York University, Toronto
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York University (), also known as YorkU or simply YU), is a
public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...
in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, and it has approximately 53,500 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, and over 375,000 alumni worldwide. It has 11 faculties, including the
Lassonde School of Engineering The Lassonde School of Engineering is the professional engineering school of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Lassonde incorporates crossover programming with York University’s Schulich School of Business and Osgoode Hall Law S ...
,
Schulich School of Business The Schulich School of Business is the business school of York University located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The institution provides undergraduate and graduate degree and diploma programs in business administration, finance, accounting, bus ...
,
Osgoode Hall Law School Osgoode Hall Law School, commonly shortened to Osgoode, is the law school of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is home to the Law Commission of Ontario, the ''Journal of Law and Social Policy'', and the ''Osgoode Hall Law Journal ...
,
Glendon College Glendon College is a public liberal arts college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Formally the federated bilingual campus of York University, it is one of the school's nine colleges and 11 faculties with 100 full-time faculty members and a student po ...
, and 32 research centres. York University was established in 1959 as a non-denominational institution by the ''York University Act'', which received
royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in othe ...
in the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...
on 26 March of that year. Its first class was held in September 1960 in Falconer Hall on the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
campus with a total of 76 students. In the fall of 1961, York moved to its first campus at Glendon Hall (now part of
Glendon College Glendon College is a public liberal arts college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Formally the federated bilingual campus of York University, it is one of the school's nine colleges and 11 faculties with 100 full-time faculty members and a student po ...
), which was leased from U of T, and began to emphasize liberal arts and part-time adult education. In 1965, the university opened a second campus, the
Keele Campus The Keele Campus is the main campus of York University in the North York district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It occupies roughly 1 square kilometre of land and is situated between Jane Street to the west, Keele Street to the east, Steeles Ave ...
, in
North York North York is a former township and city and is now one of the six administrative districts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the northern area of Toronto, centred around Yonge Street, north of Ontario Highway 401. It is bounded by ...
, within the neighbourhood community now called York University Heights. Over the last twenty years, York has become a centre for labour strife with several faculty and other strikes occurring, including the longest university strike in Canadian history in 2018. The university has also faced challenges in handling antisemitism on campus, such as attacks on the school's chapter of
Hillel International Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, alternatively Hillel International or simply Hillel, is the largest Jewish student organization in the world. Hillel brands itself as a safe space for Jewish students and events aimed at facilitati ...
and academics affiliated with the school being accused of hateful behaviour.


History

York University was established in 1959 as a non-denominational institution by the ''York University Act'', which received
Royal Assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in othe ...
in the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...
on 26 March of that year. Its first class was held in September 1960 in Falconer Hall on the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
campus with a total of 76 students. The policy of university education initiated in the 1960s responded to population pressure and the belief that
higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
was a key to social justice and economic productivity for individuals and for society. The governance was modelled on the provincial ''University of Toronto Act'' of 1906, which established a bicameral system of university government consisting of a senate (faculty), responsible for academic policy, and a board of governors (citizens) exercising exclusive control over financial policy and having formal authority in all other matters. The president, appointed by the board, was to provide a link between the two bodies and to perform institutional leadership. In the fall of 1961, York moved to its first campus,
Glendon College Glendon College is a public liberal arts college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Formally the federated bilingual campus of York University, it is one of the school's nine colleges and 11 faculties with 100 full-time faculty members and a student po ...
, and began to emphasize liberal arts and part-time adult education. York became independent in 1965, after an initial period of affiliation with the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
(U of T), under the ''York University Act, 1965''. Its main campus on the northern outskirts of Toronto opened in 1965. Murray Ross, who continues to be honoured today at the university in several ways – including the Murray G. Ross (Valedictorian) Award – was still vice-president of U of T when he was approached to become York University's new president. At the time, York University was envisaged as a feeder campus to U of T, until Ross's powerful vision led it to become a completely separate institution. In 1965, the university opened a second campus, the
Keele Campus The Keele Campus is the main campus of York University in the North York district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It occupies roughly 1 square kilometre of land and is situated between Jane Street to the west, Keele Street to the east, Steeles Ave ...
, in
North York North York is a former township and city and is now one of the six administrative districts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the northern area of Toronto, centred around Yonge Street, north of Ontario Highway 401. It is bounded by ...
, in the Jane and Finch community. The Glendon campus became a
bilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...
liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on Undergraduate education, undergraduate study in the Liberal arts education, liberal arts of humanities and science. Such colleges aim to impart ...
led by
Escott Reid Escott Graves Meredith Reid, CC (January 21, 1905 – September 28, 1999), was a Canadian diplomat who helped shape the United Nations and NATO, author, international public servant and academic administrator. Early life and education Born i ...
, who envisaged it as a national institution to educate Canada's future leaders, a vision shared by Prime Minister
Lester Pearson Lester Bowles Pearson (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972) was a Canadian politician, diplomat, statesman, and scholar who served as the 14th prime minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968. He also served as Leader of the Liberal Party of C ...
, who formally opened Glendon College in 1966. The first Canadian undergraduate program in dance opened at York University in 1970. In 1972,
Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (, trading as Canada Post (), is a Canadian Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the operating name of the Post Office Department of the Can ...
featured the nascent institution on 8¢ stamps, entitled ''York University Campus, North York, Ont.'' The first Canadian PhD program in women's studies opened with five candidates in January 1992. Its bilingual mandate and focus on the liberal arts continue to shape Glendon's special status within York University. The new Keele Campus was regarded as somewhat isolated, in a generally industrialized part of the city. Petrol storage facilities are still across the street. Some of the early architecture was unpopular with many, not only for the
brutalist Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the b ...
designs, but the vast expanses between buildings, which was not viewed as suitable for the climate. In the last two decades, the campus has been intensified with new buildings, including a dedicated student centre and new fine arts, computer science and business administration buildings, a small shopping mall, and a hockey arena. The
Aviva Centre Sobeys Stadium, formerly Rexall Centre and Aviva Centre, is a tennis stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds of York University's Keele Campus. The 12,500-capacity Stadium Court is the largest stadium at the tennis complex. So ...
tennis stadium, built in 2004, is a perennial host of the
Canada Masters The Canadian Open (; also known as the Canada Masters, and currently branded as the National Bank Open presented by Rogers for sponsorship reasons) is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is played o ...
tennis tournament. As Toronto has spread further out, York has found itself in a relatively central location within the built-up
Greater Toronto Area The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the Toronto, City of Toronto and the regional municipality, regional municipalities of Regional Municipality of Durham, Durham, Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton, Regional ...
(GTA), and in particular, near the
Jane and Finch Jane and Finch is a neighbourhood located in the northwest end of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in the district of North York. Centred at the intersection of Jane Street and Finch Avenue West, the area is roughly bounded by Highway 400 to the west ...
neighbourhood. Its master plan envisages a denser on-campus environment commensurate with that location. Students occupied the university's administration offices in March 1997, protesting escalating tuition hikes. In June 2014, the university announced that a new campus would be constructed in
Markham, Ontario Markham () is a city in Regional Municipality of York, York Region, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately northeast of Downtown Toronto. In the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 Census, Markham had a population of 338,503, which ranked it the largest in ...
. The campus will be built near Highway 407, between Kennedy Road and Warden Avenue in partnership with
Seneca College Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology, branded as Seneca Polytechnic since 2023, is a multi-campus public college in the Greater Toronto Area and Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. It offers full-time and part-time programs at the baccala ...
. The new campus would house approximately 4,200 students and is anticipated to accommodate up to 10,000 students in future phases. On 20 May 2015, the provincial government announced it will provide financial contribution to this new project. On 24 October 2018, the provincial government announced it would pull its funding for the campus, along with funding for the planned satellite campuses of Laurier University and
Toronto Metropolitan University Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU, or Toronto Met), formerly Ryerson University, is a Public university, public research university located in Toronto, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, Toronto, Gar ...
(then Ryerson University). After this cancellation of funding for the Markham project, York University and its partners planned to seek alternative funding. In July 2020, the provincial government allowed plans for the university to go through. The Markham Campus opened for the Fall 2024 session.


