Academic Council met on February 16, 2012 at the North Campus. This month’s presentations included some interesting professional development opportunities for faculty, information about the construction of the new Learning Resource Commons at the North Campus, and an update from the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations. Here are the highlights of the meeting:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Nancey Adamson informed Council about Uniterra, an organization that pairs professionals with partners in developing countries. Humber faculty and staff can volunteer to spend between two and four weeks working in one of twelve participating countries, contributing their skills and experience to specific development projects. Shivon Raghunandan, David Scott, and Stacey McPhail shared their experiences volunteering with Uniterra’s Leave for Change program: Shivon spent time in Botswana, working with counselors at a centre for vulnerable youth, David helped provide staff at a community college in Vietnam with the skills to update their visual communications materials, and Stacey worked with physiotherapists at a rehabilitation centre in Malawi. All three spoke passionately about how rewarding the experience was, both personally and professionally.
If you are interested in seeing the volunteer opportunities currently available, please visit www.leaveforchange.ca. For more information on Humber’s involvement, please contact Nancey Adamson.
Eileen De Courcy spoke about new developments at the Centre for Teaching and Learning, which continues to provide faculty with opportunities to both enhance their skills as teachers and share ideas with each other. Between September 2010 and July 2011, the Centre for Teaching and Learning offered 101 workshops, most of which were delivered by Humber faculty, to a total of 1855 participants. In addition, the Centre has an exciting new website with the theme “Be Fearless,” featuring a complete calendar of events and workshops, faculty news and success stories, faculty portfolios, instructional and technology strategies, and resources for new and part-time faculty.
For more information, please visit http://www.humber.ca/centreforteachingandlearning/
PROPERTY UPDATE AND PUBLIC SAFETY
Pervez Ditta, Director of Public Safety and Risk Management, and Carol Anderson, Director of Facilities Management, gave a presentation on the construction of the new Learning Resource Commons (LRC), which will accommodate growth of more than 2,200 new students, house an expanded library, and provide a single point of access for Student Services. The first phase of the project, which is scheduled to begin in May 2012, involves the reconfiguration of roads and parking lots facing Humber College Blvd. The planned reconfiguration, which includes the construction of a transit loop, will improve traffic flow and increase vehicle and pedestrian safety.
Pervez updated us on many recent initiatives undertaken by Public Safety, including the introduction of crisis intervention and rape aggression defense training, the implementation of robbery prevention and campus watch initiatives, and the establishment of an emergency response planning committee. Initiatives for 2012-2013 include enhancing security services at Lakeshore, and overseeing the parking phase 1 of the LRC.
ADVANCEMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS
Julie Castle provided an update from the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations. The theme for the current campaign is “NEXT,” which speaks to the potential for personal and professional growth available to students at Humber, and the constant evolution and growth of Humber’s programs.
The Family Campaign is now underway, with the second annual silent auction to be held on March 21 (Lakeshore campus) and March 26 (North campus), with proceeds going to endowed scholarships.
The Alumni publication, Humber Dialogue, recently won an award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. The fourth issue is currently in circulation, reaching a readership of 16,000. In addition, a new student alumni network has been created, to serve the student body, promote Humber, and involve alumni in campus activities.
In the interest of keeping the Humber community informed of new initiatives at the college, I’ll be reporting on the highlights of the monthly Academic Council 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