June 21 marks National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada. This day is dedicated to honouring the rich cultures, traditions, histories, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples across our nation. National Indigenous Peoples Day is an opportunity for us all to deepen our understanding of Indigenous cultures and acknowledge the vital role they play in shaping our society. 

This June, Humber is celebrating National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day with exciting news! Yesterday, we announced that Humber will become the first college in Canada to offer Indigenous students free tuition starting this fall. This initiative builds upon Humber’s unwavering commitment to advancing Truth and Reconciliation, deepens our valued relationships with local Indigenous communities, and elevates Indigenous excellence within our institution. Read the full announcement and join us in celebrating this milestone. 

Ways to celebrate and observe this day: 

• Toronto Public Library hosts Indigenous celebrations, a festival of cultures and heritage featuring Indigenous storytelling, literature, and discussions on history and current issues. 

Other ways to participate: 

• Read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls for Justice. 
• Explore the City of Toronto’s first Reconciliation Action Plan, guiding actions towards truth, justice, and reconciliation from 2022 to 2032. 
• Discover Indigenous literature available at Toronto Public Library branches and online. 
• Watch Indigenous-made films through the National Film Board of Canada’s Indigenous Cinema, offering free streaming of more than 200 film titles. 
• Learn more about Indigenous organizations, events, and research via the Tkaronto Indigenous Portal. 
• Support Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses. 
• Shop for unique items from Indigenous artisans and books about Indigenous history available through the Toronto History Museums Shop.

View the hours of operation for food services during reading week from June 24 to 27. 

All food service locations on campus will be closed starting June 28 and will reopen on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.

Visit dineoncampus.ca for menu and hours of operation.

This week’s focus is on asssessment, curriculum and instruction, and digital learning and technology barriers.

The report discussed the following regarding barriers in assessment, curriculum and instruction: 

• Post-secondary institutions struggle with providing equitable access to assessments, curriculum and instruction for students with disabilities 
• This struggle is the result of higher education evolving from a system that did not consider the full inclusion of students with a diverse range of abilities and learning needs 

Recommendations from the report included: 

1. The Ontario government shall work with post-secondary institutions, especially with their centres for teaching and learning, to create a common set of accessibility standards for all teaching and learning offered through the post-secondary institutions 
2. Post-secondary institutions are to identify and publicly communicate the bona fide and essential academic requirements of a program or course in multiple locations. Such as the program website, program manual, course outlines/syllabus, and teaching and learning plans. 

The report discussed the following regarding digital learning and technology barriers: 

• An accessible digital learning environment means that students with disabilities can access and use technology, produce and consume content, and engage in learning independently and effectively. 

Recommendations from the report include: 

1. Equitable access to resources, opportunities and services shall be made available to learners with disabilities at no additional cost to the learner. 
2. Each post-secondary institution shall develop a digital accessibility plan which provides processes and policies to ensure all users access the same digital information or digital services regardless of the impairments they may experience. 

The full report is available online

Visit our ALS Information for Faculty website to learn more about accommodating students with disabilities. 

Please email us at accessible-learning@humber.ca with suggestions for key accessibility-related topics that you would like us to address through the Communiqué.

The DSX Program comprises three initiatives that will integrate and support each other in delivering on the promise of simplifying and personalizing the Humber student journey. In February, we shared some details about the three elements of the DSX program, and I am pleased to be able to provide updates on the progress of this important work to date. 

Enterprise Web Strategy – Digital Experience Platform and Content Management System (DXP)  

Humber has been working with external vendor Northern Commerce on the DXP project. In March 2024, more than 2,700 people were surveyed about Humber’s current website and what elements would be beneficial in redesigning the site. This survey group included current students and staff, prospects and alumni. Following this work, the DXP team is developing a personalized and continuous browsing experience across all Humber sites, including:  

• Adjusting content based on data analytics to improve the experience for prospective students  
• Creating standardized, modular design components to support the simplified creation/update of content  
• Maintaining a brand presence and a consistent look and feel across all of Humber’s websites  
• A new centralized way to easily search, share and download digital assets such as photos, video clips, etc.

Within this platform are a Content Management System and a Digital Asset Management System. The Content Management System will host all of Humber’s websites on a modern, centrally managed platform. The first website to launch with a refined look and functionality will be the International webpage in August, followed by an updated Real Estate Education Program webpage. 

The Digital Asset Management System will be a content hub with Humber brand assets, photography, video and graphic elements for use across Humber in communications and other material. As we recently shared in the Communiqué, an initial set of 2,500 to 3,000 high-quality photos will be searchable and accessible for download through the DAM in June. Read the full DAM update.  

Digital Identity (DI) 

DI will provide a single Humber identity that offers personalized and secure experiences in every interaction. DI includes:  

• One single identity through your entire Humber journey  
• Access automatically evolves with roles  
• Single, universal and evolving profile that is consistently available across the applications you use 

In May, we finalized the high-level DI architecture supporting this work. We also began to define the vendor selection process and engage with internal DI partners. We are on track to select our implementation partner and start the design phase in June.   

Enrolment and Admissions Rethinking (E&AR)

Enrolment & Admissions Rethinking (E&AR) focuses on automation that will offer faster admissions decisions and a personalized process that builds early relationships with prospects and applicants. Once fully implemented, this will help Humber achieve strategic enrolment goals by providing personalized interactions through a centralized online admissions experience. 

The E&AR team has concluded the initial discovery phase, which involved workshops to capture and confirm more than 380 functional requirements and build a future state process flow. Consultation and input will continue as the team moves into the next phase of the project and proceeds with the release of the first admissions in 2025.   

The input of the Humber community is critical to all aspects of DSX work. I am grateful for the cross-project collaboration and integration that is happening with DXP, DI and E&AR.  
 
Scott Briggs 
Vice-President, Digital Innovation and CIO