The Office of the Registrar is pleased to share what we were up to during the summer term with the latest issue of the RO End of Term Wrap UP.
We look forward to continuing to highlight key information and celebrate team achievements as we work together to support students and staff this fall.
Each year, Humber College participates in Take Our Kids to Work Day. This is a hands-on experiential learning event for grade 9 children of Humber and the University of Guelph-Humber employees.
This year, the program will be held on Wednesday, November 1 and will be hosted by Humber College at the North and Lakeshore Campuses. Interested employees that would like to participate must email Humber Organizational Effectiveness at oe@humber.ca to note your interest and campus location.
Through this event, grade 9 students will get a chance to explore a variety of careers and sectors and will learn what skills are important to thrive in the world of work. The goal of this event is to empower students to make informed decisions and ignite their curiosity of what is possible for their future.
Please stay tuned for more details regarding the registration process.
I am delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Jenny C. Hill as the new Associate Dean, Design, in the Faculty of Media & Creative Arts.
Jenny is a landscape architect, engineer, educator and post-secondary administrator whose unique blend of education and work experience includes forays into chemistry and forensic science. This has given her a wide lens through which to view trends in higher education and design, one which served her well in her previous role as Assistant Dean, Academic Planning and Governance in the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design.
At the University of Toronto, Jenny taught water resources to undergraduate engineering students, and hydrology to master’s landscape architecture students. She is sought after in industry as an expert in low-impact development having consulted with Sustainable Buildings Canada since 2015. She has experience working with provincial and municipal government and worked for the Toronto Region Conservation Authority as a research scientist.
Jenny holds a doctorate in water resources engineering from the University of Toronto and master's degrees in landscape architecture and forensic science from, respectively, Birmingham City University and King’s College London. Her first day at Humber will be October 2, 2023.
Please join me in welcoming Jenny to Humber.
Guillermo Acosta
Senior Dean, Faculty of Media & Creative Arts
Educational Workshops and Sessions
In alignment with the goals of Humber's Well-being Strategy, Student Wellness and Equitable Learning (SWEL) offers various workshops and presentations aimed to provide resources that support and promote a healthy and inclusive community at Humber and the University of Guelph-Humber.
Sessions for all Faculty and Staff:
Sessions to Support Student Mental Health and Wellbeing:
Sessions to Enhance Well-being in Learning Environments:
Training for Students, Student Leaders and Student Teams:
To learn more about workshops and presentations or to submit a request, department representatives are encouraged to complete the Workshop Request Form. Please allow for a minimum of two weeks’ notice whenever possible.
Student Wellness and Equitable Learning Services
Student Wellness and Equitable Learning, part of the Student Success and Engagement portfolio, promotes learner success by providing care that supports health and well-being. The department is comprised of several services that are available to all learners at Humber and the University of Guelph Humber. Services include: Health Services, Counselling Services, Accessible Learning Services, Testing Services, Peer Wellness Education and Programs, Sexual Violence Prevention and Education, Student Support and Intervention Coordinators, Office of Student Community Standards, Residence Life. The team also includes Inclusive Curriculum and Wellbeing Specialists and a Health Promotion Specialist who are experts on strategies and best practices for supporting student mental health in the post-secondary sector. For more information, please visit our website.
Scheduling Testing Services
All learners must schedule their tests through Blackboard (Humber) or CourseLink (University of Guelph-Humber). Accommodations are automatically connected to the learner's profile in the system, and learners will be able to select the accommodations they wish to activate for each exam.
Please find below tips and strategies to facilitate an inclusive learning environment for blind/low vision students.
Make documents accessible from the start; it's easier than reverse engineering a document to make it accessible.
Be wary of using old material. It is less likely to be accessible.
Ensure all electronic learning materials are compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies used by blind and low vision students. For support with how to create accessible electronic learning materials you can contact Innovative Learning.
