New opportunities for the university to collaborate with the surrounding community when reopening

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease continues to spread around the globe, the inequalities at Toronto Metropolitan University (renaming in process) and its surrounding community have come into sharper relief. Local residents and vulnerable populations near the university continue to face challenges (ex. mental health and addictions, food security, housing, and income) generated by pandemic response. As with any sudden and unpleasant change - disasters, crises, and health pandemics - vulnerable populations are hit hardest and have difficulty bouncing back. 

Earlier this year, through its resilience and commitment to the local community, administrative leadership and faculty from Toronto Metropolitan University partnered with Unity Health Toronto to host a vaccine clinic on campus that would help get vulnerable populations and community members vaccinated against COVID-19. In their online article, Ryerson Today called it a “cross-functional, collaborative effort.”

The partnership and collaboration between the University and the partner health organization is a great example of coming together as a meaningful way that Ryerson can make important contributions to the community we are a part of. 

Community Squared: A student-community collective

Based on the partnership’s success and thinking about the future resilience and recovery on campus, we recommend that the university continue to engage in more partnerships as a city-building institution. We want the university to create a mutually supportive relationship with local community organizations through a student liaison collective called Community2 (Community Squared). Community2 will be a collective pilot group - run by students whose mission is to partner with local organizations and residents, build relationships, leverage assets, and provide a support network. 

Students will go through a selection process by an overseeing body that comprises administrative leadership from various departments such as Community Safety & Security, Human Resources, and Facilities Management & Development. In addition, hiring students through the work-study program will provide more opportunities for community engagement learning (CEL) and real work experience. This six to eight student collective will be hand-selected by the President’s Office, which will reflect Ryerson’s student community. Necessary training and instruction to best represent the University when working with the community residents and partners.

One of the goals of this collective will be to evaluate Ryerson’s assets to support the local community better and reduce redundancy in community efforts. Asset valuation will be a critical component that the collective will focus on and respond to, whether it’s helping the community learn more about the local safe injection site or deciding to incorporate increased campus accessibility to residents. Overall, the vision for the student collective is to collaborate and host a conversation with community partners and determine what assets the university can provide to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The ultimate goal is to fill in the gaps between Ryerson’s community and the local community and make detailed recommendations to the President’s Office, who will further decide on implementation. 

Also, this project aligns with the Office of the President’s Strategic Vision within the  (PDF file) 2020-2025 Academic Plan that focuses on enhancing and developing students’ experience and Ryerson’s commitment to building upon community and urban partnerships.   

We want you to know that there is a need for Community2 on campus. With a return to campus in 2022, there is a new student engagement and community collaboration opportunity that can be explored. Not only will the collective group establish support and relationship with the community, but it will also represent Ryerson’s values and commitments of accessibility, inclusivity, mutual respect, and shared success to better support the local community. 

Toronto Metropolitan University is not only staff, students, and faculty; it is a part of a broader community of Yonge-Dundas. This is why we need Community2 to create partnerships with the local community to help vulnerable populations grow collectively and help each other move towards a sustainable and inclusive society.