Since 2018, organizational changes have been made as part of our ongoing effort to ensure that Humber’s Academic Division is well positioned to achieve its strategic and academic goals. The initial changes included the transition from eight schools to six Faculties and the launch of the Centres of Innovation network. In 2020, we enhanced the Centre for Innovative Learning (CIL) with a focus on strengthening our capacity building in the areas of teaching and learning to support our faculty and staff to better respond to the College’s and our learners’ ever-changing needs.

The CIL has grown to include flexible learning and pathways, equitable and inclusive teaching and learning, digital learning, and quality assurance through the Program Planning Development and Renewal department, that is now under the CIL portfolio. Through these recent changes, we have learned that the work done within the CIL is critical to achieving our goals and advancing our strategic priorities.

Our next step in furthering our success and vision is to introduce an Associate Vice-President, Teaching and Learning role to the Academic Division. This position will be responsible for the CIL and for providing vision and leadership across a wide range of initiatives that support academic excellence.

I am pleased to announce that Vera Beletzan, currently the Senior Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences and Innovative Learning, has been appointed to the position and will assume the role early in the new year. In her current role, Vera has led both the CIL and the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences since 2018. She has been instrumental in the creation of the CIL and its various units. She brings more than 20 years of academic experience and the ability to support the vision of the academic division as we continue on our path of continuous improvement.

A Senior Dean will be hired to lead the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences. The search will commence in the coming days.

As we continue to build the capacity of the Centre for Innovative Learning, we have two Associate Deans who will take on secondments to meet specific needs. As noted in the Communique last week, Lisa Salem-Wiseman, Associate Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences & Wellness has been seconded to take on the role of Special Advisor: Humber Learning Outcomes. In the coming weeks, Heather Lowry, Associate Dean, Faculty of Media & Creative Arts, will be seconded to the CIL to take on the role of Associate Dean, Digital Learning. The Associate Dean, Digital Learning provides leadership to a team that supports Humber’s digital learning activities, projects and initiatives. This includes developing, delivering and assessing Humber’s learning innovation ecosystem, focusing on an integrated approach to the effective use of digital tools and innovative educational technology. Heather brings her vast knowledge related to educational technology and her deep understanding of pedagogy to this important role. She will work with both the academic division and with Information Technology Services in this role.

Please join me in congratulating Vera, Lisa and Heather as they take on these new roles.

Gina Antonacci
Senior Vice-President, Academic