College Council met for the first time this semester on Thursday, September 19, 2013, at the North Campus. In the interest of keeping the Humber community informed about upcoming events, new initiatives, and important issues, I’ll be reporting on the highlights of the monthly meetings. For more information on any topic, or to give me feedback on the reports, please feel free to contact me directly, at lisa.salem-wiseman@humber.ca.
New and Revised Programs
Members of Council learned about three new programs and one program revision. It was noted that the programs presented today are consistent with the priorities listed in Humber’s 2013-2018 Strategic Plan, representing a wide range of credentials and contributing to Humber’s polytechnic identity by providing an increase in pathways for students at Humber.
Mental health issues greatly affect the general population, and there is a strong link between mental health and addiction disorders. The School of Social and Community Services will be launching an Addictions and Mental Health Graduate Certificate. This program, which will consist of two academic semesters and a third semester practicum, will complement existing programs in the School, and will offer an important specialization in the Addictions and Mental Health fields for students who have completed degrees. Areas of study will include chemical dependency and substance use and abuse, community services and supports, holistic assessment and interventions, counseling, ethics, and working with youth and families. Courses will be offered in the late afternoon and early evening, so the program is accessible to people working full-time.
In recent years, the need for professionals in the field of food and nutrition has increased dramatically. To meet this need, the School of Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism is offering a Nutrition and Wellness Management Diploma, which will provide specialized skills for students interested in nutrition and health and wellness promotion. The program is a two-year diploma consisting of four academic semesters and a fifteen-week on-campus internship. The program shares a common first year with the existing Food and Nutrition Management Diploma, and serves to reinforce the school’s commitment to nutrition, wellness, and health. Students will have the opportunity to gain practical experience as nutrition consultants through internships in Humber’s recently established Centre for Healthy Living. At present, this program is unique within the Ontario college system.
Skilled trades play an important role in our economy, and Canada currently faces a critical shortage of skilled workers. The School of Applied Technology has developed its new Millwright Techniques Certificate as a complement to its existing Electrical Techniques and Plumbing Techniques programs, allowing for important opportunities for networking among the different trades. The one-year certificate, designed to introduce prospective millwrights to the trade, will meet a labour market shortage and existing demands.
Changes to the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002 have resulted in the division of the Funeral Director certification into two separate certifications: Funeral Director Class 1 (Embalming) and Funeral Director Class 2 (Non-embalming). Humber’s School of Health Sciences delivers the only English-speaking funeral service education program in Ontario. The curriculum is the same for both diploma programs, with the addition of embalming courses and an extra six months of internship for the Class 1 diploma. There is flexibility built in, as students are able to transfer between the two programs.
IT Services Update
Information Technology Services provides technology to support the college across all three of Humber’s Strategic Priorities. Scott Briggs, Chief Information Officer, Information Technology Services, provided an overview of recent and current activities.
The new Open Access Computer Lab for students at the Lakeshore campus (FB 102-3) was developed in partnership with HSF. The new lab supports student learning by providing collaborative space for students and innovative equipment, including a treadmill desk.
The first part of Humber’s unified communications and telephony contract was awarded to Cisco systems. Implementation will start at the beginning of the next calendar year, and it is expected to take 12 – 18 months to fully implement the new technology across Humber. It will offer services such as WebEx conferencing, as well as an enhanced 911 feature to improve campus safety.
The data network at the north campus was completely replaced over the summer. By the end of March, the data networks at all campuses will be replaced. The new network is more resilient to failure and is able to grow with the college.
Enrollment Update
Barb Riach, Acting Registrar, gave us an update on enrollment. This fall has seen an enrolment increase of 4.5 per cent, which is in line with the Business Plan. There are approximately 24,000 students enrolled at Humber, including approximately 3,000 international students from 106 different countries. In keeping with the goal of increasing pathways for students, Humber now has approximately 100 students who have moved from diploma to degree studies, and 450 of our degree students had previously studied at a postsecondary institution. The Lakeshore Campus has seen a 7 per cent increase in student population, due to the flow-through of degree programs.