Campuses


Keele Campus

The Keele Campus is the main campus of York University and is located in northern
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
bordering York Region. Most of the university's faculties reside here, including Liberal Arts, Fine Arts, Business, Law, Environmental Studies, Science and Engineering, Education, and Health. All together, nearly 50,000 students attend classes on the Keele campus.
York University station York University is a List of Toronto TTC stations, subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University of the Toronto subway. It is located on the main Keele Campus of York University, near Ian Macdonald and York Boulevards in the former city of North Y ...
is a Toronto subway station located on Keele campus. Other transit infrastructure located on or near Keele campus includes the
York University Busway The York University Busway is a bus-only roadway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which stretches from Finch West subway station to Dufferin Street. It is used by the Toronto Transit Commission's 939B Finch Express bus route. The busway was constr ...
and the former York University GO Station.


Glendon Campus

Glendon College is a bilingual liberal arts faculty and separate campus of York University. Glendon College is home to the Leslie Frost library.


Markham Campus

In 2018, York University announced a proposal to construct a third campus in the City of
Markham Markham may refer to: Biology * Markham's storm-petrel (''Oceanodroma markhami''), a seabird species found in Chile and Colombia * Markham's grass mouse (''Abrothrix olivaceus markhami''), a rodent subspecies found on Wellington Island and the ne ...
. The Government of Ontario supported to partially fund the construction and was announced by premier
Doug Ford Douglas Robert Ford Jr. (born November 20, 1964) is a Canadian politician and businessman who has served as the 26th and current premier of Ontario and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party since 2018. He represents the Toronto rid ...
on 23 July 2020. The Markham Campus was due to open for the spring 2024 term, but officially opened in September 2024.


Other locations

While most of the Schulich School of Business and Osgoode Hall Law School programs are offered at the Keele Campus, both of them maintain satellite facilities in downtown Toronto. Schulich operates the Miles S. Nadal Management Centre at 222 Bay Street (
EY Tower The EY Tower (formerly known as the Ernst & Young Tower and 100 Adelaide Street West) is a skyscraper in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at 100 Adelaide Street West. The building was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and WZMH Architects. Original site ...
within the
Toronto-Dominion Centre The Toronto-Dominion Centre, or TD Centre, is an office complex of six skyscrapers in the Financial District, Toronto, Financial District of downtown Toronto owned by Cadillac Fairview. It serves as the global headquarters for its anchor tenant, ...
), while Osgoode Hall has a Professional Development Centre at One Dundas West Tower within the
Toronto Eaton Centre CF Toronto Eaton Centre, commonly referred to simply as the Eaton Centre, is a shopping mall and office complex in the Downtown Toronto, downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is owned and managed by Cadillac Fairview (CF). It was named ...
. Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change's Lillian Meighen Wright Centre is billed as an eco campus next to Las Nubes Forest Reserve in
Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
. The Schulich School of Business operates a co-campus with GMR School of Business at
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is an international airport that serves Hyderabad, the capital of the Indian state of Telangana. It is located in Shamshabad, about south of Hyderabad and it was opened on 23 March 2008 to replace Begumpet ...
in
Hyderabad, India Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...
. In 2024, the Government of Ontario provided $9 million initial start-up funding to establish the York University School of Medicine that will be located in the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct (VHCP) adjacent to
Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital (; originally proposed name; Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital) is a hospital in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. Construction of the hospital was completed in September 2020. It opened on 7 February 2021 to alleviate hospital capa ...
in
Vaughan Vaughan ( ) (2022 population 344,412) is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Regional Municipality of York, just north of Toronto. Vaughan was the fastest-growing municipality in Canada between 1996 and 2006 with its population increa ...
. York will be the third medical school in the
Greater Toronto Area The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the Toronto, City of Toronto and the regional municipality, regional municipalities of Regional Municipality of Durham, Durham, Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton, Regional ...
, joining
Toronto Metropolitan University Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU, or Toronto Met), formerly Ryerson University, is a Public university, public research university located in Toronto, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, Toronto, Gar ...
(formerly ''Ryerson University'') and the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
. In April 2024, it was announced that the York University School of Medicine will accept 80 undergraduate students and 102 postgraduate residents at doors open in 2028, expanding to 240 undergraduate students and 293 postgraduate residents across all years once operating at full capacity.


