Jacqueline Perlin
Recruitment Manager
York University netted some poor grades in two new recently released surveys, among them The Globe and Mail’s 2011 Canadian University Report, released Oct. 24. The school’s ratings varied between B and C- in all areas, and York failed to score any A+, A or A- grades.
The report used evaluations from over 35,000 undergraduate students from 14 large Canadian universities to gauge student satisfaction levels regarding residences, libraries and class sizes.
York scored a C in food services, atmosphere and career preparation, and a C- in student residences.
York scored the lowest in its category in two of those areas – career preparation and campus atmosphere – and both the University of Toronto’s St. George campus and Ryerson University scored considerably better in the same fields, both receiving B grades.
Keith Marnoch, York University’s associate director of media relations, said “one particular survey will probably not change the general direction that we’re moving forward with,” adding York has various initiatives it’s concentrating on.
“The quality of education is very important at York, and it is certainly a large focus in terms of what we’re trying to accomplish,” said Marnoch.
According to the survey results, York got a B for quality of education.
For fifth-year psychology student Shaileen Wallani, the lack of affordable, healthy meals on campus is a major concern.
“[On-campus food] is catered to the commuter population. You can’t get any healthy options on Sundays,” she said. “Everything is way overpriced, and it is definitely not within a range that students can afford.”
Wallani, who lived in Stong Residence in her first year, emphasized how residences were not up to par either.
“They were always gross and dirty, especially the washrooms,” she noted, mentioning she would rarely get hot water in the facilities. “And while you see the janitors, they don’t come in enough times during the day and do not come in on weekends at all.”
The Sustainable Endowments Institute (SEI) also handed York a less-than-stellar rating in their College Sustainability Report Card 2011, released Oct. 27. York got a B+ for their efforts to “green the campus,” the same mark they received last year. That’s despite the fact York president Mamdouh Shoukri implemented a sustainability council last year that, in April 2010, made 39 recommendations t regarding campus sustainability efforts.
The council lead, professor Jennifer Foster from the faculty of environmental studies, expressed disappointment about the results, but noted York’s strengths are barely acknowledged in the survey.
“I thought we would go up [this year], but the things that we are working on are slow and incremental,” said Foster. “There’s nothing about curriculum and very little about social justice. Those are two areas where York is really strong.”
Foster’s main concern lies with the fact that at such a large campus, it’s hard to gauge student satisfaction accurately.
“One of the most challenging things about a university like York, where we have 50,000 students, is to get people talking,” she said.
At the same time, she remained confident that York has excelled in different aspects that were not covered by the report.
“York has sustainability in different ways and we have award-winning programs across the university,” emphasized Foster. “I really feel like [the survey] is a snapshot, but not the full picture.”
