La version fran莽aise suit la version anglaise.

Dear Colleagues, 

It is with great pleasure that I inform colleagues from across the University that the Board of Governors has approved the re-appointment of Lisa Philipps as Provost & Vice-President Academic for an additional five-year term, commencing July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 2027.

Professor Philipps has provided outstanding leadership as Provost & Vice-President Academic for the past four and a half years. She has led institutional initiatives including development of the University鈥檚 third Strategic Mandate Agreement with the province; collaborating with the Academic Policy, Planning, and Research Committee of Senate to craft the University Academic Plan 2020鈥�2025: Building a Better Future; preparing to launch distinctive new academic programs at the Markham Campus; advancing pedagogical innovation across the University; implementing the University鈥檚 first Faculty Complement Renewal Strategy; and positioning 91亚色 as a leader in advancing the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Since March 2020, Professor Philipps and her team have played a central role in coordinating the University鈥檚 pandemic planning and response efforts. She has remained a strong champion of 91亚色鈥檚 commitments to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and an advocate for our values and vision in the broader University sector.  

Professor Philipps joined 91亚色 in 1996 and is a Professor of Law in Osgoode Hall Law School. She holds an LLB from the University of Toronto and an LLM from 91亚色, and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1988. Her research encompasses taxation law and policy, fiscal policy, higher education policy, and feminist legal theory.

Prior to her appointment as Provost, Professor Philipps held a number of key positions here at 91亚色, including Assistant Dean (First Year) and Associate Dean (Research, Graduate Studies & Institutional Relations) at Osgoode Hall Law School. At the institutional level, in 2014, as part of the Academic and Administrative Program Review process, she chaired the Academic Task Force, which offered important recommendations on the quality and sustainability of academic and research programs, thereby providing guidance to academic planners across the University. She has also served as Chair of the (then) Senate Academic Policy and Planning Committee (2005鈥�2006), and from 2011 to 2014 was Associate Vice-President Research, with responsibility for supporting research intensification across the University and for liaising with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and community research partners.

Beyond 91亚色, Professor Philipps has provided expert legal advice to a range of bodies, including the Ontario Ministry of Finance as Special Counsel in 2015. In 2015鈥�16, she served as Interim Dean of the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law at Lakehead University, a new law school with a mandate to strengthen the Indigenous bar and prepare lawyers to practice in northern and rural communities. 

Please join me in congratulating Professor Philipps on her re-appointment. 

Sincerely,

Rhonda L. Lenton
President and Vice-Chancellor 

Annonce du renouvellement de la rectrice et vice-pr茅sidente aux affaires acad茅miques

Chers coll猫gues,听

J鈥檃i l鈥檌mmense plaisir d鈥檌nformer mes confr猫res et mes cons艙urs de l鈥橴niversit茅 que le Conseil d鈥檃dministration a approuv茅 le renouvellement du mandat de Lisa Philipps en tant que doyenne et vice-pr茅sidente aux affaires acad茅miques pour un autre mandat de cinq ans commen莽ant le 1^er juillet 2022 et prenant fin le 30 juin 2027. 

Lisa Philipps a fait preuve d鈥檜n leadership exceptionnel en tant que rectrice et vice-pr茅sidente aux affaires acad茅miques au cours des quatre derni猫res ann茅es et demie. Elle a dirig茅 des initiatives institutionnelles, notamment l鈥櫭﹍aboration de la troisi猫me Entente de mandat strat茅gique de l鈥橴niversit茅 avec la province; elle a collabor茅 avec le Comit茅 du S茅nat sur la politique de la planification et de la recherche universitaires pour 茅laborer le Plan acad茅mique de l鈥橴niversit茅 2020-2025 : B芒tir un avenir meilleur; elle a pr茅par茅 le lancement de nouveaux programmes universitaires propres au campus Markham; elle a promu l鈥檌nnovation p茅dagogique 脿 l鈥櫭ヽhelle de l鈥橴niversit茅; elle a mis en 艙uvre la premi猫re strat茅gie de renouvellement des effectifs du corps professoral de 91亚色; et elle a positionn茅 l鈥橴niversit茅 en tant que chef de file de la promotion des 17 objectifs de d茅veloppement durable des Nations Unies. Depuis mars 2020, Lisa Philipps et son 茅quipe jouent un r么le central dans la coordination des efforts de planification et de r茅ponse 脿 la pand茅mie de l鈥橴niversit茅. Par ailleurs, la professeure Philipps d茅fend ardemment les engagements de 91亚色 en mati猫re d鈥櫭﹒uit茅, de diversit茅 et d鈥檌nclusion, ainsi que ses valeurs et sa vision dans le secteur universitaire au sens large.  

