Humber Today sat down with Chris Whitaker to find out more about him, his journey to Humber and his vision for the college.

What attracted you to Humber?

Having worked in the Ontario College sector for 25 years, I’ve watched as Humber has led the system into what it is today; 24 colleges whose ultimate goal is produce job-ready graduates. I want the opportunity to be part of the great things happening at Humber because the college developed the polytechnic vision better than any other institution. Humber’s experienced faculty, breadth of programs, range of credentials, pathways to degree completion, and community engagement truly make the institution the leading college in the province, if not the country.

What is your incoming message to the Humber community?

My message to the Humber community is that we’re going to continue to build on our successes to date. We’re going to keep offering industry-guided programs that reflect the modern economy and give students the education and training that employers want. We’re going to continue to provide a high-quality teaching and learning environment by hiring industry-connected faculty and supporting them to excel in the classroom and engage students. We’re going to make sure that all employees know of their contributions to student success in the classroom and we’re going to keep celebrating the diversity, inclusiveness and collaboration of the Humber community within the college and throughout our neighbourhoods.

What opportunities do you see for Humber in the coming years?

I see great things for students. We will continue to expand our access and our pathways. We will give more prospective students the opportunity to attend college and earn a postsecondary credential, and we’ll give current students more options and choices to add to their credentials. We’ll continue to provide the support services to students who need it.

What, or who, inspires you?

I take inspiration from many people, including my family, colleagues and those I interact with every day. I’m most inspired by people who want to be successful, whatever success means to them; by people who work to overcome their personal challenges in order to make themselves better, and by those who help others seeking to make a difference in their or someone else’s life.

What do you want the Humber community to know about you?

I most want the Humber community to know that I’m going to ask questions and I’m going to listen to their answers. I’m a life-long learner and I’m interested in people and their stories. I’m excited to learn what brought people to Humber and how we can continue to make the college a great place to study and work.

Quick Facts:

• Chris is the fourth president in Humber’s history
• Prior to Humber, Chris was President and CEO at St. Lawrence College
• Chris is married with three children
• Chris’ favourite hockey team is the Toronto Maple Leafs
• Chris’ favourite band is the Rolling Stones

The College Employers Council and OPSEU, representing more than 10,000 college faculty in Ontario are currently in the midst of negotiating a new collective agreement. They have agreed to the services of a Ministry of Labour conciliator when talks resume on August 14, 2012. The faculty's contract expires on August 31, 2012.

There have been 10 days of bargaining thus far and there are another 11 days scheduled between now and the expiry of the Collective Agreement.

Staff, students and parents can be assured that Humber College is monitoring the situation and that contingency plans are being developed. In the meantime, both bargaining teams are committed to reaching a settlement by the Fall term.

Further updates with regard to academic staff bargaining will be provided as the process unfolds.

Other details of bargaining can be found at www.theCouncil.on.ca and www.opseu.org/caat/caat_ac/caataindex.htm.

Deb McCarthy
Associate Vice-President, Human Resources

All information is posted online at www.humber.ca/update and to the corporate email system under the "Bargaining News 2012" conference on your FirstClass Desktop.

After careful consideration, Humber College has decided to join other Canadian post-secondary institutions including York University, Queen’s University, University of Guelph, University of British Columbia and the University of New Brunswick and will not extend its licence agreement with the copyright collective, Access Copyright. The Academic Schools have worked with the Copyright Librarian to prepare for this change which will take effect September 1, 2012.

As an academic institution, we are committed to the sharing of knowledge, respect for intellectual property rights, appropriate payment to rights holders and the fair application of copyright law. Humber is choosing the option which best serves the fundamental and long-term interests of our academic community based on the following factors:

• The legislative approval of the Copyright Modernization Act in June 2012 and recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions which support broader educational uses of copyrighted material.
• Ready access to Humber’s extensive collection of licensed e-journals, e-books and databases through the Humber Library. Materials in the collection are funded on an annual basis and can be legally and appropriately accessed for teaching and learning.
• The limited indemnity offered through the Access Copyright license since the license only permits limited copying of a work and only with respect to materials included in the Access Copyright repertoire.

Humber will continue to refine our policies and guidelines to support this transition. An explanation of fair dealing and how it supports the distribution of published works will be available mid-August. Details on appropriate copying under the concept of fair dealing will be available at library.humber.ca > For Faculty > Copyright Issues.

If you have any questions regarding the appropriate use of print and digital materials, please contact library copyright staff at copyright@humber.ca.

Watch for our brand new show to hit screens this fall!

What to Expect?

• New logo and streamlined layouts
• Animated design elements
• Dynamic segments including:
  • Live Humber Twitter integration
  • HSF Humberlife News
  • Entertainment News & World News
• Multizone layouts for even more realtime and up to the minute news and weather infor
• Full 1080p resolution for eye-popping visuals 

For more information, please contact: