium.

Presenting knowledge discovery in an accessible yet precise and concise way is a daily challenge. Faculty members will each present the essence of a discovery in 60 seconds. The lecturers from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies include:

• Christopher Innes, Distinguished Research Professor and Canada Research Chair in Performance & Culture;
• Naomi Couto, Public Policy & Administration;
• Sophie Bury, business librarian in the Peter F. Bronfman Business Library, Schulich School of Business;
• Lisa Sloniowski, English literature librarian, Scott Library;
• George Georgopoulos, Economics;
• Marie-Helene Budworth, Human Resource Management;
• Luin Goldring, Sociology;
• Alison Kemper, Administrative Studies;
• William Wicken, History;
• Philipp Angermeyer, Languages, Literatures & Linguistics
• Sean Kheraj, History
• Niru Nirupama, Administrative Studies
• Sotirios Liaskos, Information Technology

Wednesday's lunch session in the Senate Chamber features conversations led by Wade Rowland (Communications Studies) with four 91��ɫ professors, titled "Up Close and Personal: Different Research Journeys". Professors George Fallis (Economics and Social Science), William Wicken (History), Darryl Reed (Social Science) and Ananya Mukherjee-Reed (Political Science) will talk about why they chose to become academics and share lessons learned from setbacks and successes in their personal research journeys. After the conversations, student researchers from the Student Council of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies will ask the scholars questions on what they would love to know but did not have the chance to ask before.

In Thursday's final session, in Room 956, 91��ɫ Research Tower, another group from Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies will take part in an interdisciplinary panel discussion titled, "Do the Right Thing: Self-interest vs. Societal Interest". Panel members include:

• Uzo Anucha, Social Work;
• Kym Bird, English;
• Tom Cohen, History & Humanities;
• Paul Grayson, Sociology;
• Richard Wellen, Social Science;
• Brenda Spotton Visano, Economics, Public Policy & Administration

All are welcome. For more information, visit the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies research website.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The Centre for Support of Teaching��Revisioning Work Group was��created in September 2011, with the mandate to develop a proposal that would expand and enhance support for teaching and learning.

Over the past four months the work group has reviewed key documents produced through the Green Paper on Teaching��and Learning and white paper processes. The group has��familiarized itself with the history of the Centre for the Support of Teaching and studied the mandate and structure of teaching centres at other universities.

A discussion paper addressing the future mandate of a teaching and learning centre is in the final stages of preparation. A series of consultations is being planned for March 2012 in order to seek input from��full-time and contract faculty, teaching assistants and students. Members of the 91��ɫ community are also invited to send suggestions regarding teaching and learning support via this .����

The new teaching and learning centre is expected to open its doors no later than September 2012. In the interim period, a second set of workshops regarding quality assurance and student learning outcomes is being planned by the Office of the Vice Provost Academic for spring 2012.

Faculty members and teaching assistants who are seeking support or advice related to teaching (including the preparation of teaching dossiers) should contact Sue Vail, associate vice-president teaching & learning, or��Celia Popovic, educational developer with the Office of the AVP Teaching��& Learning, by sending an e-mail to sperera@yorku.ca.

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The summit will bring��together education leaders (administrators, superintendents, principals, deans, faculty, teacher-leaders), private and not-for-profit sector leaders for a��dialogue and discussion about involving people in the change necessary to achieve new learning cultures that are supported by the effective use of technology.

The one-day summit consists of two sessions in the morning��("Exploring the Leadership Required for New Learning Cultures – A Personal Experience" and "Learning and Leading: A Practical Approach to Engage Change"). Delegates will split into break-out groups in the afternoon to discuss Leading a New Learning Culture – Becoming a Narrative Champion.��

"This summit is a great leadership learning opportunity for 91��ɫ employees involved in the Academic Innovation Fund (AIF) projects that began earlier this academic year," noted Janet Murphy, ABEL program director. The AIF initiative provides support to faculty in order to advance innovation and change at 91��ɫ in the areas of teaching, learning and the student experience.

"This innovation and change on campus perfectly complements the topics that will be discussed at the summit," said��Murphy.

Speakers and facilitators for the summit include: Dean Shareski, a digital learning consultant for Prairie South School Division in Saskatchewan; Alec Couros, a professor of educational technology and media and the coordinator of information and communications technology at the Faculty of Education, University of Regina; and George Couros, the division principal of innovative teaching & learning for Parkland School Division in��Alberta.

