In the latest edition of AMViews, President Vaughan explores why equity is an important consideration in sustainability efforts and how Humber College continues to lead on that front. Read the blog on the President's Blog webpage.

The Humber College and University of Guelph-Humber community is saddened to learn of the recent natural disasters happening around the world. The massive earthquake and aftershocks in the High Atlas Mountain range and other areas in Morocco on September 8 and the flooding that began in Libya on September 10 have devastated those regions. The death and destruction caused by these events is not confined to Morocco and Libya. Family, friends and relatives in our community and city are also deeply impacted by this news. 

While the impacts of these natural disasters continue to unfold and rescue efforts are ongoing, our collective thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones or who are anxiously awaiting news of the safety of loved ones. We are here to provide support to students and staff who may need assistance during this difficult time. 

Here are supports and services available to students. We ask that staff who support students in their learning experience ensure they are aware of these resources. 

• For mental health counselling, students can contact the Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre for support.    
• Students can also connect with the Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion.   
• GoodToTalk (1.866.925.5454) is a 24-hour mental health support for post-secondary students in Ontario.  
• Therapy Assist Online. 
• Wellness Together Canada offers free multi-lingual supports and short-term counselling.   

An email was sent to all students earlier today advising them of the supports available to them.  

Staff are encouraged to access Employee Assistance Plan services or to connect with their manager for support as needed.

Thank you for supporting our students and each other during this time.   

Humber College and the University of Guelph-Humber (Humber) take the safety of our community seriously. As part of that commitment to safety, Humber will conduct its annual active attacker drills in September 2023.

The goal of these drills is to test our procedures and ensure community members know and understand what to do in the unlikely event of an active threat on any of our campuses or locations. Active attacker drills take place every year during the third week of September. Please see the 2023 drill information below:  

• Tuesday, September 26 - 10:10 a.m. and 7:15 p.m. - North Campus, all buildings including 110 and 30 Carrier Drive
• Wednesday, September 27 - 10:10 a.m. and 7:15 p.m. - Lakeshore Campus, all buildings
• Thursday, September 28 - 10:10 a.m. and 7:15 p.m. - International Graduate School
• Saturday, September 30 - 9:30 a.m. at Lakeshore Campus and 11 a.m. at North Campus

Prior to the drill beginning, an announcement will be made using the public address system, where possible, to let community members know immediately before the drill is about to start.

Please note that during the drill, the actual active attacker message will be played – not a test message. This is to familiarize the community with the message they would hear during a real incident. DO NOT call 911 or public safety during the drill unless you have a real emergency.

During the drill, all activity on campus is to stop and community members should follow the Active Attacker Response procedures: run, hide, defend. During the drill, only the “run” and “hide” parts of the response will be tested. Once the drill is complete, an announcement will be made on the public address system advising that the drill is over and normal activities can resume. Drills are expected to last between 10 to 15 minutes.

Location-specific information pertaining to the drills will be shared with the communities at the IGS and Lakeshore ahead of the drills. 

It is important to note that, due to the nature of the drills, some community members may experience stress related issues before, during, or after the drills. Support services are available for students through SWAC and staff through EFAP. Anyone requiring support is encouraged to reach out to the appropriate team.

The Active Attacker Response procedures can be found on the Department of Public Safety website. Also, look for the Active Attacker Response posters located in classrooms, lecture halls and private meeting spaces across campus.

Please note that online Active Attacker training is also available.

The training is approximately 30 minutes in length.

All community members are encouraged to take the training prior to the drills to ensure they know how to properly respond.

If you have any questions please contact Kathy Branton, manager of Business Continuity and Emergency Management at kathy.branton@humber.ca or 416.675.6622 x5550.

Rob Kilfoyle
Director, Public Safety and Emergency Management

The Office of Sustainability is inviting staff and faculty to fill out a short, two-question survey which will identify how you commute to and from campus. Completing this survey will help Humber’s Office of Sustainability understand how the community travels to the campuses and calculate our annual greenhouse gas emissions.

Submit the form now, the survey closes October 8.

For questions about the survey please contact sustainability@humber.ca.