York University was established in 1959 as a non-denominational institution by the York University Act,[5] which received
royal assent in the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 26 March of that year.[6] Its first class was held in September 1960 in Falconer Hall on the
University of Toronto campus with a total of 76 students.[7] In the fall of 1961, York moved to its first campus at Glendon Hall (now part of
Glendon College), which was leased from U of T, and began to emphasize liberal arts and part-time adult education.[6] In 1965, the university opened a second campus, the
Keele Campus, in
North York, within the neighbourhood community now called
York University Heights.
York University was established in 1959 as a non-denominational institution by the York University Act,[5] which received
Royal Assent in the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 26 March of that year.[6] Its first class was held in September 1960 in Falconer Hall on the
University of Toronto campus with a total of 76 students.[7]
The policy of university education initiated in the 1960s responded to population pressure and the belief that
higher education was a key to social justice and economic productivity for individuals and for society.[6] The governance was modelled on the provincial University of Toronto Act of 1906, which established a bicameral system of university government consisting of a senate (faculty), responsible for academic policy, and a board of governors (citizens) exercising exclusive control over financial policy and having formal authority in all other matters. The president, appointed by the board, was to provide a link between the two bodies and to perform institutional leadership.[6]
In the fall of 1961, York moved to its first campus,
Glendon College, and began to emphasize liberal arts and part-time adult education.[6] York became independent in 1965, after an initial period of affiliation with the
University of Toronto (U of T), under the York University Act, 1965.[13] Its main campus on the northern outskirts of Toronto opened in 1965.[7]
Murray Ross, who continues to be honoured today at the university in several ways – including the
Murray G. Ross Award – was still vice-president of U of T when he was approached to become York University's new president.[14] At the time, York University was envisaged as a feeder campus to U of T, until Ross's powerful vision led it to become a completely separate institution.[15]
In 1965, the university opened a second campus, the
Keele Campus, in
North York, in the Jane and Finch community.[16] The
Glendon campus became a
bilingualliberal arts college led by
Escott Reid, who envisaged it as a national institution to educate Canada's future leaders, a vision shared by Prime Minister
Lester Pearson, who formally opened Glendon College in 1966.[16]
The first Canadian undergraduate program in dance opened at York University in 1970.[14] In 1972,
Canada Post featured the nascent institution on 8¢ stamps, entitled York University Campus, North York, Ont.[17] The first Canadian PhD program in women's studies opened with five candidates in January 1992.[14]
Its bilingual mandate and focus on the liberal arts continue to shape Glendon's special status within York University.[18] The new Keele Campus was regarded as somewhat isolated, in a generally industrialized part of the city. Petrol storage facilities are still across the street. Some of the early architecture was unpopular with many, not only for the
brutalist designs, but the vast expanses between buildings, which was not viewed as suitable for the climate. In the last two decades, the campus has been intensified with new buildings, including a dedicated student centre and new fine arts, computer science and business administration buildings, a small shopping mall, and a
hockey arena.[19][20] The
Aviva Centre tennis stadium, built in 2004, is a perennial host of the
Canada Masters tennis tournament. As Toronto has spread further out, York has found itself in a relatively central location within the built-up
Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and in particular, near the
Jane and Finch neighbourhood. Its master plan envisages a denser on-campus environment commensurate with that location. Students occupied the university's administration offices in March 1997, protesting escalating tuition hikes.[14]
In June 2014, the university announced that a new campus would be constructed in
Markham, Ontario.[21] The campus will be built near Highway 407, between Kennedy Road and Warden Avenue in partnership with
Seneca College.[22] The new campus would house approximately 4,200 students[23] and is anticipated to accommodate up to 10,000 students in future phases.[24] On May 20, 2015, the provincial government announced it will provide financial contribution to this new project.[25] On October 24, 2018, the provincial government announced it would pull its funding for the campus, along with funding for the planned satellite campuses of
Laurier University and
Ryerson University.[26][27] After this cancellation of funding for the Markham project, York University and its partners planned to seek alternative funding.[28] In July 2020, the provincial government allowed plans for the university to go through. The Markham Campus is due to open in September 2024.
