Welcome back, everyone. We hope you enjoyed a well-deserved break. We encourage you to stay connected with us for upcoming events, programs and workshops, along with a variety of CfE and partner opportunities. Check out what's happening this winter. View the January newsletter.
As per the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), effective January 1, 2022, the general minimum wage in Ontario increased from $14.35 to $15.00 an hour. This minimum wage applies to most employees covered under the ESA. If an employee’s current wage is less than $14.35 an hour, they will notice an increase to their hourly rate to $15.00 on the January 28, 2022 pay slip.
In response to the evolving pandemic situation and following recent government announcements, Humber College has made some changes to the plans for in-person learning for the Winter 2022 term. These plans are intended to ensure that the experiential learning needs of our student community are met.
On January 24, all lab-based courses will return to campus as planned and in compliance with local public health guidelines and government directives.
All theory-based courses will remain online until Sunday, March 6. We are planning to return to in-person learning on Monday, March 7. There may be very limited exceptions and learners in those situations will be advised directly.
Students will receive additional details from their programs.
Should there be any further changes to academic delivery plans, we will update students accordingly. Please visit www.humber.ca/updates for the most recent information.
Impacts of Recent Government Announcements on Humber Operations
On January 3, the Ontario government announced that the province would be moving to a modified version of Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen. Following this announcement, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities confirmed that there are still no changes to capacity limits or physical distancing requirements for instructional spaces at post-secondary institutions.
There are changes that will impact some of Humber’s service areas, including fitness centres and food services. The government’s January 3 announcement included the following measures, in place until at least January 26:
It was also announced that all publicly funded and private schools would be moving to remote learning starting January 5 until at least January 14. We know that this will likely be challenging for our staff who are parents and caregivers. Please speak with your manager about any concerns you have or challenges you may be facing in the coming weeks. We need to continue to be understanding of the different circumstances as we work through this situation together. In addition, to assist with reducing the spread of COVID-19, I would ask all managers to ensure that any work that is operationally feasible, be performed remotely.
On December 30, the Ontario government also announced Updating Public Health Measures and Guidance in Response to Omicron. Following the changes to PCR testing availability and isolation periods, in consultation with Toronto Public Health, Humber has updated the instructions on Reporting COVID-19 at Humber: When and How to Report.
We recognize that these changes and the broader provincial directives may cause anxiety for some staff. Resources for health and well-being can be found on the following websites:
I encourage all staff to take advantage of the resources on these sites.
We are in a rapidly changing situation in Ontario, and we will continue to share any updates and information that impact Humber operations, as they become available. The latest information can also be found at humber.ca/updates.
Stay safe and be well,
Lori Diduch
Vice-President, Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness
Benefits of Positive Psychology-Based Story Reading on Adolescent Mental Health and Well-Being
Abstract
The importance of complete mental health in school context has recently begun to attract a lot of attention. Positive psychology interventions are often associated with improvement in mental health outcomes, but few studies have examined whether story reading is an intervention that is linked with indicators of complete mental health. This study investigated the effects of story reading interventions on both positive and negative indicators of mental health over time for a group of Turkish grade 10 high school students (n = 53). These included 33 students in a story reading group and 20 in a control group for comparison. The results showed that story reading led to improvement in students’ mindfulness, optimism, happiness, and positive emotions, and also caused reduction in depression, anxiety, pessimism, and other negative emotions over a 5-week period, with a small to large effect sizes. The obtained results are discussed in the context of their implications for potential psychological interventions in high school settings.
View the full journal article by Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences and Innovative Learning professor Masood Zangeneh.
Are you ready to make some changes to how you eat?
Do you want someone to take a look at your diet nutritionally?
Are you already working with one of Humber's student personal trainers and want to add nutrition to your wellness plan?
If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, then you might be interested in signing up to meet with one of our Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle Promotion students. We will be continuing with virtual sessions this year to assist in making it easier for you to commit to your nutrition goals.
Spots are limited and historically have gone very quickly, so sign up today.
Contact Lori Short-Zamudio if you have any further questions.
We are happy to share that our winter application-based scholarships were launched today through our online scholarship application platform, Blackbaud Awards Management (BBAM). They will close between February 1 and March 1, 2022 (depending on the scholarship).
Please help spread the word to students!
If students have questions, they can visit our Scholarships website or contact the Student Awards Team in Advancement and Alumni at student.awards@humber.ca.
The majority of these scholarships have been generously donated by organizations, alumni, volunteers, friends and families of students, retirees, and our very own faculty and staff, to support students and inspire them to keep working toward their dreams.
For more information about the application process for students, or how you can set up your own named scholarship, please contact Marlene Valerio at marlene.valerio@humber.ca.
Over the last several months, work has occurred to enhance Humber’s communications, creative services and special projects functions within the Government Relations, Marketing and Communications department (GRMC). Two new Associate Director roles have been established and some new hires have joined the team. All are focused on serving all areas of the college and promoting Humber’s unique position in the post-secondary marketplace.