Lisa Philipps s鈥檈st jointe 脿 91亚色 en 1996 et est professeure de droit 脿 la Osgoode Hall Law School. Titulaire d鈥檜n LL. B. de l鈥橴niversit茅 de Toronto et d鈥檜ne LL. M. de 91亚色, elle a 茅t茅 admise au Barreau de l鈥橭ntario en 1988. Ses recherches portent sur le droit et la politique de l鈥檌mposition, la politique fiscale, la politique de l鈥檈nseignement sup茅rieur et la th茅orie juridique f茅ministe. 

Avant sa nomination au poste de doyenne, la professeure Philipps a occup茅 plusieurs postes cl茅s 脿 91亚色, notamment celui de vice-doyenne (Premi猫res ann茅es) et de doyenne associ茅e (Recherche, 脡tudes sup茅rieures et Relations institutionnelles) 脿 la Osgoode Hall Law School. Au niveau institutionnel, dans le cadre du processus de r茅vision des programmes acad茅miques et administratifs, elle a pr茅sid茅 en 2014 le groupe de travail Academic Task Force qui a formul茅 d鈥檌mportantes recommandations au sujet de la qualit茅 et de la durabilit茅 des programmes acad茅miques et de recherche, fournissant ainsi des orientations aux planificateurs acad茅miques de toute l鈥橴niversit茅. Elle a 茅galement 茅t茅 pr茅sidente du comit茅 de planification et de politique acad茅mique du S茅nat (2005-2006) et, de 2011 脿 2014, vice-pr茅sidente associ茅e 脿 la recherche, charg茅e d鈥檃ppuyer l鈥檌ntensification de la recherche dans toute l鈥橴niversit茅 et d鈥檃ssurer la liaison avec le Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines et des partenaires de recherche communautaires.  

Au-del脿 de l鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色, la professeure Philipps a fourni des conseils juridiques sp茅cialis茅s 脿 une s茅rie d鈥檕rganismes, notamment au minist猫re des Finances de l鈥橭ntario en tant que conseill猫re sp茅ciale en 2015. En 2015-2016, elle a 茅t茅 doyenne par int茅rim de la Facult茅 de droit Bora Laskin de l鈥橴niversit茅 Lakehead, une nouvelle 茅cole de droit dont le mandat est de renforcer le barreau autochtone et de pr茅parer les avocats 脿 exercer dans les communaut茅s nordiques et rurales. 

Veuillez vous joindre 脿 moi pour f茅liciter la professeure Philipps pour son renouvellement. 

Veuillez agr茅er mes sinc猫res salutations.

Rhonda Lenton
Pr茅sidente et vice-chanceli猫re

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More than 700 faculty, staff and students attended 91亚色鈥檚 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation virtual panel, 鈥淩eflections on Truth and Reconciliation,鈥� which took place Sept. 30.

Faculty of Education Professor Carl James, senior advisor on equity and representation and the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora, served as the panel moderator, which was presented by 91亚色 President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton and Vice-President of Equity, People & Culture Sheila Cote-Meek.

In her opening remarks Lenton spoke about the importance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in understanding and acknowledging Canada鈥檚 colonial practices, which had a devastating impact on Indigenous Peoples. She said that it was essential for universities across Canada to reflect on their role as part of a colonial system of education and their responsibility to advance Indigenous scholarship, knowledge mobilization and action that will help move the country towards reconciliation.

Cote-Meek, who is Anishinaabe from the Teme-Augama Anishnabai, spoke about her own experience with the intergenerational trauma that was the result of Canada鈥檚 Residential School System. 鈥淭his is an important day to Indigenous Peoples as well as all Canadians, settlers and visitors to this land,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hile this day marks an important step towards reconciliation, it is also a stark reminder to Indigenous Peoples of the many children who were forcibly removed from our communities and the resulting violence and trauma experienced in the Indian Residential School System.

鈥淭his past summer has been particularly difficult as unmarked graves of hundreds of children were located on various sites of residential schools across this country. Based on death records, more than 4,100 children died at residential schools,鈥� she said, noting that the true total is anticipated to be much higher.

Cote-Meek鈥檚 own grandfather was forced to attend the St. Peter Claver School for Boys in Spanish, Ontario. 鈥淗e survived but never spoke of his experiences there and it wasn鈥檛 until years after his death that I learned of his attendance. When I did, it answered so many unanswered questions for me that I did not understand about my own family.

鈥淚t is important that non-Indigenous people in Canada confront this history and understand the systems from which they benefit and begin to understand how we are all in relation to one another and the land. So today, we honour the victims, those who did not return home and we honour the survivors, including those who are descendants of survivors. We acknowledge your strength and resilience.鈥�

After Cote-Meek鈥檚 remarks,听Zoey Roy, an Indigenous artist, spoken word poet and a PhD student in the Faculty of Education, presented an original spoken word poem before a two-minute period of silence prior to the start of the panel.

Participating in the panel were: Associate Vice-President Indigenous Initiatives and Faculty of Education Professor Susan Dion; Provost and Vice-President Academic Lisa Philipps; Sean Hillier, Indigenous Council Co-Chair and assistant professor and 91亚色 Research Chair in Indigenous Health & One Health; Osgoode Hall Law School Dean Mary Condon; Randy Pitawanakwat, manager, Indigenous Student Services; and Stephen Teong, interim president, Glendon College Student Union.

Each panellist was asked to answer one of five questions: How/where do you see reconciliation in action? What have you learned from the conversations happening and/or not happening about reconciliation? What actions have you taken or want to take in service of reconciliation? How do you understand your responsibility to participate in accomplishing reconciliation? Reflecting on your position within the 91亚色 community, what do you hope a focus on reconciliation will accomplish?

Dion was the first to respond to the question: What have you learned from the conversations happening and/or not happening about reconciliation?

A Lenape and Potawatomi scholar with mixed Irish and French ancestry, Dion said that while she was encouraged by the interest in truth and reconciliation, she has persistent concerns. 鈥淲hat do Canadians her when we speak? I know that conversations are difficult. They require a rethinking of the story we tell ourselves about what it means to be Canadian. I find that the desire to make the conversations all about you and the feelings for us 鈥� feeling sorry for us or feeling bad for Indigenous Peoples and how much you want to help us, but I have to say that sometimes these conversations can be very frustrating and tiresome, even exasperating,鈥� she said.

In contrast, Dion said that her mother, who had been denied access to her language and cultural practices because of the intergenerational impact of her parents鈥� time in residential school, provided Dion and her siblings with what they needed to do the work of gathering, sharing and initiating conversations about being Indigenous. These conversations, said Dion, have focused on recuperating knowledge, participating in and learning from each other and the land. Important conversations, she said because they are about recognizing knowledge and story, cultural practice and ceremony.

鈥淥n this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, conversations about the impacts of residential schools have to happen. They have to happen respectfully and with purpose to learn how we are all implicated and how we are all responsible to ourselves and each other, and to all creation. We have to invest time and energy in learning from the stories,鈥� she said.

鈥淲hat Indigenous Peoples need are conversations that start with a turning toward and a willingness to accept responsibility to learn from Indigenous Peoples鈥� experiences and perspectives,鈥� Dion added.

Philipps, who in addition to being provost and vice-president academic at 91亚色, is a legal scholar and professor of law. She was asked to consider the question: How do you understand your responsibility to participate in accomplishing reconciliation?

鈥淢y responsibility is to continue my own personal education and learn about Indigenous histories in Canada. My own personal education began for me as a law professor at Osgoode and my own field of scholarship and teaching, which is tax law and policy,鈥� Philipps said. 鈥淎nd, about how there is a specific and interesting space carved out for First Nations and for those defined as qualifying under the Indian Act for particular types of tax treatment; the way that was expressed in case law and by judges hearing cases about that tax treatment; the kinds of assumptions and stereotypes and ideas about why that existed and what it meant.鈥�

Philipps probed deeper into what she was seeing and began to read and research the inequities. She then brought those observations into her courses, in rather tentative ways at first, she said, and then more robustly as her knowledge increased. She attended the Anishinaabe Law Camp that Osgoode Hall Law School initiated and learned from Indigenous Elders and scholars. 鈥淲hat I took away from that was understanding more deeply that Indigenous communities have their own legal orders. Historically and currently, those legal orders are very much rooted in the land,鈥� said Philipps.

