These last few weeks have been a challenging time for many of us. Following the recent federal government announcement to put in place a temporary two-year cap on international student admissions, many of you are probably wondering what this will mean for Humber and where this leaves us moving forward. While we are still working to assess the impact of this announcement on Humber, I want to reassure the entire Humber community that our focus will always remain on ensuring that our students, staff, faculty, and administrators, have the transformative Humber experience that they deserve.
It’s during times like these that I’m reminded of what really sets us apart here at Humber. For more than 50 years, Humber College has been a global leader in career-focused learning. In an ever-evolving global landscape, Humber continues to shine as a beacon of excellence offering an unparalleled experience through our global curriculum, diverse campus culture, and commitment to student success. We are a world-class post-secondary institution thanks to our incredible staff, the wider Humber community, and our state-of-the-art facilities. We work hard to ensure our students are equipped with the tools, knowledge, and experience they need to thrive, and we take pride in embracing and celebrating the rich diversity that enriches the overall educational experience. These are just some of the many reasons why we’re admired in our approach to fostering an environment where students from all over the world can come here to learn, gain real-world experience, and build meaningful careers.
Our approach to higher education is essential in meeting the unique needs of our province’s diverse labour markets. It will be early childhood educators that help fulfil the promise of $10/day daycare and personal support workers that will help care for an aging population. It will be engineering technicians and technologists that will support the electrification of the economy and the growth of the province’s automotive sector, and it will be skilled trade workers that will help us build more affordable homes in our province. Graduate-level programs at Humber attract learners with experience, filling these critical labour market needs in various sectors, including health care, home building, and advanced manufacturing.
We take immense pride in being a leader in international education. Its impact extends beyond the walls of our classrooms and resonates throughout our entire province. From business to technology, health sciences to arts, Humber's programs are crafted to prepare students for success in a diverse and interconnected world. With Humber Global, we’re taking the Humber learning experience across the globe by providing students with the opportunity to broaden their horizons with life-changing experiences. Since 2018, over 3,000 Humber students have participated in global opportunities.
At Humber, we believe in empowering international students with academic opportunities that align with their aspirations, making their educational journey both enriching and impactful. One of the hallmarks of our approach is the responsible growth of our international student population over the past decade. We did this relying on a public sector approach with our focus always being on maintaining the integrity and quality of education at Humber College. As advocates on providing quality educational standards, we have also embraced transparency and accountability by participating in an audit that was critical to shaping the Standards of Practice for International Education Quality Assurance, launched in March 2023 by Colleges Ontario. These standards, partly inspired by what we do at Humber, serve as a compass for the entire public college sector, guiding it to continually enhance programs, supports, and recruitment practices for international students.
As an institution, we all have a role to play in ensuring the success of our international students. Humber has proudly been at the forefront in providing necessary services, supports, and resources to guide international students through their educational journey, a journey that does not end at the convocation ceremony. Rather, we help them establish a career path where they can contribute back to the communities they serve and become global leaders. As a sign of the success, since 2017-18, nearly 8 in 10 international student graduates have been employed in a field related to their program of study. Our priority has always been to provide an authentic and enriching educational experience that prepares students for success both in their academic pursuits and future careers.
As the entire country grapples with a housing crisis, we need to recognize that these challenges are not unique to international students alone. I worry that international students have been unfairly targeted and have become the centre of blame on an issue that is much broader and complex. As a post-secondary institution, we need to do our part when it comes to addressing affordable housing needs particularly as it relates to our students and our surrounding Humber community. Humber offers 1,500 spaces at its student residences located at the North and Lakeshore Campuses and provides education and referrals for off-campus housing through third-party partners. In addition, this fall, we will add more than 300 new residence spaces with the completion of a new residence at our Lakeshore Campus. We are also the first of two institutions to have partnered with Spaces Shared to offer a new and more comprehensive home-sharing option for students and local homeowners.
I know that the next two years will not be easy for our Humber community as we weather the impacts of the federal announcement. It is with no doubt that there will be significant financial implications on our institution and we may have some difficult decisions to make, however I believe that we will be able to get through this together. Afterall, we have been in situations with great uncertainty before, and just like then, I know that we will find a way to move forward. I’m proud of the amazing community we have here with our dedicated staff, faculty and administrators making a difference every day for our students. Together, let’s focus on the road ahead and continue to bring our students an educational experience that will lead them into a world of endless possibilities. I know we will stay committed in helping our students achieve their academic goals and become upstanding contributors to our local and global communities – just as we always have.
Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan
President & CEO, Humber College