Announcements

National Telecommunicators Week
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When:
April 8, 2021
Contact:
Gord Gilmour, Program Coordinator
Email:
gord.gilmour@humber.ca

The winter semester students of the Emergency Telecommunications program have created and recorded some public service announcements to be aired on 96.9 Radio Humber during National Telecommunicators Week. They have applied the knowledge they have gained during this semester to provide you with information on how to assist the emergency call taker should you ever have to call for emergency assistance. 

The students will be leaving the program with the fundamental skills of an emergency communicator and will enter the fast paced and often highly stressful work force of dedicated public servants.

The students and faculty of EMTC program are encouraging you to listen for these PSA’s during National Telecommunicators week happening April 11 to April 17.

Men Seeking Change: Addressing Inappropriate Behaviours
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When:
April 8, 2021
Contact:
Aaron Brown
Email:
aaron.brown@humber.ca
Two men encouraging men to take action against harmful behaviours

At Humber, we recognize that we all have a responsibility in preventing and addressing sexual violence. Sexual violence is rooted in gender-based violence, and so men may feel that it is a "women's issue"; however, we acknowledge that men must also take action and hold one another accountable. The Survey on Individual Safety in the Postsecondary Student Population (Statistics Canada, 2019) found that men were less likely to view unwanted sexualized behaviours as harmful, twice as likely to think people are too offended by unwanted sexualized behaviours, and the perpetrators of unwanted sexualized behaviours are more often men.

The Men Seeking Change working group encourages men to reflect on behaviours that could cause harm to others and to intervene when they see these behaviours happening. We will be sharing examples of inappropriate behaviours and ways men could intervene in these behaviours over March and April as a reminder to take action and maintain our culture of respect.

Unhealthy Behaviour: Unwanted physical contact or getting too close.

Example: Delia (she/her) is talking with her coworkers Xavier (he/him), Marcela (she/her), and Cameron (she/her) in the boardroom after a meeting has just ended. Jason (he/him) pops in to say hello to everyone, and while he’s chatting, he gives Delia’s shoulders a gentle massage. Jason leaves and Xavier returns to his office.

What could Xavier have done differently?

Xavier could have stayed behind to check in with Delia one-on-one to see how she felt about the shoulder massage. Xavier could also have had a conversation with Jason as he left about how the shoulder massage was inappropriate and could have made Delia uncomfortable.

Example: Moe (she/her), Reid (they/them), Prasanna (he/him) and Tony (he/him) always get coffee together in the morning. While in the line, Tony always stands very close behind Reid, which makes them feel quite uncomfortable. Prasanna notices that Tony is standing so close to Reid that his hands brush against their skin when he makes any movements. Prasanna orders his coffee and heads off to his class.

What could Prasanna have done differently?  

Prasanna could have made a light joke about how there’s plenty of space in line without Tony needing to be standing up against Reid to cue Tony to change his behaviours. Alternatively, Prasanna could have taken Reid aside to check in with them, or taken Tony aside to note his observations.

Two examples of men making unwanted physical contact and ways they could have intervened.

Microsoft 365 - OneDrive Sharing
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When:
April 8, 2021
Did You Know - OneDrive Sharing

Any files you share, or files that are shared with you, are all housed in a convenient view located in the left menu.

They are divided as Shared with you and Shared by you.

Consider regularly reviewing the files that you have shared to determine if they still need to be shared. Call it OneDrive housekeeping.

Learn the basics of a variety of Microsoft 365 apps and WebEx by signing up to 1:1 Virtual Coaching at its.humber.ca/coaching.

Government of Ontario Declares a Provincial Emergency, Issues a Provincial Stay-at-Home Order
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When:
April 7, 2021

This afternoon, Premier Ford announced that the government is instituting a province-wide, four-week Stay-at-Home order, along with a Provincial Emergency, to begin Thursday, April 8 at 12:01 a.m.

The Stay-at-Home order calls for people to only go out only for essential purposes such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health care services, for exercise or essential work.

Big box stores will be limited to selling essential food and pharmacy items, and non-essential retailers must go back to online sales and curbside pickup.

In addition to limiting outings to essential trips, all businesses must ensure that any employee who can work from home, does work from home.

Staff on campus will be limited to only those necessary for the delivery of in-person learning and campus operations.

These measures are in addition to those announced last week. 

Humber is awaiting further details of the Stay-at-Home order, including any new impacts on programming, and vaccination eligibility for education workers and learners who are 18 years of age and older in COVID-19 hot spots. We will share any updates or additional relevant details with the Humber community. 

The full release can be found here.

