The Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) will hold its final College Town Hall on Wednesday, April 3, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Harry Crowe Room, 109 Atkinson Building, as part of its broad-based public consultation to develop a new vision for its four colleges – Founders, Vanier, McLaughlin and New. All are welcome to have their say on the subject of how best to enhance the provision of student services to enrich student life and learning within LA&PS and at York University as a whole.
Each of the four colleges in LA&PS provide their students with several essential student services to support their studies and student life at York University. Whether program-specific or more general, services are clustered around academic success and retention and leadership opportunities through peer mentoring, academic skills workshops and peer-assisted study sessions as well as bursaries. Other services range from assisting sports and recreation activities to providing spaces for students, meetings, study and relaxation.
These spaces also allow for a wide variety of student clubs, providing like-minded students an opportunity to pursue their passion for disciplinary or program areas, as well as furthering social justice causes. Some colleges publish newsletters or magazines and even offer unique services such as weight training, sauna and shower facilities, a theatre company, lockers, and an art gallery and screening room, to name but a few.
While these college student services are in addition to those offered to all York University students listed in the LA&PS Student Help Directory, in some ways they overlap with and are supportive of the following four categories: services, learning supports, health and wellness, and student life.
The New College Town Hall will focus on how student services at the colleges should and can be enhanced. Several questions will be posed to gauge the audience’s reactions and opinions regarding core services that are provided by the colleges such as the twice-yearly new student orientation that happens in September and January, academic advice and guidance, adequate study space and resources, extra-curricular activities, and financial support for outstanding students in the form of scholarships, bursaries and other prizes.
“Student services is what the colleges are all about at York University,” said Professor and Founders College Head Pablo Idahosa. “The colleges are here to support our affiliated students to ensure that they have the best higher educational experience possible and that all of our students successfully complete their programs.” Idahosa went on to state, “The Colleges Re-Visioning Town Hall at New College will thoroughly examine and consider what more our colleges can do in the way of supporting their students to ensure that they achieve their higher educational goals.”
“This last College Town Hall will give the members of the York University community the opportunity to voice their views on how the colleges in our Faculty can serve their students even better now than in the past,” said Professor and McLaughlin College head James Simeon. “The New College Town Hall, undoubtedly, will provide us with important information on the provision of student services that will help guide us to a new vision for all four of our LA&PS colleges. We hope to see you all there!”
All those who will be attending the New College Town Hall are requested to make sure that they bring their mobile phone to participate in the real-time survey. Those unable to attend in person are invited to follow the town hall on Zoom.