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Our values

At York St John University we fight for what we believe in. Find out about our work to make the world a better place.

Students on climate strike in York city centre

Our staff and students tackle the big issues that face our society.

We are passionate about standing up for causes such as social justice, sustainability and equality for all.

Education for all

We want to remove barriers to education. We work with schools to help students from under represented backgrounds learn about university. Our entry offer schemes and alumni funded scholarships help more students to access higher education.

Our support teams provide help for our current students. They offer tailored advice for a range of situations.

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Sun setting behind trees on campus.

Caring for the environment

0% of our waste has gone to landfill since 2016

Sustainability is high on our agenda. We have made great progress in making our campus greener, and we are always looking for ways to improve.

All of our energy comes from sustainable, low carbon sources, and most of our vehicles are electric. We have planted over 1000 trees on our campuses and we have created bug hotels, bird boxes and habitats for hedgehogs. Many of our courses offer modules on sustainability and we hold Green Week events each year for students.

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Challenging inequality

Our core value is to promote fairness and challenge prejudice. We aim to offer a welcoming and inclusive space for all. As part of the Race Equality Charter, we actively challenge racism and prejudice.

We aim to create and maintain an accessible, inclusive and fair working environment for our staff. We are a Disability Confident Employer, Mindful Employer, and Stonewall Diversity Champion. We have also achieved the Athena SWAN bronze award, and are working towards the silver award.

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Standing up for social justice

Institute for Social Justice launched in 2020

Our teaching and research are rooted in social justice. Together we identify and address inequalities so we can promote a fairer society.

What impact has Covid-19 had on children's mental health and learning? How can we improve provision for the menopause in the workplace? How do we overcome the language barriers facing LGBTQ+ asylum seekers? These are just some of the research topics of our Institute for Social Justice. The institute brings together expertise from across the University to work for a better world.

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Converge students in a creative writing class.

Working within our local community

We are proud to work with people, charities, groups and schools in our local community. We all have a role to play in making lives better in our region and beyond. Students can take part in our projects through their course placements.

Our Communities Centre provides affordable mental health services. The Law Clinic offers legal support and YSJActive provides community sport facilities. We also offer education opportunities for people in the community. These include:

  • Converge - courses for mental health service users.
  • The Prison Partnership Project - courses for women in prisons.
  • Moving Minds - courses for people with dementia.

Our nationally recognised Military Human programme provides support for the transition from the military to daily life.

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