Humber Advising Conference

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Workplace Accommodations Tools & Tips: A Transition to Work Symposium

Dr. Monique Gignac
Institute for Work and Health

Sarah Birch
Ontario Disability Employment Network

Learn about: Myths and misperceptions about workplace accommodations The Job Demands and Accommodation Planning Tool (JDAPT) Rights and responsibilities of employees and employers when a disability is disclosed.
A free online event open to students, staff and alumni of Humber College, University of Guelph-Humber and Seneca Polytechnic, and Career Advisors from all Ontario colleges.

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Transforming Burnout: Uncovering Career Clarity Through Eclectic Wisdom

Ashvini Sriharan
Career Wellness Consultant & Workshop Facilitator, CareerLadr

Dive into unconventional strategies for burnout healing and cultivating career resilience! Drawing insight from diverse philosophies, religious and cultural teachings, spiritual practices, and the wisdom of nature, this transformative session is inspired by social media's trending discussions on burnout and career insecurity in a post-pandemic era of uncertainty. Gain fresh perspectives and practical tools tailored for your coaching practice or personal career development, perfectly aligned with evolving discussions prevalent in today's online world.

10:45 AM - 12:00 PM

Empowering Innovation: Advising Students through Humber's Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

Sarah White
Project Manager, Longo Centre for Entrepreneurship, Longo Faculty of Business

Join us for an insightful session on navigating the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem at Humber. Discover a plethora of resources both on and off-campus tailored to support budding entrepreneurs. From mentorship programs to funding opportunities, we'll explore the extensive toolkit available to Humber students. Learn how to identify resources aligned with specific entrepreneurial needs of students and gain valuable insights on how to effectively connect with them. This session will equip you with the knowledge and tools to support future student entrepreneurs.

10:45 AM - 12:00 PM

Upstream Interventions to Support Learner Well-being: Using Strategic Planning and Assessment to Shape Programs and Service-delivery at Humber

Estefania Toledo
Resilience and Inclusive Curriculum Specialist, Student Success and Engagement

This session will advance knowledge on curricular frameworks, assessment and strategic planning that centres students' lived experience and supports their mental health and wellbeing. Learn from the Student Wellness and Equitable Learning team on how we interrogated and evolved traditional curricular frameworks and used the framework to guide strategic planning. Participants will learn how SWEL fosters conditions to create critically conscious career-ready citizens by shaping programs and service delivery to support learners with developing a personalized definition of success. Information on the process and implementation, and resources will be shared with participants.

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM

Ontario Association of Advising Professionals' Competency Framework for Academic Advising

Elaine Nethery
Manager, Student Advising, Seneca College

In December 2021, the OAAP finalized a new Competency Framework for Academic Advising. The Framework was collaboratively designed with input from over 30 Ontario post-secondary institutions over an 18-month period. The Framework consists of 5 core competencies. Each competency is comprised of three specific skills. This model seeks to prepare advisors with the skills they need to be RESILIENT & RESPONSIVE within a changing reality, and support students in the cultivation of those same capacities. The Framework is the first Ontario model to define skills for advising professionals. This 45-minute session will introduce Advising professionals to the Competency framework.

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM

A Narrative Inquiry into the Experiences of Internationally Trained Non-Academic Staff in Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions

Samuel Jokodola
Academic Success Advisor, Student Success & Wellbeing, Algoma University

Though significant attention has been given to the experiences and challenges encountered by internationally trained members of faculty, little has been done to explore the experiences of non-academic staff in Canadian post-secondary institutions despite the growing number of internationally trained Professionals (ITPs) in these equally essential roles. I intend to raise awareness of the gap created by a lack of research into the experiences of these professionals to validate and amplify their voices. Using the theoretical lens of Community Cultural Wealth (CCW), I examine how the experiences of non-academic staff have long been undervalued and undertheorized. I discuss how ITPs' distinct cultural wealth not only helps them navigate the Canadian academy but also serves as a beacon for the growing number of marginalized and international students who might otherwise regard themselves as outsiders.

