Welcome to 2021 at Humber. It is a new year that will no doubt be full of challenges, triumphs and initiatives that will help us come together as a community, celebrate strength and success and continue to persevere. 

Adapting to change

We are focused on student success, and will continue fostering an environment of wellness, inclusion and collaboration. The Winter 2021 semester will build on all we have learned over the past year with 84 per cent of courses delivered virtually.  

Students will be provided with opportunities to connect with other students and faculty members in and outside the classroom, from workshops to applied research projects to social media livestreams. This term, many Humber students will be working on and presenting capstone and thesis projects. They are the culmination of months of hard work and innovation and I can’t wait to see them. 

Whether it’s through designing an app that improves accessibility, or completing a clinical placement, Humber students will make an incredible difference in our community this year. 

Some students, like those in the Nursing programs, are learning hands-on in frontline clinical settings. Others are working remotely with employers and industry to find solutions to real-life problems and build their portfolios. 

We are working to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff, who are returning to campus for required in-person education or services, by adhering to all public health guidelines and government directives. All other students and employees are learning and working remotely across our digital campus.  

If you will be learning, teaching or working on site, I invite you to visit Humber’s Return to Campus page for up-to-date information on what you can expect when you come to campus.  

We are ready to pivot when the situation changes, as it has so many times since March 2020. On January 12, we learned of new measures put in place to protect us through Ontario’s second provincial emergency. Everyone who can work and learn from home will be doing so for as long as the province recommends.   

Ontario colleges and universities are permitted to continue to offer limited in-person programming with existing health and safety measures in place, and students with on-site courses are permitted to travel to/from campus. 

Navigating online learning

The COVID-19 pandemic has only strengthened our commitment to giving students a great online learning experience and staying connected throughout their studies. You can find our full Student Commitment here. 

As we ease into the new semester, returning students may be feeling more comfortable with online learning and working from home.  

New students may need more support. They are adapting to a new educational landscape and a transition into college life. Winter Orientation 2021 aims to help them navigate these challenges. 

New students – including International students – will have the chance to meet and speak to their future professors virtually, guided by Orientation volunteers who share their academic and personal experiences with the new students. 

Orientation also offers students Blackboard modules that prepare them to navigate and excel in online learning. 

They will also be introduced to the many student services Humber continues to provide virtually.  

Here’s to a fresh start, informed by challenges of the past. As we take on 2021 as a community, I am positive that we will thrive. 

#HumberTogether