Campuses
Keele Campus
An outdoor art exhibit outside of Scott Library, Keele Campus
The Keele Campus is the main campus of York University and is located in northern
Toronto bordering York Region.[29] Most of the university's faculties reside here, including Liberal Arts, Fine Arts, Business, Law, Environmental Studies, Science and Engineering, Education, and Health. All together, nearly 50,000 students attend classes on the Keele campus.
York University station is a Toronto subway station located on Keele campus. Other transit infrastructure located on or near Keele campus includes the
York University Busway and the former
York University GO Station.
Glendon College is a bilingual liberal arts faculty and separate campus of York University.[30] Glendon College is home to the Leslie Frost library.[31]
Markham Campus
In 2018, York University announced a proposal to construct a third campus in the City of
Markham. The Government of Ontario supported to partially fund the construction and was announced by premier
Doug Ford on July 23, 2020.[32] The Markham Campus is due to open for the spring 2024 term.[33]
Other locations
While most of the Schulich School of Business and Osgoode Hall Law School programs are offered at the Keele Campus, both of them maintain satellite facilities in downtown Toronto. Schulich operates the Miles S. Nadal Management Centre at 222 Bay Street (Ernst & Young Tower within the
Toronto-Dominion Centre), while Osgoode Hall has a Professional Development Centre at One Dundas West Tower within the
Toronto Eaton Centre.
Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change The Lillian Meighen Wright Centre is billed as an eco campus next to
Las Nubes Forest Reserve in
Costa Rica.[34]
In 2024, the Government of Ontario provided $9 million initial start-up funding to establish the York University School of Medicine that will be located in the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct (VHCP) just beside
Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital in
Vaughan.[36] York will be the third medical school in the
Greater Toronto Area, joining
Toronto Metropolitan University (Renamed from Ryerson University in 2023)[37] and the
University of Toronto. In April 2024, it was announced that the York University School of Medicine will accept 80 undergraduate students and 102 postgraduate residents at doors open in 2028, expanding to 240 undergraduate students and 293 postgraduate residents across all years, once at full capacity. [38][39]
Academics
York University Campus
York's approximately 1500 full-time faculty and academic librarians and archivists are represented by the
York University Faculty Association. Contract faculty, teaching assistants, and graduate assistants are represented by CUPE Local 3903.[40]
Admissions
York University has over 120 undergraduate programs with 17 degree types (BA, iBA, BHS, BSc, iBSc, BBA, iBBA, BEng, BES, BDes, BPA, BFA, BCom, BEd, BDEM, BHRM, BScN, BSW) and offers over 170 degree options. They admit to 30 international degrees offering international language study and opportunities to study abroad at more than 100 international universities. Its international students represent over 150 countries around the world. York University's Film Department houses Canada's oldest
film school.[41]
York University has also been featured in rankings that evaluates the employment prospects of its graduates. In QS's 2022 graduate employability ranking, the university ranked 301–500 in the world, and 10–17 in Canada.[44]
Faculties
View of Vari Hall from Harry W. Arthurs Common
York University currently has 11 faculties: the School of Arts, Media, Performance & Design, the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change, Glendon College, the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the Faculty of Health, the Lassonde School of Engineering, the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Osgoode Hall Law School, the Schulich School of Business, and the Faculty of Science.
The Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change is the oldest and largest
environmental studies faculty in Canada.[57] From 1999 to 2018, York University offered the first and largest
graphic design program in Ontario
York/Sheridan Design (YSDN).[58] It was a four-year University degree delivered jointly by the two leading educational institutions of design in Canada (York University and
Sheridan College). The joint program has been discontinued and beginning with the class entering in 2019, four-year design students will enrol in a new Bachelor of Design offered by York University, one which is geared for the future of the profession.[59]
The
Osgoode Hall Law School moved from a downtown location to the York campus in 1969, following the requirement that every law school affiliate with a university.[60] Osgoode Hall offers a number of joint and combined programs.[61]
Research centres and institutes
York researchers at the York University Research Leaders 2014 event.
