Announcements

When:
March 6, 2020

Humber College continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation and the potential impact on our community. All classes, campus operations and activities are continuing as scheduled.

Humber-sanctioned activities abroad

Health authorities are providing regular COVID-19 updates, and the college continues to monitor and follow these updates. For the most up-to-date information in Ontario and Toronto, community members are encouraged to visit the Ontario Ministry of Health website, as well as the Toronto Public Health website

The Government of Canada is also regularly updating their Travel Health Notices and categorizing the regions by level of COVID-19 concern. Canadians are advised to avoid non-essential travel to locations categorized as level 3 and are advised to practice special precautions when visiting locations categorized as level 2. As of March 4, the category 2 and 3 advisories apply to China, Iran, Italy, Japan, and South Korea.

In light of this travel advice, Humber-sanctioned activities scheduled to take place in those regions – for both students and employees – are cancelled until June 30, 2020. We will work with students to address the financial and academic impacts of these cancellations. Students who were scheduled to participate in activities to these regions will receive an email and should contact their study abroad coordinator or program coordinator to discuss next steps. Similarly, employees who were scheduled to travel to one of these destinations should discuss next steps with their manager.

The University of Guelph-Humber has also cancelled university sanctioned trips to those regions for students and staff.

This measure will be in effect as long as the Government of Canada advisories remain in place. We will monitor this situation as it continues to evolve. We recognize that students and staff may choose to withdraw from scheduled trips to other parts of the world. We will do our best to minimize financial and academic impacts of those decisions. We may need to cancel trips to other countries, depending on how the situation evolves. Please keep in mind that low enrolment/participation rate may also result in further cancellations. As other organizations work to limit the spread of COVID-19, it is likely that domestic work placements may be impacted as well.

Ability to Work and Learn on Campus

Recommendations to support global containment efforts and limit the spread of the virus, including self-isolation are still in place, particularly for those who may have been travelling recently. The Government of Canada Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak Update page provides regularly updated travel advisories and advice.

If a student or employee, or their family members, have travelled to China, Iran, or Northern Italy within the last 14 days, they should stay at home and contact Toronto Public Health to seek guidance as to whether they should self-isolate before coming to work or class.

Any students who are feeling unwell and/or have reason to believe they should be self-isolated should stay home and contact their Associate Dean before coming to campus. Students will be accommodated, as long as the appropriate notice and documentation is provided, as required.

Faculty members who are feeling unwell and/or have reason to believe they should be self-isolated and therefore are unable to attend class, should stay home and contact their Associate Dean before coming to campus to discuss appropriate next steps.

All other employees who are feeling unwell and/or have reason to believe they should be self-isolated should stay home and contact their manager before coming to campus to discuss appropriate next steps. 

Employees will be accommodated, as long as the appropriate notice and documentation is provided, as required.

Measures Underway

While the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an international public health emergency, the current risk to Canadians remains low. We maintain ongoing contact with Toronto Public Health and have been advised that there are no additional actions required, and to follow regular respiratory illness protocols and prevention strategies.

Humber is following all respiratory illness protocols and prevention measures already in place. In addition, areas of the College that provide health-related services, including the Health Centres, Dental Centres, the Humber Spa and the Tzu Chi Clinic of Chinese Medicine, have the recommended screening protocols in place.

We have increased cleaning of high touch point areas, using a chemical that kills both coronavirus and norovirus. Electrostatic fogging machines are also being used twice a week in cafeterias, open computer labs, high-traffic washrooms, athletic changerooms, health centres, Residence etc. This includes the keyboards and monitors in the open access labs. Electrostatic fogging machines seal surfaces so that germs are unable to attach to them.

As we are in the winter flu season, we ask everyone to:

  • wash your hands as frequently as possible,
  • cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then immediately throw the tissue in the garbage and clean your hands,
  • if you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve or arm,
  • and stay home if you’re feeling ill.

Soap and hospital-grade hand sanitizer dispensers across campus will be monitored and filled regularly.

