TORONTO, October 16, 2000 -- York
University is responding to the rising demand for a university education
that also provides job skills and professional accreditation for the
workplace with the newly reorganized Joseph E. Atkinson Faculty of
Liberal and Professional Studies. The new Faculty will serve
both part-time adult learners and full-time day students in degree and
certificate programs, with a combination of in-class courses, and
distance learning via the Internet and correspondence.

"This is a bold initiative to provide new and returning students
with both the liberal arts education and the professional skills they
need to survive and advance in a rapidly changing work
environment," said Atkinson Dean Ron Bordessa, who will launch the
new Faculty at a reception on Monday, October 16th.

"York University is breaking new ground with this synthesis of
objectives, promoting a closer and ongoing conversation between liberal
and professional studies to deliver a university education in a flexible
environment to all students, including those who must balance work and
study," said Bordessa. He said Atkinson had experienced substantial
growth in interest in its programs from high school students, as well as
from its traditional base of part-time adult students, particularly in
business, technology, economics and computer science.

The Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies, with close
to 7,000 students enrolled this year, has added 21 new faculty
positions, the largest expansion since the 1960s. The new Atkinson has
been reorganized into seven distinct schools developing new,
interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary programs that build on the
faculty's existing degree programs. The schools are: Administrative
Studies, Arts and Letters, Analytic Studies and Information Technology,
Nursing, Social Sciences, Social Work, a merged Psychology unit, and a
new School of Health Policy and Management.

The School of Health Policy and Management responds to the
pressing need for graduates equipped with the knowledge, skills and
critical thinking needed to play decision-making and leadership roles in
a dynamic and increasingly complex health care sector in Canada. The
school will offer a Bachelor of Health Studies degree as a full-time day
program beginning in September 2001. Students can concentrate on Health
Policy, Health Management, and Health Informatics.

The School of Analytic Studies and Information Technology
represents an extraordinary educational response to the digital global
society and to the trends that are re-shaping the world and its
political and social standards. The school brings together economists,
information technologists, mathematicians, philosophers, and scientists,
each engaged in their own specialties, but also committed to a shared
discourse on such subjects as: the profound effects of globalization and
the Internet on the functioning of markets and the structure of national
economies; the development of science and technology and their social
and philosophical impact on society; and the history of human ideas,
values and belief systems that define our age.

Canada's First University Degree in Human Resources Management

The School of Administrative Studies continues to be in high
demand as one of the largest undergraduate business programs in the
country, serving more than 3,000 students. The school offers a Bachelor
of Administrative Studies (BAS) and a new full-time day Bachelor of
Human Resources Management (BHRM) in Fall 2001, the first university
degree in HRM in Canada. Courses are taught by award-winning
instructors, many of whom also hold senior positions in government and
industry. Students can also obtain a BAS degree in Information
Technology that gives them a solid foundation in computer and
information systems from a business and management perspective.

In recognition of York's achievement in the field of Human Resources
Management (HRM) education and research, the International Alliance
for Human Resources Research has re-located to Atkinson, home of one
of the largest concentrations of Human Resources Management professors
in the country, publishing some of the best research in the field. The
centre is directed by Monica Belcourt, associate professor and
coordinator of HRM at Atkinson.

Atkinson's strength in the liberal arts is exemplified in the School
of Arts and Letters and the School of Social Sciences, which
offer a variety of exciting programs ranging from Fine Arts to Women's
Studies, History, and Urban studies. Both schools have strong,
interdisciplinary programs that combine broad knowledge, intellectual
flexibility, and focused workplace training.

As the home of distance learning at York University, Atkinson has
been a national leader in creating post-secondary learning opportunities
through Internet and correspondence courses. In-house surveys show a
very high rate of satisfaction among students studying on line. Atkinson
currently offers a variety of courses on line as well as a Bachelor of
Administrative Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Service Studies,
and will continue to expand Internet-based course offerings.

The launch of the Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional
Studies at York will take place at a reception in the Harry Crowe Room,
109 Atkinson, York University, Keele Campus, 4700 Keele St., from 3 p.m.
to 5 p.m.

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For further information, please contact:

Ron Bordessa
Dean
Atkinson Faculty
York University
(416) 736-5220
bordessa@yorku.ca

Joanne Magee
Associate Dean
Atkinson Faculty
York University
(416) 736-5220
joanne.magee@yorku.ca

Susan Bigelow
Media Relations
York University
(416)736-2100, ext. 22091
sbigelow@yorku.ca
YU/102/00