York President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri has issued the following announcement to the University community:
I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Osgoode Hall Law School Dean Lorne Sossin as special advisor to the president on community engagement. Appointed dean of Osgoode Hall Law School on July 1, 2010, Dean Sossin was reappointed for a second five-year term commencing July 1, 2015, at which time he commenced his role as special advisor to the president.
Lorne Sossin
In this role, Dean Sossin will chair a Community Engagement Advisory Panel, to be established in the fall of 2015, which will assist in fulfilling the ambition for York set out in “Towards an Engaged University: The Report of the President’s Task Force on Community Engagement.” The advisory panel builds upon York’s strengths in community engagement and the priorities highlighted in the Task Force Report and Provostial White Paper. The University thanks Professor Michaela Hynie and members of the President’s Community Engagement Council who, over the past 18 months, have shared valuable insights on how the University might best realize its vision.
The special advisor to the president on community engagement will work with me and across divisions and Faculties to enhance York’s leadership as a community builder with global reach and impact. Dean Sossin will focus on three goals in this new role: facilitating strategic alignment of community engagement with institutional priorities, promoting and profiling York’s innovative community partnerships, and strengthening the University’s relationships with community groups and partners. Working closely with the Office of the Vice-Provost Academic, Dean Sossin will advance community engagement as an academic priority and enhance coordination of new and existing community engagement activities across various divisions, offices and Faculties throughout the University.
As dean of Osgoode Hall Law School, Sossin is widely recognized for his role in advancing Osgoode’s reputation for community-based experiential learning, collaborative community research and community engagement through the law school’s many access to justice and public legal information initiatives.
I look forward to working with Dean Sossin as he undertakes this important new role.