“Over the past 20 years, university has become more affordable for all students. Meanwhile, tuition for low-income students has dropped to especially low, even negative, levels,” wrote York University economics and social science Professor George Fallis in the Toronto Star May 22. “The confusion over whether school is becoming less or more affordable stems from a misunderstanding of how to measure the cost. In particular, some fail to consider that the real cost of university is tuition minus grants – net tuition.” Read full story.
Company uses technology to change employee behaviour
“More than 95 per cent of the world’s biggest companies report on corporate social responsibility, but employee engagement in such programs typically hovers at a lowly 14 per cent,” wrote Jonathan Hera, course director of the microfinance and social impact investing course at York University’s Schulich School of Business, in The Globe and Mail May 23. “Workforce involvement provides a number of powerful benefits, including increased productivity, higher innovation and improved talent attraction and retention.” Read full story.
Yes, that traffic jam really is killing you
“You feel out of control, you don’t have options,” said David Wiesenthal, a psychology professor at York University who studies stress in drivers, in the Toronto Star May 22. As your car slows to a crawl, your heart rate picks up, your breathing intensifies and your blood pressure shoots up. Drivers become more irritable and have a higher tendency to behave aggressively, increasing the odds of rude behavior, shouting obscenities and cutting other cars off, Wiesenthal said – the ingredients of road rage. Read full story.
Vaughan drama students speak about mental health issues
When Grade 12 drama students from Maple High School chose to connect with their peers and discuss issues around mental health, they didn’t take any half measures, reported the Vaughan Citizen May 22. No, they decided they wanted to go all-in, so they spent months researching issues around depression and social anxiety, wrote an original play, combined forces with health experts at York University, and late last month, performed a production at the post-secondary school before 600 secondary school students at the York campus. Read full story.
Newcomers share journeys via art at Stouffville gallery
This year’s Home: Stories From Here exhibition features three artists, including Andrew Gugan who has a degree in printmaking and once taught at schools in New Mexico, Texas and Northern Ontario. He is the technical manager of York University’s visual arts’ department, reported the Stouffville Sun-Tribune May 22. Read full story.
Natasha Chaykowski awarded Canadian Art Editorial Residency
The Canadian Art Foundation Editorial Residency for 2014 has been awarded to Toronto-based emerging writer and curator Natasha Chaykowski, a York University art history graduate student, reported Canadian Art May 22. Read full story.