This year, we increased our targeted academic supports and numeracy programming within the Faculty. Our Student Success team delivered Peer-Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) to 2,500 students, including students in 16 historically difficult LA&PS courses, and one-to-one peer tutoring for over 275 students in numeracy adjacent courses.

We piloted a targeted, intentional and proactive early alert communications and outreach strategy this year, which included academic coaching for at-risk students to help prevent failing grades and targeted exam review sessions for vulnerable LA&PS athletes.

In the summer of 2023, LA&PS successfully developed, delivered and implemented a new summer pilot course, mathematics for Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, to assist students without Grade 12 math skills to acquire the knowledge they need to enter math-dependent LA&PS programs such as economics. The non-degree, 12-week online course drew in 61 students, with 60 students successfully passing the course. The 12U math waiver class will provide a framework for all non-degree programs moving forward.

The Academic Advising team rolled out a new Advising Cluster model, which provides students with access to dedicated advisors based on their LA&PS program, to provide more tailored support for students in need.

Beginning in September 2024, students in all programs in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies will have the option to choose to enrol in a paid co-op program in their second year of study, providing them with meaningful work experience and an opportunity to explore career paths, while offsetting the cost of their education. With the transition from internships to co-op, all students currently enrolled in the internship program will automatically be grandfathered into the new program.

We also successfully transitioned the existing Internship Workshop sessions into a 12-week comprehensive asynchronous Co-op Prep Module designed to equip students with career readiness competencies in preparation for co-op. The curriculum covers a range of topics including relevant software skills, networking skills, refined job search strategies, resume and cover letter writing, interview preparation, on-the-job success, professional communication, mental health and stress management and more.

As we transition our internship program to co-op, we secured donations, $12,000 per student, to support 13 co-op placements in community agencies in the not-for-profit sector that can’t afford to pay students interested in a co-op placement at their organization.

Collaborative efforts between the Work Integrated Learning and Teaching & Learning teams helped LA&PS secure $50,000 from the Ministry of Colleges and University through the Ontario Micro-Credential Challenge Fund to scale the development of the Co-op Prep Module into an “Upskilling for Co-op: Preparing for the Workplace Micro-Credential,” which will continue to support students before entering the workforce. Informed by industry and employer partners, the curriculum addresses existing gaps in the labour market and will prepare students for success starting in September 2024.

In 2023-24, we implemented a new curriculum for international students focused on delivering academic, career and social supports from acceptance through to graduation, with new orientation and transition support including Get Ready for Class: International Pre-Orientation event, YU Thrive events, Pre-Arrival Webinars, academic and career related activities. We also revised and delivered York’s First Friend six-week program, which connects upper year international students to incoming international students prior to their arrival to the university.

We launched a new Dean’s Circle of Student Scholars (DCSS) program curriculum for over 1,000 high achieving LA&PS students, which included targeted monthly workshops on funding opportunities, extracurricular development, learning skills, wellness strategies and student leadership development. Above all, the events fostered a sense of community among the DCSS.

This year, we advanced the implementation of the LA&PS Colleges re-envisioning by incorporating the Colleges throughout the student journey from orientation through to graduation. LA&PS Colleges are providing an enhanced Peer Mentor Program for first-year students through increased engagement activities, events and wellness resources. Additionally, they’re providing upper year students with a series of Leading with LA&PS events focused on developing leadership skills. New College also launched a new Graduate Advisory Committee with regularly scheduled programmed Grad Cafe events where grad students can engage with their peers, provide academic support and explore career options.

LA&PS launched a new Academic Support Hub within Founders College, which is a new learning community for LA&PS students to study, collaborate and connect with their peers.

The Operations team worked closely with LA&PS’ 20 academic units this year to identify efficiencies and deliver on its commitment to service excellence. In collaboration with the Academic Process team, they developed and improved over 50 new and existing operating procedures and continue to monitor and evaluate operations that help increase student success.

This year, the Operations team worked closely with LA&PS staff to support the delivery of the Becoming YU program, which provides LA&PS Work Study Students a rewarding and enriching earn and learn experience within the Faculty.

This year, the Academic Advising team collaborated with LA&PS Communications to develop a communications calendar to support students throughout the year by highlighting important dates, deadlines and timelines to help them make more informed and timely decisions pertaining to their academic profile and degree plan. In April 2023, they also piloted a new Academic Advising automated booking system to better track and respond to student queries, capture student data and improve the student experience.