Academics

York's approximately 1500 full-time faculty and academic librarians and archivists are represented by the
York University Faculty Association The York University Faculty Association (YUFA) is the professional association and trade union for full-time faculty, librarians, archivists and post-doctoral visitors at York University in Toronto, Ontario. Faculty at Osgoode Hall Law School ...
. Contract faculty, teaching assistants, and graduate assistants are represented by
CUPE The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE; ) is a Canadian trade union serving the public sector – although it has in recent years organized workplaces in the non-profit and para-public sector as well. CUPE is the largest union in Canada, ...
Local 3903. York University has over 120 undergraduate programs with 17 degree types (BA, iBA, BHS, BSc, iBSc, BBA, iBBA, BEng, BES, BDes, BPA, BFA, BCom, BEd, BDEM, BHRM, BScN, BSW) and offers over 170 degree options. They admit to 30 international degrees offering international language study and opportunities to study abroad at more than 100 international universities. Its international students represent over 150 countries around the world.


Rankings and reputation

York University has been ranked in a number of post-secondary rankings. The 2025 ''
QS World University Rankings The ''QS World University Rankings'' is a portfolio of comparative college and university rankings compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds, a higher education analytics firm. Its first and earliest edition was published in collaboration with '' Times ...
'' ranked the university 362nd in the world and 16th in Canada. The 2025 ''
Times Higher Education World University Rankings The ''Times Higher Education World University Rankings'', often referred to as the THE Rankings, is the annual publication of university rankings by the ''Times Higher Education'' magazine. The publisher had collaborated with Quacquarelli Symon ...
'' ranked York 401–500 in the world and 18th in Canada. In 2024, York ranked 35th globally and ninth in Canada in the ''Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for Sustainable Development''. The 2024 ''
Academic Ranking of World Universities The ''Academic Ranking of World Universities'' (''ARWU''), also known as the Shanghai Ranking, is one of the annual publications of world university rankings. The league table was originally compiled and issued by Shanghai Jiao Tong Universi ...
'' ranking placed York in the 401-500 global bracket and tied for 17th in Canada. In the 2024–25 '' U.S. News & World Report Best Global University Ranking'', the university ranked 466th in the world, and 17th in Canada. The Canadian-based ''
Maclean's ''Maclean's'' is a Canadian magazine founded in 1905 which reports on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, trends and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian ...
'' magazine ranked York University 4th in their 2024 Canadian comprehensive university category. The university's research performance has been noted in several
bibliometric Bibliometrics is the application of statistical methods to the study of bibliographic data, especially in scientific and library and information science contexts, and is closely associated with scientometrics (the analysis of scientific metri ...
university rankings, which uses
citation analysis Citation analysis is the examination of the frequency, patterns, and graphs of citations in documents. It uses the directed graph of citationslinks from one document to another documentto reveal properties of the documents. A typical aim would b ...
to evaluates the
impact Impact may refer to: * Impact (mechanics), a large force or mechanical shock over a short period of time * Impact, Texas, a town in Taylor County, Texas, US Science and technology * Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event * Imp ...
a university has on academic publications. The 2019
Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities The Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities (NTU Rankings) is a ranking of world universities compiled by National Taiwan University annually since 2012. This publication ranks world universities by a certain criteria of s ...
and the
University Ranking by Academic Performance The University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) is a university ranking developed by the Informatics Institute of Middle East Technical University. Since 2010, it has been publishing annual national and global college and university ranking ...
both ranked the university 488th in the world, and the former additionally ranked it 19th in Canada. York University has also been featured in rankings that evaluates the employment prospects of its graduates. In ''QS's'' 2022 graduate employability ranking, the university ranked 301–500 in the world.


Faculties

York University currently has 11 faculties: the School of Arts, Media, Performance & Design, the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change, Glendon College, the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the Faculty of Health, the Lassonde School of Engineering, the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Osgoode Hall Law School, the Schulich School of Business, and the Faculty of Science. York University's Film Department houses Canada's oldest
film school A film school is an educational institution dedicated to teaching aspects of filmmaking, including such subjects as film production, film theory, digital media production, and screenwriting. Film history courses and hands-on technical training are ...
and has been ranked one of the best in Canada, with an acceptance rate comparable to that of
USC School of Cinematic Arts The USC School of Cinematic Arts is an academic unit of the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles. With a history that dates to the first years of Sound film, talkies, the school descends from America's first ...
and
Tisch School of the Arts The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic, and media arts school of New York University. Founded on August 17, 1965, as the School of the Arts at New York University, Tisch ...
. The Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change is the oldest and largest
environmental studies Environmental studies (EVS or EVST) is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human behavior, human interaction with the Natural environment, environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sci ...
faculty in Canada. From 1999 to 2018, York University offered the first and largest
graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art that involves creating visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdisciplinary branch of ...
program in Ontario York/Sheridan Design (YSDN).YSDN York Sheridan Program in Design, York Master of Design
. Design.yorku.ca (26 November 2010). Retrieved on 2010-12-11.
It was a four-year University degree delivered jointly by the two leading educational institutions of design in Canada (York University and
Sheridan College Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, formerly Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology, is a public polytechnic institute partnered with private Canadian College of Technology and Trades operating campuses ...
). The joint program has been discontinued and beginning with the class entering in 2019, four-year design students will enrol in a new Bachelor of Design offered by York University, one which is geared for the future of the profession. The
Osgoode Hall Law School Osgoode Hall Law School, commonly shortened to Osgoode, is the law school of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is home to the Law Commission of Ontario, the ''Journal of Law and Social Policy'', and the ''Osgoode Hall Law Journal ...
moved from a downtown location to the York campus in 1969, following the requirement that every law school affiliate with a university. Osgoode Hall offers a number of joint and combined programs.


