In 2023-24, we implemented a new curriculum for international students focused on delivering academic, career and social supports from acceptance through to graduation to increase their success. New programming included new orientation and transition supports such as Get Ready for Class: International Pre-Orientation event, YU Thrive events, Pre-Arrival Webinars, and a series of academic and career development opportunities. 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.

In an effort to make LA&PS a more inclusive destination for students from equity-seeking groups, we secured a $160,000 commitment for the Tom Janes Award for Black Scholars, providing eight new Black undergrad students a $5,000 scholarship per year over four years.

We also secured two new endowed scholarships for students living with disabilities, The Noor Award with the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons and The Marin Elizabeth Wallace Independent Living Award funded by Elsa Johanna Wallace and Richard Wallace.

This year, the University approved the proposal for a new Black Studies undergraduate honours degree program set to launch in September 2025.

This year LA&PS confirmed our commitment to hiring a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Data Sovereignty, to make timely and much needed contributions to research, policy and practice relevant to how research is conducted with Indigenous Peoples, both in Canada and internationally. The Chair will anchor a research program valued at over $1 million, pending approval for a five-year term followed by renewal for a second five-year term by the Canada Research Chairs program.

We launched the Black student lounge in LA&PS Colleges. The lounge gives Black undergraduate and graduate students a safe space on campus to share their real-life experiences, recharge after a long day, or simply meet up with friends.

In an effort to support and celebrate International, Black, Indigenous, Racialized students, 2SLGBTQ+, and students with disabilities, Founders College ran a series of events and specialized programming focused on Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (DEDI) including the BIPOC Artist Hub, a Discussion on Indigenous Language Revitalization and more.

Our Recruitment team visited over 70 domestic and international high schools this year to promote LA&PS programs. LA&PS representatives also traveled to India, Dubai, USA, Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and China to increase awareness of LA&PS and build a pipeline of diverse, prospective students.

In 2023-24 the LA&PS community continued to develop a culture of diversity and inclusion through knowledge sharing and training. This year, in partnership with YouthREX, we worked with staff across the Faculty, many who are the first to welcome the LA&PS community into our inclusive learning environment, and delivered the Centering Black Youth Wellbeing certification course to all employees in the Faculty with a 90% completion rate.

Employees across the Faculty have also completed the Respect, Equity, Diversity, Decolonization & Inclusion (REDDI) certification, offered in partnership with Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion (CHREI), to develop knowledge on topics such as microaggression in the workplace, positive space, ableism, employment equity principles, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism.

In an effort to increase accountability across all LA&PS academic and non-academic units, LA&PS contracted an Equity Firm to audit and complete a report on our staffing composition. The results of the report are under review by the leadership team and recommendations will be actioned across the Faculty.