Orangeville Campus Reflection and Celebration Series: April Edition
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When:
April 7, 2021

This month’s Orangeville Campus reflection focuses on some of the original academic program offerings in Orangeville including Business Administration, General Arts and Science, Health and Fitness Promotion and Home Renovation. Many graduates from these programs have gone on to further education and/or careers in their chosen field. Here are some highlights from our outstanding students.

Josh McConnell, Graduate - Business Administration Diploma
Current Position: Senior Media Advisor, Auckland Transport
Being a part of the first cohort of students at Humber Orangeville was a great experience. You felt like you were part of something new and special that would always be remembered in Humber history. For three years, staff and faculty were able to get to know us on an individual level, championing us to succeed and tailoring the experience just for us. The three years spent at Humber Orangeville really helped to set me up for getting my Bachelor of Commerce Degree and then Post-Graduate Journalism Diploma. I went on to become a national business and technology journalist before leading communications for Uber Canada and then moving to New Zealand where I currently work at Auckland Transport. I'm proud to say I attended Humber Orangeville.

Adam Sampson, Graduate - General Arts and Science & Police Foundations Program
Current Position: Youth Justice Committee Member - Associated Youth Services of Peel and Undergraduate Student - University of Waterloo
My experience at Humber's Orangeville campus surpassed expectation - both in academics and inclusion. The sense of community that the campus embodies far surpasses any educational environment I've seen. The professionalism, empathy, and passion the faculty exhibited is unmatched - always ensuring that student well-being and success always came first. The faculty of instructors and administrative staff brought a wealth of experience, knowledge and personality. From Joe Andrew's ability to make anyone feel included, to Morag Tierney's superhuman administrative skills, you could trust that you were always in good hands. 

Having been enrolled in three separate post-secondary institutions, it's safe to say that Humber Orangeville has been the most important. 

Being a mature student with a registered disability, I was hesitant on whether or not post-secondary education was even an option - and after failing out of another college, I was almost certain that it wasn't. But Humber Orangeville welcomed me and proved that higher education is always an option regardless of circumstance. Graduating both from the G.A.S and Police Foundations programs thoroughly prepared me for further educational pursuits, while building me into a better student, a better leader but most importantly a better member of my community. The skills and knowledge gifted to me by Humber Orangeville has allowed me to aim higher and achieve more than I ever thought possible.

Thank you, Joe and the Humber Orangeville team for giving me the opportunity and support to succeed - and believing in me when no one else did.

Seanna Thomas, Graduate - General Arts and Science Program
I'm a 20-year-old grad from Humber Orangeville, and I was in the General Arts and Science (GAS) program. I really enjoyed the campus and how much it offered for the students. The campus and classes were smaller in size, but I found it made for a greater connection for professors and students. My classmates had closer relationships as well considering you have a small amount of people in them, which helped with creating group work and allowing to hear everyone's thoughts on the lessons.

One professor I would love to mention is Shona Robbins, I had her throughout my year as my English Professor. Not only was she amazing to her students, but she helped me through hard times and advocated for getting me extra assistance. At the beginning of the second semester my father had a heart aneurism and needed emergency heart surgery. My mom tended to his care, and I was tending my care to my sisters which interfered with my school load. But Shona had reached out to my professors, told them the story and they allowed me all the extended time I needed. This also wasn't asked for by me or my parents - Shona did this out of the goodness of her heart and I will forever be grateful for what she did. This is why Humber Orangeville stood out more than other colleges; they took extra care in all their students because we all had a small community of learning. Everyone knew everyone, the professors knew all their students, and I will forever be grateful for my time studying at Humber Orangeville.

Emmy Patterson, Graduate - Health and Fitness Promotion
Current Position: Ergonomic Design - Honda of Canada
The small campus at Humber Orangeville was paramount to my success as a student as I was able to get one-on-one time with my instructors and form meaningful contacts in my time there. 

I was able to bridge to the University of Guelph-Humber’s Kinesiology program and use the valuable knowledge gained from Humber to further my education journey and graduate with distinction. 

I’m currently working for Honda of Canada manufacturing in ergonomic design for their new model Civic. I help ensure the industrial work the associates are exposed to doesn’t contribute to workplace musculoskeletal disorders though proactive process design and monitoring. The fundamental knowledge gained from my time at Humber has helped me immensely with my career and I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to study there. 

Robert Jeffrey, Graduate - Home Renovation Technician Program
I am a Humber College Alumni from the Home Renovation Program at the Orangeville Campus. I am a graduate from the very first year they offered the program. Just knowing that I could walk into the office and Morag would know me by name and could answer any of my questions or solve any problems I had made Humber feel like a home. It was a pleasure to be on a first name basis with the head of the campus, Joe Andrews. I enjoyed the enthusiasm he had for the program. We built two homes to completion in a warehouse that taught us many lessons in and out of the class, which I still apply to my everyday life. I developed many friendships with my classmates and the faculty. The Orangeville Campus will forever remain in my highest regards.