Research centres and institutes

York University is home to 32 organized research units that provide research development beyond the traditional academic units and faculties: The Art Gallery of York University houses the permanent art collections. The collection of 1500 objects includes Canadian, American, Inuit, and European mixed media, multimedia, installations, painting, photography, prints, drawings, sculpture, sketchbooks, film and video. The School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD, formerly the Faculty of Fine Arts),School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD)
. Yorku.ca. Retrieved on 1 March 2015.
offers programmes such as design,
ethnomusicology Ethnomusicology is the multidisciplinary study of music in its cultural context. The discipline investigates social, cognitive, biological, comparative, and other dimensions. Ethnomusicologists study music as a reflection of culture and investiga ...
,
cultural studies Cultural studies is an academic field that explores the dynamics of contemporary culture (including the politics of popular culture) and its social and historical foundations. Cultural studies researchers investigate how cultural practices rel ...
, visual arts, music, dance, and theatre. York's
Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
Department was once overseen by
Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. As a virtuoso who is considered to be one of the greatest Jazz piano, jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordin ...
. York also has a joint Bachelor of Design program with
Sheridan College Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, formerly Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology, is a public polytechnic institute partnered with private Canadian College of Technology and Trades operating campuses ...
. York's Departments of Film, Theatre and Creative Writing (which is not affiliated with the Faculty of Fine Arts) offers programmes in
film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
production/directing, acting, and writing respectively, producing many award-winning graduates.


Libraries

The York University library has a number of branches. The Scott Library has materials in humanities, social sciences, fine arts, and environmental studies. The business library is the Peter F. Bronfman Business Library.


Partnerships


Seneca College

The Keele campus is host to a satellite facility of
Seneca College Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology, branded as Seneca Polytechnic since 2023, is a multi-campus public college in the Greater Toronto Area and Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. It offers full-time and part-time programs at the baccala ...
, which is branded as Seneca@York. The university has an articulation agreement with Seneca College, enabling graduates of select Seneca programs to be considered for transfer credits at York. Additionally, the two institutions offer a joint program in rehabilitation services, where graduates receive a BA or BSc degree from York and a certificate from Seneca College.


Study abroad programs

The university also offers the opportunity for students to earn credits towards their degree while studying abroad through international internships, the "Discover India" program operated between York and
FLAME University FLAME University is a State Private University located in Pune, India. It is known as FLAME - Foundation for Liberal and Management Education. Leadership The academic program at the FLAME University is led by Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Dishan Kamda ...
, and
student exchange ''Student Exchange'' is a 1987 American television film, made-for-television comedy film directed by Mollie Miller and produced by Walt Disney Television. It originally aired November 29, 1987 as a presentation of ''Walt Disney anthology telev ...
programs. The university has student exchange agreements with over 120 institutions in 40 countries.


Student life


Colleges and residences

York has nine undergraduate
residential college A residential college is a division of a university that places academic activity in a community setting of students and faculty, usually at a residence and with shared meals, the college having a degree of autonomy and a federated relationship ...
s:


Student unions and organizations

York University is home to over 350 student clubs. A number of larger student organizations are supported by student levy fees. These include the local chapters of the social justice group
OPIRG Ontario Public Interest Research Group is a decentralized network of local Public Interest Research Groups located in the province of Ontario, Canada. OPIRG was founded in 1972 after a speech by Ralph Nader at the University of Waterloo. Unli ...
, and
Regenesis ''ReGenesis'' is a Canadian science-fiction television series produced by The Movie Network and Movie Central in conjunction with Shaftesbury Films. The series, which ran for four seasons from 2004 to 2008, revolves around the scientists of Nor ...
, an environmental organization on campus that runs
farmers' market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or ...
s at the Keele and Glendon campuses, a free store, a community bike centre and a borrowing centre.


The Village at York University

The Village at York University off-campus student housing area has become a popular area of accommodation for many upper-year and post-graduate students, and the area has had a large amount of attention particularly for large parties hosted by students, including the annual Battle of the Village kegger held in March. There have also been many reports of the level of noise pollution from late-night parties from students living in the area. Safety has also been a pressing issue.


Campus media

''
Excalibur Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Its first reliably datable appearance is found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. E ...
'' has been the university's autonomous student newspaper since 1966. In 2008, the ''YU Free Press'' was formed as an alternative campus newspaper. ''
Existere ''Existere - Journal of Arts & Literature'' is a Canadian magazine that publishes twice a year through York University's Writing Department in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The magazine publishes poetry, short stories, Article (publishing), articles, ...
'' is magazine published by students of the university's professional writing program. The magazine was first published in 1978. ''YorkU Magazine'' (est. 2003) is the official magazine of York University. It is published 3 times a year in both a print and digital format.


