What does it mean to personalize the learning journey? At Humber, it’s about meeting learners where they are - offering flexible, responsive, and inclusive options that reflect the realities of learners’ lives, aspirations, and responsibilities.

In the second year of Humber’s 2023-2026 Academic Plan, personalizing the learning journey remains an integral part of our ongoing commitment to make learning individualized, efficient, and responsive to the needs of our students and the ever-evolving workforce. Building on the progress we made in Year 1 of the Academic Plan, we have been expanding flexible scheduling and delivery options for programs across all Faculties.

Reimagining the weekly schedule

The Academic Division has been piloting a condensed scheduling model in the Faculty of Social & Community Services (FSCS) that offers students greater flexibility and has significantly improved student outcomes. As part of this, FSCS program courses were scheduled to enable students to attend campus for a maximum of three days per week and allow for at least two days without classes. Participating students have reported that the condensed scheduling model helps them manage multiple responsibilities in addition to their courses, as well as providing them dedicated time to focus on studying and assignments.

The Longo Faculty of Business has also begun piloting evening and weekend class schedules, offering greater flexibility for working professionals balancing their careers and academic goals.

Just as we are reshaping when students learn, we are also transforming how learning happens.

Expanding how we learn

As part of a pilot research project on multiple delivery options, feedback was gathered from faculty and students in the Faculty of Health Sciences & Wellness and the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences to understand their levels of comfort and preparedness within a flexible learning environment. All student participants in the survey reported that flexible delivery (giving students choice in how and where they learn; for example, in-person or online synchronous) delivers an effective learning experience. The results are being used to support the advancement of flexible learning opportunities and to inform the redesign of learning spaces at Humber.

Future research will examine the impact of flexible delivery on class attendance and learners’ synchronous online delivery utilization, as well as its impact on access, equity and retention rates.

Beyond time and space, personalizing the learning journey also extends to how students demonstrate mastery - through models that prioritize competence over duration.

Learning by mastery: Piloting competency-based education

Multiple pilots on competency-based education (CBE) across Humber are underway. An alternative pedagogical model, CBE emphasizes personalized pacing within a curriculum designed to engage students in meaningful learning experiences that focus on demonstrating mastery rather than on time-based learning progression. Humber programs piloting CBE include Journalism, Wellness Coaching and Health Sector Regulatory Compliance.

Beginning in Fall 2025, the Journalism Graduate Certificate Program will be based entirely on CBE. As part of this model, students’ progress will be assessed by their mastery of key journalism competencies, such as community reporting, interviewing and critically analyzing information sources. Students will also be able to tailor their areas of specialization and focus on the skills and subjects that align most with their career goals.

An exploratory case study has been conducted in the Wellness Coaching Program to understand the experiences of students. The study found that students had a positive experience with CBE, noting decreased stress and increased confidence in their professional skills.

Looking ahead

At the heart of personalizing the learning journey is our commitment to choice, access, and empowerment. We know our students juggle jobs, families, and big dreams. By offering flexible, responsive, and learner-driven models, we are not only expanding access - we are transforming lives. My deepest thanks to our faculty and staff for championing this work and shaping the future of education at Humber.

Gina Antonacci
Senior Vice-President, Academic

Dear colleagues, 

We're sharing exciting developments that will help all of us play a significant role in supporting Humber students’ success. Whether you are engaging students in the classroom, providing essential support services, or working behind the scenes to ensure a smooth and supportive learning environment, your role is vital to student success and retention. 

The Humber Student Success and Retention Framework was developed by the Student Success and Retention Subcommittee of CORE SEM. The Framework was developed by members of the Academic Division, Student Success and Engagement, the Office of the Registrar and other departments within Humber. 

The Framework is meant to be a flexible guide that is responsive to learners' unique needs. Less prescriptive than a strategic plan, the Humber Student Success and Retention Framework allows autonomy and creativity while serving as a unifying way of setting priorities and making decisions related to student success and retention efforts across Humber. 

As our new brand campaign, The You You Knew Was In You, highlights, Humber Polytechnic is where students discover their edge. It is our collective responsibility to nurture and support the student journey of overcoming doubt, reaching potential, and building confidence.  

Central to the Framework are the five senses of student success: purpose, connectedness, resourcefulness, capability, and academic culture. It is our duty to nurture these senses as students discover who they are and where they want to go. Humber is committed to fostering a personalized experience that honours students’ multiple and intersectional identities and charts a path to achieving their unique goals. 

As Canada’s most comprehensive polytechnic, the diversity and breadth of our knowledge and talents is unrivaled, and as the leader in post-secondary education, Humber has an obligation to forge bold paths forward, as guided by Building Brilliance, our vision of the future.  

The Humber Student Success and Retention Framework can be found on the Academic Division website. The webpage goes in-depth on the purpose and goal of the Framework and includes a toolkit to guide Humber employees in developing programs or initiatives and curating experiences that will enhance student success. 

We encourage everyone to review the webpage and Framework to understand how we can influence and shape students’ success and continue the tradition of strong post-secondary leadership at Humber. 

Take care, 

Join the Black Futures Mentorship Program! 

Attention all staff and faculty,  

Black Student Support & Engagement is thrilled to announce the launch of the Black Futures Mentorship Program, a transformative initiative aimed at fostering the growth and development of our Black students through meaningful mentorship. Your participation in the Black Futures Mentorship Program is not just an opportunity to give back; it is a chance to make a profound impact on the lives of our students, helping them to realize their full potential and build meaningful connections and networks. 

Why join? As a mentor, you will: 

• Empower Students: Provide guidance, support, and inspiration to our Black students as they navigate their academic and professional journeys. 
• Foster Growth: Share your expertise and experiences to help shape the future leaders within our community. 
• Cultivate Connections: Build lasting relationships and network with other mentors committed to making a difference. 

Who can be a mentor? We are seeking passionate and dedicated Black identifying faculty and staff members who: 

• Have a genuine interest in mentoring and supporting Black students. 
• Are committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging within programs, Faculties and beyond.
• A willingness to dedicate time and effort to mentor Black students on a regular basis. 

We look forward to having you join us in this important and rewarding initiative. Together, we can make a difference and shape a brighter future for our students. 

If you are interested in becoming a mentor or would like more information about the program, please register now.

If you have any questions, please reach out to jack.lewis@humber.ca.

Dear Faculty and Staff,

I hope this message finds you well.

I’m writing to inform you that Indira Danraj (Indi) is no longer with the Humber Bookstore team. We sincerely thank her for her contributions and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

We’re pleased to welcome Michele Croft as the new Course Material Market Leader. Michele’s role will be to engage with the academic community and publishers to ensure course material adoptions are submitted in a timely manner, physical textbooks are ordered, and digital content is available for purchase. She will also be reaching out to academic departments to identify new opportunities for collaboration and support.

The Bookstore team will continue to support the school by:

• Managing in-store textbook operations
• Receiving and processing adoption information in person (if needed)
• Ensuring course materials are available for students at the campus stores

In the interim, the bookstore team will remain your primary point of contact for any course material or bookstore-related inquiries:

• For North Campus, please email: 0947txt@follett.com
• For Lakeshore Campus, please email: 0948txt@follett.com

Dharmesh Patel
416.996.6282
d.patel@follett.com