She continues to pursue and deepen her knowledge through reading and conversations, listening and continuing education and brings that growing knowledge into her role as provost and vice-president academic. She is continuing to expand the numbers of Indigenous faculty at 91亚色 and is exploring how she can embed an infrastructure to support current Indigenous faculty and embed Indigenous perspectives and knowledge into the curriculum.

Hillier was the next panellist to respond. As Co-Chair of the Indigenous Council at 91亚色, he was asked to consider the question: What have you learned from the conversations happening and/or not happening about reconciliation?

A queer Mi鈥檏maw scholar from the Qalipu First Nation, Hillier began with a story about his grandparents. 鈥淢y grandparents never spoke of the erasure of their culture through dominant groups and violence and being ostracized, but the impacts remain. Deeply.鈥� he said.

鈥淚 appreciate the provost鈥檚 comments around learning because this process that we are now in is not a truth-finding process, but instead it is a learning process of coming to understand and coming to terms with the truths. So, what is reconciliation? For me, reconciliation is critical to our foundation of being able to move forward as a country. Reconciliation is complex, it is multifaceted, and it is continuous and can be contentious,鈥� said Hillier.

At its core, Hillier said, reconciliation is about learning, healing and coming together. It is about honouring the treaties that settlers entered with Indigenous Peoples. 鈥淲e must acknowledge and respect Indigenous rights and titles across this country. Reconciliation is also about learning about Indigenous history.

鈥淚t means recognizing the intergenerational impacts of colonization, attempts at assimilation and the cultural genocide taking place and it means recognizing the critical roles that Indigenous Peoples have held in the creating of this country,鈥� said Hillier. 鈥淩econciliation is supporting the reclamation of identity, language, of culture and nationhood. I did not start my speech today with my own language because it is something that I do not have.

鈥淲hen I talk to my students about the paths we are on, the journeys that we are on, I talk about a two-pronged journey. A journey of learning and a journey of healing. We all have a part in this, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, we must engage in this journey together.鈥�

As the Dean of Osgoode Hall Law School, Condon was asked the question: What actions have you taken or want to take in service of reconciliation?

She began by saying that for legal educators and scholars, there is a strong awareness of the role that Canadian settler law and legal systems have played historically in facilitating colonial structures. 鈥淲hether that is facilitating particular types of treaty relationships and constitutional relationships between settlers and Indigenous Peoples, or the way in which settler law has facilitated the oppression that resulted in the residential school system and maintaining of those oppressive structures,鈥� said Condon.

She observed that the comments and 94 recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission focused on law schools as being necessary to the journey toward reconciliation, including re-teaching how Canadian law has facilitated the oppression of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, creating a cohort of lawyers who can properly and respectfully serve Indigenous clients, and exploring how law schools can make space for the conversations and the study of Indigenous law.

鈥淚 think that it is fair to say that all law schools in Canada have taken up that response and that invitation from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to reflect on the role that legal education should play in the journey towards reconciliation,鈥� said Condon.

She said Osgoode has hired four Indigenous scholars and faculty members into the school. The law school introduced an Indigenous law requirement to its JD degree and last June, the first cohort of students who have completed this requirement graduated and have a greater degree of knowledge of Indigenous perspectives on law. She is hoping to engage the law school alumni in conversations about truth and reconciliation. Condon spoke with pride about the Indigenous law camp for first year students and a law camp for upper year students. She said the law camps provide students and faculty with an opportunity to learn about communities, laws and legal orders from Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and Elders.

As manager of Indigenous Student Services on campus, Pitawanakwat, an Anishinabe with the Anishinabek Nation, is from the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island. He said that he was proud to be participating in the panel. He spoke about the impact of residential schools on his family, specifically his father and grandfather who attended the St. Joseph Residential School in Spanish, Ontario. 鈥淭his was never spoken about to the children, it was a topic that no one discussed,鈥� he said, noting, 鈥渢he education system participated in the lack of education about Indigenous Peoples, so now the education system must now become a full participant in the reconciliation efforts.

鈥淲e need to accomplish an awareness of the past wrongs and right these wrongs. We need to accomplish a desire to join in building a new relationship. Reflecting on my current position within the 91亚色 community, my hope is that we focus on establishing learning opportunities for staff and students,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here is so much to learn about Indigenous Peoples and these learning opportunities can include both in-person and online learning, including in the form of training sessions that can be made available as professional development for staff and employees. We need to build the capacity for learning and have resources available. There is a lot of work to do throughout the entire institution and we need to come together and establish a coordinated effort and set a plan, rather than the current piecemeal format.鈥�

The learning process will be difficult, said Pitawanakwat, but necessary. 鈥淲e must all work together on this, reconciliation is everyone鈥檚 responsibility.鈥�

The last to respond in the panel, Teong brought a student perspective to the question: What actions have you taken or want to take in the service of reconciliation?

