Announcements

Jacqueline Anderson Leaving Humber College
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When:
September 16, 2021

It is with mixed emotions that I share that Jacqueline (Jacquii) Anderson is leaving Humber College. 

Jacquii has a storied Humber history, serving in faculty and leadership positions focused on supporting student success and wellbeing. Over the last five years, Jacquii has held the Associate Director, Student Health and Counselling position – serving on a number of College committees, providing strategic leadership in emergency and pandemic responses, and of course, leading the various functional unit teams toward meaningful outcomes for learners, SSE, and the Humber community. Jacquii has shared her expertise, passion, and humour with us all – balancing competing priorities of various groups, operational need, and student-centric approaches with grace. Jacquii’s leadership has underpinned the success of the teams within her portfolio, facilitating new and innovative approaches while maintaining focus in the core services.  

Specifically, to name only a selection of accomplishments, we’ve seen: 

  • increases in groups collaboratively facilitated by our Nursing and Counselling teams (highlighting the strength of our interdisciplinary teams),  

  • increased integration with curricular programming resulting in the growing partnership with the Peer Wellness Coaching program,  

  • dedicated focus on health promotion and wellness education to enhance harm reduction beyond clinical support,  

  • the development and administration of a leading-edge COVID 19 Reporting team to address the unique needs of the pandemic in a postsecondary setting, and 

  • reinforcing the strong foundations of practice while adopting technological systems and tools to enhance effectiveness and equitable access to service.

Jacquii’s last day will be September 28, 2021. Please join me in congratulating Jacquii on her exciting next steps.  

With gratitude, 

Sterling Crowe
Associate Dean, Student Wellness & Equitable Learning

Call for Proposals: Humber COIL - Global Virtual Exchange
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When:
September 16, 2021
Contact:
Rebecca Fitzgerald
Email:
rebecca.fitzgerald@humber.ca

Global learning and engagement continues to soar to new heights at Humber!

Proposals are now welcome from Humber faculty and staff for COIL initiatives to run in the 2021-2022 academic year and beyond. Visit the recently launched Humber COIL – Global Virtual Exchange website to learn more, and submit your application by October 24, 2021 to coil@humber.ca.

Register for upcoming information sessions

What is COIL?

COIL – Collaborative Online International Learning – is a dynamic form of virtual exchange that connects students with peers around the world. With COIL, full-time faculty or staff co-create an experiential learning project or module with a faculty or staff “match” at a partner institution in another region or country.

The resulting collaborative and student-centred project or module may be:

  • Embed within a pre-existing course at both institutions (ex. as a shared assignment or capstone project);
  • Run outside of the classroom in the form of an applied research initiative (ex. supported by Humber’s Centres of Innovation Network and Applied Research and Innovation);
  • Designed as a work-integrated learning (WIL) experience overseen by an industry or community partner.

COIL initiatives are a flexible to meet the mutual aims of partners, and align with any academic discipline or program. They can differ in length and format - from projects lasting only a few weeks, to initiatives lasting throughout a whole semester – and can be a blend of synchronous and asynchronous activity. Organizing a COIL project at Humber is a supportive process, with step-by-step guidance and resources.

Benefits

At the heart of any COIL initiative is a focus on intercultural learning and development. By working virtually across borders, students can develop and apply any number of the essential 21st century skills articulated in the Humber Learning Outcomes (HLO) framework and gain a deeper understanding of their discipline through multiple perspectives. In turn, faculty and staff COIL leaders expand their professional network and portfolio, acquire fresh inspiration from different worldviews, and have the opportunity to engage in research on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) with funding through Humber’s Teaching Innovation Fund.

Redesigned Global Navigation and Footer on Humber Websites
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When:
September 16, 2021

The global navigation and footer that appears on Humber websites have undergone a significant refresh to a more streamlined design that promotes interactivity and usability. Our aim was to improve how users can access our existing content and resources.

Stakeholders from across the college were engaged over the past months to provide feedback on the new user experience and content structure.  

We are excited that the redesign will be rolled out on Friday, September 17.  