Athletics

The university is represented in
U Sports U Sports (stylized as U SPORTS) is the national sport governing body for universities in Canada, comprising the majority of degree-granting universities in the country and four regional conferences: Ontario University Athletics (OUA), Résea ...
by the
York Lions The York Lions is the official name for the athletic varsity teams that represent York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's varsity teams compete in the Ontario University Athletics conference of U Sports and, where applicable ...
. Beginning in 1968 York's sporting teams were known as the "
Yeomen Yeoman is a noun originally referring either to one who owns and cultivates land or to the middle ranks of servants in an English royal or noble household. The term was first documented in mid-14th-century England. The 14th century witnessed ...
", after the
Yeomen Warders The Yeomen Warders of His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary, popularly known as the Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. I ...
, the guardians of the fortress and palace at the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...
, otherwise known as Beefeaters. Later, the name "Yeowomen" was introduced to encourage women to participate in sports. Popular sentiment ran against this name scheme, however, as many students were fond of noting that a "Yeowoman" was fictitious, neither a real word nor having any historical merit. In 2003, after conducting an extensive internal study, the university replaced both names with the "Lions", as part of a larger renaming effort, and a new logo, now a white and red lion, was brought into line with the university's new visual scheme. The name change also brought York University in line with the 92% of other Canadian universities which use a single name for both sexes' sports teams. Ironically, students often refer to the female Lions teams as the "York Lionesses", even though the name "Lion" is intended to apply to both sexes. York offers 29 interuniversity sport teams, 12 sport clubs, 35 intramural sport leagues, special events and 10 pick-up sport activities offered daily. York University has several athletic facilities, some of which are used for major tournaments. These include a football stadium, 4 gymnasia, 5 sport playing fields, 4 softball fields, 9 outdoor tennis courts, 5 squash courts, 3 dance/aerobic studios, 6 ice arenas, a swimming pool, an expanding fitness centre and the new
Aviva Centre Sobeys Stadium, formerly Rexall Centre and Aviva Centre, is a tennis stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds of York University's Keele Campus. The 12,500-capacity Stadium Court is the largest stadium at the tennis complex. So ...
(home of the Rogers Tennis Cup). In 2014 the York Lions won four banners: the
Canadian Interuniversity Sport U Sports (stylized as U SPORTS) is the national sport governing body for universities in Canada, comprising the majority of degree-granting universities in the country and four regional conferences: Ontario University Athletics (OUA), Résea ...
(CIS) men's national
track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...
championship, the
Ontario University Athletics Ontario University Athletics (OUA; ) is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, ...
women's provincial
tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
championship and both the OUA and CIS men's
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
titles. York will be hosting the 2015 CIS Men's Soccer Championships at York Stadium November 2015. In 2015 and 2016 York Lions Women's Tennis team won the Canadian University National Championships. The volleyball team has been coached by, among others, Olympian
Sam Schachter Samuel Schachter (born May 8, 1990) is a Canadian Olympic beach volleyball player. In 2010 he won the FIVB World Junior (U-21) Championship with Garrett May. He and partner Josh Binstock were 2014 Canadian national champions, and represented Ca ...
.


Fight song

Notable among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various events such as
commencement A graduation is the awarding of a diploma by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it, which can also be called commencement, congregation, convocation or invocation. The date of the graduation ...
and
convocation A convocation (from the Latin ''wikt:convocare, convocare'' meaning "to call/come together", a translation of the Ancient Greek, Greek wikt:ἐκκλησία, ἐκκλησία ''ekklēsia'') is a group of people formally assembled for a specia ...
, and athletic games are: "York Song", sung to the tune "Harvard".


Fraternities and sororities

Fraternities and sororities are not recognized by York University.
Phi Delta Phi Phi Delta Phi (), commonly known as Phid or PDP, is an international legal honor society and the oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States. Founded in 1869 at the University of Michigan as a professional fraternity, ...
(ΦΔΦ) international legal fraternity, at
Osgoode Law School Osgoode Hall Law School, commonly shortened to Osgoode, is the law school of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is home to the Law Commission of Ontario, the ''Journal of Law and Social Policy'', and the ''Osgoode Hall Law Journal ...
, was given special dispensation when the law school became part of the university in 1965, as the fraternity's history with the law school dated back to 1896, and is recognized at York.


Antisemitism

York University has had multiple instances of
antisemitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
on campus. * In 2016, lab technologist Nikolaos Balaskas was fired from the university after Hillel Ontario said that Balaskas made antisemitic social media posts. * In 2017, police investigated after students found
swastikas The swastika (卐 or 卍, ) is a symbol used in various Eurasian religions and cultures, as well as a few Indigenous peoples of Africa, African and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American cultures. In the Western world, it is widely rec ...
and an antisemitic statement on a chalkboard at the front of a classroom. * In 2019, a student group at York University hosted two reservists of the
Israel Defence Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, an ...
in a panel discussion. The group Students Against Israeli Apartheid violently protested the event, chanting "viva viva
intifada Intifada () is an Arabic word for a rebellion or uprising, or a resistance movement. It can also be used to refer to a civilian uprising against oppression.Ute Meinel''Die Intifada im Ölscheichtum Bahrain: Hintergründe des Aufbegehrens von 19 ...
". Premier
Doug Ford Douglas Robert Ford Jr. (born November 20, 1964) is a Canadian politician and businessman who has served as the 26th and current premier of Ontario and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party since 2018. He represents the Toronto rid ...
condemned what he said was a "hate-filled protest" and mayor
John Tory John Howard Tory (born May 28, 1954) is a Canadian lawyer, broadcaster, businessman, and former politician who served as the 65th mayor of Toronto from 2014 to 2023. He served as leader of the Official Opposition in Ontario from 2005 to 2007 ...
condemned anti-Semitism in general. The university investigated the events and condemned violent protests as well as antisemitism. * In 2022, graffiti found on a garage wall near to the campus incited passersby to "shoot Jews in the head" along with an antisemitic caricature. A suspect was later arrested and charged.  * In November 2023, Lesley J. Wood, assistant professor and former chair of York University's sociology department was charged with hate-motivated crimes along with two other York University employees after vandalizing an Indigo storefront in protest of Jewish CEO Heather Reisman. * , the university faces a
class-action lawsuit A class action is a form of lawsuit. Class Action may also refer to: * ''Class Action'' (film), 1991, starring Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio * Class Action (band), a garage house band * "Class Action" (''Teenage Robot''), a 2002 e ...
for what the suit said was a history of antisemitism on campus dating back to an incident in February 2009. According to students present at the incident, a pro-Palestinian rally led by YFS vice-president of equity Krisna Saravanamuttu followed Jewish students to the room of a Jewish student group on campus. The Jewish students barricaded the room against the rally's attempt to enter, and the siege only ended after police were called to evacuate the students. * In 2023, the
York Federation of Students York Federation of Students (YFS) is a student union that represents approximately 55,000 students at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The York Federation of Students is a member of the Canadian Federation of Students (Local 68). Histo ...
, York University Graduate Students' Association, and Glendon College Student Union faced significant criticism after endorsing Hamas' attacks on Israeli civilians during the
Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...
, a statement that York University itself condemned. The Palestinian Solidarity Collective at York said this condemnation was a form of
anti-Palestinian racism Anti-Palestinianism or anti-Palestinian racism refers to prejudice, collective hatred, and discrimination directed at the Palestinian people for any variety of reasons. Since the mid-20th century, the phenomenon has largely overlapped with anti ...
. * In January 2024, the union representing contract and part-time faculty at the school, CUPE 3903, asked all TAs to "collectively divert this week’s tutorials to teaching on Palestinian liberation" and called for banning Hillel, the world's largest Jewish student organization, from campus.