Teong responded that he felt lost and overwhelmed in trying to ascertain where to start his own journey. 鈥淎s a student leader, a Canadian and the son of immigrants, my parents came to this land to build a better life. 鈥淎s I reflect on reconciliation, I remind myself that impact begins with one person. I want to work in the service of reconciliation. Whether it be working with campus partners and Indigenous Student Services to learn what they do and how to incorporate their vision into our own [Glendon Student Government], I commit myself and the team to working with the Indigenous councils and student groups.鈥�

Personally, he said that he was engaging with the Canadian Language Museum on the Glendon Campus and encouraged those viewing the panel to visit and study the museum鈥檚 free exhibit. He is pursuing his own learning through reading about the Residential School System and the intergenerational harm caused to Indigenous Peoples. He is also taking courses to learn more about the experiences of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. 鈥淎s we talk about actions, it starts with learning and with difficult conversations. One person taking the first step forward and inspiring others to do the same, and it is in this spirit that we can make things better.鈥�

In her closing remarks, Cote-Meek said that the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation represented an important milestone, and the panel was important for 91亚色.

鈥淎s you reflect on the great injustices of the Residential School System in Canada, I want to remind you that colonization remains ongoing for Indigenous Peoples. I will leave you with the stark realities that Indigenous children and families continue to face today,鈥� said Cote-Meek. 鈥淭here are three times more First Nations children in the current child welfare system than there were at the height of the residential schools. First Nations children are six to eight times more likely to go into child welfare care than non-Indigenous children. This over-representation is largely caused by a number of factors beyond the control of individual families and parents, some of which include poverty, poor housing, under-funded education, and in many cases the lack of access to safe drinking water,鈥� said Cote-Meek. 鈥淭here are a number of other reports that are available online that I would ask you to explore. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report remains out there and little action has been taken. A new report on the gender-diverse and non-binary community speaks to the high rates of violence directed not only to women but to that community as well.

鈥淎ll of the speakers have provided us with deeper insights into what reflecting on reconciliation in action can be. There is no doubt that it will be a long journey. I leave you with this question: What will you personally commit to going forward?鈥�

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91亚色 is an academic partner in a new summit exploring the power of crowdfunding. Hosted by the 91亚色 Region Business Innovation in Changing Times Conference Series, which focuses on听providing businesses access to ideas, insight and resources to help them adapt to the fast-changing marketplace, the Crowdfunding Revolution summit is set for Thursday, Aug. 22, from 8:30am to 12:30pm, at the Vaughan City Hall.

Crowdfunding, which is also known as crowdsourcing, crowd financing or equity crowdfunding, harnesses the power of a group of individuals who network and pool their money to support people or organizations, research or new business ventures. Crowdfunding is used by the film industry to gather startup costs for new productions, and it supports disaster relief, citizen journalism, new product development and more. The Crowdfunding Summit will highlight strategies to successfully crowdfund a business venture, social enterprise or social cause. Participants will have an opportunity to network with leaders in the field and hear about potential regulatory changes to address the opportunities presented by crowdfunding.

Debra Chanda, founder of launch120.com and the global ambassador for Singularity University, is one of the featured presenters at the Crowdfunding Revolution summit

鈥淲e look forward to participating in the Crowdfunding Summit,鈥� said Lisa Philipps, 91亚色鈥檚 associate vice-president research. 鈥淥ur involvement 听in this conference series highlights one of the many ways in which 91亚色 works with government, industry and community partners to mobilize knowledge to meet the needs of this rapidly growing, diverse region.听 These events are outstanding opportunities to learn about what is going on in 91亚色 Region and to network with potential research and learning partners.鈥�

Those who attend will:

• gain a better understanding of the impact of crowdfunding on business, not-for-profits and social ventures;
• get an overview of crowdfunding platforms and systems available in Canada;
• learn the steps to designing a crowdfunding campaign;
• hear about best practices and strategies to employ;
• receive updates on the innovative Social Venture Exchange (SVX) initiative from the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing;
• get the latest updates on proposals and issues about crowdfunding for equity in Ontario; and
• join a discussion with other organizations about collaborating on a crowdfunding pilot in 91亚色 Region.