Lillian Paquette, Graduate - Home Renovation Technician Program
I attended Humber College’s Orangeville Campus in the Home Renovation Technician Program. I was looking to start my own business in this field and thought this course would be a good way to start. I found that the program allowed me to try my hand at all aspects of home renovation and construction. It felt good to get down and dirty and put my newfound skills to use. Being the only female in the program, it was fun to show the guys that I was capable of doing all of the work they could do. . Working with the guys was great and the instructors treated me fairly and with respect. I did start up my own business in this field and did quite well. I am now branching out to furniture making by taking another course at Humber: Industrial Woodworking.

Congratulations to each of our students who have graced the hallways of the Orangeville Campus since the Fall 2007.

Next month look for a special Orangeville Campus ‘shout-out’ feature from some of our former and current faculty, staff and graduates.

Joe Andrews
Principal
Orangeville Campus

Current: A Celebration of Art, Media and Design
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When:
April 7, 2021
Email:
humbermediaarts@humber.ca
Current logo featuring graffiti-style arrows

Current is a festival of arts, media and design showcasing the work of graduating students from the Faculty of Media & Creative Arts. Featuring live and recorded performances, screenings, exhibits, networking events and portfolio shows. Current celebrates the ingenuity and professionalism of an electric group of storytellers.

Connect with them at humbercurrent.ca starting April 19, or claim your ticket to one of our live events now!

Thank You for Supporting Humber Earth Month
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When:
April 7, 2021

This year's Humber Earth Month was even more special because of the support and engagement from various campus departments, including:

  • The Principal's Office
  • Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness
  • Student Success and Engagement
  • Humber Arboretum
  • Humber Global
  • Campus Recreation & Fitness
  • Campus Services (Retail)
  • Humber Libraries
  • The University of Guelph-Humber
  • Community Outreach & Workforce Development
  • The Centre for Human Right, Equity & Diversity
  • Lakeshore Grounds Interpretive Centre
  • Sustainable Fashion Committee
  • Government Relations, Marketing, and Communications

We want to send a big THANK YOU to these departments for hosting amazing virtual events and activities throughout March that highlighted environmental and social sustainability at Humber and beyond.

We also want to thank all of the students, staff and faculty who participated in Humber Earth Month; in total, we saw over 600 attendees!

For more information about Humber Earth Month, including how to get involved, please email tayler.buchanan@humber.ca.

The Office of Sustainability

Home Office Expenses for 2021 - All Employees
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When:
April 7, 2021
Posters/Attachments: Event Poster

New Commodity/Account Code for 2021 Home Office Expense

Please be advised that a new commodity code 577 and account code 7057 for home office expenses have been created for 2021 reporting purposes. The Employee Reimbursement Form has been updated to reflect this change. This will enable the College to provide necessary home office expense information for T2200 reporting in the future, should the need or requirement to do so arises.

Ordering Supplies When Working From Home

Any supplies and/or equipment required to work from home should be pre-approved by the requestor’s manager prior to any purchase. Managers should reference the Expense Reimbursement Policy and Procedure and should use their discretion with regards to approving items requested due to the need for staff to work from home. Wherever possible, the most cost effective option should be approved. Once approval is granted, the requestor may purchase the supplies and complete the Employee Reimbursement Form, attach electronic copies of receipts and submit their request for reimbursement via email to the Manager that pre-approved their initial request.

Completed Employee Reimbursement forms must include appropriate FOAP allocation and electronic receipts and can be circulated via email to your Manager for approval. Managers are able to approve an employee reimbursement in one of two ways:

  1. Signing the completed form electronically and emailing the signed form, receipts and FOAP’s to Accounts Payable, or
  2. Emailing the completed form, receipts and FOAP’s to Accounts Payable indicating their approval in the email.

As per usual practice, staff will be reimbursed by electronic funds transfer. Please keep all original claims and receipts for audit purposes, as we may contact you to provide these up to seven years from original date of claim. Any questions regarding employee reimbursements should be directed to Accounts Payable.

COMING SOON!

Starting in May 2021, you will be able to submit a request for out of pocket expenses via Chrome River, and approvals will be completed electronically going forward.

SAAM Challenge - Everyday Consent is Normal & Necessary
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When:
April 7, 2021
Contact:
Aaron Brown
Email:
aaron.brown@humber.ca

As part of the Consent Peer Education Program (CPEP) and Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Diversity's Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) programming in April 2021, students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to participate in our SAAM Challenge! Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in April, a prompt will be provided on the CPEP Instagram and through the Humber Communiqué to encourage people to take an action in recognition of SAAM. Participants who share a photo addressing the prompt by emailing it to cpep@humber.ca will be entered into a raffle to win a $150 gift card; all entries must be submitted by Monday, May 3 at 12 p.m. to be eligible for the prize!