Some key features of the new global navigation include: 

  • A clean, responsive, future-focussed design tailored specifically to mobile, desktop and tablet devices. The mobile view has been optimized for one-handed usage in both design and positioning. 
  • A refined, list of menu choices linking to content-rich landing pages which provide additional context and guidance to students and staff. 
  • An audience selector which presents site visitors with a curated list of options most relevant to their typical use-cases. The audience selection is saved to the browser and persists as a visitor navigates across Humber sites and pages. The audience selection can be changed at any time as a user continues through different phases in their journey with Humber. Audience types include: Future Students, Current Students, International, Professionals, Employers, Alumni & Donors, Community, Faculty & Staff, and Media. 
  • A Quick links section containing frequently used links which are applicable to multiple audiences
  • Integrated search functionality across programs and courses or site wide content
  • A dedicated and prominent hot link to the Programs/Courses search page 
  • A brief land acknowledgment statement embedded in the footer with a link to more information  

Thank you to all who consulted on this initiative and contributed to its development and deployment. 

Accessible Learning Services Best Practice Considerations - Supporting Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing
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When:
September 16, 2021
Contact:
Desta McCalla
Email:
desta.mccalla@humber.ca

Enhancing Institutional EDI Knowledge of Disability and Academic Accessibility

  • Accessibility for students who are Deaf and hard of hearing involves addressing barriers related to spoken language. 

  • This can involve specialized supports such as those listed below (arranged by Accessible Learning Services), and/or exploring a shift in teaching practice to ensure anything spoken is understood. 

Computerized Note-taking (CNT)

  • Deaf and Hard of Hearing students may have a CNT present in class or connected remotely to provide live captioning for the specified student. The captioning via a separate platform will allow the student to follow the lecture in real-time.

  • The CNT(s) will reach out to faculty to confirm how they will be accessing the class.

  • To avoid any delays in providing accommodation, faculty will be asked to provide guest links to the assigned CNT(s) until they have Blackboard access established.

American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters

  • Deaf students may have an ASL Interpreter present in class or connected remotely to provide interpretation for a specified student. The interpreting via a separate platform will allow the student to follow the lecture in real-time and ask questions as necessary.

  • The ASL Interpreters will reach out to faculty to confirm how they will be accessing the class.

  • To avoid any delays in providing accommodation, faculty will be asked to provide guest links to the assigned ASL Interpreter(s) until they have Blackboard access established.

The National Deaf Center has an excellent resource guide for faculty to help faculty better meet the needs of students who are Deaf and hard of hearing.

Please email accessible-learning@humber.ca with suggestions for key accessibility-related topics that you would like us to address through the Communiqué.

More Than Words - Reconciliation Takes Action
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When:
September 15, 2021
Contact:
Human Rights Education Team
Tel:
x4808
Email:
humanrightseducation@humber.ca
Posters/Attachments: Event Poster

21 Books to Read for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Beyond

September 30, 2021, is National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. You are invited to take action every day to advance the wellbeing and prosperity of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Begin by first educating yourself – the list of 21 resources may be available at Humber’s Library or the Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Inclusion.

  1. Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
  2. Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Volume One: Summary
  3. Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City by Tanya Talaga
  4. Unsettling Canada A National Wake-up Call By Arthur Manuel and Grand Chief Ronald M. Derrickson
  5. The Inconvenient Indian A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King
  6. Secret Path Gord Downie
  7. The Reason You Walk by Wab Kinew
  8. Unsettling the Settler Within: Indian Residential Schools, Truth Telling, and Reconciliation in Canada by Paulette Regan
  9. A National Crime The Canadian Government and the Residential School System by John Milloy
  10. A Knock on the Door The Essential History of Residential Schools from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada by Phil Fontaine, Aimée Craft, The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
  11. Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
  12. Fatty Legs: A True Story by Christy Jordan-Fenton & Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton
  13. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
  14. A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott
  15. In My Own Moccasins by Helen Knott
  16. Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot
  17. When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Julie Flett
  18. I lost my talk by Rita Joe illustrated by Pauline Young
  19. Im finding my talk by Rebecca Thomas illustrated by Pauline Young  
  20. A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray BelcourtPhyllis's Orange Shirt by Phyllis Webstad
  21. Call me Indian story of Freddie Sasakamoose from residential school to NHL

This list of recommended readings were provided by Dean Seright & Associate Dean Hartwick.