York University is home to 31 organized research units that provide research development beyond the traditional academic units and faculties:
The Art Gallery of York University houses the permanent art collections.[64] The collection of 1500 objects includes Canadian, American, Inuit, and European mixed media, multimedia, installations, painting, photography, prints, drawings, sculpture, sketchbooks, film and video.[65]
The School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD, formerly the Faculty of Fine Arts),[66] offers programmes such as design,
ethnomusicology,
cultural studies, visual arts, music, dance, and theatre. York's
Jazz Department was once overseen by
Oscar Peterson. York also has a joint Bachelor of Design program with
Sheridan College. York's Departments of Film, Theatre and Creative Writing (which is not affiliated with the Faculty of Fine Arts) offers programmes in
film production/directing, acting, and writing respectively, producing many award-winning graduates.
Seneca@York
The Keele campus is host to a satellite facility of
Seneca College,[67] and York University offers a number of joint programs with Seneca College
The York University library has a number of branches.[68] The Scott Library has materials in humanities, social sciences, fine arts, and environmental studies.[69] The business library is the Peter F. Bronfman Business Library.[70]
Study abroad programs
The university also offers the opportunity for students to earn credits towards their degree while studying abroad through international internships, the "Discover India" program operated between York and
FLAME University, and
student exchange programs.[71] The university has student exchange agreements with over 120 institutions in 40 countries.[72]
Arts, Media, Performance & Design, Faculty of Education
Robert Winters, Canadian Cabinet Minister and York's first chairman.
Glendon College acts as both a faculty and a college of the university. New College was created in 2009 to accommodate the creation of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies.
Student unions and organizations
York University is home to over 350 student clubs.[73] A number of larger student organizations are supported by student levy fees. These include the local chapters of the social justice group
OPIRG, and
Regenesis, an environmental organization on campus that runs
farmers' markets at the Keele and Glendon campuses, a
free store, a
community bike centre and a
borrowing centre.
The Village at York University
The
Village at York University[74] off-campus student housing area has become a popular area of accommodation for many upper-year and post-graduate students, and the area has had a large amount of attention particularly for large parties hosted by students, including the annual Battle of the Village kegger held in March. There have also been many reports of the level of noise pollution from late-night parties from students living in the area.[75] Safety has also been a pressing issue.[76]
Campus media
Excalibur has been the university's autonomous student newspaper since 1966. In 2008, the YU Free Press was formed as an alternative campus newspaper.[77]Existere is magazine published by students of the university's professional writing program. The magazine was first published in 1978.[78]
YorkU Magazine (est. 2003) is the official magazine of York University. It is published 3 times a year in both a print and digital format.
The university is represented in
U Sports by the
York Lions. Beginning in 1968 York's sporting teams were known as the "
Yeomen", after the
Yeomen Warders, the guardians of the fortress and palace at the
Tower of London, otherwise known as Beefeaters. Later, the name "Yeowomen" was introduced to encourage women to participate in sports. Popular sentiment ran against this name scheme, however, as many students were fond of noting that a "Yeowoman" was fictitious, neither a real word nor having any historical merit. In 2003, after conducting an extensive internal study, the university replaced both names with the "Lions", as part of a larger renaming effort, and a new logo, now a white and red lion, was brought into line with the university's new visual scheme. The name change also brought York University in line with the 92% of other Canadian universities which use a single name for both sexes' sports teams. Ironically, students often refer to the female Lions teams as the "York Lionesses", even though the name "Lion" is intended to apply to both sexes.[79]
York offers 29 interuniversity sport teams, 12 sport clubs, 35 intramural sport leagues, special events and 10 pick-up sport activities offered daily.
York University has several athletic facilities, some of which are used for major tournaments. These include a football stadium, 4 gymnasia, 5 sport playing fields, 4 softball fields, 9 outdoor tennis courts, 5 squash courts, 3 dance/aerobic studios, 6 ice arenas, a swimming pool, an expanding fitness centre and the new
Aviva Centre (home of the
Rogers Tennis Cup).
