HUMBER COLLEGE UPDATE

Recent geopolitical events have demonstrated how in the blink of an eye everything can change. At Humber, we are fortunate to have many international students from both Ukraine and Russia who are part of our community. The news of the invasion of Ukraine has been difficult, especially for them and faculty members who have both direct and indirect ties to the countries.

Humber is working to support our colleagues and students through this difficult time by connecting them with counselling or other support services. In the meantime, we continue to foster an inclusive environment on our campuses while we hope for a peaceful resolution to the war.

Last month, Humber welcomed more students back to our Lakeshore campus as part of our staggered return to inperson learning. It was exciting to see signs of a return to normal that we hope marks a definitive turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic. As we’ve learned during the past two years, change is difficult, however, we are experienced in adapting to new challenges, and we will continue to do so successfully as a community.

Speaking of successes, there were

many on Humber’s campuses over the past two years. With global travel significantly impacted by the pandemic, Humber’s Fashion Arts and Business students arranged a virtual trip to Italy and France. The virtual trip was an event called “No Passport Needed” and was planned and produced by Professor Roger Gingerich’s Event Planning and Budgeting class. The students’ event allowed their guests to enjoy a taste of Italy and France’s fashion, food, music, and art from wherever they were.

Virtual meetings have become second nature during the pandemic and the class was able to use the technology to interview Italian artist and professor, Mario Martinelli. Martinelli shared his creative process, where his inspiration comes from, and his theories about art. This encounter was made possible thanks to the adaptability and creativity of Humber’s faculty and students.

On a related note, one of the differentiators of Humber’s polytechnic model of education is the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunities that add to our students’ success. Our students gain valuable real-life experience that gives them an edge in the job market, while employers benefit from the exceptional talent of our students. March was National Co-op and WIL month with March 23 being the official National Day of WIL. We are appreciative of the ongoing efforts from Humber faculty, staff, as well as our community and industry partners that make Work-Integrated Learning possible.

Work-Integrated Learning is full of student success stories, and I want to highlight one example from my own faculty of Social and Community Services. The Child and Youth Care (CYC) diploma students at Humber College were struggling to find placements to fulfil the work-integrated learning component of their program during the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the WorkIntegrated Learning Centre and faculty members worked together to find a solution.

They came up with CYC Virtual Hangout, a solution that also benefitted many community partners facing their own pandemic challenges. CYC Virtual Hangout required students to build workshops for youth service providers, such as afterschool programs and alternative schools working with youth of all ages. Then, they delivered the one-hour virtual workshops to young people over video calls.

After a successful first semester with students from the diploma program, the Faculty of Social and Community Services also opened the initiative to include Bachelor of Child and Youth Care students. Over two semesters, 56 CYC students booked and delivered 51 workshops to rave reviews.

Being part of the larger lakeshore community also provides us with opportunities to reach out and keep the local citizens aware of the many exciting projects we are engaging in. On April 13 at 6 p.m., I will be hosting a Lakeshore research update session. This session will provide details of some of the many exciting research projects we are currently working on and ones we are planning to engage in this spring. If you are interested in this event, please reach out to sara.jouppi@humber.ca for an invitation.

These are only a couple of examples of the Humber community successfully adapting and continuing to move our academic priorities forward, even in the face of a global pandemic. It is stories like this that give me confidence in knowing that when we work together, we can accomplish great things. As we look ahead to the many uncertainties that exist in our world, I feel reassured that our community is strong and ready to boldly face the future.

JUNE MACDONALD-JENKINS

Sr. Dean Faculty of Social and Community Services Principal, Lakeshore Campus