2:00 PM - 2:45 PM

Balancing Act: Ethics in AI and the role of Career and Academic Advisors

Jennie Miron
Academic Integrity Lead, Faculty of Health Sciences & Wellness

This presentation aims to provide participants with an overview of artificial intelligence (AI), including its fundamental concepts, benefits, challenges, and its pivotal role at the nexus of academic integrity and post-secondary education. Specifically tailored for professionals in academic and career advising, this session underscores the significance of AI as a digital ally in learning. Attendees will gain insights into the evolving landscape of AI ethics, focusing on the challenges students encounter regarding the ethical utilization of AI applications in their academic endeavours. By delving into these critical intersections, this presentation equips advisors with essential knowledge to navigate the ethical dimensions of AI in supporting student success.

2:00 PM - 2:45 PM

Chair Yoga

Maureen Martin-Edey
Yoga, Pilates & Meditation Instructor, Humber Athletics

Chair Yoga is a wonderful way of moving your body, bringing stretch and relaxation and it is easy enough for anyone to do! You will enjoy the benefits of yoga from many different postures, including breathwork, utilizing the safest methods and modifications to enhance your overall well-being. Most postures are performed in the chair, with the option of including standing postures, using the chair for support. You will be rewarded with a lovely savasana relaxation meditation afterwards!

Chair yoga is best performed in a sturdy chair without wheels or arm rests. A folding padded chair is ideal, and I truly enjoy using 2 chairs (if feasible) - one to place your legs on in front of you, for more variety of postures and stability.

Please wear comfortable stretchy clothing, and if you have a robe belt/tie or strap, that would be ideal for assisting with reaching and stretching.

2:50 PM - 4:05 PM

Failure's in the Eye of the Beholder

Tuba Chishti
Senior Administrator, Student Success & Engagement

In today's rapidly changing educational landscape, we as educators play a crucial role in supporting students' holistic development and being a resource for them. That doesn't mean we need to have all the answers, don't make mistakes, or aren't still growing ourselves. This session aims to talk about reframing failures, not having all the answers, and embracing a growth mindset. What if we see failures not as stumbling blocks, but as steppingstones toward growth? This will be a practical session with examples (famous and personal), and opportunities to practice failure and growth.

2:50 PM - 4:05 PM

Supporting Student Success as a Team: An Open Discussion on Some Hot Topics.

Marilyn Cresswell (Moderator and Panelist)
Program Co-ordinator, Advertising Account Management, Acting PC BoCA, Faculty of Media & Creative Arts, Researcher

Anna Santilli (Co-Moderator and Panelist)
Program Co-Ordinator, PC Advertising and Marketing Communications, Faculty of Media & Creative Arts

Simran Sivia (Panelist)
Admissions Officer, Office of the Registrar

Poorna Gubbala (Panelist)
Career & Student Success Advisor, Advising and Career Services

Natalie Muryn (Panelist)
Acting PC and Summer Advisor, Longo Faculty of Business and Faculty of Media and Creative Arts

In this interactive session, seasoned Program Co-ordinators and Advisors come together with a common goal of empowering student success. You will gain insight on how to alleviate common stressors that are part of the student journey. Time will be given for audience questions and panelist answers.

In this dynamic panel discussion, we will delve into:

• Key situations learners face throughout the semester and effective referrals to Advisor vs. Program Co-ordinator
• Did you know Pre-Arrival Advising starts even before the school year starts? What is Pre-Arrival Advising and how do these online sessions support student success?
• When should a PC reach out about certain issues: Advanced Standing in a course? Should I drop a course?
• Maintaining professional boundaries between advising and counselling
• Language barriers - when a student struggles, what options can a Co-ordinator offer?
• Engaging case studies exploring real-life scenarios from the student's journey
• Summer PC's supporting students - how can we help make students' lives better?
• When to reach out for help in this dynamic and every changing landscape
• PCs and Advisors - meetings without agendas - coffee chats, opportunities to solve real life problems
• Getting the Advisor and Office of the Registrar input into the PC Community of Practice more often

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Orange Shirt Pin Workshop

Marissa Groulx
Indigenous Student Success Coordinator

Beading workshop. Description coming soon!

