Announcements

College Council Highlights - March 2023
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When:
April 3, 2023
Contact:
Regan Mancini
Email:
regan.mancini@humber.ca
Posters/Attachments: Event Poster

An assembly of faculty, support staff, students, and administrators, Humber College Council (HCC) is Humber’s collective employee voice, making suggestions to Humber College’s President as it relates to long and short‐term institutional priorities.

At its sixth meeting of the academic year, College Council welcomed presentations on the Virtual Production Graduate Certificate and the New Greenfield Research & Innovation Fund.

NEW PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT: VIRTUAL PRODUCTION GRADUATE CERTIFICATE

Ahmed Raza Sagarwala, associate dean, Interaction Design, Faculty of Media and Creative Arts and Jason Benlas, program consultant, Program Planning, Development and Renewal provided an overview of the Virtual Production Graduate Certificate program. This new credential aims to equip film and broadcast students with the skills and knowledge to use leading edge technology and gain practical work experience. A pathway program for many sectors, the program will use simulation to provide students with an understanding of real-world production within the film industry, with the potential for films to be fully developed within studios. Courses will be online, hybrid and in-person.

NEW FUNDING FOR RESEARCH PROJECTS - GREENFIELD RESEARCH & INNOVATION FUND

Ginger Grant, dean of the Office of Research and Innovation provided an overview of the Greenfield Research and Innovation Fund - made possible through a NSERC Mobilize Grant that Humber received.

The fund aims to strengthen Humber’s regional partnerships and applied research in the areas of Digital Transformation and Social Innovation. It also seeks to build new capacity in the areas of the Healthy Built Environment and the New World of Work, to help regional partners respond to the health, economic, and environmental impacts brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Open to all sectors, researchers are welcome to propose other themes as they collaborate with private and public sector partners, not-for-profit organizations based in Canada, universities, and other colleges. Humber will train students and emerging researchers while creating programs that engage underrepresented communities in research projects.

Commenced in January 2023, up to $25,000 will be awarded per project over a six to 12-month period, with extensions subject to approval. Investigators must be full-time, part-time and partial-load faculty and staff that have successfully completed a Seed, Cultivate or other internal or externally funded research project. Applications must include at least one partner organization who will cost share/provide 1:1 cash and in-kind contributions. View the Greenfield Research & Innovation Fund Handbook for details, or contact Shenique Turner or Juan Felipe Garcia.

NEXT HCC MEETING

The next Humber College Council meeting will be held in-person on April 13, 2023.

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?

For questions or comments about HCC meeting highlights, contact regan.mancini@humber.ca.

For supporting materials, meeting minutes, or opportunities to provide feedback, please visit the College Council website or contact shovani.samalia@humber.ca.

Healthy Breaks@Humber
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When:
March 31, 2023
Contact:
Centre for Innovation in Health and Wellness
Email:
CIHW@humber.ca
Posters/Attachments: Event Poster

The end of semester is approaching! Book a free Healthy Breaks@Humber session to help manage the stress.

What is Healthy Breaks@Humber?

Healthy Breaks@Humber is an initiative that involves taking a short 10-minute break in the middle of a meeting or class to refresh the body and mind. Students, faculty and staff are all welcome to take a healthy break with us.

Why seek Healthy Breaks@Humber?

Research has proven that taking a healthy break during the day can help improve mental health, increase focus and creativity, lessen body aches and pains, and enhance engagement.

How to book Healthy Breaks@Humber?

A healthy break can be taken through 'movement' or 'mindfulness'. If you have a meeting/class that is 1.5 hours or more and you would like to schedule a healthy break, please email us at cihw@humber.ca or scan the QR code in the poster.

March 31: Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV)
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When:
March 31, 2023
Contact:
Yanni Thepanya
Email:
yanni.thepanya@humber.ca

Sharing Knowledge

Humber College is committed to fostering a respectful and inclusive culture in which all members of the college community study, work and live free from discrimination and harassment.

In the wake of transphobic sentiments escalating in Canada, as well as bills and laws targeting transgender civil rights in the United States and United Kingdom, please join the Humber 2SLGBTQ+ ERG on Friday, March 31, 2023 in commemorating Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV). This is a time to celebrate and amplify trans representation, an opportunity to uplift trans communities, reflect on our own bias, and advance awareness about the challenges the trans community faces. 

