An assembly of faculty, support staff, students, and administrators, Humber College Council (HCC) is Humber’s collective employee voice, making suggestions to Humber College’s President as it relates to long and short‐term institutional priorities.
APPLIED MASTER’S AND THREE-YEAR DEGREES
Gina Antonacci, senior VP, Academic, Alena Shah, associate dean, Program Planning and Nichole Molinaro, dean, Program Planning Development and Renewal
In October 2021, the Provincial Government released a document on red tape strategies and proposed that colleges offer both applied master’s degrees and three-year degrees. In follow up conversations, the government asked the colleges to demonstrate their capacity to offer applied master’s degrees.
Master programs require the student to develop and demonstrate advanced research skills under supervision. The Ontario Qualifications Framework outlines two types of master’s programs: profession-oriented and research-oriented. Professional oriented programs focus on practice-based research, whereas research-oriented programs are more focused on research that is more academic in nature. Master’s programs can be thesis-based, project-based or course based. For Humber, a master’s degree is a project in a research-oriented program comprised of advanced courses and intensive research culminating in a project. The project is normally assessed by a research supervisor and a second reader.
Humber set out to define its own criteria for the creation of applied master’s degrees. For Humber, the program must:
- Meet PEQAB requirements
- Have existing faculty with PhDs
- Have existing strengths at the bachelor’s or graduate certificate level
- Fill a market or industry need for masters-level training
- Have strong existing industry connections
- Not duplicate offerings at Ontario universities or contribute to unwarranted raising of credentials among similar programs in the college system
- Complete a pathway for students from certificate/diploma all the way up to the proposed applied master’s credential
In terms of 3-year degrees, Humber is just starting to explore them. The college is looking at the implications of a 3-year degree on our 4-year degrees and advanced diplomas. Humber offers more than 30 four-year degrees in a wide variety of areas and needs to be cognizant that other colleges may offer similar three-year degrees.
APPLIED MASTER’S IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
Shaun Ghafari, associate dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology
Humber has decided to apply to the Ministry for the ability to offer an Applied Masters in Advance Manufacturing. As Humber reviewed its internal criteria for offering such degrees, this program was a perfect match. In addition to meeting the requirements, Humber has the state-of-the-art equipment to support this degree program. The application will be submitted following internal approvals this June.
CENTRE OF INNOVATION NETWORK
Tyler Charlebois, director, Centres of Innovation (COIs) Network and Partnership Development
Humber’s five COIs - Longo Centre for Entrepreneurship, Centre for Social Innovation, Centre for Innovation in Health & Wellness, Centre for Creative Business Innovation, and Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation - are part of the broader innovation ecosystem at Humber that includes the Office of Research & Innovation and the Centre for Innovative Learning.
The COI network fosters collaboration across the COIs to provide opportunities for Humber faculty, students, industry and community partners to collectively address challenges and innovate in key areas. Students and staff can engage in applied research projects, capstone projects and work-integrated learning, and participate in mentorship and professional development opportunities, events, and workshops.
Two students presented on their educational journey with Humber’s COIs:
- Emma Kilgannon, WorldSkills Patisserie Champion, Skills Canada Gold Medalist, and Humber BPAM Graduate spoke about her experience with the two-day WorldSkills competition and winning Bronze. She noted how her success was supported by Humber’s Barrett CTI which granted her access to 3-D printing and laser cutting to develop the tools for her creations. In addition, Humber hosted a competition send-off event that encouraged her to succeed.
- Brian Jala, supported by Vanita Varma, director, Centre for Innovation in Health and Wellness (CIHW), spoke about his experiences with the Health Innovation Challenge. A collaboration between CIHW, LAMP Community Health Centre, and the Longo Centre for Entrepreneurship, the project aims to explore new/innovative strategies that influence people’s health behaviours and knowledge for preventing or managing diabetes. Student teams from various Humber faculties, including domestic and international students determined innovative ways to better support the Humber community with knowledge around diabetes disease management. Brian explained how the project enabled him to make personal life changes and to become a better public speaker.
NEXT HCC MEETING
The next Humber College Council meeting will be held virtually on May 11, 2023.
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?
For questions or comments about HCC meeting highlights, contact regan.mancini@humber.ca.
For supporting materials, meeting minutes, or opportunities to provide feedback, please visit the College Council website or contact shovani.samalia@humber.ca.
