Thank you to all Humber and University of Guelph-Humber Support Staff who attended the 2024 Support Staff Professional Development workshops from February 26 to February 29. You continue to go above and beyond in your roles to support colleagues, students, and the community. Thank you.

Our facilitators for the sessions reminded and taught us how we can:  

• Respond to a learner in distress using empathy and interpersonal skills, and connect them with resources available on- and off-campus 
• Create psychologically safe and healthy work environments to support mental health  
• Identify and report human rights violations, and communicate through a trauma-informed lens that respects the dignity of others 
• Use planning and time management strategies to ease overwhelm and support mental health 
• Apply helpful communication strategies to enhance relationships and foster team spirit 
• Identify stressful triggers and implement healthier strategies for coping with distress 
• Recognize and address biases, foster effective communication in a diverse setting, and contribute to a workplace environment that values diversity, inclusion and belonging 
• Effectively set and achieve our wellness goals in 2024  
• Support our bodies to achieve optimal levels of energy, immunity and well-being 
• Use effective strategies and research-based education to achieve our nutrition goals  
• Start a new plant from cuttings and connect to plants from an Indigenous perspective 
• Introduce sustainability values in our lives and shape the next Sustainability Plan for 2024 

Thank you to the facilitators for the insightful workshops and engaging discussions. Many of the facilitators are Humber employees and they all did a fantastic job! 

Thank you to Gina Antonacci, senior vice-president, Academic, for her continued support and for participating in this event by opening our keynote session “Boost Your Health, Wellness, and Energy” which was facilitated by Joseph Gibbons, full-time faculty member at Humber College and the University of Guelph-Humber. 

Lastly, a round of applause to the following attendees who were randomly selected to receive a prize. 

• Alanna McKay, Longo Faculty of Business  
• Amanda Raus, Faculty of Social and Community Services  
• Betty Liu, International  
• Colleen Brennan, Government Relations, Marketing, and Communications  
• Fiona Price, Centre for Innovative Learning  
• Oksana Syahrovska, Community Outreach and Workforce Development  
• Shernett Bennett, Libraries  
• Zijian A, Libraries  
• Anneliesea Parkinson, Office of the Registrar  
• Alex Gil Flores, International  
• Unsa Bukhari, Centre for Innovative Learning  
• Chiara Filicetti, Office of the Registrar 
• Jada Fortella, Longo Faculty of Business 
• Jessica Estrela, Longo Faculty of Business 
• Vanessa Colaiacovo, Libraries 
• Hana Glaser, Faculty of Media and Creative Arts 
• Jennifer Ahamed, Student Success and Engagement  
• Simran Sivia, Office of the Registrar 
• Stephanie Boachie, Student Success and Engagement 

For those of you that missed the “Defining the Line: Setting and Maintaining Healthy Boundaries” workshop, or if you would like to view the session again, the recording is now available for viewing. 

To view the recording, you will need to access an external portal provided by TEND Academy. The portal houses the pre-recorded session along with additional resources shared by the facilitator. To request access to the portal, please contact oe@humber.ca. Please note this recording will be available until April 1, 2024.  

Questions? Please email us at oe@humber.ca​​.

In the latest SVPA blog, Gina Antonacci, senior vice-president, Academic, reflects on the many forms leadership takes in our personal and professional lives and the diverse ways women lead and make a positive difference in their communities. 

Read the newest SVPA blog. 

March is Earth Month at Humber and it’s an opportunity to reflect, inspire change, raise awareness, and take meaningful steps towards a sustainable future. This Humber Earth Month, I’m excited to launch our community engagement process that will develop the college’s next sustainability vision. 

Humber is a sector leader in how we approach sustainability. Last year, Humber ranked first among all institutions in the Associate Colleges category for its sustainability efforts by STARS, and has been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for nine consecutive years. We are also on track to surpass our goal of being a zero-carbon institution by 2050.   

During consultations for Humber Inspired, it was clear that sustainability and climate action are important to our community. It’s part of who we are. Starting today and over the next six months, the Humber community, including our alumni and current and future community partners, will be invited to contribute to the conversation on the future of Sustainability at Humber.  I invite you to use our collective imagination and contribute your ideas and feedback to inform our next sustainability vision.  

Starting this week and continuing throughout the spring, there will be several participation opportunities, including an online survey, in-person and virtual townhalls, and target setting sessions. Visit the Humber Earth Month events webpage for more information. 

By working together, we will strive to continue to advance our efforts to build the skills needed for a net-zero economy and work in Mino Nawendiwin (good relationships) to create a better world for all. The foundation we have laid is strong and together we will propel our sustainability efforts into the future. 
 

Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan 
President & CEO, Humber College 

This month we showcase our Dean of Engineering, Shaun Ghafari, Ph.D., P.Eng. who shines a spotlight on our support of National Engineering Month during the month of March. FAST will host Humber College Champions Women in STEM on Friday, March 8 to mark International Women’s Day when more than 50 female high school students will join our community for an empowering afternoon and learn from a panel of fearless women. 

We have many more compelling stories that I look forward to you discovering on the following pages, including celebrating the inaugural Festool Top Graduate Award recipients who are the top students graduating from our Industrial Woodworking programs.

Read the March issue