Resources and Contacts

Humber takes the health and well-being of our staff and students seriously and we are monitoring the situation closely. An oversight group comprising representatives from the Academic Division, Communications, Human Resources, Legal and Risk Management, Public Safety, Student Success and Engagement, and the University of Guelph-Humber will provide regular updates to the community.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Other links:
Ontario Ministry of Health Statement
Toronto Medical Officer of Health statement – March 2
Toronto Public Health 
Toronto Public Health Novel Coronavirus Fact Sheet
Government of Canada - Travel Health Notices
Public Health Agency of Canada

When:
March 5, 2020

Employee Well-Being and EngagementHumber is developing an Employee Well-Being and Engagement Framework and we need your help. As a Humber employee, your experience and your opinion matter. We need you to share them with us as part of the upcoming voting and feedback sessions. In order to make sure you have all the information you need to have input and inform what we do next, we have developed some FAQs about the Employee Well-Being and Engagement Initiative. You can also find more information about the initiative here.  

Frequently Asked Questions – Employee Well-being and Engagement

  1. What is the Employee Well-being and Engagement initiative all about?

    Under Humber’s Strategic Pillar – Healthy Inclusive Community (Strategic Initiative 7.2 – Employee Engagement), this initiative seeks to structure, strengthen, and harmonize Humber’s commitment to creating a healthy and inclusive community through the development and implementation of an employee engagement and wellness strategy.

    Through this initiative, employees will have an opportunity to define the elements of a framework that will describe Humber’s commitment to employee well-being and engagement and will drive actions, goals, strategies and programs to achieve these commitments.
     
  2. What is the Employee Well-being and Engagement Framework?

    The Employee Well-being and Engagement Framework is a structure or graphical representation of what Humber will define as Dimensions and Drivers of well-being and engagement. Currently, Humber does not have a framework or described structure for well-being and engagement. What is shared on the employee well-being and engagement website is not an already developed framework. Rather, it provides points of discussion around dimensions and drivers to allow employees to define Humber’s Employee Well-being and Engagement Framework through the voting/feedback process.
     
  3. What are the main stages or process steps in the Employee Well-being and Engagement initiative?

    There are some very specific steps in this initiative, many of them directly involve employees contributing to defining our framework. The main steps are:
     
    1. Develop the discussion dimensions and drivers from industry research and leading practices in employee well-being and engagement.
    2. Present these dimensions and drivers to employees and have them vote on those that are most important to them (this is where we need input from you, the employee).
    3. Collate voting results and derive Humber’s draft Employee Well-being and Engagement Framework.
    4. Present the draft framework to employees and invite them to share their stories, recommendations, expectations and needs in a town hall opportunity (in person and online) that will allow us to get specifics about what employees want to see as well-being and engagement actions.
    5. Refine the draft framework based on the feedback received.
    6. Conduct a baseline survey on the framework Dimensions and Drivers to understand gaps.
    7. ​Use the data collected from steps 4 and 5 above to formulate an action plan for well-being and engagement.
       
  4. What are Dimensions and Drivers?

    Dimensions are: areas of focus that allow us to categorize organizational responses (projects, programs, solutions, approaches, processes, etc.) into definable containers.

    Drivers are: a condition, strategy or capability that shapes and enables mindsets, culture, behaviours, and goals. These typically become translated into specific actions. 

    For a list of dimensions and drivers and more information on the employee engagement and well-being initiative, please visit humber.ca/hroe/oe.
     
  5. Where did these Dimensions and Drivers come from?

    The Dimensions and Drivers presented for voting and discussion were collated in-house by the Organizational Effectiveness team within the Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness Division. They draw on academic, industry (public sector and higher education), and leading practice research on employee well-being and engagement, and take into consideration the unique and diverse needs of Humber College.
     
  6. Why do employees have to vote?

    Employees need to vote because we need input. The proposed list of dimensions and drivers are a starting point to begin the discussion. Voting is a way for us to reduce a large list of leading Dimensions and Drivers to a more manageable and meaningful list that can make up our framework. Voting allows us to reduce the list without having to draw on employees’ time to discuss this large list. When employees vote, the Dimensions and Drivers that obtain the most votes will go forward as the draft framework elements. 

    When employees attend an information session, we will share information on the Dimensions and Drivers, and will then begin voting on the ones that are important to you. We will use that data to build the draft framework (the refined list), which we will share back with employees and initiate step 4 described above.
     
  7. What if I decide not to vote?

    The Eemployee Well-being and Engagement initiative is about employees. We can’t determine what well-being and engagement looks like at Humber without the input of the employees that make up Humber. You have a say in the framework. Not voting would mean that you miss out on the opportunity to say what Humber should focus on when it comes to employee well-being and engagement. If you want your voice to be heard, you need to vote and participate in the other project activities such as steps 4 and 6 above.
     