Today's prompt is...Everyday Consent is Normal & Necessary: Show us how asking for consent is a part of everyday interactions.

Fists raised in the air with prompt written above them

 

College Council Highlights - March 2021
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When:
April 7, 2021

The Humber College Council (HCC) held its seventh meeting of the 2020-2021 academic year on Thursday, March 18, 2021, online using Microsoft Teams. To ensure the Humber community is informed of upcoming events, new initiatives, and important issues, the College Council reports the highlights of its meetings. For more information or to provide feedback on these highlights, please contact risha.toney@humber.ca.

Roundtable

Donna O’Brien-Sokic [Faculty of Media & Creative Arts] brought forward a student concern that there is a communication gap related to international students extending work visas and participating in internships as part of their program. Laurie Rancourt [Senior VP, Academic] will relay this concern to the Dean of International and determine next steps.

Applied Research & Innovation.

Ginger Grant [Dean, Applied Research & Innovation] and Raeshelle Morris [Innovation Program Manager, Applied Research & Innovation] provided Council with an overview of what is involved in building a research culture at Humber. The Applied Research & Innovation (ARI) department is made up of five key areas: Innovation, Research & Development, Operations, Humber Press, and the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SOTL).

G. Grant discussed how at Humber, we conduct phenomenon-driven research which is most relevant to polytechnic education. Research is conducted in this way to protect the institution, our ability to innovate, and to reduce risk. We follow our strategic pillars and explore how to operationalize our vision and mission of lead, transform and differentiate. Ideas are encouraged to be brought forward to the ARI department.

As an educational institution, Humber has access to various funding sources including tri-council grants – NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR. The ARI can help determine if an idea can qualify for a grant. Five College and Community Social Innovation fund grants were filed last year and awaiting approval. In 2020, Humber was 6th in Canada for research potential, rising from 30th in 2017. At the moment, we are close to seven million dollars in holding grants. The ARI has created a database on organizations, researchers, and students interested and involved in research, as well as research areas, projects, and awarded grants. See their website for more details.

The department holds various ‘building capacity' workshops and trainings – including grant coaching sessions - offered to all staff across all faculties and departments. Stay tuned for several sessions being held in the spring. There are also plans for a Summer Innovation Buffet podcast series to be held in June and July.

Government Relations Update

Kelly Jackson [Associate Vice president, Government Relations, Marketing, and Communications] and Jennifer Larson [Public Affairs Manager, Government Relations, Marketing, and Communications] provided an update on Government Relations (GR) activities at Humber over the past year. There are several GR goals, one of which is to connect Humber’s vision and priorities to those of government.

An overview of advocacy priorities during COVID-19 was provided. These included class size caps and exemptions, and the summer reopening pilot; and the nursing and engineering degree approvals. Humber recently hosted the Premier of Ontario at the launch of Humber’s standalone nursing degree. Looking ahead to Spring 2021, both the provincial and federal budget will be presented as well as an announcement on the annual tuition fee framework. Advocacy on class size caps will continue as this will have an impact on planning for the Fall 2021 semester.

J. Larson highlighted the Humber Cultural Hub as a case study on how GR is involved. Considerations for GR are monitoring funding opportunities and creating grant applications; increasing awareness of the project and its benefits; engaging with key stakeholders including government officials, community groups and individuals, and relevant local (i.e. Arts & Culture) organizations; and considering potential issues such as permit or planning challenges, impact of the pandemic on arts & culture, and community concerns related to the impact on the neighbourhood.

Council members were asked to consider and provide input on what is Humber doing well that would be important to communicate to government and where can Humber improve upon their communications, related to what government may not understand about Humber. Feedback was provided to the speakers after discussion took place in smaller MS Teams breakout rooms.

Farewell to Cynthia Lessard

Risa Handler [Chair, HCC] took the opportunity to say thank you and give a warm farewell to Cynthia Lessard. This was Cynthia’s final College Council meeting as April 1 was her last day at Humber. As the Executive Assistant to the Senior VP Academic, Cynthia was the Secretariat on Council. From minute-taking to planning to contributing to the overall direction of Council, Cynthia played an integral role on HCC and its executive for over four years. Cynthia is pursuing her passion for teaching and we wish her all the best.

The next meeting of the College Council will be held on Thursday, April 15, 2021. For meeting highlights, supporting materials, and opportunities to provide feedback, please visit the College Council website.

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