Initiatives by Student Success (general)

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More students use SAVY in May

SAVY, York's student virtual assistant, saw an increase in student use during May. The number of average conversations and number of students using the platform per day increased by 28 and 35 per cent, respectively, from April. Students mostly asked questions about eClass and summer course delivery.

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156
number of unique topics students asked SAVY in May.
Procrastination Awareness Week

Procrastination Awareness Week offers students from across North America a virtual study hall and a series of remote learning skills workshops in March. The YorkU Learning Commons will be presenting our YU Got This!: Academic Tips & Tools for End of Term workshop as part of this week.

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27
post-secondary institutions across North America, including York University, host Procrastination Awareness Week
Black Excellence in COVID Times: Connections and Conversations Celebrating BHM

The Black Excellence at York University (BE YU) team hosted an interactive panel conversation as part of Black History Month on Feb. 23. Featuring undergraduate and graduate students, the panel explored a variety of themes related to Black experience and Black excellence at the University.

The BE YU team also offered peer mentoring, a four-session leadership series and is collaborating with Student Success partners and Alumni Affairs to offer a career development series.
SAVY Wins the 2021 Gartner Eye on Innovation Award

York University has won the 2021 Gartner Eye on Innovation Award for Higher Education in the category of Student Experience for our work on SAVY, our student virtual assistant. This award recognizes all the members of the York community whose contributed to SAVY.

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2
awards won by SAVY in 2021 - the CUCCIO Innovation Award and the Gartner Eye on Innovation Award for Higher Education.
SAVY answers 34,000 questions in 2021

SAVY, York's student virtual assistant, answered 34,555 questions from 9,964 unique students since January 1, 2021. The busiest days for questions were January 13 and September 7. In its lifetime, SAVY has answered more than 62,000 questions from just under 16,500 unique students.

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2,074
times SAVY responded to the most popular question linking students with campus advisors based on their needs
Becoming YU launches program for international students

Becoming YU piloted its first-year program with international students in November. The Becoming YU First-Year Program provides students with a pathway of experiences that will help them succeed at the start of their journey at York University and beyond.

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2,466
students enrolled in the program.
Back to school questions? SAVY's got the answer!

SAVY, York's student virtual assistant, answered 15,382 questions in 8,153 conversations held during York's back-to-school period, from August 25 to September 29, 2021. During that time, SAVY saw a total of 3,138 student logins and was able to answer 88.6% of all their questions.

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88.6%
SAVY answered 88.6% of 15,382 questions in the period from August 25 to September 29, 2021.
SAVY Answers 90% of Student Questions

For the first time, SAVY achieved a 90% success rate in answering student questions. SAVY has consistently answered about 80% of student questions. Reaching 90%, even as the number of questions peaks with the beginning of term, is a huge benefit to students.

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90%
of student questions were answered by SAVY from August 26 to September 1, 2021.
BE YU partners with TDSB Black Student Summer Leadership Program

Through July 2021, Black Excellence at York University (BE YU) partnered with the Toronto District School Board to take on three soon-to-be undergraduate students as part of the Black Student Summer Leadership Program. Participants worked with BE YU mentors and created a culminating presentation.

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One of our participants will be heading to McGill University and York staff have connected this student leader to staff at McGill to support their involvement with EDI programming there.
Award news for SAVY

SAVY, York's Student Virtual Assistant, has reached the final stage of CUCCIO's 2021 Innovation Awards, honouring IT projects that advance teaching, learning, research or administration in Canadian higher ed. Congratulations to the team members who contributed to this nomination and SAVY's success.

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15,916
Since September 1, 2020, SAVY has had 38,021 conversations with 15,916 students in areas such as academic success, health and wellness, student life, campus services and career development.
Learning Skills Services Presents at Learning Specialist Association of Canada

Learning Skills Specialists, Cathy Boyd-Withers and Nicole Joron, shared innovative work to a national audience about Student Guide to Remote Learning & Remote Student Team Building and Personal Wellness & Learning Skills Certificate Program (a partnership with FGS supporting graduate students).

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4,900
Unique visitors to the Student Guide to Remote Learning website during Fall/Winter 2020-2021.
Black Excellence at York University (BE YU) supports Black student success

BE YU supports York's Black students to transition to university and maximize their student experience on the path to graduation. BE YU champions the academic, professional and personal success of York’s Black student community through workshops, events, mentoring, academic advising and more.

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