Priority 3 of the Academic Plan supports faculty and staff in initiating projects that enable innovation and create new ways of teaching and learning at Humber.

A reminder that Round 2 of the Call for Proposals will close on June 5, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. We continue to prioritize proposals that demonstrate clear connections to the Academic Plan priorities and exhibit potential scalability across program areas or the institution.  

You can find more details about the application and process on the Call for Proposals webpage. Before completing your proposal, you are encouraged to discuss your intention to apply with your immediate supervisor for their feedback regarding potential operational impacts.

Here are the highlights of faculty questions from May. These are not necessarily the most frequently asked questions, but helpful for all faculty members.

Question (Saving results of Likert questionnaires): I'm interested in knowing how to create a Likert question in Blackboard for a poll and how to download the results into an Excel sheet. Is there also a summary view of collected responses in Blackboard?

Answer: Blackboard Ultra now supports Forms with Likert question type. Results can be exported to an Excel sheet in the same manner as test answers (Step-by-step instructions on exporting test answers). If you need to know how long each student spent on the questionnaire, you can obtain this information from the Student Activity of the Form from the Gradebook. Follow these step-by-step instructions on how to export Student Activity from Blackboard.

However, there is no visualization of collected responses available in Blackboard Ultra. You will have to create your own view by adding formulas and/or graphs to the exported Excel sheet.

You might also consider using Microsoft Forms to collect and visualize responses instead. By adding a link to the questionnaires created in Microsoft Forms in Blackboard course sites, students can access them easily.

Question (Microsoft Teams LTI): I attempted to schedule Microsoft Teams meetings for the class using the LTI from Blackboard Ultra, but it doesn't seem to save. Am I doing it incorrectly? What's the alternative way to create meetings for the class?

Answer: This has been a recurring issue reported by instructors.

The recommended method for creating and sharing the link to an online synchronous class in Blackboard is to:

• create an event in Outlook Calendar using your Humber credentials
• copy the meeting link and post in the Course Content area and Calendar in Blackboard
• share the link via an Announcement in Blackboard

Please refer to Using Microsoft Teams to Teach for more information. A helpful step-by-step guide is also available. Please note that we will remove the LTI in the near future.

Question (Gradebook): How can I drop the lowest score in the Gradebook?

Answer: You can drop the lowest score from a specific category or subset within a category. To achieve this, navigate to the Gradebook, select 'Overall Grade' for editing, and then choose the category from which you want to drop the lowest score. Click on 'Edit calculation rules'.

This opens a side panel that allows you to drop the lowest or highest scores. For more information, please visit the Anthology website. The same function is also available if you create a Total Calculation column from the Gradebook.

Question (SFQs): I do not remember if I received any messages about SFQs. Where should I look for information?

Answer: SFQs are open to students during a set period each semester, launching about 70 per cent of the way through a course and closing before the final week. To find out when your course would have SFQs, please visit our SFQ date tool. You will receive a message in your Humber email once results are available to you upon completion of your course.

Question (Safe Assign): How can I set up an assignment for SafeAssign?

Answer: To enable SafeAssign for an assignment, click on the Settings icon from the top right corner when you are creating or editing an assignment.

Scroll down the side panel to the bottom where it says “Originality Report”. Click to enable SafeAssign, then save. You must also save the configuration. To check an individual document for Plagiarism, there is also a standalone tool. It is accessible from Books & Tools from the left panel of the course. However, please note that once you submit a document to this tool, you will not be able to delete it from its database.

Question (Akindi): How can I set up the Gradebook using Akindi?

Answer: Akindi is a tool available for certain faculty via LTI. For support, please reach out to Akindi directly. In terms of gradebook setup, you can manually create grade columns and then push grades from Akindi for updates. However, you will still need to set up the Overall Grade.

Need Blackboard support? The IL Support Centre (ILSC) is here to help. 

As we celebrate Pride Month this June, I am excited to share some reflections and upcoming events that highlight our ongoing commitment to inclusion and belonging at Humber College. This special month is not just a time for celebration; it's a time for reflection, solidarity, and a reaffirmation that regardless of who you love, how you identify, or where you come from, you have a place in Humber, in our community, and in our hearts. 

Thank you to everyone who joined us today at our Pride Flag Raising event, organized by the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, the LGBTQ+ Resource Centre, and the 2SLGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (ERG). This event was a significant moment to celebrate our diverse community and recognize the incredible work done every day with 2SLGBTQIA+ people at Humber. 

You Belong Here

This year's Pride Month theme at Humber is "You Belong Here." For me, belonging at Humber is about love and acceptance. It means making sure that everyone is cared about, respected, celebrated, and loved for who they are. It's about ensuring that people have the services and support they need. It's about understanding that our differences are a source of strength. When we choose to embrace and draw strength from our differences, we build a true sense of belonging. It is also about understanding Mino Nawendiwen-Good relationships and the interconnectedness we all have with everything around us.  

To achieve this, we need to be intentional in our efforts. This is why we created the division of Inclusion & Belonging to drive our collective efforts forward and why we are taking an intersectional approach to advancing inclusion and belonging across Humber. 

As we raise the pride flag, let it serve as a symbol of strength, unity, and community; and let it remind us that until our 2SLGBTQIA+ community members feel they can live their lives fully and authentically, our work is incomplete. 

Honouring Resilience and Courage 

For far too long, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals have faced discrimination, persecution, and exclusion simply for being who they are. Despite these obstacles, they have persisted with resilience and courage. This Pride month, we honour their struggles, their victories, and their contributions to our collective journey towards equality and acceptance. This month, we unite against bigotry, discrimination, and injustice. 

Pride Month is also significant as it coincides with National Indigenous History Month. The two share a deep connection, particularly as it relates to reclaiming Indigenous two-spirit identities and traditions, which is central to advancing reconciliation. 

Our Ongoing Commitment

While we have made important progress, we recognize there is much more work to do. Together, I am confident that we can continue to build a future at Humber where belonging is not just a word, but a true reality.

To our students, staff, and community, know this: You belong here—not just this month, but always. 

Thank you for being part of our Humber family and for supporting our commitment to inclusion and belonging. 

With pride and solidarity, 

Jason Seright
Vice-President, Inclusion & Belonging

The Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging in partnership with the LGBTQ+ Resource Centre and the 2SLGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (ERG) will be celebrating Pride Month in June 2024. In particular, we celebrate queer communities of colour, migrant 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, trans, intersex, and disabled queer folks who still navigate intersectional barriers in their everyday lives. We also acknowledge that Pride takes place on Indigenous lands, and that Pride Month takes place during National Indigenous History Month. We believe that reclaiming Indigenous two-spirit identities and traditions is central to the ongoing process of reconciliation and decolonization of 2SLGBTQIA+ movements. 

We encourage the Humber community to celebrate with us as we honour the identities and self-expression of two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual members of our community, students, staff, and faculty.

THANK YOU to everyone who came to our Flag Raising and Opening Ceremonies and we encourage everyone to continue to get involved and take part in many wonderful events and trainings happening throughout Pride Month! 

You can check out the Pride Calendar and all the many events at: https://humber.ca/lgbtq/events 

Please be sure to share this events calendar with your networks. Happy Pride!