Demystifying Innovation - Episode 2
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When:
September 15, 2021
Contact:
Humber Press
Email:
humberpress@humber.ca
Posters/Attachments: Event Poster
Demystifying Innovation Podcast banner with two lightbulbs

On the second episode of Demystifying Innovation, we talk to Jason Powell, senior dean, Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellness.

Jason discusses the challenges of pivoting to remote learning during the pandemic, how he adjusted a pre-needs funeral service program last-minute to better fit industry needs, and the importance of working within a team you trust.

Listen to Demystifying Innovation on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

For more information, visit the Humber Press website.

Invitation to Join Humber’s 2SLGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group
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When:
September 15, 2021
Contact:
Matthew Harris
Email:
matthew.harris@humber.ca
Image of the Progress Pride Flag

Humber has identified as its Strategic Priority #7 under Pillar #3, Healthy and Inclusive Community, to continue to build a diverse and inclusive community of exceptional students, faculty and staff. The specific supporting action is to establish and implement an institutional framework and strategy for equity, diversity and inclusion that addresses the needs of both students and employees.

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) bring together employees who share a common identity, characteristic and set of interests. They create a culture of inclusion that enhances employee engagement and further supports organizations’ vision and values.

The primary objective of the 2SLGBTQ+ ERG is to advance a culture at Humber that is an accepting and inclusive environment for all 2SLGBTQ+ communities through outreach, community development, events, and consultation. The 2SLGBTQ+ ERG meets once monthly.

Humber employees who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ and are interested in joining this ERG can indicate their interest by sending an email to co-chair Matthew Harris at matthew.harris@humber.ca.

Additional information about Humber’s Employee Resource Groups

Extended Due Date for Mandatory Employee COVID-19 Awareness Training
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When:
September 15, 2021
Contact:
Occupational Health & Safety Services
Email:
healthandsafety@humber.ca
Extended Due Date for Mandatory Employee COVID-19 Awareness Training

Extended Due Date for Mandatory Employee COVID-19 Awareness Training (Return to Campus Fall 2021)

The deadline to complete this training has been extended to Friday, September 24.

The new online course, Employee COVID-19 Awareness Training (Return to Campus Fall 2021) is now available on Blackboard. The training is intended for all current employees, including those working on campus and those working remotely in the fall.

All employees must complete this revised training, even if they completed a COVID Awareness course last semester or previously. Employees are required to complete the training by September 24. Employees hired after September 24, are to complete the training prior to visiting the college, or within the first two weeks of the start of their employment/contract, whichever comes first.

The training covers the risks of COVID-19, on-campus safety measures, well-being resources, and more. The training should take approximately 30 minutes to complete. The training module is available on Blackboard and the general instructions for accessing the training are below.

All current employees have been registered into the course. If you do not have access to Blackboard, please contact us at healthandsafety@humber.ca to make alternate arrangements. Managers may send their list of new employees to healthandsafety@humber.ca to provide them with access to the training.

If you have any questions about the training, please contact your manager or Occupational Health and Safety at healthandsafety@humber.ca.

 

HROE | Occupational Health and Safety
healthandsafety@humber.ca

Employee COVID-19 Awareness Training (Return to Campus Fall 2021)

To access the training on Blackboard:

  1. Go to learn.humber.ca and log in with your Humber credentials (single sign-on).
  2. On the main page under “Courses”, click on the “Employee COVID-19 Awareness Training (Return to Campus Fall 2021)” link.
  3. Click on the course title that appears in the middle of the sidebar. If the sidebar is hidden, select the grey arrow at the top of the sidebar to expand the drop-down options.
  4. Click on either the image or the  course title link above the image. If popups are blocked, click on the enable popups button or link within the popup blocked notification.

General notes:

  1. All employees are required to take this training, whether you are coming onsite or working remotely and even if you’ve taken a similar course in the past.
  2. The training takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. We strongly recommend that it be completed in one sitting. Contract faculty will be paid by their faculty for their time to do the training.
  3. Recommended Browsers are the more current versions of:
    • PCs - Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge (Chrome-based), Mozilla Firefox
    • Macs – Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox 
  4. For technical issues, or if an employee does not have access to the course on Blackboard, please contact healthandsafety@humber.ca and provide:
    • Employee’s first and last name
    • Employee’s n-number
    • Department/Faculty name
    • Manager/Associate Dean name
    • Start date of employment/contract
Design Thinking Challenge at the Centre for Entrepreneurship
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When:
September 15, 2021
Contact:
Kasey Dunn
Email:
kasey.dunn@humber.ca
Posters/Attachments: Event Poster
Design Thinking Challenge at the Centre for Entrepreneurship

Applications close September 26. Domestic students can get paid to learn Design Thinking and solve challenges for community partners. 