In 2014 the York Lions won four banners: the
Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) men's national
track and field championship, the
Ontario University Athletics women's provincial
tennis championship and both the OUA and CIS men's
soccer titles. York will be hosting the 2015 CIS Men's Soccer Championships at York Stadium November, 2015.[80] In 2015 and 2016 York Lions Women's Tennis team won the Canadian University National Championships.[81] The volleyball team has been coached by, among others, Olympian
Sam Schachter.[82][83][84]
Fight song
Notable among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various events such as
commencement and
convocation, and athletic games are: "York Song", sung to the tune "Harvard".[85]
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are not recognized by York University.[86]
Phi Delta Phi (ΦΔΦ) international legal fraternity, at
Osgoode Law School, was given special dispensation when the law school became part of the university, as the fraternity's history with the law school dated back to 1896, and is recognized at York.
In 2016, lab technologist Nikolaos Balaskas was fired from the university after Hillel Ontario said that Balaskas made antisemitic social media posts.[89][90][91]
In 2017, police investigated after students found
swastikas and an antisemitic statement on a chalkboard at the front of a classroom.[92][93]
Our Unions remain unwavering in our support of the Palestinian people's fight for self-determination and liberation. We actively affirm that Palestinians are inherently entitled to the right to shape their political, economic, social, and cultural future. This struggle confronts the persistent oppression, displacement, and human rights abuses inficted upon the Palestinian population. We stand firmly in solidarity with those resisting such oppression, actively contributing to the legitimate fight for justice against settler-colonial nations. We as students’ unions have a responsibility to spread awareness and support the liberation of Palestine and all struggles for Indigenous sovereignty.
York Federation of Students, York University Graduate Students' Association, Glendon College Student Union, in final paragraph of the joint statement.[94]
In 2019, a student group at York University hosted two reservists of the
Israel Defence Forces in a panel discussion.[95][87][96] The group Students Against Israeli Apartheid violently protested the event, chanting "viva viva
intifada".[95][87][96] Premier
Doug Ford condemned what he said was a "hate-filled protest" and mayor
John Tory condemned anti-Semitism in general.[95][96] The university investigated the events and condemned violent protests as well as antisemitism.[87]
In 2022, graffiti found on a garage wall near to the campus incited passersby to "shoot Jews in the head" along with an antisemitic caricature.[97][88] A suspect was later arrested and charged.[98]
In November 2023, Lesley J. Wood, assistant professor and former chair of York University's sociology department was charged with hate-motivated crimes along with two other York University employees after vandalizing an Indigo storefront in protest of Jewish CEO
Heather Reisman.[99][100][101]
As of 2023[update], the university faces a
class-action lawsuit for what the suit said was a history of antisemitism on campus dating back to an incident in February 2009.[102]
In 2023, the
York Federation of Students, York University Graduate Students' Association, and Glendon College Student Union faced significant criticism after endorsing Hamas' attacks on Israeli civilians during the
2023 Israel–Hamas war,[103][104][105] a statement that York University itself condemned.
In January 2024, the union representing contract and part-time faculty at the school, CUPE 3903, asked all TAs to "collectively divert this week’s tutorials to teaching on Palestinian liberation",[106][107] a move that was condemned as antisemitic.
York has over 200,000 living alumni. Although a large number of alumni live in Ontario, a significant number live in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Alberta, New York, and Washington, D.C. York also has over 25,000 alumni overseas.
Distinguished research professors and university professors
The ranks of "distinguished research professor" and "university professor" are the highest rank a professor can achieve at York University. There are only ever up to a maximum of 25 each of active distinguished research professors and active university professors at any time.[108] It is awarded to members of the faculty who have made outstanding contributions to the university through their work in research.[109]
Pat Armstrong, 2010: Sociology, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Isabella C. Bakker, 2014: Political Science, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
York University has a history of faculty and
teaching assistant strikes. In 1997, there was a faculty strike by YUFA[114] that lasted seven weeks. At the time, this was the second longest strike in Canadian University history.[115] Key issues in the strike included retirement, funding, and institutional governance.