When adopting textbooks and eBooks, speak with the publisher about the accessibility options offered to students. EBooks are not necessarily accessible. Some publishers do not consider accessibility requirements creating numerous barriers for students. Advocate through your communication with publishers to make materials accessible with screen readers. If the material is not accessible, consider using a different publisher.
If your program uses specific software as part of the curriculum, consult with the vendor to ensure their software meets accessibility requirements. This will reduce barriers for blind and low vision students.
Email us at accessible-learning@humber.ca with suggestions for key accessibility-related topics that you would like us to address through the Communiqué.
Recently, artificial intelligence has occupied our conversations and energies in higher education. An interdepartmental team is completing a Pillar 3 Project titled Teaching Students to Research & Write with Integrity in the Digital Age - A Faculty Program. One goal of our work is to create resources focused on the use of genAI (think ChatGPT, Midjourney, Microsoft CoPilot) that faculty can access and use easily. We are seeking your input about what these resources should include and ask that you take this short, anonymous survey to advise and help guide our work.
If you have any questions please contact the Project Team lead, Jennie Miron at jennie.miron@humber.ca.
Earlier this year, we shared our news on Humber’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) Gold rating. This month, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) released their annual Sustainable Campus Index, which featured Humber as a top performer in multiple categories.
Humber College was ranked first among all institutions in the Associate Colleges category for sustainability efforts. We have also tied for first in the Coordination and Planning category, and third in Grounds and Waste categories, and were ranked eighth in the Water category.
Sustainability is embedded in all levels at Humber and has become a part of our identity, culture, learning, and operations. This achievement empowers staff, students, and faculty to continue their efforts to address climate change on a community level and beyond.
Join us in celebrating our achievements and initiatives by following Humber’s Office of Sustainability on LinkedIn!
Due to the installation of new crosswalk on President's Way at North Campus, the area directly in front of the parking kiosk will be temporarily closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic on Saturday, September 23, 2023 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
On September 20, anti-2SLGBTQ+ protests will be taking place in Toronto.
Hate has no place in our communities.
Humber acts in solidarity with groups, like The 519, that are leading counter protests against hate, as well as the policies and guidelines that could have negative and possibly dangerous consequences for 2SLGBTQ+ youth. 2SLGBTQ+ students should feel safe at school to come out in whatever way they choose.
At Humber, we value the contributions, expertise, lived experience and invaluable perspectives that the members of the 2SLBGTQ+ community bring to our workplace and learning environments. Humber in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ Resource Centres and the 2SLGBTQ+ Employee Resource group work together to promote a safe place for all.
As a physical reminder of our commitment to provide a healthy and inclusive environment for all staff and students, and a visual representation of allyship, this weekend we are scheduled to install a Pride flag crosswalk outside of the Learning Resource Commons at North Campus. Future plans for similar displays at Lakeshore Campus are under development.
It is one way of acknowledging the contributions and importance of Humber’s 2SLGBTQ+ community members year-round, and it is a symbol of the college’s support for the rights and safety of all.
Resources and support are available throughout the academic year at the LGBTQ+ Resource Centres at North and Lakeshore campuses and through the 2SLGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group. In addition:
Staff are encouraged to access the Employee Assistance Plan services or to connect with their manager for support as needed.
The first speaker for the Academic Integrity Community of Practice fall semester is set for October 12 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This interactive session will take place through Teams. The session Dancing with Artificial Intelligence - not a space for Academic Integrity Wallflowers, will be presented by Dr. Monica Ward, Dean of Teaching & Learning at the Dublin City University in Ireland.
Dr. Ward oversees and advises on a wide range of matters pertaining to taught programs and provides institutional leadership in the pursuit of excellence in teaching and assessment, leading and providing strategic academic input into related strategic initiatives in the area of digital learning. As the Chair of the University Standards Committee, she has responsibilities regarding academic quality assurance and governance and related alignment of practice with policy, including consistent application of marks and standards. Monica is a leading expert on Interactive Oral assessment. Her areas of interest include computer-assisted learning, educational technologies, computer science, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
If you are interested in attending, please contact Jennie Miron at jennie.miron@humber.ca.