Emily Milic – Associate Director, Communications
As of August 2021, Emily Milic has taken on the role of Associate Director, Communications. Since joining Humber in March 2018, Emily has been integral to the college’s public relations, corporate communications and internal communications efforts. In her new role focused on building Humber corporate and brand communications, Emily will develop and implement communications plans to promote Humber’s leadership in polytechnic education externally while also advancing internal communications initiatives. She will work with senior administrators and communications staff on issues management, develop institutional messages and communications to students, employees and external stakeholders, and will be a spokesperson for the college. Emily will work with Faculties and departments to ensure an integrated approach to supporting and promoting activities happening across Humber.
Jill Rosenberg – Associate Director, Creative Services and Special Projects
Jill is Humber’s inaugural Associate Director, Creative Services and Special Projects. This service-oriented role, and team, will work with Faculties and departments to promote the college’s accomplishments and successes through multi-platform storytelling, digital content creation, award submissions and other creative elements. Her team will focus on projects related to the Strategic Plan, Humber Tomorrow, Centres of Innovation (COI), Work-Integrated Learning and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and more. Jill will oversee photo, video and multimedia requests and production. Prior to joining Humber, Jill ran Idea Central, a boutique agency, at which she was a creative director, content strategist and producer. In her 20-year career, Jill has had leadership roles and overseen projects for CBC, Nexford University, Canadian Film Centre, AGO, TTC, Getty Images, Emirates Skycargo, Philips, and Doug and Partners to name a few.
Mike Berg – Manager, Special Projects
Mike Berg will continue in his full-time position as Manager, Special Projects and will report to Jill. Since his secondment from the Office of the Registrar in September 2018, Mike has led and contributed to many communications initiatives related to Humber’s Strategic Plan. Areas of focus have included Humber’s COIs, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Humber Learning Outcomes, Indigenous Education & Engagement, Work-Integrated Learning and more. He has also led several award-winning submissions for Humber through CICan’s Awards of Excellence, Canada’s Greenest Employers and other award and grant programs.
Natalie Leung – Manager, Social Media
Natalie joined GRMC in September as the Manager, Social Media. In this role, she oversees the corporate social media channels and provides expert counsel on social media best practices to faculties and departments across Humber. In her short time with the college, she has been a valuable resource to colleagues, provided insightful analytics and advice to the department and beyond. She is leading the launch of the college’s first corporate TikTok account. Prior to joining Humber, Natalie worked for Unity Health Toronto, where she was the social media lead. She has also worked for the Ontario government, where she oversaw social media policies, launched community management playbooks, managed social media rebrands and led social media communities of practice. She is a recipient of a 2021 IABC Gold Quill Award of Excellence.
Aaron Rathbone – Manager, PR and Communications
Aaron will join the GRMC team on January 17. In this role, he will oversee internal and external communications, including Communiqué, Humber Today and media relations. He will lead the next phase of the Humber Experts List, as well as a refresh of Communiqué. Aaron started his career at CHCH TV in Hamilton, Ontario as a producer of various news and current affairs shows. He then made the switch to communications, working at We Charity as an Executive Communications Specialist and most recently as the Social Media and Communications Manager at Revera Inc., one of the largest retirement and long-term care home operators in Canada.
Please join me in congratulating and welcoming these GRMC team members.
Thank you.
Andrew Leopold
Director, Marketing and Communications
Did you know Humber has 80+ pathways from Ontario Graduate Certificates to Master’s programs at partner institutions in Ontario, Canada and around the world.
Share with your students or explore all the options on your own at the Humber Virtual Pathways Fair
You can also use our new and improved Pathways Module to search degree, postgraduate and Master’s pathways at Humber and beyond.
Nuit Blanche Toronto is a free and annual night-time event, produced by the City of Toronto. Its mandate is to connect contemporary art to the broadest possible publics and to create opportunities for audiences to explore and engage with contemporary art in public spaces.
Last year, the City made the difficult decision to postpone the popular all-night celebration for 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Humber Galleries is excited to announce that Nuit Blanche Toronto will return October 2022, again led by Artistic Director Dr. Julie Nagam as a city-wide celebration to mark its 16th edition and help close out ArtworxTO: Toronto’s Year of Public Art.
Utilizing Lakeshore Campus as a major exhibition hub for Nuit Blanche Toronto, Humber Galleries is now accepting Independent Project proposals. These are self-produced projects that can be installed in traditional and non-traditional spaces, such as parks, window vitrines, courtyards, storefronts, hallways, offices, parking lots, laneways, and more. Applicants from any artistic discipline are eligible, but proposals ought to have a strong visual component and be rooted in contemporary art practices. Projects should also address and integrate Nuit Blanche Toronto’s curatorial theme The Space Between Us and must be located on Humber College Lakeshore Campus.
The Independent Project program is open to all Humber College students, faculty, alumni, and staff, as well as Toronto-based professional artists, collectives, and arts organizations. All applications will be reviewed by a Selection Committee comprised of the Nuit Blanche Artistic Director, City of Toronto staff, and Humber College staff. Final selections will be made by the Artistic Director.
Applications must be submitted by Sunday, January 30, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. EST via email to diane.pellicone@humber.ca.
I am delighted to announce that beginning this week, Andrew Leopold is taking on an expanded role as Director, Marketing and Communications.