This conference series is the result of a collaboration among the 91亚色 Small Business Enterprise Centre, chambers of commerce, and municipal, region and provincial governments. The Regional Innovation Centre, the United Way of 91亚色 Region and local enterprises of all sizes are also involved in the conference series. 91亚色 and Seneca College are academic partners in the series.

Christopher Charlesworth, co-founder of HiveWire.ca and Centre for Social Innovation鈥檚 Catalyst will also be a featured presenter at the summit听

Speaking at the crowdfunding summit are: James Turner, vice-chair of the Ontario Securities Commission; Debra Chanda, founder of and the global ambassador for ; Adam Spence, manager of social venture exchange for the ; Christopher Charlesworth, co-founder of and Centre for Social Innovation鈥檚 ;听 Daniele Zanotti, CEO of the United Way of 91亚色 Region; and Jeff Dennis and Tracy Hooey of Fasken Martineau, an international business law firm based in Toronto.

Tickets are $50 plus HST. For more information, visit the website. Click to register for the conference.

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The town hall will take place Sept. 21, from 11am into the noon hour, in the Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan Theatre, Accolade East Building, Keele campus. All students, faculty, staff and parents are welcome.

Right: 91亚色 President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri

Shoukri will talk about the growth and evolution of 91亚色, its recent successes, and the opportunities and challenges moving forward, followed by a Q&A period with the entire executive team.

The Q&A will include Shoukri, Gary Brewer, vice-president finance & administration; Robert Hach茅, vice-president research & innovation; Patrick Monahan, ;听Jennifer Sloan, vice-president university relations; and Robert Tiffin, vice-president students. The Q&A will be moderated by 91亚色 law Professor , director of the 91亚色 Centre for Public Policy & Law.

The town hall will also be available to watch via webcast through the president's website.

In addition, questions can be sent in advance by e-mail to the president at mshoukri@yorku.ca and via Twitter using the hashtag #yutownhall.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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Join President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri and the rest of the senior executive team at the President鈥檚 Town Hall 鈥� an interactive dialogue bringing 91亚色 faculty, staff and students together.

The town hall will take place Wednesday, Sept. 21, from 11am into the noon hour, in the Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan Theatre, Accolade East Building, Keele campus. All students, faculty, staff and parents are welcome.

Right: 91亚色 President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri

Shoukri will talk about the growth and evolution of 91亚色, its recent successes, and the opportunities and challenges moving forward. Then it鈥檚 your turn to ask questions to the entire executive team.

Joining Shoukri for the Q&A period will be Gary Brewer, vice-president finance & administration; Robert Hach茅, vice-president research & innovation; Patrick Monahan, ;听Jennifer Sloan, vice-president university relations; and Robert Tiffin, vice-president students. The Q&A will be moderated by 91亚色 law Professor , director of the 91亚色 Centre for Public Policy & Law.

Can鈥檛 attend in person? There is more than one way to participate. The town hall will be available to watch via webcast through the president's website.

In addition, questions can be sent in advance by e-mail to the president at mshoukri@yorku.ca and via Twitter using the hashtag #yutownhall.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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Right: Professor Sanjeev Purshotam Sahni (left), head of strategic human resources and assistant dean of Research听& International Collaborations at Jindal Global Law听School, and Osgoode Hall Law School Dean Lorne Sossin

Osgoode is leading the way among Canadian law schools in this kind of research-driven collaboration in India and in thinking creatively about how to engage legal educators and the legal profession in both countries to achieve mutually beneficial results, says Lisa Philipps, Osgoode associate dean research, graduate studies & institutional relations.

The delegates found the trip valuable both for their current research on transnational legal issues and for the development of Osgoode鈥檚 institutional relationships and collaborative programs in India.

鈥淎s this Osgoode trip to India vividly demonstrated to those who participated, we have much of value to learn from India, and much to share as well,鈥� says Osgoode Dean .

Above: Professor Charles D. Maddox, assistant director of the Centre for Global Corporate & Financial Law & Policy,听Professor Vikramaditya Khanna, visiting faculty at Jindal Global Law School,听and Philipps, associate dean research, graduate studies & institutional relations at Osgoode,听discuss issues at the symposium in India

Sossin and Philipps were among the Osgoode delegates to attend a two-day joint symposium, , with faculty and graduate students from Jindal Global Law School at O.P. Jindal Global University. The symposium explored issues ranging from access to justice and legal regulation of sexuality to the tax treatment of foreign investment.