Notable people

York has over 370,000 living alumni. Although a large number of alumni live in Ontario, a significant number live in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Alberta, New York, and Washington, D.C. York also has over 25,000 alumni overseas.


Distinguished research professors and university professors

The ranks of "distinguished research professor" and "university professor" are the highest rank a professor can achieve at York University. There are only ever up to a maximum of 25 each of active distinguished research professors and active university professors at any time. It is awarded to members of the faculty who have made outstanding contributions to the university through their work in research. *
Pat Armstrong Pat Armstrong is a Canadian sociologist and Distinguished Research Professor at York University. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Armstrong has served as a chair for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in Health Services an ...
, 2010: Sociology, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * Isabella C. Bakker, 2014: Political Science, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * Norbert Bartel, 2006: Physics & Astronomy, Science * Dawn Bazely, 2017: Biology, Science *
Ellen Bialystok Ellen Bialystok, OC, FRSC (born 1948) is a Canadian psychologist and professor. She carries the rank of Distinguished Research Professor at York University in Toronto, Ontario where she is director of the Lifespan Cognition and Development Lab ...
, 2003: Psychology, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * Deborah Britzman, 2006: Education * James Carley, 2000: English, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies *
Jean-Gabriel Castel Jean-Gabriel Castel (17 September 1928 – 30 December 2023) was a French and Canadian law professor and Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Osgoode Hall Law School of York University,Toronto. ...
, 1986: Osgoode Hall Law School * Jerome Ch'en, 1984: History, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies *
Lorraine Code Lorraine Code (born October 19, 1937) is a Canadian philosopher. She is Professor Emerita of Philosophy at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Her principal area of research is feminist epis ...
, 1998: Philosophy, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * J. Douglas Crawford, 2013: Psychology, Health * Kenneth Davey, 1984: Biology, Science *
Jonathan Edmondson Jonathan Charles Edmondson (born 1959) is a British-born historian. He holds Full Professor and Professors in the United States#Distinguished (teaching/research) professor, Distinguished Research Professorship status at York University and was e ...
, 2017: History, Liberal Arts and Professional Studies * Sheila Embleton, 2009: Languages, Literatures & Linguistics, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * Stephen Gill, 2006: Political Science, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies *
Jack Granatstein Jack Lawrence Granatstein (May 21, 1939) is a Canadian historian who specializes in Canadian political and military history. Education Born on May 21, 1939, in Toronto, Ontario, Granatstein received a graduation diploma from Royal Military Coll ...
, 1994: History, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * Leslie S. Greenberg, 2010: Psychology, Health * Philip Gulliver, 1985: Anthropology, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies *
Henry S. Harris Henry Schenck Harris (December 27, 1850, Belvidere, New Jersey – May 2, 1902, Belvidere, New Jersey), was an American lawyer and Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district for one term in the United ...
, 1984: Philosophy, Glendon *
Robert Haynes Robert Haynes may refer to: * Robert Haynes (geneticist) (1931–1998), Canadian geneticist and biophysicist * Robert Brian Haynes, Canadian physician, clinical epidemiologist, and academic * Robert Haynes (cricketer) (born 1964), West Indian crick ...
, 1986: Biology, Science * Michael Herren, 1999: Humanities, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * Eric Hessels, 2006: Physics & Astronomy, Science
Richard Hornsey
, 2015: Electrical Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering * Ian Howard, 1988: Psychology, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * Allan Hutchinson, 2006: Osgoode Hall Law School * Christopher Innes, 1997: English, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * Ian Jarvie, 1993: Philosophy, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * Michael Kater, 1992: History, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies *
Gabriel Kolko Gabriel Morris Kolko (August 17, 1932 – May 19, 2014) was an American historian. His research interests included American capitalism and political history, the Progressive Era, and U.S. foreign policy in the 20th century. One of the best-known ...
, 1986: History, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * A. B. P. Lever, 1998: Chemistry, Science * Clifford Leznoff, 2003: Chemistry, Science * Paul Lovejoy, 1997: History, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * John C. McConnell, 2005: Earth & Space Science & Engineering, Science & Engineering * Gareth Morgan, 1992: Commerce, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * H. V. Nelles, 2001: History, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * Hiroshi Ono, 2001: Psychology, Arts *
Leo Panitch Leo Victor Panitch (3 May 1945 – 19 December 2020) was a Canadian research professor of political science and a Canada Research Chair in comparative political economy at York University. From 1985 until the 2021 edition, he served as co-editor ...
, 1999: Political Science, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * Debra Pepler, 2008: Psychology, Health *
Huw Pritchard Huw Pritchard (born 7 January 1976 in Cardiff, Wales), is a former Welsh racing cyclist. He represented Wales at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur and again in Manchester in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, where he won the silver medal ...
, 1983: Chemistry, Science * David M. Regan, 1992: Psychology, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * Marcia H. Rioux, 2013: Health Policy & Management, Health * Beryl Rowland, 1983: English, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * Stuart Shanker, 2005: Psychology, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies *
Gordon Shepherd Gordon Shepherd may refer to: *Gordon Shepherd (football chairman) (born 1935), current chairman of Barnsley F.C. *Gordon G. Shepherd Gordon Greeley Shepherd is a Canadian space scientist, currently a Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus at ...
, 1993: Earth & Space Science, Science *
K. W. Michael Siu K. W. Michael Siu is a Canadian chemist, currently a distinguished research professor at York University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Chemical Institute of Canada The Chemical Institute of Canada is a Canadian professional ...
, 2008: Chemistry, Science * Brian Slattery, 2008: Osgoode Hall Law School *
Martin Steinbach Martin Jeffrey Steinbach (October 23, 1941 – June 24, 2017)Martin Jeffrey Steinbach, Ph.D. Oct 23, 1941- June 24, 2017. (2017). The Globe and Mail. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theglobeandmail/obituary.aspx?n=martin-jeffrey-steinbach&pid=19 ...
, 2000: Psychology, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies *
Bridget Stutchbury Bridget J. Stutchbury is a Canadian biologist, currently a Distinguished Research Professor and Canada Research Chair in Ecology and Conservation Biology at York University. She is the author of the book ''Silence of the Songbirds'', finalist for ...
, 2009: Biology, Science *
James Tenney James Tenney (August 10, 1934 – August 24, 2006) was an American composer and music theorist. He made significant early musical contributions to plunderphonics, sound synthesis, algorithmic composition, process music, spectral music, microt ...
, 1995: Music, Fine Arts * John Tsotsos, 2008: Computer Science & Engineering, Science & Engineering *
Leah Vosko Leah F. Vosko (born 1971) is a professor of political science and Canada Research Chair at York University. Her research interests are focused on political economy, labour rights, gender studies, migration, and citizenship. In 2015, she was elec ...
, 2003: Political Science, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies * Jianhong Wu, 2011: Mathematics & Statistics, Science


