Welcome to Winter 2021. I hope that you were able to enjoy the holiday break and recharge after the Fall term. As you may know, for this semester, half of our programs will be offered entirely online, with the remainder having both online and in-person components. Eighty-four per cent of courses, including all electives, will be delivered online.

Tremendous work went into preparing and adapting our schedules for this term, particularly following recent government requirements to limit the number of students in our instructional spaces to 10. Some students with in-person classes and labs, along with faculty who teach these classes, had their schedules adjusted to meet this requirement and we are grateful to everyone for their understanding.

There was an exemption to the 10-person limit for programs that support the healthcare response to COVID-19. Courses in these programs are permitted to have a maximum of 50 learners. At Humber, these programs include:

• Biotechnology
• Nursing
• Paramedic
• Personal Support Worker
• Pharmacy Technician
• Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle Management
• Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
• Transportation Training 

For those required to be on campus, screening protocols remain in place and lunchrooms that allow for adequate physical distancing have been set up.

While the provincial government announced a state of emergency, as well as stay-at-home orders on January 12, Ontario colleges and universities are permitted to continue to offer limited in-person programming with existing health and safety measures in place.

The official stay-at-home order indicates that attending school or a post-secondary institution and receiving or providing training or educational services are acceptable reasons for leaving a place of residence. Staff are encouraged to have their Humber identification card with them when travelling to and from campus.

President’s Virtual Town Hall

As we begin the new term and look ahead, I would like to invite you to join me at a President’s Virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, January 20 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. I will provide updates on winter term operations, ongoing strategic priorities and the college’s overall financial picture.

Registration through Eventbrite is required. Please register here. After registering through Eventbrite, participants will receive an Outlook calendar notice.

The Town Hall will include a Q and A session. If you would like to submit a question in advance, please send to communications@humber.ca.

As always, for the latest updates and information, visit humber.ca/updates and humber.ca/campus-return.

While we continue to live and work in challenging times, I am optimistic that this year will bring new opportunities and innovation as we provide our students with programs, services and support. I’m also confident that we will continue to support one another through collaboration, empathy and kindness, reminding ourselves that we are in this together.

Thank you for all you do for Humber, for each other and for our students.