Trans is an umbrella term to describe people whose gender is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth. Trans people may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including (but not limited to) transgender, non-binary, or genderqueer. It is important to remember that trans identities are diverse. Trans people may identify in many different ways (Stonewall.org, 2019).  

TDOV is a day to show your support for the trans community. It aims to bring attention to the accomplishments of trans people around the globe bringing awareness to transgender identities, achievements, and community.  

Rachel Crandall, an American transgender activist, launched the day in 2009 as a response to transgender people's poor recognition and acceptance. At the time, the only well-known trans-centered day was the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which commemorated transgender persons who had been murdered but did not honour or celebrate surviving transgender people. Transgender Day of Visibility was established as a day to honour and celebrate transgender people in a positive light (Transgender Day of Visibility, 2022).  

Ways to celebrate TDOV include: 

  1. Educate yourself and share that knowledge across your networks. A good place to start is Humber Library’s 2SLGBTQ+ Education Guide. Toronto Public Library also has a helpful resource.  
  2. Check your networks and see if you are following trans creators, educators, and artists. Amplify those voices today and beyond.  

References

Cbc.ca. (2021, November 7). Anti-trans views are worryingly prevalent and disproportionately harmful, community and experts warn. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/anti-transgender-narratives-canada-1.6232947

Stonewall.org. (2019, March 27). What does trans mean? Retrieved from Stonewall.org: https://www.stonewall.org.uk/what-does-trans-mean

Transgender Day of Visibility. (2022, March). Retrieved from National Today: https://nationaltoday.com/transgender-day-visibility

Massive thank you to Kathryn Edgett (she/they) for this thought provoking write up. 

Join Us in the Humber Room Next Week
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When:
March 31, 2023
Patrons seated as a dining table

Your on-campus student-run restaurant lab, The Humber Room, is open for lunch!  

Join us next week for our à la carte and banquet family service styles with a different menu available each day.

Service Styles April 4 - 7 

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
À la Carte Banquet Family Style À la Carte Banquet Family Style

The Humber Room is a live learning lab for our students and a culinary and service experience for guests. Our menu selection and service style change every week based on our curriculum. Enjoy your culinary experience led by our Culinary Management and Baking and Pastry Arts students and service provided by Event and Hospitality Management students.   

View next week's menu  

Hours of Operation  

Tuesday - Friday  
Doors open at 12 p.m.  
Seating guests between 12 p.m. - 12:15 p.m.  
Service ends by 1:30 p.m.   

For group reservations of 10 guests or more, please email jessica.estrela@humber.ca. 

 

The Humber International Graduate School: Meeting Labour Market Needs through the Ontario Graduate Certificate
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When:
March 30, 2023

In the latest SVPA guest blog, read how Humber's International Graduate School is supporting international learners in leveraging their past experience and their Ontario Graduate Certificate to launch successful careers in Canada. 

Call for Papers: Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Communication
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When:
March 30, 2023

This open call seeks submissions that contribute to our understanding of the application of AI in media production and consumption, considering the wide range of communication processes and theories from the perspective of communication studies. Multidisciplinary submissions are welcome.

We encourage a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches to this subject, particularly those relating to global and international contexts for the subject.

Send your 500-word abstracts with your chapter proposal and five key words by April 30, 2023 to raquel.benitezrojas@humber.ca.

The term ‘Artificial intelligence’ (AI) was coined by John McCarthy in the year 1956 at Dartmouth College at the first-ever AI conference. Later that year, JC Shaw, Herbert Simon, and Allen Newell created the first AI software program named ‘Logic Theorist.’ Since then, AI is changing the way we communicate in the media world as is the intelligence demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence of humans and other animals. It is the backbone of innovation in modern computing, unlocking value for individuals and businesses. Its applications include advanced web search engines, recommendation systems, understanding human speech with voice-enabled devices, such as Siri and Alexa, that have evolved the way people talk to their devices. AI has also contributed to self-driving cars, generative and creative tools, automated decision-making, and competing at the highest levels in strategic game systems.

The study of mechanical or "formal" reasoning began with philosophers and mathematicians in antiquity. The study of mathematical logic led directly to Alan Turing's theory of computation, which suggested that a machine, by shuffling symbols as simple as "0" and "1", could simulate any conceivable act of mathematical deduction. This insight that digital computers can simulate any process of formal reasoning is known as the Church–Turing thesis (Berlinski, 2001). 