  8. Why should employee well-being and engagement matter to me?

    We recognize that employee well-being and engagement is in many respects, an individual response to how the mental and emotional state and psychological investment that an employee makes in an organization, is influenced by everything the they experience in the organization. However, employee well-being and engagement is also an organizational priority that Humber is committed to supporting through actions and programs that benefit all employees.

    It is both an individual and collective responsibility to demonstrate care and concern, to raise issues and make recommendations that will benefit everyone when it comes to employee well-being and engagement. Employees need to feel comfortable and empowered to raise concerns and provide recommendations so that changes occur. The multiple employee feedback opportunities provided through this initiative allow employees to let their voices be heard and to help us build something truly culture defining.
     
  9. What happens if a dimension or driver I care about and vote for, is not selected?

    It is possible that a Dimension or Driver you like and voted for, may not be selected in the refined listing that will form the draft framework. There are more than thirty (3) dimensions and drivers altogether that you will vote on. What we end up with will reflect what the majority of employees want Humber to focus on.
     
  10. Who should participate in voting and other employee activities?

    This initiative is for every type of employee – Full-time Admin, Academic, Support, Part-time Admin, Academic, Regular Part-time Support Staff, Partial Load employee under contract and student employees.
     
  11. Is my vote and other contributions, such as when I participate in the survey, confidential?

    Yes. We will be careful to ensure that only essential demographic information is collected from employees during any feedback exercise.
     
  12. What if I don’t think this initiative or my contribution will make any difference?

    Your input matters. Your experience matters. Without your insights, we can’t develop a meaningful Employee Well-being and Engagement Framework. Together, we can build a meaningful framework and programs, services and supports that reflect what matters most to Humber employees.
     
  13. Whom should I reach out to if I have more questions?

    We welcome your questions. Please contact:
Dawn Bassant
Director Organizational Effectiveness
E: dawn.bassant@humber.ca
Tel: x5750
Candice Warner-Barrow
OE Project Portfolio Lead
E: candice.warner-barrow@humber.ca
Tel: x5146
Marianne Davitjan
OE Consultant
E: marianne.davitjan@humber.ca
 

 

When:
March 4, 2020
Boilermaker Apprenticeship Program

Humber’s Boilermaker Apprenticeship Program received an eight-foot diameter tank from TIW Steel Platework Inc., to be used by apprentices to gain real-world skills.

The partnership between TIW Steel Platework Inc., the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 128, and Humber College helps the next generation of boilermakers to thrive in the future. These partnerships allow us to stay current and to fulfil the needs of today’s industry.

TIW Steel Platework Inc. representatives visited Carrier Drive to see how their tank has been put to use and to accept a token of appreciation.

Special thanks to:

TIW Steel Platework Inc.
Glenn Alloway, Construction Manager
Mario Lisella, General Superintendent
Valmount Bourgoin, Turnaround Supervisor
Jason Pouliot, Project Coordinator

Boilermakers Local 128
Roy Grills, Business Manager
Tom MacNeil, Apprentice Coordinator
Ed Hoffmann Jr, Welding Instructor.

Lastly, we can’t forget the January 2020 Advanced Boilermaker class for their hard work assembling the tank!

When:
March 4, 2020
Contact:
Allison Scully
Tel:
x79287
Posters/Attachments: Event Poster

Advising & Career Services at Humber College conducts an annual Advisor Training Conference. Each year, the Advisor Training Conference has a theme reflected in aspects of holistic approach to student advising. The attendees of this conference will be from Humber College, University of Guelph Humber and Humber Community Outreach and Workforce Development. 

This year our theme is “Advising Without Silos: Collaborating for Student Success”. The training conference will be taking place on May 27 at the North Campus and May 28 at the Lakeshore Campus. Please mark your calendars. 

On behalf of our Advisor Training Program Committee, we are excited to launch a new opportunity to our colleagues. This year we are encouraging staff and faculty who are interested to submit proposals to present. Sessions will be scheduled for approximately one hour. If you are interested in submitting a proposal please complete the Presentation Proposal Form.  

Deadline to submit a presentation proposal is March 18, 2020. Successful presentations will be contacted by end of March. We hope that you will submit a proposal and join us as we continue to advance the field of advising and student success at Humber.

