This Week @ York for Week of April 21, 2020

Important Dates

  • The course drop date has been extended to Saturday, May 9 (excluding students in the JD program).

    Note: Dropping a course may impact your OSAP funding and your ability to graduate (if you applied for graduation). We encourage you to speak with your Faculty Advising Office.

  • The deadline to Withdraw from a Course Without Receiving a Grade for the F/W 2019-2020 full-year and W 2020 term courses has been extended to Saturday, May 9.

  • The deadline for students to choose the Pass/Fail grading option has been extended to Saturday, May 9.

    Note: We encourage you to speak to your Faculty Advising Office before making a final decision, as choosing a Pass/Fail option may impact program progression and scholarship/award eligibility.

Academics

  • Summer 2020 course offerings have now been finalized and the complete list is available at the link above. For more information about the changes to the Summer 2020 session, read the April 17 communication from the University Registrar.

  • Planning for the Fall 2020 term. As we are nearing completion of the Winter academic term, we know that you are also turning your attention to the fall term. Learn more about Fall 2020 enrolment, course availability and more at the link above.

    REMINDER: Fall/Winter 2020-2021 undergraduate course enrolment windows are now available online. Click the link above for instructions to find out when you can start enrolling.

  • Your Academic Advisors are here – virtually – to assist you with your advising needs during the COVID-19 situation. Visit the Academic Advising website, find your Faculty and click to see updated service information.

  • REMINDER: Check for available self-serve tools and resources on My Online Services. Get what you need, from wherever you are, at almost any time of the day. The list of available resources is growing daily as new online and mobile methods are introduced to deliver services and resources you need.

Money Matters

  • Emergency Bursaries. York has established bursaries to help students who require immediate short-term financial relief because of unexpected expenses in March and April 2020: The York University Emergency Bursary and the York University Emergency Travel Disruption Bursary. Graduate students can apply for assistance through the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) Emergency Bursary. School of Continuing Studies students can apply for assistance through the York University Emergency Bursary for School of Continuing Studies Students. Learn more at the link above.

Campus Facilities

  • The IT help desk remains open in order to lend computer equipment, which can be reserved online in advance at the link above. Their hours for the rest of the month are:

    • 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22.
    • 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Monday, April 27 to Wednesday, April 29.

     

  • Student Accessibility Services is still here to support you. Students are encouraged to contact the office by phone and/or email to arrange a phone or video call. Accessibility Counsellors will continue to book appointments over email, phone or video conference call. You may also e-mail sasinfo@yorku.ca.

Health & Wellness

  • Are you feeling like you need support during self-isolation? Student Counselling and Development (SCD) is offering telephone counselling for single session, crisis and emergency support, which you can receive by calling 416-736-5297. Details and additional support resources are available at the link above.

  • Reach out to Student Community Relations at 416-736-5231, oscr@yorku.ca, or at the link above, if you need referrals and support, both internal and external to York, help with complex issues or assistance with personal issues related to the pandemic.

  • Last week, the government announced the launch of Wellness Together Canada, an online portal to provide free mental health services to Canadians who are struggling to deal with the pandemic and its impacts on everyday life. The new platform includes online resources as well as text and phone-in hotlines.

    For additional and after-hours support, our partners at Good2Talk have advised us that they are remaining remain open at this time, and in addition to telephone support, have introduced a new texting feature.

  • Wellness Lounge Community Virtual Chat Sessions. Physical Distancing doesn’t need to be lonely! Join the Wellness Lounge Community from Calumet and Stong College every Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for a Zoom conference call to chat about your week, ask questions and relieve some stress. All students welcome!

    If you can’t make it to one of these sessions, join their community group chat on Instagram! Make connections with other students and chat about health and wellness. Send them a DM at the link above to join the conversation!

  • Student Community & Leadership Development (SCLD) has posted a suite of COVID-19 wellbeing resources on their website, covering topics such as staying social while physical distancing, as well as some fun online activities.

International Connections

  • It is important to stay up-to-date with the Government of Canada’s current travel advisories. Any member of the York Community who is impacted by the current travel restrictions, please contact goglobal@yorku.ca immediately for further guidance. More details are available in the Travel FAQs on the Coronavirus Information and update website.

  • York International’s Virtual Coffee Breaks: All students welcome! Join student leaders on Zoom and meet other students from various programs, Faculties, countries and cultures to connect and get to know each other while having fun. Some topics include: game night, Netflix watch party, microwave cooking, quarantine hobbies, exercising together and many more. Every day, Monday to Friday. Visit their calendar at the link above to see all events and how to join.

Learning Skills

  • As all courses have moved online, your friends at Learning Skills Services have compiled a number of online learning resources to help you succeed as an online learner during COVID-19 and beyond. You can also check out York’s Student Guide to eLearning for information and tips on how to get started, what to expect and how to be a successful online learner.

  • The Writing Centre is now online! Writing instructors are available to help you with your writing assignments online through 50-minute one-to-one appointments via video chat as well as asynchronous e-tutoring, where you upload your paper to their website and an instructor will reply with feedback within 24 hours. If you’d like to book an appointment, visit the Writing Centre schedule.

Careers Support

  • Career Centre services are available online, over the phone and via skype. The Career Lounge remains open online and Career Peer Educators are online on Zoom during dedicated Lounge hours. One-to-one appointments are available over the phone or Skype. The Career Centre website also has online resources and tools to help you with your job search and career questions.

Out & About On Campus

  • 52nd Annual Varsity Awards Banquet. Celebrate York’s top athletes online! Join York Athletics as they broadcast the major award winners for the 2019-2020 year in a virtual banquet. Wednesday, April 22, 7 p.m.

  • The NSSE submission deadline has been extended! Thousands of students in their first and fourth year of study have been asked to participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement and are still eligible to win one of four $500 tuition waivers. See if you’re eligible by trying out York’s NSSE eligibility tool! New survey deadline: Friday, May 22.

  • Shadowpox: #StayHome Edition. York Researchers launched a new online video game that helps players visualize – in a fun and engaging way – the impact of deciding to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the effect on their community if they do not. Try it out at the link above!

  • Student Virtual Assistant Naming Contest. Be on the leading edge of transformation and help name York’s new Student Virtual Assistant. Submit your most creative idea for a chance to win a 12.9-inch iPad Pro (valued at $1,249)! Submission deadline: Friday, May 29.

  • Free Virtual MUV Classes. Are you looking for a way to stay healthy and active while maintaining physical distancing as you help plank the COVID-19 curve? Why not try a FREE online MUV fitness class via Zoom? Check the schedule at the link above and use the Zoom code to join.

  • Explore the cosmos from your home with York’s observatory team! Enjoy the benefits of the Allan I. Carswell Observatory and join the virtual observatory experience through their Online Public Viewings. Check out live images from four telescopes and cameras and chat with York Astronomy students who will be monitoring a live chat and Q&A session.