We are thrilled to announce that the School of Continuing Studies recently won three 2020 UPCEA (University Professional & Continuing Education Association) ‘Crisis Management’ marketing awards.
This year, because of the pandemic, UPCEA shifted the focus of their marketing awards from more traditional categories including print, radio and website to a Crisis Management award that recognized the responsiveness of marketing teams that pivoted to a new reality and implemented supporting plans to manage fall-out from the crisis.
As soon as the full effects of the pandemic hit Canada and the world, causing unprecedented job loss, we knew we had a responsibility to help Canadians and their employers navigate. We are so proud to receive these three awards recognizing our COVID-19 relief efforts.
Learn more about the award winning COVID-19 initiatives we launched earlier this year.
Silver Winner: Continuing Studies Emergency Benefit
As an urgent response to the economic fallout caused by COVID-19, the School launched the Continuing Studies Emergency Benefit in April. The School awarded 24 Canadians with $1,500 toward their School of Continuing Studies tuition. Originally $25,500, the Benefit increased to $35,500 after a generous $10,000 donation from Gautham Kolluri.
Immediately available to Canadian workers who lost their jobs unexpectedly, the Benefit was designed to help remove financial barriers that prevented qualified people from gaining immediate access to the School’s high-quality programs, many of which are in fields that are experiencing an increased demand in workers due to the pandemic. Learn more about our benefit.
Silver Winner: Virtual Groundbreaking
In late March, construction began on the first dedicated structure for York University’s School of Continuing Studies. Due to COVID-19 physical distancing measures, the School took a bold, non-traditional approach to the construction groundbreaking by inviting guests to visit our virtual groundbreaking webpage, #BiggerThanTheBuilding. The website features the story of the building, interviews with York University stakeholders, and key building facts and images. The building groundbreaking was also covered in The Globe and Mail.
Bronze Winner: #LetsContinYU
Starting March 19th, days after York University moved all on-campus classes to an online format, the School launched a #LetsContinYU public service social media campaign to give Canadians access to timely expertise from instructors and industry leaders during the pandemic. The campaign utilized its network of industry experts to give advice and insights on the technological, business and societal impacts of COVID-19. The School was one of the first GTA academic institutions to offer practical advice on how to address the pandemic.
View all our #LetsContinYU blog entries.
Planning, input and execution for all three initiatives spanned across many staff at the School and York. Thank you to UPCEA for recognizing us for these awards, and congratulations to all involved on this impressive achievement!