In 2001, teaching assistants and contract faculty went on strike for 11 weeks, when the university broke its own record.[116] The central issue in the 2001 disruption was the administration's proposed attempts to remove tuition indexation language.
A strike beginning on November 6, 2008[117] concerned a variety of institutional grievances, including job security for contract professors, elimination of the Non-Academic Student Code of Conduct, creation of whistleblower protection, and fund indexation. On January 20, 2009, CUPE 3903 defeated a forced ratification vote that would have ended the strike. On January 24, Ontario
premierDalton McGuinty announced a rare Sunday recall of the
provincial legislature in order to pass back-to-work legislation mandating an immediate end to the strike.[118] On January 29, the York University Labour Disputes Resolution Act was passed in the provincial parliament on a count of 42–8 ending the long 85-day strike and setting a precedent for future university strikes in Ontario.
2015 CUPE 3903 Strike
An additional strike by teaching assistants, contract faculty, and
graduate assistants took place throughout March 2015. When the strike began, on March 2, the university cancelled nearly all classes because about 2/3 of York courses were taught by the striking contract faculty at the time. On March 10, the contract faculty ratified a new agreement, but the teaching assistants and graduate assistants rejected tentative agreements the bargaining team had reached with the university. The teaching assistants and graduate assistants, continued their strike until the end of the month. Contract faculty did not go back to work in support of the union and classes remained cancelled. The union reached a tentative agreement with the university on March 29, 2015, which was ratified on March 31, 2015, thus putting an immediate end to the 29-day strike.[119]
Units 1, 2, and 3 of CUPE Local 3903, the union represented by teaching assistants, contract faculty, and graduate assistants, began striking on Monday, March 5, 2018; several months after their previous collective agreement expired on August 31, 2017. The union's aim was to, in their words, "secure a fair collective agreement that, among other things, protected quality education and creates a less precarious working environment in Ontario's university sector."[120] The main issues of the strike revolved around job security and the path to permanent tenured employment for contract faculty. A forced ratification vote was held between April 6–9 and was rejected by an overwhelming majority by all three units.[121] On June 13, a ratification vote was held for Unit 2 members, where the union executives recommended voting against the university's offer.[122] The results of the vote were thrown out due to the fact that there were more ballots cast than signatures of eligible voters.[123] A re-vote was held on June 14 and 15, where Unit 2 ratified the university's offer, with 239 members voting in favour, and 122 opposed. Units 1 and 3 remained on strike until July 25, when the newly formed
42nd Parliament of Ontario led by
Premier Doug Ford passed back-to-work legislation via the Urgent Priorities Act, ending the strike after 143 days, making it the longest strike in the post-secondary sector in
Canadian history.
2024 CUPE 3903 Strike
After avoiding a strike in 2021, Units 1, 2, and 3 of CUPE 3903 went on strike beginning Monday, February 26, 2024. As in previous years, the union was focused on job stability for contract faculty and wage increases for all three units.[124]
The wage issue was twofold. In the renewal collective bargaining agreement, covering 2023 through 2026, the union hoped to win wage increases matching record inflation. In addition, the provincial government passed Bill 124 in 2019, which limited public sector raises to 1% annually.[125] The
Court of Appeal for Ontario ruled that Bill 124 violated the
Charter right of unions to collectively bargain, upholding a lower court's ruling. Rather than further appeal the decision to the
Supreme Court, the Ford government instead decided to repeal the law in its entirety, allowing CUPE 3903 and other public sector unions in Ontario to negotiate for retroactive wage increases for the three years that Bill 124 was in effect.[126][127]
On April 14, CUPE 3903 and York University announced that they had reached a tentative agreement. The agreement was ratified by CUPE 3903's membership on April 19, ending the strike after 53 days with the union's members returning to work on Monday, April 22, 2024.[128][129]
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