Enhancing Institutional EDI Knowledge of Disability and Academic Accessibility: 

• Students requesting extensions as a disability-related accommodation are provided extension guidelines from Accessible Learning Services. 

• There may, on occasion, be exceptions to these guidelines for specific disability-related reasons (for example, when a disability-related reason prevented the student from engaging in the accommodation process). 

• With increased efforts to embed accessibility in curriculum, applying the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can reduce the need for extension requests. These include: breaking down large assignments into smaller components with respective due dates or implementing a “voucher” system allowing all students an opportunity or two to submit assignments late without penalty or rationale. 

• It is understood that there is value in structure, timelines and building responsibility in our students, but peer review supports pedagogical value in compassion and suggests rethinking deadline and late penalty policies.  

Visit our ALS Information for Faculty website to learn more about extension accommodations. 

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

On Sunday, a family walking in London, Ontario was hit by driver in a premeditated act of hate. City of London police said that they believe the victims were targeted for their Islamic faith. According to a family statement they are Salman Afzaal, Madiha Salman, Yumna Salman and Afzaal’s mother. Fayez Afzaal, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

We condemn this and other acts of violence. We are angered and saddened by this news. We extend our sincerest condolences to the family and stand in solidarity and grief with all of our Muslim staff, students and community members affected by this tragic incident.

As we have said before, we are committed to fostering an environment where all members of the community feel welcome, safe and supported and recently shared this update about our ongoing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives. Diversity is one of our greatest strengths and we must continue to work to eliminate hate in all of its forms. 

We understand the need and value of support during this challenging time. Below is a list of services available to staff and students.

• Students can contact the Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre for support
• GoodToTalk (1-866-925-5454) is a 24-hour mental health support for post-secondary students in Ontario
• Therapy Assist Online
• Staff may also access Employee Assistance Plan services

On behalf of the 2021 Advisor Training Committee, thank you to everyone who joined us for Advisor Training 2021 - A Way Foward: Advising Through Change. 

For those of you who were unable to join a session, the recordings have been posted. Check out our event calendar for all recording links. They will be posted until the end of summer.

Also, please take a moment to complete our Overall Advisor Training Conference Feedback Survey here. Your feedback is important to us and will help us make informed decisions about Advisor Training 2022.

If you would still like to provide specific feedback for a session you attended, you can complete our session-specific feedback surveys by visiting our event calendar. Surveys will be open until this Friday, June 11.

As announced a short time ago, Christina Alcena has moved from the Manager, Equity and Student Life position, to fill Melanie Chai’s vacancy as the Interim Associate Director, Advising and Career Services until November, 2022. We have completed our interview process and I am excited to announce that Kimberly Daniels will be our Interim Manager, Equity and Student Life. 

Kimberly has been at Humber for over 14 years. She began as a student at UGH earning her Honours Bachelor Degree of Applied Arts in Media Studies with a Diploma in Public Relations. She began her career at Humber with IGNITE, and recently moved to SSE with roles as a Career Resource Developer and her current position (until June 4) as the Orientation and Student Life Programs Coordinator. Kimberly was responsible for taking Humber’s Orientation program fully online after a grand total of about two weeks on the job. Over the last year she has collaborated with staff, faculty and students to create an innovative, effective and vital orientation program that helps support students in their transition to life at Humber. 

Kimberly has been active in advancing equity and inclusion initiatives at Humber as a member of the Black/African Employee Resource Group and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce. She has also worked to embed equity practices within Orientation – and Student Life, through trainings, collaborations and inclusive content creation. She continues to advance these goals by completing a certification as a Culturally Inclusive Educator along with an Honours Certification in Teaching and Training Adults. 

Kimberly brings her skills as communicator, collaborator and community builder to this position. She is passionate in her approach to supporting students and ensuring we are examining and addressing where we need to act on issues of equity and inclusion. 

Please join me in congratulating Kimberly and welcoming her to the role.

Shaun Carson
Associate Director, Student Life and Learning
Student Success and Engagement
Pronouns | He/Him