Right: Dean Shareski

In addition to the face-to-face event in February, delegates are also invited to participate in two virtual learning sessions happening in the spring��– “Understanding the New Learning Culture and Learner Footprint” and “Celebrating and Planning the Way Forward”.

Left: George Couros

These virtual sessions will be easy to join, and details on how to participate will be provided the day of the summit. The virtual sessions will be hosted by the speakers and facilitators from Feb. 10. Descriptions of the virtual sessions are as follows:

Understanding the New Learning Culture and Learner Footprint��

This session will explore the specifics of citizenship in a digital context. Rather than focusing upon prevention, participants will develop ideas to create and contribute to purposeful, engaged citizenship while learning online. These ideas will be explored and shared within the context of digital literacy, job-embedded learning, and engagement with parents, family and community.

Right: Alec Couros��������

Celebrating and Planning the Way Forward����

This session will provide delegates with an opportunity for “show and tell”, sharing their successes and challenges in implementing new learning cultures.��This session is about reflecting upon your own professional growth and learning from fellow participants’ strategies that engaged systems in change and learning more about the road ahead.

To learn more or to register you and/or your team, please visit the website.

As part of the Professional Learning Program, ABEL offers two face-to-face conferences every year – the Leadership Summit in the winter and the ABEL Summer Institute.

Look for information about the ABEL Summer Institute .

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Four 91��ɫ professors will address these questions as part of the next 91��ɫ Circle presentation on Saturday, Oct. 29. As with previous 91��ɫ Circle Lecture & Lunch events, there is plenty being offered for inquiring minds. Organizers have planned a full day of inspiring lectures by some of the University’s leading thinkers.

"Our new season opens with a torrent of new ideas and useful knowledge," says 91��ɫ President Emerita Lorna R. Marsden, coordinator of the 91��ɫ Circle."Come to the Lecture & Lunch to hear these 91��ɫ professors and find out why students don't want to miss a single class."

For full details, visit the Lecture & Lunch webpage on the 91��ɫ Circle website.

The event kicks off with a welcome and��overview of what's new on campus by Gary Brewer, 91��ɫ's vice-president finance & administration. Brewer will provide an update on the progress of the Toronto-91��ɫ Spadina Subway Extension and the 2015 Pan Am Games.

Can you blame the financial crisis on mathematicians?

During the 2008 financial crisis, some commentators blamed the problem on “too many math PhDs”. 91��ɫ mathematics Professor Thomas Salisbury (right)��has something to say about that point. Join Salisbury as he unravels the basis for this claim and considers whether it is actually fair or not. He will describe the role of sophisticated modern mathematics in today's financial sector. Salisbury will also comment on his own work involving a new generation of retirement savings products that combine traditional insurance with the tools of mathematical finance.��

A professor and former department chair in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Salisbury teaches financial engineering at 91��ɫ, is director of analytics for the Quantitative Wealth Management Analytics group (QWeMA), and leads the Finsurance project at MITACS. He chaired the task force that initiated the 2007 revision of the Ontario grade 12 curriculum and subsequently served on the Ontario Minister of Education's curriculum council. Salisbury has also served terms as the deputy director of the Fields Institute and as president of the Canadian Mathematical Society.

Canadian Utopias: A Short History

The utopian history of the United States began with the Puritan settlers in Massachusetts and includes a wide variety of utopian attempts throughout the country’s history. The histories of Canadian utopias are less studied. In his presentation to 91��ɫ Circle members, Professor Colin Coates (right)��will examine the Canadian experience of utopian endeavours, exploring the themes which link these attempts from the 17th-century to the 1980s. This historical review will include a look at a number of utopian settlements in Canada since the 17th-century, including the counter-reformation settlement at Ville-Marie (Montréal), the Hutterites and Doukhobors in Western Canada, and a range of socialist and agrarian settlements.

Coates holds the Canada Research Chair in Canadian Cultural Landscapes at Glendon College, where he teaches in the Canadian Studies Program. In July 2011, he became director of the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies at 91��ɫ. He is also president of the newly formed Canadian Studies Network – Réseau d’études canadiennes, an association dedicated to the scholarly study of Canada. A specialist in the history of early French Canada and environmental history, he has been conducting research on Canadian utopias since coming to 91��ɫ in 2003.