Chancellors

*
Wilfred Curtis Wilfred Austin Curtis (21 August 1893 – 14 August 1977) was a Canadian airman and Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) from 1947 until 1953. Early years He was born in Havelock, Ontario, having received his ear ...
, former Chief of the Air Staff of the
Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...
(December 1959 - June 1968) *
Floyd Chalmers Floyd Sherman Chalmers, (September 14, 1898 – April 26, 1993) was a Canadian editor, publisher and philanthropist.Walter L. Gordon Walter Lockhart Gordon (27 January 1906 – 21 March 1987) was a Canadian accountant, businessman, politician, and writer. Education Born in Toronto, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel H. D. L. Gordon, DSO, he was educated at Upper Canada Colleg ...
, former federal finance minister (October 1973 - November 1977) * John P. Robarts, former premier of Ontario (December 1977 - May 1982) * John S. Proctor, former bank executive (May 1982 - September 1983) *
J. Tuzo Wilson John Tuzo Wilson (October 24, 1908 – April 15, 1993) was a Canadian geophysicist and geologist who achieved worldwide acclaim for his contributions to the theory of plate tectonics. He added the concept of ''hot spots'', a volcanic region hott ...
, geophysicist (September 1983 - June 1986) *
Larry Clarke Larry Denman Clarke (June 12, 1925 – October 22, 2015) was a Canadian businessman and the founder, president, chief executive officer, and chairman of SPAR Aerospace Limited, the designer of the Canadarm. He is a founding Director of the Ca ...
, founder of
SPAR Aerospace SPAR Aerospace was a Canadian aerospace company. It produced equipment for the Canadian Space Agency to be used in cooperation with NASA's Space Shuttle program, most notably the Canadarm, a remote manipulator system. The company went through a s ...
(July 1986 - June 1991) *
Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. As a virtuoso who is considered to be one of the greatest Jazz piano, jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordin ...
, jazz pianist (September 1991 - February 1994) * Arden Haynes, former CEO of
Imperial Oil Imperial Oil Limited () is a Canadian petroleum company. It is Canada's second-largest integrated oil company. It is majority-owned by American oil company ExxonMobil, with a 69.6% ownership stake in the company. It is a producer of crude oil, ...
(February 1994 - April 1998) *
Avie Bennett Avie Bennett, (January 2, 1928 – June 2, 2017) was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder of First Plazas, a real estate development company that built retail strip malls in Canada. Bennett also served as the tenth c ...
, philanthropist (May 1998 - June 2004) * Peter deCarteret Cory, former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (June 2004 - May 2008) *
Roy McMurtry Roland Roy McMurtry (May 31, 1932 – March 18, 2024) was a Canadian lawyer, judge and politician in Ontario. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1985, serving in the cabinet of Bill Dav ...
, former Chief Justice of Ontario (May 2008 - June 2014) * Gregory Sorbara, former Ontario cabinet minister (June 2014 – May 2023) * Kathleen Taylor, former chair of the
Royal Bank of Canada Royal Bank of Canada (RBC; ) is a Canadian multinational Financial institution, financial services company and the Big Five (banks), largest bank in Canada by market capitalization. The bank serves over 20 million clients and has more than ...
(May 2023 – present)


Presidents

* Murray G. Ross, academic 1959–1970 * David Slater, economist and civil servant 1970–1973 *
H. Ian Macdonald Hugh Ian Macdonald, OC, KLJ (born June 27, 1929) is a Canadian economist, civil servant, and was President of York University from 1974 to 1984. Biography Born in Toronto, Ontario, Macdonald received a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Unive ...
, economist and civil servant 1973–1984 * Harry W. Arthurs, lawyer and academic 1985–1992 * Susan Mann, historian and academic, 1993–1997 *
Lorna Marsden Lorna Marsden, (born March 6, 1942) is a Canadian sociologist, academic administrator, and former Senator. She is the former President and Vice-Chancellor of both Wilfrid Laurier University and York University, and a former member of the Senate ...
, academic and politician 1997–2007 *
Mamdouh Shoukri Mamdouh Shoukri, was the seventh President and Vice-Chancellor of York University, serving two terms from 2007 to 2017.Toronto Star"Muslim president for York University" Feb 08, 2007Y File, York University's Daily Bulletin"McMaster's Mamdouh Shou ...
, academic, 2007–2017 * Rhonda Lenton, academic (sociologist), 2017–present


Labour disruptions

York University has a history of faculty and
teaching assistant A teaching assistant (TA) or education assistant (EA) is an individual who assists a professor or teacher with instructional responsibilities. TAs include ''graduate teaching assistants'' (GTAs), who are graduate students; ''undergraduate teach ...
strikes. In 1997, there was a faculty strike by YUFA that lasted seven weeks. At the time, this was the second longest strike in Canadian University history. Key issues in the strike included retirement, funding, and institutional governance. In 2001, teaching assistants and contract faculty went on strike for 11 weeks, when the university broke its own record. The central issue in the 2001 disruption was the administration's proposed attempts to remove tuition indexation language.