The importance of the proposed research is to analyse how those 0s and 1s have affected and impacted the communication:

  • how AI will evolve and how this evolution will affect the communication
  • what will be implications of the four main types of artificial intelligence affecting the perception and reception of the recipient
  • what is AI and why it matters
  • how AI is shaping the future of communication and media
  • what AI means for the freedom of speech
  • what it takes to make AI safe and effective, in the adaptive artificial intelligence, unlike traditional AI systems, can revise its own code to adjust for real-world changes that were not known or foreseen when the code was first written,
  • is the AI controlling and determining the access to the mass media for the users

References

Berlinski, David, (2001) The advent of the algorithm: The 300-year journey from an idea to the computer. Harcourt Books. San Diego, USA

Fee for Service Physiotherapy & Pilates is Now Available
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When:
March 29, 2023
Contact:
Susan Czyzo
Tel:
hello@groundedphysiotherapy.ca
Email:
hello@groundedphysiotherapy.ca
Posters/Attachments: Event Poster
Susan Czyzo standing at a lake

Susan Czyzo supports adults in living active and mindful lives through physiotherapy, pilates and mindfulness.

Appointments available starting April 5, and run every Wednesday from 12 to 3 p.m. at the Humber Athletic Therapy Clinic (Lakeshore Campus).

Treatments are eligible for reimbursement under extended health benefits.

To book an appointment, scan the QR code or visit the booking site.

Dante's Infinite Monkeys Now Available for Free Download - Humber Press
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When:
March 29, 2023
Cover of book with several hands holding cell phones

Books | Humber Press

Tour the dark side of the digital age with fun and a scholarly new book. Where are the best places to find Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Envy, Sloth, Wrath, and Pride? Professor Mike Dover knows – and they’re all a click away. Dante’s Infinite Monkeys: Technology and the Seven Deadly Sins takes readers on a wide-ranging and deeply researched tour of the worst parts of our new digital utopia. Mike Dover is the co-author of Wikibrands, a professor at Humber College’s Longo Faculty of Business, and an in-demand speaker on the subject of technology and marketing. He has spent years examining how some bad actors use technological innovation to get filthy rich, get revenge, and indulge their worst instincts. In Dante’s Infinite Monkeys he shows how technology and the internet are re-shaping society in some perilous ways, and offers suggestions on how we might stem the tide of awfulness that is threatening to swamp us all.

Temporary Traffic Changes at Hwy 27 and Humber College Blvd
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When:
March 28, 2023
Posters/Attachments: Event Poster

As part of the Finch West Light Rail (LRT) project, please note that there will be temporary traffic changes at Highway 27 and Humber College Blvd for upcoming streetlight construction work on April 1, 2023 between 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.. The work will be completed on the same day. Traffic changes will occur in two stages:

Stage 1: Partial closure of the west bound curb lane at Humber College Blvd., west of Hwy 27.

Stage 2: Partial closure of the north bound lane at Hwy 27, north of Humber College Blvd.

Please view the construction notice for more details provided by Metrolinx.

We encourage the Humber community to use Finch and Hwy 427 to minimize traffic delays.

Reminder: 2022-23 Year-End Closing and Transition to New Fiscal Year
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When:
March 28, 2023
Posters/Attachments: Event Poster

As we enter the last week of March 2023, Financial Services would like to send an additional reminder about the important year-end process for 2022-23.

This memo outlines important dates for the upcoming year-end (as of March 31, 2023) by which pertinent information needs to be submitted to Finance and/or appropriate action needs to be taken. We need your strict adherence to these dates to complete the financial statements, external audit, and Board and Ministry reporting in the stipulated and tight timeframe.   

