College Council Highlights: September 13, 2018
The Humber College Council (HCC) held its first meeting of the 2018-19 academic year on Thursday September 13, 2018 at the North Campus. To ensure that the Humber community is informed of upcoming events, new initiatives, and important issues, the College Council reports the highlights of its monthly meetings. For more information or to provide feedback on these highlights, please contact denise.rooney@humber.ca. These highlights were compiled with the assistance of Valerie Walton, Humber Libraries. We apologize for the delay in posting the highlights.
Opening Remarks
Chris Whitaker, President and CEO Humber College, welcomed Council and thanked all for their ongoing commitment. Chris gave a brief overview of the 2018-2023 Strategic Plan and invited Council members to explore the website: humber.ca/strategic-plan. The new strategic plan is linked to the previous plan and builds on our strengths and accomplishments while looking into the future and focusing on our polytechnic identity.
C. Whitaker acknowledged HCC members’ roles as ambassadors in their respective divisions and invited members to share information with their colleagues and to bring their feedback to College Council to facilitate a two-way flow of communication.
New Program Proposal: Ontario Graduation Certificate – Audit, Inspection and Compliance
Jason Powell, Dean, School of Health Sciences, and Amanda Baskwill, Associate Dean - Allied Health School of Health Sciences, gave a presentation on the new proposed Ontario Graduation Certificate – Audit, Inspection and Compliance.
In this program, students will gain the necessary skills and experience to: assess product safety, audit manufacturing processes to maintain safety, and enforce facility compliance with regulations and standards.
At all levels of Government and in industry there is a need for well-educated inspectors to monitor the safety of various products such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices and cosmetics.
The program is proposed to be launched in fall of 2019 once it has completed the approval process.
Understanding the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) in Higher Education Context
Jen McMillen, Dean of Students, discussed Humber’s approach to health and wellness on campus.
The social determinants of health are linked to pillar 3 of the Strategic Plan: creating a “Healthy and Inclusive Community”. Moving forward Humber will explore what it means to be healthy and inclusive and how we will continue to evolve this message with the entire campus community.
Humber has recently signed the Okanagan Charter which is an International Charter for Health Promoting Colleges and Universities. This charter provides institutions with common language, principles and a framework to become a “health and wellbeing promoting campus “. The signing of this agreement aligns with the 2018-2023 Strategic Plan, as stated above.
7-1-7 Semester
Gina Antonacci, Associate Vice-President, Academic, and Barb Riach, Registrar, discussed exploring the adoption of a new model for program delivery which would allow for a study week in each semester.
Each semester would include seven instructional weeks plus one study week then resume with seven instructional weeks. Many Colleges across Ontario have adopted this model for program delivery.
A cross-institutional working group was assembled to provide input into the potential benefits and challenges of the 7-1-7 semester structure. In 2016 the College invited full time students to participate in a survey looking at the impact the current study days’ model had on students. 86.24% of respondents reported that the fall study days were productive. The majority of students said they dedicated their break to catch up on academics, work and visiting with friends and family. Nearly 2 out of 3 students would prefer to have a full week off.
Some key issues and considerations included; all semesters would have a consistent schedule, students living away from home would have an opportunity to reconnect with family and friends, students would have an opportunity to catch up on school work mid-way through the semester. The 7-1-7 semester would not coincide with UGH’s reading week in either the fall or winter semesters. As well some programs have identified criteria to be exempt from the 7-1-7 semester structure (Golf program, apprenticeships, EAP).
Arboretum Plan
Alexandra Link, Director, Humber Arboretum, and Gina Antonacci spoke to council regarding the Humber Arboretum updates and operations.
The Humber Arboretum is a joint venture of Humber College, City of Toronto and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.
The priorities of The Arboretum include:
Experiential Learning: The Arboretum supports curriculum, innovation and applied research to over 4,500 students annually.
Caring for our natural environment: Ongoing care and stewardship of 250 acres of conservation area, gardens and plant collections.
Cultivating health, wellness and community: Camps, school programs, events, Humber food learning garden.
The 2019-2023 Arboretum Strategic Plan is currently under development and there will be opportunities to attend in-person and virtual focus groups. More information can be found at humber.ca/arboretum/about/strategicplan.html
Program Planning and Development
Laurie Rancourt, Senior Vice-President, Academic, and Kelly O’Neill, Dean, Program Planning, Development and Renewal, gave an overview of the program planning and development process. These programs include degrees, diplomas, advanced diplomas and graduate certificates.
Program proposals come to College Council during the consultation phase when a program is in development. This is an opportunity for Council to ask questions and make suggestions.
New programs launched this year include; Bachelor of Design (User Experience), Fire Services (Diploma), Advanced Chocolate and Confectionary Artistry (Graduate Certificate), Online Comedy Writing (Graduate Certificate), Professional Accounting Practice (Graduate Certificate) and Systems Navigator (Graduate Certificate).
The next meeting of the College Council will be held on Thursday October 11, 2018 at the North Campus. For meeting highlights, supporting materials, and opportunities to provide feedback please visit the College Council website at: humber.ca/wearehumber/committees/college-council