9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Fostering Empathy, Trust, and Connectedness: Best Practices Workshop

Christina Meredith
Associate Dean, Pathways, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Cultivating authentic connections and fostering empathy and trust are crucial advising skills and lay at the heart of the advising encounter with a learner. In this interactive workshop we will explore best practices for enhancing empathy, trust, and connectedness in advising practice. Through a blend of insightful discussions, practical exercises, and real-life examples, participants will delve into the foundations of empathy, trust-building techniques, and strategies for nurturing meaningful connections.

Key topics covered include:

• Understanding the Importance of Empathy: Explore the significance of empathy in fostering understanding, cultivating deeper connections and fostering a sense of belonging with learners.
• Cultivating Trust: Examine the components of trust and strategies for establishing and sustaining trust with learners.
• Self-Reflection and Self-Care: Recognize the importance of self-awareness and self-care in fostering empathy and building trust. Explore strategies for managing personal boundaries and preventing burnout while maintaining authentic connections.

Participants will leave this workshop equipped with practical tools and strategies to enhance empathy, trust, and connectedness in their advising practice.

9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Supporting International Learners' Health & Wellness

Stephanie Boachie
Coordinator, Student Equity and Inclusion - Inclusion & Belonging

Anum Mudassar
Spirituality and Wellness Centre Digital Content Creator, Inclusion & Belonging

Discover ways to boost the health and well-being of international learners at Humber College. In this session you will learn about culturally sensitive approaches and community collaborations that can support the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health of international learners.

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Boost Your Resilience: Building Capacity for Thriving at Humber

Ewnet Demisse
Health Promotion Specialist, Student Success and Engagement

Estefania Toledo
Resilience and Inclusive Curriculum Specialist, Student Success and Engagement

Many of us juggle personal, family, social, financial, academic and work demands. Practice some self-care by attending this workshop to identify your personal responses to stressful triggers and learn about healthier strategies for coping with distress to boost your resilience. Learn about tools to help you thrive as an educator in a dynamic academic environment.

By the end of the session, participants will:

• Understand the concept of resilience and its significance in the context of working in postsecondary education
• Reflect on personal stressors and responses to stress.
• Learn practical strategies to boost resilience and enhance overall well-being.
• Foster a supportive community among faculty and staff at Humber and U of GH

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Salsa Steps to Success: An AMO Theory Application

Franz Branschat Florez
Career & Student Success Advisor, Advising and Career Services

This highly interactive session aims to get participants to reflect on AMO theory (Ability, Motivation, Opportunity) and how it can be a valuable guide during the transfer of knowledge and skills during the student advising process. Participants will get to work together in small groups while learning some salsa skills in a way that is fun and develops team spirit.

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Paint 'n' Plant

Vanessa Cubacub
Career & Student Success Advisor, Advising and Career Services

Take a moment to unwind, create, and connect with nature. Put your work on pause and tap into your inner artist (yes, we all have one!) During this hangout, you will propagate a plant and house it in its new pot, designed by you. You will leave with a new plant baby and a beautiful creation to brighten up your space!
No paint or plant experience required! 😄 😄

1:10 PM - 2:10 PM

Leveraging Your Alumni Community for Academic and Career Success

Alyson Gampel
Associate Director, Alumni Programs - Division of Advancement, York University

In today's competitive landscape, the role of alumni communities in fostering academic and career success cannot be overstated. Drawing from my experience at York University, where I served as a manager of career development for the Schulich School of Business for over a decade, and then developed our first Advising Competency Framework, I will delve into the possibilities that open when we leverage the alumni network. I’ll showcase our innovative programming designed to facilitate identity-based self-serve mentoring, ultimately empowering students, and graduates, to flourish academically and professionally – while deepening alumni engagement. This session will explore the strategies employed, grounded in DEDI principles, the challenges encountered, and the remarkable outcomes we are achieving through our alumni engagement initiatives. Benefits of Attending:

• 1. Gain insights into the transformative power of leveraging alumni networks for academic and career success, grounded in DEDI principles.
• 2. Learn practical strategies for implementing identity-based self-serve mentoring programs within your institution, fostering a DEDI-centric advising approach.
• 3. Discover how empowering students to connect with alumni serves as a model for enhancing student and graduate flourishing

This presentation will provide attendees with actionable insights and real-world examples to enhance their advising practices and foster student success.

