Student Success and Engagement Staffing Changes

Dear Humber College community,

We are excited to announce some staffing changes within SSE at Humber College that are aligned with our strategic initiatives aimed at supporting student employability skills development, enhancing the relationship between the college and employers, and supporting learner success and retention. These changes are part of our ongoing commitment to provide the best possible support and opportunities for our students, and to strengthen our relationships with employers and other partners through supporting effective collaboration on internal and cross divisional projects.

As an educational institution, we constantly strive to prepare our students for success in the ever-evolving job market. To that end, we are thrilled to announce the following changes within the senior leadership team in SSE.

  1. Chantal Joy (She/Her) – Effective May 1, 2023, Chantal will be seconded to Associate Dean & Special Advisor, Strategic Initiatives, Learner and Career Success for the next 3 years in support of some key strategic initiatives within Student Success & Engagement as well as collaborative cross-divisional projects. Among others, this includes continued work in service of the WIL Framework and a collaboration bringing together the HLO’s (Humber Learning Outcomes), CCR (Co-Curricular Record) and the IGS (International Graduate School) Skills Hub. In this capacity, Chantal will also continue to provide leadership to Humber’s Community Employment Services.
     
  2. Melanie Chai (She/Her) – Melanie has graciously agreed to step into the role of Associate Dean, Transition and Academic Support, with oversight of Student Learning Services, Advising & Career Services, as well as Student Life and Equity, for the duration of Chantal’s secondment. Melanie brings with her a wealth of knowledge to this role with past experience leading the Student Learning Services team and most recently, as Associate Director, Advising & Career Services. Melanie has been an active member of the Student Success & Retention Committee of Humber’s Strategic Management Enrolment framework and co-led our engagement in a Provincial research consortium that brought the Pre-Advising program to Humber. Melanie will start in her new role on May 1, 2023.
     
  3. Shaun Carson (He/Him) – Shaun will remain in the role of Associate Director, Student Life & Learning, with oversight for Student Learning Services as well as Student Life & Equity, which includes FYE, CCR (Co-Curricular Record), Orientation, Leadership, WUSC and the Student-facing Equity & Inclusion Hubs – the Black Student Support & Engagement program, the LGBTQ+ Resource Centre, and the new Spirituality & Wellness Centre. In addition to his usual portfolio, Shaun will also step in to support some strategic initiatives which will include the roll out of the Student Success Framework, some SEM Student Success & Retention projects, and the HLO/CCR merge. Shaun has become our resident expert in student engagement and its impact on student retention, which we are excited to continue to leverage at an institutional level.
     
  4. Dimple Rai (She/Her) – Also effective May 1, 2023, Dimple Rai will take over from Melanie as the Associate Director, Advising & Career Services. As Manager, Advising, Dimple has the depth of knowledge and experience that will make her transition to this role seamless. Dimple was the primary for Humber on the Pre-Advising research initiative, the program’s implementation here at Humber and its expansion. Dimple is currently leading the Student Learning Services team and will continue to support that team through the summer semester as we await the return of Nafeeza Kadir from leave.

We are confident that these staffing changes will greatly contribute to the overall student experience at Humber College. By dedicating knowledgeable resources to key institutional strategic initiatives and strengthening the collaborative spirit between the academic and student support areas of the college we are continuing to commit to innovative practices and approaches to supporting learner success at Humber and beyond.

We appreciate your support and enthusiasm during this transition period. We look forward to working together to create more opportunities for our students and further enhance the reputation of Humber College.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Ian Crookshank (He/Him)
Associate Vice-President, Learner and Career Success & Dean of Students