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 where LA&PS students can go to study, collaborate and connect with their peers. 

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. 

We developed a comprehensive plan to launch LA&PS Life in 2024, a new student life platform and mobile app that will connect students to LA&PS Colleges, Student Council, Student Clubs, programming and events.

This academic year, the Vanier College Productions team organized 31 events, with over 700 student engagement participant opportunities, for students across LA&PS who share a love for the arts and theatre, increasing student collaboration while building new skills, confidence and a strong sense of community.

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 academic year, LA&PS hosted two distinguished authors, Shyam Selvadurai and Emma Healey, through the Department of English’s Writer-in-Residence program, providing students with access to a working, professional writer for feedback and support. Both writers also hosted a variety of events open to the York community.

In the 2023-24 year, the Advancement team developed and managed 14 high-impact events, which engaged hundreds of donor prospects and alumni as mentors for students, expert panelists and focus group participants for new fundraising projects.

In collaboration with the Career Centre, we transitioned to a shared platform to increase visibility of LA&PS employer events and career advancement opportunities. The collaboration resulted in streamlined communication, reduced redundancies and improved student engagement including greater participation rates and opportunities for students to connect to resources, in addition to, an enhanced employer experience.

This year, the Work Integrated Learning team ran 32 employer events to connect partners with LA&PS students for recruitment purposes. The events ranged from employer branding events, speed mentoring sessions, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) events and more.

Several LA&PS Colleges spaces including the Grad Lounge in Atkinson, Vanier 001 and Founders 305 have been revitalized and transformed this year to increase seating capacity and functionality to promote peer-to-peer collaboration and community building. LA&PS Colleges also increased the hours of operation in the Atkinson undergraduate study lounge to provide students with a safe place on campus where they can study, access academic support and connect with other students.