On December 21, the Ontario Government announced the implementation of a province-wide shutdown beginning Saturday, December 26 at 12:01 a.m. and lasting for 28 days in southern Ontario and 14 days in northern Ontario. Please see the full announcement here.

The timing of the Winter 2021 semester remains unchanged. Classes begin the week of January 18, including courses with an in-person component. We recognize that the province-wide shutdown may impact placements for some students. We will contact any affected students as more information becomes available.

Humber’s academic offering of interactive online education remains the same. For on-campus activity, in accordance with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities directive issued on December 4, 2020, the number of students in a learning space is restricted to 10 (with exceptions for a limited number of programs that support the healthcare response to COVID-19). Students impacted by these changes will receive further communication directly from their program.

Humber has collaborated with OPSEU Local 562 and Local 563 regarding winter semester scheduling changes. Faculty or support staff members will be advised of any changes to their SWF or schedule by your manager by Friday, January 8, 2021.

All in-person driving instruction and testing offered through Education and Training Services will be cancelled for the duration of the shutdown, except for courses which are part of the Ontario Driver Certification Program involving the operation of motor vehicles for which an air brake endorsement is required.

Humber will be closed for the winter holiday break at the end of regular business hours on Wednesday, December 23, 2020 and will reopen on Monday, January 4, 2021.

As of this update, we anticipate that Humber’s on-campus services will be the same for Winter 2021 as they were for Fall 2020. For the latest information regarding on-campus services, please visit our FAQ page.

As part of the provincial shutdown, elementary and secondary schools in Ontario will switch to remote-only learning for a period of time after the holiday break. In southern Ontario, elementary schools will be closed until January 11, 2020 and secondary schools will be closed until January 25, 2020.

While this decision is intended to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the pressures on the healthcare system, we realize that it may also cause complications and additional stress for some members of the Humber community.

In the spring, we shared the Humber at Home Pledge to outline the guiding principles of how we want our community to navigate this evolving situation. As a reminder, it includes:

• Being respectful of individual circumstances and supportive of colleagues
• Prioritizing our own health and wellness
• Being thoughtful about how we conduct meetings and use technology
• Being dedicated to opening the lines of communication
• Adjusting our expectations and respect boundaries

Employees are encouraged to speak with their manager about any concerns they may have about managing responsibilities at home and at work.  

We remain committed to working with the provincial government and local health authorities and adhering to health and safety requirements. In the event that changes may be required to on-campus services and supports, we will share information with the Humber community as decisions are made.

For the latest campus and COVID-19 information, please visit humber.ca/updates and humber.ca/campus-return.

If you missed the virtual Supporting Student Success Town Hall, the session is now available online. To view, click here.

At this session, the results of the Fall 2020 Humber Student Success Survey were shared, along with other key information to show how Humber is responding to evolving student personal, financial and academic needs.

This year has been particularly tough on Humber students. As we all know, the pandemic has pulled the rug right out from beneath them, and they’re struggling to get back on their feet.  

Faculty and staff already do so much for students, and we hope that as part of Humber Gives, you’ll consider making a year-end contribution to the Support Our Students (SOS) Fund to help even more struggling students. 

Here’s an example of the impact your support can make: 

“I arrived in Canada with my family in January 2020 to study at Humber. We found jobs quickly, my child was in daycare and everything was going as planned. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we both lost our jobs and were desperate – we couldn’t go back to our country because the situation was worse there. We were able to get some food from the food bank, and at the same time, I received an emergency bursary from Humber. That moment was crucial and gave me hope and conviction that me and my family weren’t alone. I just want to thank all the people that made this support possible. Thanks to that, I am able to continue my education and support my family at the same time.”  

A big thank you to everyone who has supported to date. For those who would like to make a donation but haven’t yet had a chance, there is still time to make your gift to help even more students.

Humber will be matching all gifts up to $25,000 and we haven’t yet reached this goal. Help us get there while also doubling the impact of your support.  

You can donate by: 

• Making a one-time gift
• Supporting through ongoing payroll donations
• Increasing your existing payroll donations

Every dollar truly makes a difference for a struggling student, especially in times like this. 

All donations received by December 31 will receive a 2020 tax receipt.

Thank you again for everything, and all the best for a happy and healthy holiday season! 

Alvina Cassiani and Wanda Buote 

The Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning (Humber College) 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.

An EDI Taskforce comprising of students, faculty, support and administration staff, alumni, community and industry partners was created to lead this initiative. The EDI Framework will address the following four (4) program areas and five (5) program streams:

1. Access & Equity: Students and Employees
2. Curriculum and Programs
3. Campus Culture
4. College-wide Communication and Engagement Strategy

Over the past several months, the EDI Taskforce has been socializing the high-level draft objectives for all program areas with members of the Humber community. Many members asked for detailed work plans, which were provided upon request. Thank you all for your thoughtful feedback which has allowed us to further refine the draft objectives. All program areas have integrated the feedback received, where possible.

We invite members of the Humber community to review the most updated version of the objectives (as of December 17, 2020) for all program areas.