2008 CUPE 3903 Strike

A strike beginning on 6 November 2008 concerned a variety of institutional grievances, including job security for contract professors, elimination of the Non-Academic Student Code of Conduct, creation of whistleblower protection, and fund indexation. On 20 January 2009, CUPE 3903 defeated a forced ratification vote that would have ended the strike. On 24 January, Ontario
premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
Dalton McGuinty Dalton James Patrick McGuinty Jr. (born July 19, 1955) is a Canadian former politician who served as the 24th premier of Ontario from 2003 to 2013. He was the first Liberal leader to win two majority governments since Mitchell Hepburn nea ...
announced a rare Sunday recall of the provincial legislature in order to pass back-to-work legislation mandating an immediate end to the strike. On 29 January, the ''York University Labour Disputes Resolution Act'' was passed in the provincial parliament on a count of 42–8 ending the long 85-day strike and setting a precedent for future university strikes in Ontario.


2015 CUPE 3903 Strike

An additional strike by teaching assistants, contract faculty, and graduate assistants took place throughout March 2015. When the strike began, on 2 March, the university cancelled nearly all classes because about 2/3 of York courses were taught by the striking contract faculty at the time. On 10 March, the contract faculty ratified a new agreement, but the teaching assistants and graduate assistants rejected tentative agreements the bargaining team had reached with the university. The teaching assistants and graduate assistants, continued their strike until the end of the month. Contract faculty did not go back to work in support of the union and classes remained cancelled. The union reached a tentative agreement with the university on 29 March 2015, which was ratified on 31 March 2015, thus putting an immediate end to the 29-day strike.


2018 CUPE 3903 Strike

Units 1, 2, and 3 of CUPE Local 3903, the union represented by teaching assistants, contract faculty, and graduate assistants, began striking on Monday, 5 March 2018; several months after their previous collective agreement expired on 31 August 2017. The union's aim was to, in their words, "secure a fair collective agreement that, among other things, protected quality education and creates a less precarious working environment in Ontario's university sector." The main issues of the strike revolved around job security and the path to permanent tenured employment for contract faculty. A forced ratification vote was held between 6–9 April and was rejected by an overwhelming majority by all three units. On 13 June, a ratification vote was held for Unit 2 members, where the union executives recommended voting against the university's offer. The results of the vote were thrown out due to the fact that there were more ballots cast than signatures of eligible voters. A re-vote was held on 14 and 15 June, where Unit 2 ratified the university's offer, with 239 members voting in favour, and 122 opposed. Units 1 and 3 remained on strike until 25 July, when the newly formed
42nd Parliament of Ontario The 42nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario was a legislature of the province of Ontario, Canada. The membership was set by the 2018 Ontario general election and sat for two sessions until it was dissolved on May 3, 2022 in advance of the 2022 Onta ...
led by
Premier Doug Ford Douglas Robert Ford Jr. (born November 20, 1964) is a Canadian politician and businessman who has served as the 26th and current premier of Ontario and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party since 2018. He represents the Toronto ridi ...
passed back-to-work legislation via the ''Urgent Priorities Act'', ending the strike after 143 days, making it the longest strike in the post-secondary sector in
Canadian history The history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of the Paleo-Indians to North America thousands of years ago to the present day. The lands encompassing present-day Canada have been inhabited for millennia by Indigenous peoples, with di ...
.


2024 CUPE 3903 Strike

After avoiding a strike in 2021, Units 1, 2, and 3 of CUPE 3903 went on strike beginning Monday, 26 February 2024. As in previous years, the union was focused on job stability for contract faculty and wage increases for all three units. The wage issue was twofold. In the renewal collective bargaining agreement, covering 2023 through 2026, the union hoped to win wage increases matching record inflation. In addition, the provincial government passed Bill 124 in 2019, which limited public sector raises to 1% annually. The
Court of Appeal for Ontario The Court of Appeal for Ontario (frequently mistakenly referred to as the Ontario Court of Appeal) (ONCA is the abbreviation for its neutral citation) is the appellate court for the province of Ontario, Canada. The seat of the court is Osgoode Ha ...
ruled that Bill 124 violated the right of unions under the ''
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms The ''Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms'' (), often simply referred to as the ''Charter'' in Canada, is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada, forming the first part of the '' Constitution Act, 1982''. The ''Char ...
'' to collectively bargain, upholding a lower court's ruling. Rather than further appeal the decision to the
Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
, the Ford government instead decided to repeal the law in its entirety, allowing CUPE 3903 and other public sector unions in Ontario to negotiate for retroactive wage increases for the three years that Bill 124 was in effect. On 14 April, CUPE 3903 and York University announced that they had reached a tentative agreement. The agreement was ratified by CUPE 3903's membership on 19 April, ending the strike after 53 days with the union's members returning to work on Monday, 22 April 2024.


See also

* Allan I. Carswell Astronomical Observatory *
Canadian university scientific research organizations Expenditures by Canadian universities on scientific research and development accounted for about 40% of all spending on scientific research and development in Canada in 2006. Research in the natural and social sciences in Canada, with a few importa ...
*
Education in Toronto Education in Toronto is primarily provided state school, publicly and is overseen by Ontario's Ministry of Education (Ontario), Ministry of Education. The city is home to a number of primary education, elementary, secondary education, secondary, an ...
*
Higher education in Ontario Higher education in Ontario includes postsecondary education and skills training regulated by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and provided by universities, colleges of applied arts and technology, and private career colleges.Ministry ...
* Las Nubes Rainforest Preserve * List of universities in Ontario


References


Bibliography


Histories

* * * * * * * UPACE (1963) ''Master Plan for the York University Campus''. * York University (1998). ''York Campus Master Plan''.


External links

*
Athletics website
{{authority control
York University York University (), also known as YorkU or simply YU), is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, and it has approximately 53,500 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, ...
1959 establishments in Canada Universities and colleges established in 1959 Universities and colleges in Toronto Film schools in Canada