DEADLINES ARE TO BE INTERPRETED AS 4:30 P.M. OF THE DATE SPECIFIED

a) Procurement – Friday, January 13, 2023

It is strongly recommended that all Request for Proposal and related purchasing activities be initiated by the above date to ensure adequate time is allotted to complete the procurement cycle by the year-end date. Goods must be received, and/or services must be rendered by March 31 to be recorded against the 2022-23 fiscal year budget. 

b) Revenue Deferral – Friday, February 24, 2023

Requests for unearned revenue deferrals should be based on the anticipated year-end balance and must be made by submitting a Revenue Deferral Request Form to evan.chin@humber.ca by the above date. Requests will be approved in accordance with accounting principles. The form identifies eligibility criteria.

c) New Fund, Org or Reporting Hierarchy Changes for the new fiscal year – Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Requests for new fund/org codes or reporting hierarchy change requests should be submitted no later than March 22 to your Finance Liaison in order for new fund/org codes to be ready for the new fiscal year. No new or change requests will be processed in Banner during the period from April 1 to April 30 as Finance completes year-end activities.

d) Accounts Receivable – Friday, March 24, 2023

All requests to invoice (external) customers for current fiscal year activities must be made by submitting a Request to Invoice form to accounts.receivable@humber.ca by the above date. 

e) Interdepartmental Charges – Friday, March 31, 2023

All interdepartmental charges (i.e. capital works, telephone, graphics etc.) or journal entry requests for the current fiscal year must be submitted by the above date. 

f) Purchase Card (MasterCard) Charges – Friday, March 31, 2023

All purchase card transactions must be processed and approved in Chrome River by the above date. 

It is important to note that until transactions are APPROVED in Chrome River, they are not transferred to and recorded in Banner. It is imperative that transactions are approved by the deadline to ensure they are recorded in Banner against the Fiscal 2022-23 budget. Any unapproved transactions will be recorded against next year’s budget. Please visit the Finance website Chrome River training documentation for a job aid on How to Approve P-Card Transactions.   

g) Out of Pocket Travel & Expense Claims – Friday, March 31, 2023

Travel and expense claims must be processed and APPROVED in Chrome River by the above date, otherwise they will be processed in the next fiscal year. 

h) Banner Purchase Order Receiving – Friday, March 31, 2023

Banner receiving is an online confirmation that goods ordered or services rendered have been appropriately received and vendor invoice is approved for payment. Banner receiving must be completed for goods or services received by the above date. 

If Banner receiving is not complete by the above deadline, expenses will be recorded against next fiscal year’s budget. 

i) Vendor Invoices – Monday, April 3, 2023

Vendor invoices must be emailed to Accounts Payable by the above date. Please note that Banner receiving must be complete by the date specified above (h); otherwise, the expense will be charged against next fiscal year’s budget.

Note: Purchase orders with remaining balance of $100 (or less) and all Standing orders for the current year will be closed as of March 31, 2023 (i.e. not rolled over into the new fiscal year). 

j) Prepaid Expenses 

As per accounting principles, payments made in the current fiscal year that relate to goods being received or services being rendered beyond March 31, 2023 date will be automatically charged to next fiscal year’s budget. 

k) Payroll Timecards and Vacation Approval (HRMS) – Friday, March 31, 2023

All timecards for work performed in the current fiscal year and vacation plan for up to and including March 31, 2023 must be approved by the above date. Further communication will be provided in March from HR/Payroll.  

2023-24 Fiscal Year Readiness

Please note that effective March 1, 2023, the fiscal 2023-24 budget will be available in Banner to process procurement related activities. Purchasing will host two refresher sessions on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Thursday, February 9, 2023 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., to review items such as creating standing orders. Please email purchasing@humber.ca to register for one of these two sessions. 

Summary

We appreciate and thank everyone in advance for their cooperation. Please contact anyone on our Finance team if you have any questions on the above, or year-end activities in general.

Quick Reference Table of Year-End Deadlines 

Financial Item 

Due Date 

Initiating Procurement for delivery by Year-end 

Friday, January 13, 2023 

Revenue Deferral requests 

Friday, February 24, 2023 

New Fund/Org or reporting hierarchy changes 

Wednesday, March 22, 2023 

Accounts Receivable Invoicing requests 

Friday, March 24, 2023 

Interdepartmental Charges requests 

Friday, March 31, 2023 

Chrome River transactions processed and approved 

Friday, March 31, 2023 

Out of pocket Travel & Expense Claims approved in Chrome River 

Friday, March 31, 2023 

Banner Purchase Order Receiving

Friday, March 31, 2023

Payroll Timecards and Vacation (HRMS) approved

Friday, March 31, 2023 

Vendor Invoices received by Accounts Payable

Monday, April 3, 2023

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