October is the Workplace Health Month and October 10 marks the World Mental Health Day. Today, we want to take a moment to focus on something incredibly important, our mental health and the importance of preventing burnout. 

In today’s fast-paced world, the demands of work, personal responsibilities, and everyday life can sometimes feel overwhelming. Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a gradual process that builds over time when prolonged stress and a lack of balance begin to take a toll on both our mental and physical well-being. 

The good news is that burnout is preventable. By staying connected and using the right tools and support, we can protect our mental health and build resilience. 

Homewood Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) offers a wide range of confidential services to help you manage stress, improve mental health, and prevent burnout. These include: 

• Counselling services to support you through stress, anxiety, or burnout. 
• The Life Smart Coaching Program: Burnout and Stress Solutions. 
• The online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program. 
• A rich library of on-demand articles, webinars, and podcasts to deepen your understanding of mental health and burnout prevention. 
• Pulse Check and Wellness History, a personalized tool for tracking your wellbeing. 

Full-time employees and Regular Part-Time (RPT) Support Staff and their immediate family have access to the EFAP services and support. You can contact Homewood at 1-800-663-1142 or visit the Homewood website to access their online resources. Please follow this Registration Video Tutorial to create an account and access Homewood’s website and online resources. 

Part-time/contract employees who need counselling support should contact oe@humber.ca for assistance.   

For more information on well-being resources for employees and students, visit Humber’s online Healthy Community Hub. For a list of mental health resources that are available to students, refer to the Student Mental Health Supports Communique announcement. 

If you have any questions, please contact oe@humber.ca.   

Taking care of your mental health is essential. Let’s continue to support one another and make mental health and well-being a priority. 

The Teaching Effectiveness Certificate (TEC) is a foundational professional learning program designed for educators and trainers who are new to teaching in adult learning environments as well as for experienced educators and trainers seeking to revisit and reflect on the fundamentals of effectively teaching adult learners. This certificate provides essential training in key areas such as curriculum design, instructional strategies, assessment methods, and creating a community of learners. Participants who complete the certificate will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to confidently teach adult learners. The certificate consists of four courses, offering a comprehensive introduction to the core principles of adult teaching and learning.   

This offering is an optional professional development opportunity for Humber faculty, available at no cost. Space is limited and on a first come, first served basis.

Website: Teaching Effectiveness Certificate Description 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Indicate your interest by completing the F25 Teaching Effectiveness Certificate Intake Form. Upon completion of the form, a secure link will be displayed for you to use to register yourself through the CPL website.  

Dear Humber Community,

We are excited to share that GPT-5 is now available in Microsoft Copilot Chat at Humber. As of August 2025, Microsoft integrated GPT-5 into Copilot services, giving all students, faculty, and staff access to advanced generative AI capabilities through their Humber credentials. Copilot Chat ensures commercial data protection while supporting teaching, learning, and daily operations. For more information, please visit Copilot Chat.

Our AI Guidelines

As Humber continues integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into academic and workplace settings, we want to remind our community of the guiding principles for responsible use. Please refer to these key documents:

• Humber Statement on Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity
• AI Tools at Work – Humber Digital Campus

These resources outline expectations for ethical and appropriate AI use, ensuring that AI enhances learning, creativity, and productivity while upholding fairness, accountability, and integrity.

Using AI Responsibly

We encourage you to explore Copilot Chat as part of your academic and professional work using your Humber login. All AI use must comply with Humber’s academic integrity and workplace policies.

By using AI responsibly, we can ensure these powerful tools continue to benefit our entire community.

Thank you for upholding Humber’s values of integrity and innovation.

Sincerely,

Humber and University of Guelph-Humber employees can take advantage of limited time offers on smart phones and phone plans. Rogers is currently offering competitive plans for our employees through our Rogers Preferred Program:  

• Get the latest smart phones starting from $0/month and bill credit for 24 months with financing and phone returned* on select plans.  

To learn more, please view the attached Rogers flyer. If you have any questions, please contact our Humber Account Manager, Somya Gupta at (416) 275-5553, or via email at somya@global-wireless.ca. 

Interested in other employee perks that are available? Explore our employee perks page on the  People(s) & Culture Website – Employee Perks.   

Questions, or suggestions on employee perks, please email us at oe@humber.ca.