When:
March 4, 2020
Contact:
Michelle Trumper
Tel:
x4509

Suppor Staff Professional Development 2020: Continually Learning & Growing
Prize Draw Winners 


Tuesday, February 25 – Keshia Ellis, FLASIL 

  • Spend a morning enjoying a live to tape broacast taping of CTV's original daytime lifestyle series The Marilyn Dennis Show at Bell Media Studios in downtown Toronto, VIP seating at the show and a photo opportunity with Marilyn Dennis.
  • Indigo Gift Certificate ($50)
  • Starbucks Gift Certificate ($50)

Wednesday, February 26 – Erin Cole, International Office

  • A Night at the Movies Cineplex Movie Theatre Card ($100 value)
  • The Ultimate Dining Card ($75 value )

Thursday, February 27 – Mark Pezzelato, ITS

  • Inspired Dining Card ($125 value)
  • Amazon Gift Card ($50 value)

Friday, February 28 – Jeniel Badwin, Office of the Registrar 

  • Happy to say Thanks card ($145 value)
  • Tim Horton's Gift Card ($15 value) 
  • Starbucks Gift Card ($15 value)

Congratulations to all! Please come and pick up your prizes at the 6th Floor reception desk at your earliest convenience. 

Learning & Development

When:
March 3, 2020

This workshop is a high-level overview of Office365. 

Office365 is so much more than just email!  Learn about some of the more popular apps, including OneDrive, and how collaboration can make your job easier. 

Reserve your spot today. 

These will be the last workshops until April 2020.

  • North Campus, L132
    Tuesday, March 10 at 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 
  • Lakeshore Campus, L3014
    April 30 at 1:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 
When:
March 3, 2020

Panopto logo

My name is Shirantha Beddage. I’m a faculty member in the Bachelor of Music program and a Teaching and Learning Support secondee for the 2019/20 academic year.

I’ve been using Panopto for the better part of the last year on Mac and iOS, and since then it has become my default platform for creating, editing and sharing videos with my students and colleagues.

Read my story here.

When:
March 3, 2020
Contact:
Cheryl Mitchell
Posters/Attachments: Event Poster

Humber Centre for Entrepreneurship and Seneca HELIX are pleased to invite you to the Inspire Entrepreneurship Conference on Thursday, May 7, 2020 at the Lakeshore Campus.

This one-day conference will bring together and support students, entrepreneurship educators, entrepreneurs, community and Industry partners in their entrepreneurial journey. Participants will have the ability to connect, collaborate and create within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

If anyone is interested in holding a workshop or a panel session, please complete the attached form or visit our website for more information.

Deadline for proposals is Thursday, March 12, 2020.

When:
March 2, 2020
Contact:
Kelly Morrow
Tel:
x3093
Posters/Attachments: Event Poster

Please see attached the 2019-20 year-end memo, with key cut-off/deadline dates required to close the fiscal year off in a timely and accurate manner. If there are any questions related the content of this memo, please feel free to contact your Finance Liason person or myself directly.

Kelly Morrow
Director, Financial Services


This memo outlines important dates for the upcoming yearend (as at March 31, 2020) by which the information needs to be submitted to Finance and/or appropriate action taken. We need your strict adherence to these dates to complete the financial statements, external audit, Board and Ministry reporting in a stipulated and tight timeframe.

DEADLINES ARE TO BE INTERPRETED AS 4:30 P.M. OF THE DATE SPECIFIED

a) Procurement – Friday, January 31, 2020

It is strongly recommended that all purchase orders and related purchasing activities be initiated by the above date to ensure adequate time is allotted to complete the procurement cycle by yearend date.

b) Revenue Deferral – Friday, February 28, 2020

Requests for unearned revenue deferrals should be based on the anticipated yearend balance and must be made by submitting a Revenue Deferral Request Form to Hongliu Mo by the above date. Requests will be approved in accordance with accounting principles. The form identifies eligibility criteria.

c) Accounts Receivable – Wednesday, March 25, 2020

All requests to invoice (external) customers for current fiscal year activities must be made by submitting a Request to Invoice form to accounts.receivable@humber.ca by the above date.

d) Interdepartmental Charges – Tuesday, March 31, 2020

All interdepartmental charges (i.e. Capital Works, Telephone, Graphics etc.) or journal entry requests for the current fiscal year must be submitted by the above date.

e) Purchase Card (MasterCard) – Tuesday, March 31, 2020

All purchase card transactions must be processed and approved in Chrome River by the above date; otherwise they will be charged to the next fiscal.