1:10 PM - 2:10 PM

Optimizing the Impact of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) through our Advising Practice

Chantal Joy
Associate Dean & Special Advisor, Strategic Initiatives, Learner and Career Success, Student Success and Engagement

Jennifer Larson
Director, Academic Strategic Initiatives, Office of the Sr. VP, Academic

Advisors supporting the WIL experience play a pivotal role in facilitating meaningful quality WIL experiences for our students. Humber's new WIL Framework has a number of calls to action advisors are uniquely positioned to help to advance. Come explore with us the dimensions of this new Framework that can inform your practice as an advisor and contribute your insights on advising best practices for elevating learning in WIL including innovations in supporting critical reflection in the WIL journey.

Session Outcomes:

• Interpret and share your understanding of the WIL Framework calls to action with others.
• Analyze opportunities in your advising work to support both an elevation of learning in the WIL experience and reflective practice.
• Generate ideas for tools to support the advancement of the WIL Framework Principles in the WIL Advising practice.

2:20 PM - 3:05 PM

Reshaping advising supports with Enterprise Service Management (ESM) and Learning Management Systems (LMS) solutions

Nashwa Salem
Student Advising, Office of the Registrar, OCAD

What happens when you mix a university-wide curriculum renewal project, a reliance on individualized support, lack of trust in progress reporting tools and an unintuitive website? Learn how OCAD University’s Registration, Advising and Student Communications teams collaborated to transform its service delivery model by leveraging its service management platform and learning management systems to teach students how to fish and save their staff from drowning.

2:20 PM - 3:05 PM

Nurturing a Caring Campus: Let's talk JEDI and Community in Higher Education Leadership

Nafeeza Kadir
Manager, Advising Services, Student Success and Engagement

Laura Josephs
Program Support Officer, Dual Credit, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Are you ready to dive into a session that is all about making our spaces more welcoming and inclusive? Join us to break down the principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI). This session is designed for emerging leaders in higher education, including those who manage student leaders and team leads, to explore, implement and embrace a JEDI approach and cultivate a community of care within your network.

This interactive session aims to empower emerging leaders by engaging in practical exercises to apply JEDI principles in their specific roles and explore strategies for creating a supportive, inclusive, and empathetic community within academic and academic settings.

3:15 PM - 4:15 PM

Fostering Personal and Professional Growth through Relationship Building, Emotional Intelligence, and Goal Setting

Jemeisha Williams
Coordinator, Student Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives, Inclusion & Belonging

Prince Amoako
BSSE Facilitator, Inclusion & Belonging

In the modern interconnected world, success relies not only on technical skills but also on building authentic connections, showing empathy, and setting and reaching goals. This comprehensive topic explores the intersection of personal and professional growth through the cultivation of emotional intelligence, the establishment of strong relationships and communities, and the implementation of effective motivational techniques and goal-setting strategies. This in-depth workshop delves into merging personal and professional development through enhancing emotional intelligence, forming supportive relationships, and utilizing impactful motivation and goal-setting methods. By honing these abilities, individuals can enhance their efficiency, foster stronger connections, and pursue their goals with assurance.

3:15 PM - 4:15 PM

Humber Learning Outcomes - A critical tool for high impact coaching conversations

Chantal Joy
Associate Dean & Special Advisor, Strategic Initiatives, Learner and Career Success, Student Success and Engagement

Vera Beletzan
Associate Vice-President, Teaching and Learning Office of the Senior Vice-President Academic

Humber's Learning Outcomes (HLOs) are aimed at equipping Humber graduates with the employability skills, mindsets, and values they need to succeed in the future of work and life. Ensuring we embed the HLO's deeply in the learner journey is key to delivering on our promise to prepare Career-Ready graduates. As advisors, you are uniquely positioned to invite students to reflect on their proficiency vis-a-vis these skills, celebrate their existing talents, and plan for how they can optimize opportunities on campus to advance their skill development in a way that positions them for success now and in the future. Join us for a conversation on the HLO vision at Humber, its application in the advising context, and contribute your own ideas on how advisors can play a critical role in advancing this learning for students.

Session Outcomes:

• Describe and discuss the HLO's with greater fluency.
• Develop a plan for integrating HLO's into coaching conversations.
• Held design a guiding process and toolkit to support advisors embedding HLO's into their process.