The Experience Ventures Design Thinking Program is an eight-week program designed for students who are passionate about creativity and innovation. Students will lead a hands-on project that tackles a genuine challenge for a startup in our community.

  • Successful applicants will be matched with a group to work on a challenge for a startup organization 
  • A weekly workshop will introduce the steps of design thinking and guide implementation
  • Students can expect to spend approximately five hours weekly applying learning outside of class

To learn more or to apply, visit the CfE website.

Eligible students must be:

  • Registered in a postsecondary education institution
  • Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons to who refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: What are you doing on September 30th?
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When:
September 14, 2021

As many people are aware, on June 3rd, 2021, a bill creating a statutory holiday for Federal employees received royal assent. This holiday was created to commemorate the tragic legacy of residential schools, a painful part of Canadian history that significantly impacts Indigenous people and communities – and all of us – to this day.

Whether the provincial government or any institution, including Humber, designates this day as a day away from work, the fact remains that September 30th is also recognized as Orange Shirt Day, which is an important opportunity for the Indigenous community to gather, reflect and commemorate the loss of children and the acts of attempted cultural genocide that devastated families and communities. This day also provides an opportunity for many others to sit with the impact it has on all of us as we seek a society that is caring, respectful and loving for us all.

Humber College is committed to recognizing and celebrating Indigenous cultures, histories, and Knowledges throughout the year in our academic programming, events, professional development, and other initiatives. This work is led by the Department of Indigenous Education and Engagement (IE&E) and guided by Humber’s Indigenous Education Advisory Council. It is something we all need to participate in through ongoing, genuine, caring and empathetic ways of learning and recognizing the legacy of residential schools. As the 2021 Colleges and Institutes of Canada Gold Medal recipient for Indigenous Education Excellence, Humber provides opportunities to learn about and build understanding of the impact and legacy of residential schools in Canada, all year round.

So what can you do?

It is the work of all Canadians to understand the impacts of residential schools, the policies that created the conditions for the devastation of Indigenous cultures and communities, and the ways that Indigenous peoples are driving a resurgence that will write, and right, the future of our country. The negative impacts on Indigenous cultures have been experienced for generations, and it will require a multigenerational commitment from all Canadians to change this. For more information about how Humber contributes to your own opportunities to learn, please visit the Humber Indigenous Education and Engagement website.

As the college will be open on September 30th, we ask that you support Indigenous staff and students who may want to gather and participate in broader community events, or do what they need to do to commemorate the multigenerational impacts of residential schools.

Approaching September 30th, there are several events and learning opportunities that will be taking place specifically intended to commemorate this new federal statutory holiday and Orange Shirt Day.

The current list of planned initiatives is below:

  • On September 27 at 6 p.m., IE&E will discuss the 2016 Indigenous documentary “Colonization Road.” In the film, activist Ryan McMahon discusses histories of colonialism with Indigenous historians, researchers and policy makers who provide history, context and solutions moving forward into the future.
     
  • On September 28, 2021 at 1 p.m., the Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Inclusion, in collaboration with the Indigenous Education & Engagement department, is pleased to invite the Humber Community to the upcoming Equity and Inclusion Dialogue virtual session about the importance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Additional event and registration information is on the Eventbrite page - we ask that you ensure that all staff are provided the opportunity to participate.
     
  • On September 30, all flags at Humber will be lowered in honour of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and to commemorate the tragic legacy of residential schools.

Leading up to September 30, a number of messages and initiatives will be posted on Humber’s social media channels, including opportunities for students and employees to get their own orange shirt for Orange Shirt Day. Students and employees are encouraged to post a photo of themselves wearing an orange shirt on September 30 on social media and/or upload it to the Orange Shirt Day website.

As this is a new holiday, we will continue meaningful discussions with a wide range of Humber/Guelph-Humber community members to find new ways to observe this critical holiday in future years.

Jason Seright
Dean, Indigenous Education & Engagement		 Jason Hunter
Vice-President, Students and Institutional Planning

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