When did walking become such a balancing act?

Over the past century, intense research and debate has attempted to address the question: How do we bipedal animals stand and walk so well? Standing and walking are not nearly as simple as they may appear. Both emerge from a complex organization of neuromuscular commands that originate from the top of the brain to the bottom of the spinal cord. These commands are shaped by our voluntary intentions to move, by involuntary responses that are elicited by events like being bumped, and by sensory information that is constantly flowing in from the eyes, the ears, the skin, the muscles, and the joints.����

Join 91��ɫ health Professor William��Gage (right)��as he explores why older individuals are at greater risk of falling than younger individuals, and what we know about changes in standing and walking that occur with age. He’ll examine how osteoarthritis and joint replacement surgery affect walking and why muscle strength and walking performance never return to “normal” post-surgery. And he will look into new technologies that are changing the way researchers think about standing and walking, and how they are measured.����

Gage is the associate dean of research and innovation in 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Health and a professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science, where he teaches a graduate level course in biomechanics and neuromuscular control of posture and gait. He holds scientific appointments as an associate scientist in the Centre for Stroke Recovery at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, and as scientist at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. Gage is particularly interested in how balance and walking are affected by age, by joint disease (arthritis), and by stroke.

Pagans and Parties: The Haunting History of Halloween

History Professor Nick Rogers (right) is well known for his study of British social history, but he has also written a book on Halloween. In this talk he explains why Halloween has been a contentious holiday in the last two centuries and why trick-or-treating is a tame, American version of what Halloween is really about. In the last 50 years in particular, Halloween has been at the centre of debates about the use of urban space, sexual politics, Latino identities, and the rampant commercialism of horror. He concludes with a discussion of Halloween after 9/11, when the issue of terrorism posed problems for a holiday that specialized in scary thrills. Throughout, he will draw on the Canadian experience of the holiday as well as the United States. You do��not have to come in costume!��

Rogers is one of the world’s leading scholars of the political culture of 18th-century British and Atlantic worlds. He has explored a remarkably diverse range of topics, from reactions to press gangs in British ports to religious conflicts amongst London’s crowds, from food riots to public reactions to blunders made by admirals, and even the genealogy of Halloween festivities. In 1999, Rogers was awarded the Wallace Ferguson Prize for his book Crowds, Culture and Politics in Georgian Britain, a study of 18th-century Britain that transformed our understanding of early modern Britain. In June 2011, Rogers was named a distinguished research professor for his sustained and outstanding scholarly, professional or artistic achievement largely accomplished at 91��ɫ.

This free series includes two events annually –��in the spring and fall each year��– and provides opportunities for learning and networking in a relaxed environment.

Lecture & Lunch events are open to members of the 91��ɫ Circle and their guests. New this year is a selection of lunches sourced from local farms that are available for purchase at the event, or you can bring your own lunch.

The 91��ɫ Circle receives generous support from 91��ɫ's Alumni Office (program partner) and and (print media sponsors).

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Titled "Living in 91��ɫ Region: Our Community Check-up", the report presents context indicators for 12 issue areas and summarizes the opinions of more than 1,000��91��ɫ Region residents who attended focus groups and completed an online survey between March and June 2011. The project is part of a national initiative covering 22 Canadian communities.

The report��provides baseline indicators and resident perceptions of how well the region's communities are faring in key quality of life areas such as learning, health, housing and the environment.��It��emphasizes the��importance of connections in an��area encompassing some��1,756 square kilometres of rural, forested and urban landscape and concludes that��91��ɫ Region is a healthy community.

“91��ɫ has been pleased to be part of this important project in 91��ɫ Region,” said Robert Haché, vice-president research & innovation at 91��ɫ. “This report will provide a baseline against which our knowledge mobilization and social innovation initiatives can be measured. We will now have the ability to describe the difference that research is making in the lives of our local communities.”

Staff from 91��ɫ's KMb Unit��served��on the project steering committee to support the strategic and operational objectives of the report.��David Dewitt, former assistant vice-president research, served as the University's representative on the��project's leadership council,��which provided strategic oversight around the development, rollout and sustainability of the project.��91��ɫ alumna Marie Murnaghan (PhD '10) contributed to the project by seeking and analyzing data in the��12 indicator areas.

