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.

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: 

• Closing indoor sport and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms.
  • Humber’s fitness facilities will be closed until at least January 26. 
• Closing indoor dining at restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments, including food courts. Takeout, drive-through and delivery is permitted.  
  • Humber’s food services will be limited with no indoor dining options. Food will be available to take away. Please see food services hours and availability for January 4 to 23. During this period, we ask that students and staff do not congregate without masks while dining. 
• Retail settings, including shopping malls, permitted at 50 per cent capacity. 
  • Campus stores are open and are offering both online and in-store shopping (limited to 50 per cent capacity) to provide students and the Humber community with one-stop convenience. Order online at www.humbershop.ca for North Campus and www.humberlakeshoreshop.ca for Lakeshore Campus with free pick up in-store. For updated information on store news and hours, please visit North Campus Store and Lakeshore Campus Store.    
• Reducing social gathering limits to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors. 
  • Social gatherings within Humber, including Residence, will be limited and adhere to these limits, provided physical distancing or masking is in place. Any additional impacts to residence, including any refund options can be found at humber.ca/residence.
• Public libraries are limited to 50 per cent capacity. 
  • Humber Libraries physical locations are closed until such time as students return to campus, but a variety of online services and resources are available, including virtual research instruction and Idea Lab digital fluency supports. 

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: 

• Healthy Work from Home Resources 
• LifeWorks, a partner provider to Humber has a variety of wellness resources all employees can access for free on their website: www.workhealthlife.com. Search for Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning and find information on a variety of topics areas like health & well-being, career & workplace, financial security, and life events. 

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 

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.

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