It is important to note that until transactions are APPROVED in Chrome River, they are not transferred to and recorded in Banner. It is imperative that transactions are approved by the deadline to ensure they are recorded in Banner against the Fiscal 2019-20 budget. Any unapproved transactions will be recorded against next year’s budget. Please visit the Finance website Chrome River training documentation for a Job Aid on How to Approve P-Card Transactions.

f) Banner Purchase Order Receiving – Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Banner receiving is an online acknowledgement that goods ordered or servicesrendered have been appropriately received and vendor invoice is approved for payment. Banner receiving must be completed for goods or services received by the above date.

Note: Purchase orders with remaining balance of $100 (or less) and all standing orders for current year will be closed as of March 31, 2020 (i.e. not rolled over into the new fiscal year).

If Banner receiving is not complete by the above deadline, expenses will be recorded against next fiscal year’s budget.

g) Vendor Invoices – Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Vendor invoices must be received in Accounts Payable by the above date. Please note that Banner receiving must be complete by the date specified above (f); otherwise, the expense will be charged against next fiscal year’s budget.

h) Travel & Expense Claims – Wednesday April 1, 2020

Travel & expense claims must be received in Accounts Payable by the above date, otherwise they will be processed in the next fiscal year. Please visit our website humber.ca/finance for guidance on Travel & Expense Claims and the form.

i) Prepaid Expenses

As per accounting principles, payments made in the current fiscal year that relate to goods being received or services being rendered beyond March 31, 2020 date will be automatically charged to next fiscal year’s budget.

j) Payroll Timecards (HRMS) – Tuesday, March 31, 2020

All timecards for work performed in the current fiscal year must be approved by the above date. Further communication will be provided in March from HR/Payroll.

2020-21 Fiscal Year Readiness

Please note that effective March 1, 2020, the fiscal 2020-2021 budget will be available in Banner to process procurement related activities. Purchasing will host two refresher sessions on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in Room D203-North Campus and Thursday, February 27, 2020 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in Room D221-North Campus to review items such as creating standing orders. Please email purchasing@humber.ca to register for one of these two sessions.

Summary

We appreciate and thank everyone in advance for their cooperation. Please contact anyone on our Finance team if you have any questions on the above, or yearend activities in general.

Quick Reference Table of Year-end Deadlines

Financial item Due date
Purchase orders initiated for delivery of goods or services by Year-end Friday, January 31, 2020
Revenue Deferral requests Friday, February 28, 2020
Accounts Receivable Invoicing requests Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Interdepartmental Charges requests Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Chrome River transactions processed and approved Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Banner Purchase Order Receiving Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Payroll Timecards (HRMS) approved Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Vendor Invoices received by Accounts Payable Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Travel & Expense Claims received by Accounts Payable Wednesday, April 1, 2020

For more information, please visit humber.ca/finance.

When:
March 2, 2020

Over the coming months, Humber College and University of Guelph-Humber will implement a new emergency response procedure for potential active attackers called Run, Hide, Defend. The new procedure will be live and in-place on Monday, March 30, 2020.

This new approach has been approved by Humber’s executive and is in place in nearly 20 post-secondary institutions in Ontario.

The basic premise of the approach is that when faced with an active attacker, individuals should get away from or avoid the situation if it is safe to do so (run); take cover or shelter (hide); or, as a last resort, take action against the attacker (defend).

The Department of Public Safety will deliver Run, Hide, Defend training for all members of the college community, beginning later this month. Training is available for students and employees, will occur at all campuses and locations, and will be delivered on an ongoing basis throughout the year. Training will be organized directly with Faculties and Departments, and will also be available at general sessions available to anyone. Training session schedules will be posted in the Communique in the next few weeks and provided to managers to share with their teams.

Annual Run, Hide, Defend drills will occur across Humber’s various campuses and locations in September 2020, and will replace traditional lockdown drills.

While more information will be available in the following weeks, please contact Kathy Branton (x5550) or MaryAnn Gregoris (x5449) in the Department of Public Safety if you have any questions or would like more information.

Thank you,

Rob Kilfoyle
Director, Public Safety and Emergency Management

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