“This report, based on research and data as well as the experiences and voices of 91��ɫ Region residents, holds great potential in mobilizing action around the human services provision,” said Michael Johnny, 91��ɫ's��knowledge mobilization��manager.��“The KMb Unit at 91��ɫ will continue to work with leaders and decision makers, using this report, to help support informed decision making on important issues to all residents of 91��ɫ Region.”

The report found that��91��ɫ Region��residents��have great pride in their communities, whether they are��long-time residents or newcomers,��but��years of sustained growth – and the prospect of much more to come in the future – have created pressures in two key areas that require��urgent attention.

The first area, subtitled Getting Around, highlights that��infrastructure and services – and most importantly public transit – must keep pace with growth so people are able to move conveniently and efficiently within 91��ɫ Region and connect to neighbouring communities.

The second priority, subtitled Housing, asserts that there be more��affordable choices and supports for people in emergency situations.

To these two priority issues the report adds a third that speaks of the need to build awareness and to better communicate 91��ɫ Region’s existing strengths. The issue, subtitled��Navigating Existing Resources, highlights the importance of ensuring that people know what��services and programs already exist in the region��and how to access them.

The Living in 91��ɫ Region Vital Signs report is part of��the Vital Signs national��initiative comprised of��annual community check-ups that are conducted by 22 community foundations across Canada to��measure the vitality of��communities.��The project received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The full report can be downloaded from the website.��

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Over the course of the next year, YFile��will be profiling the projects through videos and stories. Today, the camera's spotlight is on Monahan and��the story of his inspiration for AIF.��

Patrick Monahan grins when he recalls his “Aha!” moment, which��led to the creation of the Academic Innovation Fund.��

Several years ago, 91��ɫ’s vice-president academic & provost��had just completed a series of consultations with 91��ɫ community members regarding the , a document that would outline the future academic priorities of the University. What he discovered during that process energized him.��

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“As we went through the White Paper a couple of years ago, what impressed me were the people who participated in that process,” he said. “We sat in focus groups and we talked about our ideas, dreams and aspirations for the University. What was so striking��was that people had so many great ideas – there were literally hundreds!”

He discovered the main obstacle preventing these ideas from becoming a reality centred on the lack of resources. Monahan had heard of projects in the United States that provided seed funding for academic initiatives. He thought the idea had merit and turned to his colleagues in the Provost’s Office to see if they could find funding that could be used to create a made-in-91��ɫ solution to turn the ideas into working projects.

His��inspiration led to the formation of the Academic Innovation Fund of $2.5 million that would provide an initial investment of resources to bring projects from the drawing board to reality.��In the fall of 2010, applications were invited from the University community for funding (up to $200,000 each) to support new initiatives advancing 91��ɫ’s strategic priorities in relation to teaching and learning and the student experience.

The response, he discovered, was nothing short of amazing. “It was just fantastic because of the tremendous energy and participation," he said. “The committee was only able to fund 39 of those projects, but all the project submissions were very interesting and innovative, and showed a real commitment to the University and to our students."

The 39 projects funded include��clusters of initiatives that support��e-learning,��experiential education and the student experience.��From a project to enhance how first-year students move from high school to university, to a student-run sustainable business initiative, each of the AIF projects��is as diverse as the University community. There is a project to create an online enrolment system for new students, a mentorship program for varsity athletes, a partnership between two faculties to develop a blended learning initiative, a community centred action plan for experiential education, and a project to bring public history into the classroom, to name just a few.

All of the projects, said Monahan, reflect 91��ɫ's DNA. "Each of the projects is about engaging people in these ideas," he said. "I hope that what this does is that it shows people what is possible and that we can build on this energy."

Monahan said that��many people��have told him��how excited they are to see their ideas finally becoming a reality.��"What I find so interesting is that there are ideas that would never have occurred to someone sitting in an office here in the 91��ɫ Research Tower or even in a dean's office," he said. "Ideas like��a project that we have with refugees in Thailand connecting them with researchers and students here in Toronto or a project��to teach area youth how to swim."

The AIF projects provide a concrete example of the potential for innovation and engagement that resides in the 91��ɫ community. "It is an example of the idea that the collective brain is always better then a single brain.��If you get one hundred people in a room and get them thinking and talking – you are going to get more ideas than with 10 people, five or one. That is what makes this a really successful initiative so far."��

By Jenny Pitt-Clark, YFile editor

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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