Left: From left, Arun Khatri, Jindal Global Law School research associate,听with Dayna Scott, Lorne听Sossin and Allan Hutchinson of Osgoode

It was a continuation of last year鈥檚 symposium at 91亚色, funded by the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada and Osgoode's , which included a delegation from India (See YFile, Oct. 25, 2010).

鈥淭his two-part conference was designed to establish an Indian-Canadian conversation on issues of pressing mutual interest,鈥� says Philipps. 鈥淚ndeed, too often, a separation of opinions between elements of the global North and global South is presumed insurmountable on issues ranging from climate change to development. In the last five years, from Hong Kong to Copenhagen, critical global issues have been mired in a difference in perspective between nations.鈥�

Right: From left, Philipps; Professor Y.S.R. Murthy, assistant dean of projects & institutional development and executive director of the Centre for Human Rights Studies; and Charles D. Maddox

Through research and collaborations, such as the one with India, 鈥淲e can facilitate discussions about innovative solutions to local and global policy issues,鈥� she says. 鈥淐anada and India have the possibility to play bridge-builders in this North-South dialogue. It is believed that a Canadian-Indian dialogue can adopt a more sober, and potentially incisive, outlook on a range of global policy issues that simply cannot be ignored as yet another decade draws to a close.鈥�

One of the benefits of the collaboration is a Memorandum of Understanding between the two law schools, which is currently being developed to include JD and graduate student exchanges and continued faculty visits. Discussions are underway toward a variety of joint teaching and research initiatives. Osgoode also renewed its student exchange agreement with the National Law School of India at Bangalore and strengthened relations with other law schools, including the National Law University in Delhi.

Left: Professor Fran莽ois Tanguay-Renaud (left), acting director of the Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime & Security, and Sanjeev Purshotam Sahni

鈥淥sgoode faculty, staff and students have expressed both interest and excitement to develop more exchanges, internships, joint conferences, research projects and collaborative pro bono projects, just to scratch the surface,鈥� says Sossin.

In addition, Osgoode faculty met with Supreme Court justices, government ministers, independent think tanks, non-governmental organizations and leading members of the legal profession.

A selection of the best new research coming out of this collaboration will be published in an upcoming听peer-reviewed special issue of the .

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin

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So huge, you wonder why it wasn鈥檛 the centrepiece of last week鈥檚 dead-on-arrival federal budget.

But the Family Tax Cut plan announced by Mr. Harper Monday in Saanich, B.C. wouldn鈥檛 come into effect until the federal budget is balanced, which could be years from now. Like pension splitting before it, splitting earned or other income for tax purposes would benefit only some families and be no help at all to singles, including single parents. To get the full benefit, even qualifying families would have to have a large income disparity between the higher and lower wage earners. Even then, a maximum of $50,000 of household income would be splittable for tax purposes .

. . .

In a blog Monday the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) cited Osgoode Hall Law School tax law expert to the effect [that] the biggest winners from income-splitting are higher-income male breadwinners: 鈥淎 man can reduce his taxes by shifting them to the primary caregiver in the family, but he has no legal obligation to give her the actual income.鈥�

The CCPA warns this 鈥渢ax giveaway for affluent couples鈥� will put a big dent in federal finances.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin

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Like many Liberal budgets before them, every one of the Conservative budgets since 2006 has announced an array of new subsidies to be delivered through the tax system. Though their individual price tags may seem modest, they add up to a major drain on revenues. This budget alone would reduce federal revenues by almost $300 million per year once the new personal tax credits are fully phased in.

Who will evaluate the impact of these new tax expenditures to see if they are encouraging more Canadians to pursue postsecondary education or volunteer firefighting, or have other salutary effects that help to justify their costs? Most likely no one, ever. Once enacted into law, these special rules will sit in the tax code indefinitely with no need to be examined or reapproved the way a direct spending program would be.

It is easy to add tax expenditures and almost impossible to remove them. This is why many tax policy experts call for 鈥渟unsetting鈥� these rules, which gives them a limited lifespan subject to evaluation and reapproval.

It鈥檚 time for Canadian politicians and voters alike to grow up about tax expenditures. Little breaks may seem nice if you happen to be part of a favoured group, but ultimately they destroy simplicity and fairness for all of us.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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