In today’s fast-paced world, a single misstep can spiral into a full-blown crisis. Are you prepared to lead with clarity, confidence, and control when it matters most?

If you’re ready to learn the tips and tools, enrol in our Strategic Crisis Communication course. This micro-credential equips learners with essential crisis communication tools to protect reputations, maintain public trust and minimize business disruption. Learn how to craft compelling messages, manage media relations, and protect your organization’s image under pressure.

Be the voice of reason when it matters most! Enrol for COMS 100 today on our website: Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences - Continuous Professional Learning

Humber employees can use code SAVE20 (case sensitive) during checkout to receive a 20 per cent discount on the cost of the course.

For questions, please contact cplliberalarts@humber.ca.

Please join us in celebrating the retirement of Melinda Kao, who is retiring after 22 years of dedicated service at Humber.

Throughout her career, Melinda has made significant contributions across several departments, including Community Workforce and Development (COWD) and Program Planning, Development & Renewal. Her commitment to excellence, collaborative spirit, and leadership have left a lasting impact on colleagues and the institution.

While we are sad to see her go, we are grateful for the work she has done and wish her all the best in this next chapter of life.

To share your personal congratulations, please sign this e-card!

In addition, we will be hosting a drop-in celebration on Wednesday, June 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. in LinX.

Please stop by and join us.

In year two of the Digital Campus Plan, teams across Humber have been working to transform the future of work and enhance the student experience.  

We have been intentional in our actions to adapt to the changing needs of staff and respond to the current ways of working. In the Digital Campus of Tomorrow, Humber’s Digital Campus Plan, we outlined initiatives that relate to the digital workplace and wanted to provide updates on some of those efforts. 

Microsoft Teams Phone  

Given the ability to connect from anywhere in Humber’s hybrid work environment, desktop phones have become less suitable for some communication and as a result we have transitioned to Microsoft Teams Phone. This has been implemented across the institution, and work is underway to do the same for the University of Guelph-Humber as well.  

Microsoft Teams Phone modernizes the way in which calls are made, and every employee has a “soft phone” that provides a consistent means of being reached wherever they go.  

Emergency services can be contacted through Microsoft Teams Phone. Any calls made to 911 are triaged and directed to the appropriate emergency service department and location.  

Physical phones remain in all learning spaces (such as classrooms, labs, and maker spaces) as well as in hallways and communal areas for life-safety purposes.  

Amazon Connect 

In December, the Contact Centre moved to Amazon Connect, a cloud-based system for inquiries. Students or other enquiries calling 416.675.3111 now experience a more efficient journey through a redesigned call tree, getting to the information they need faster. Some of the highlights include: 

• Call flows are AI-enabled, using Amazon Lex bot speech activation.  
• Callers are able to tell us what they are looking for (e.g. full-time programs, how to apply, financial aid, campus tours, public safety, technical support, etc.) to be directed to the information they need.  
• When calls come from an SMS-enabled device, helpful information can be pushed directly to their phone. For example, someone calling about Continuous Professional Learning can get a link to the CPL website or enquiries about campus tours can get a link to book a tour. 
• If at any point the Lex bot is not able to recognize the request, the caller will smoothly move to menu options to assist with their enquiry. 

Amazon Connect is a more technically stable system with the capability to scale up during peak periods and scale down at less busy times as well as provide analytics and insights that can improve the experience for students and customers. This was a collaborative initiative with the Registrar’s Office, Digital Solutions, and Amazon Web Services. 

Thank you to the teams involved in these initiatives for helping to push the plan forward. 

Scott Briggs  
Vice-President, Digital Innovation and CIO 

Three Humber Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology members travelled to Bhutan with the International Development Institute for the Bhutan Education and Skills Training (BEST) project from February to March 2025. Ian Maclachlan, Professor and Program Coordinator, HVAC Technician and Technology, Donna Zarudny, Horticulture Apprentice Instructor, and Craig Trineer, Electrical Apprenticeship Program Coordinator, designed training materials, demonstrations, and hands-on learning activities for trainers at three different technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutes.

Each FAST member shared best practices, curriculum training, pedagogical methodologies, and strategies from their field of expertise, including Solar PV, HVAC, Electrical Engineering, and Landscaping Technician. They worked closely with Bhutanese trainers to adapt the teaching material to the cultural context and equip students at the Bhutanese TVET institutions with the skills, knowledge, and expertise in these areas for employment and self-employment opportunities.

Craig Trineer shared, "For anybody who gets into education, especially if they're leaving a field they've risen up to a certain level in, they get into it because they want to give back what was given to them. They want to create opportunities for people and desire to give a little bit more, a little bit better than what they have to try and make things better, and it's a powerful force, motivationally speaking.

It's especially powerful when you're in a mentoring environment like the electrical trade. The lessons we tend to teach are hard, and the sense that you can make a positive difference in somebody's life is really rewarding. I knew they were launching these new programs in Bhutan, and I hoped I could put extra energy into their delivery for the sake of the instructors, the students, and, inevitably, the whole society. You're hoping to make a positive and lasting contribution."

This trip emphasizes collaboration to create meaningful change in education, fostering innovation, enhancing efficiency, and equipping learners with the skills needed to advance economic and social progress.

For more details about their trip, read the Humber Today article.

Learn more about the BEST project.

Interviews from Ian Maclachlan and Donna Zarudny's time in Bhutan will be released in June 2025.

To get involved in the BEST project, contact Vidushi Sanghadia, BEST Project Lead, at vidushi.sanghadia@humber.ca.