Academic Council met for the fourth time this semester on April 12, 2012 at the Lakeshore Campus. Here are the highlights of the meeting:

Showcase

Carl Oliver visited council to promote Showcase 2012: “Reflect, Connect, Inspire,” which will take place on Thursday, May 31, 2012. For the first time, Showcase will be held at the Lakeshore campus, and bus transportation will be provided between the North and Lakeshore campuses. Dr. Stephen Brookfield, an internationally acclaimed scholar in the field of adult education, will be delivering the keynote address, and former teacher turned successful stand-up comedian Gerry Dee, from the CBC television program Mr. D., will be performing at the closing reception. Registration will open at the end of April. To register, or for more information, visit: thestudio.humber.ca/showcase2012

The International Centre

Diane Simpson provided an update on the International Centre, including some exciting initiatives, such as the China Marketing Competition, which provides second and third year Chinese marketing students with a chance to win scholarships to Humber Business Degrees. Humber is also continuing to develop and maintain international partnership agreements with postsecondary institutions in countries including Ireland, Wales, Finland, China, Japan, and Indonesia. Diane was accompanied by four international degree students from the Lakeshore campus, all of whom spoke enthusiastically about their experiences in Canada and at Humber.

Academic News

Members of council were given a tour of the School of Social and Community Services’ new Play Therapy Lab by Gina Antonacci, Dean, School of Social and Community Services, and Tina Lackner, a faculty member in the school. The lab opened in September, 2011, and provides students in the Child and Youth Worker Diploma and Child and Youth Care Degree programs with the opportunity to learn and experience techniques of play therapy. The facility contains three large, inviting areas, and is stocked with sandboxes, musical instruments, art supplies, puppets, and cooking materials.

Council learned about three new programs and one program name change:

• The School of Media Studies & Information Technology, in partnership with The Business School, is launching a two-year Advertising and Marketing Communications Diploma, which concludes with a four-week placement. Students will graduate with promotional writing, presentation, and organizational skills, as well as introductory design and basic production and management skills. This program will complement existing programs in both schools.
• The Business School, in partnership with the School of Media Studies & Information Technology, has developed a Graduate Certificate in Advertising-Media Management. This one-year program, which includes a four-week placement, will prepare graduates to work in the dynamic world of media management, media sales, or in marketing departments. This program will be a strong addition to the Business School’s cluster of graduate certificate programs and will complement advertising-related programs in the school of Media Studies & Information Technology.
• As more organizations turn to cloud computing, graduates of the new Cloud Infrastructure and Mobile Device Integration Diploma offered by the School of Applied Technology will be well-positioned to find employment in various organizations that require support for services in cloud infrastructure and mobile device integration. The program will provide students with the skills necessary to install, configure, manage, and maintain the infrastructure in virtualized cloud environments.
• The School of Media Studies & Applied Technology announced that the title of the Multimedia Design and Production Technician Diploma will be changed to Multimedia Design and Development. The new title will more accurately reflect current industry terminology.

Strategic Planning and Institutional Analysis

Pat Van Horne, Ruth MacKay, and Silvana Miller provided an update on the HELP Survey, which has been administered to students every semester since fall 2010. Each respondent receives a personalized email with full information on requested services, and a link to the HELP website which provides detailed information on all of Humber's student services. In addition, Academic Schools and Student Service departments receive data which allows them to identify at-risk students and plan interventions when needed. Analysis of the results over the past four semesters has shown consistent patterns of statistically significant predictors of attrition.

Rani Dhaliwal, Ruth MacKay, and Sanjay Puri provided an overview of the 2012-2013 Business Plan and Budget. As we enter the final year of Humber’s 2008-2013 Strategic Plan, Humber will continue to concentrate on the four priorities identified in the current plan: managing enrolment growth; commitment to teaching and learning excellence; commitment to human resource planning and professional development; and commitment to high quality services to support student success and business practices.

For more information on any topic, or to give me feedback on the reports, please contact Lisa Salem-Wiseman directly, at lisa.salem-wiseman@humber.ca.