Your Top 10 York U Resources

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The Fall term is officially upon us, Lions! We at the #YUBlog are here to give you a breakdown of some valuable resources and services that nearly every YU student uses at least once during their studies. Review our top ten list below for some of the best on-campus resources York U has to offer!

1) Academic Advising

Academic Advising provides you with the opportunity to work closely with a knowledgeable expert who can help you make thoughtful choices about your academic pathway and learn about:

• Faculty and academic policies;
• Your program and degree requirements;
• Degree options (major/minor/certificate);
• Electives and general education courses;
• Your graduation status;
• Your Degree Report and academic standing;
• Peer mentoring and study groups; and
• Referrals to academic and campus services/resources.

You can visit your Academic Advisor as many times as needed at any point throughout your studies. However, I suggest that you meet with your Academic Advisor at least once a year for a periodic degree audit to make sure you’re on the right track toward graduation. Be sure to check out our previous #YUBlog post, “Academic Advising at York U” for more information!

2) The Learning Commons

The Learning Commons unites various learning services across campus to better support students’ academic success. This includes guidance from York University Libraries, the Writing Department, Learning Skills Services, the Career Centre and more.

I’ve found that it’s important to access these services early in the term to ensure that I receive the help I need to complete my assignments. If you ever need to brush up on or learn new academic skills, you should definitely use the Learning Commons!

3) The Writing Centre

The York U Writing Centre is available to help all YU students during any stage of their writing process. Open from Monday to Saturday, the Writing Centre offers numerous services, from one-on-one sessions and drop-ins to workshops and online writing support, that can help you enhance your written assignments and your writing abilities.

If you’re interested in a one-on-one appointment, you can enrol with the Writing Centre to book sessions online. It’s a good idea to bring your assignment outline with you to your writing appointment so your instructor can review the assignment expectations and offer the most useful advice possible!

4) The SPARK Academic Toolkit

SPARK, the Student Paper & Academic Research Kit, is an e-learning resource designed to help students produce successful written academic assignments. Each of the 13 modules focus on the development of academic skills, such as research and writing, and are intended to teach you about the process of completing a written assignment.

I recommend using SPARK throughout your studies at York U to learn about and review these important concepts – it’s never a bad idea to brush up on effective reading strategies or essay structure!

5) The Career Centre

The Career Centre is a great place to go if you’re looking for a job, wondering what you can do with your degree or thinking about further studies. It supports students from all Faculties and programs of study from their first year up to two years after graduation. You can access numerous supports through the Career Centre, such as Workshops, Career Fairs and other Employer/Alumni Events, and Individual Appointments with Career Educators and Peers. Be sure to visit the Career Centre at 202 McLaughlin College or check out the Students & New Grads webpage for even more resources that can further your professional development!

6) Student Accessibility Services (SAS) and Student Counselling & Development (SCD)

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) strives to make the campus more accessible for learning for students with temporary or permanent disabilities. Once you register with SAS, you will be in contact with an Accessibility Counsellor who will support you throughout your studies!

Student Counselling & Development (SCD) aims to help York U students realize, develop and fulfill their personal potential so they can make the most of their university experience. SCD offers individual short-term counselling, group counselling and couples counselling.

If you require immediate assistance due to emotional distress during regular office hours, you can contact SCD’s Crisis Intervention Services at 416-736-5279 or come in person to N110 Bennett Centre to meet with an on-call counsellor. In the event that there are concerns about your immediate safety or the safety of others, call 911 to request that they attend.

Be sure to get in touch with SAS or SCD for any assistance you may need.

7) Centre for Aboriginal Student Services (CASS)

The Centre for Aboriginal Student Services (CASS) offers a variety of culturally appropriate support services to Indigenous York U students. These programs incorporate Indigenous world views and ways of knowing represented within the diverse on-campus Indigenous population and the values of York University. CASS also collaborates with the broader York Indigenous community, including faculty members and student groups, to ensure a viable Indigenous presence on campus. For example, the recent opening of Skennen’kó:wa Gamig (formerly The Hart House) was a collaborative initiative to enhance Indigenous spaces at York U.

Visit CASS in 246 York Lanes or the CASS webpage for more information!

8) goSAFE

The York U goSAFE program, one of the largest of its kind in Canada, provides staff to accompany you wherever you need to go on campus in the evening, be it on foot or in a golf cart. They are also responsible for Lost & Found Services and have partnered with York U Transportation Services to jointly coordinate the off-campus Village Shuttle Service!

You can reach goSAFE by dialing 416-736-5454, by using a Blue Light Emergency Phone or by pressing the goSAFE button on any campus safety phone. Be sure to visit goSAFE Services’ How to Reach Us webpage for more information.

9) York’s RED Zone

York’s RED Zone, a kiosk located in Vari Hall, is run by student leaders called RED Zone Ambassadors. From Mondays to Fridays from 10am to 4pm, these individuals help York U faculty and staff navigate the campus and locate useful resources. If I ever have any questions while on campus, I visit the RED Zone to point me in the right direction!

10) YU Connect

YU Connect is your one-stop-shop for getting involved on campus, whether you want to join a new club or organization or discover on-campus events. You can even track your involvement, activities and memberships at York U using your virtual Co-Curricular Record. I suggest that you update this record whenever you participate so you can easily manage your activities!

These York U resources are definitely some of the most valuable and commonly used services on campus. We hope that this list puts you on the right track to find any support you may need!

Do you have any other go-to York U resources? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @YorkUStudents!

This post is an updated version of the original by Sam on September 20, 2016.