Student life is meant to be a cornerstone of the college experience. It’s where learning extends into friendships and shared spaces that bring people together.
At Humber Polytechnic, the experience often feels faint. Students come and go, and few linger long enough to make the campus feel alive. Humber’s student life, for all its potential, feels disconnected from the people it is meant to serve.
Humber is known for its strong academics and career-oriented programs. Professors are often described as supportive, and students consistently praise the college’s hands-on approach to learning. But when it comes to community, many of those same students express a different tone.
Some students have said Humber feels more like a commuter school than a community. Most people attend their classes and leave right after without much interaction. Others have mentioned that having many online or hybrid courses makes it harder to connect with classmates and form meaningful relationships on campus.
With the increase in hybrid and online classes since the pandemic, organic student interaction has declined. Add that most students often commute long distances, and it becomes clear why campus social life struggles to grow. By the time lectures end, buses are already waiting, and jobs or family obligations call.
The recent college strike by full-time support staff also disrupted the sense of community that Humber is continuously trying to build. During the strike, many in-person classes were forced to move online, further limiting interaction among students and instructors.
Events meant to bring people together, such as Take Back the Night, were cancelled, removing opportunities for shared experiences and campus engagement.
For students who already felt disconnected, the sudden shift back to screens and the absence of campus activities only deepened this sense of isolation.
Events and club activities exist, but often feel like afterthoughts. Many events are held during class hours, and others are advertised too late or too narrowly to draw a crowd.
Humber’s student union, IGNITE, is meant to create opportunities for involvement, but participation often falls short. The issue isn’t a lack of interest among students, but rather a lack of meaningful opportunities and encouragement to get involved.
Even for those living on campus, connection can feel limited. Student housing provides convenience, but reviews from Humber’s residences have long mentioned maintenance and accessibility issues.
A 2017 TripAdvisor review described summer residence conditions as “filthy,” with few food options open on weekends. While improvements have been made since, small frustrations like these can still make campus living feel isolating rather than communal.
At its core, the problem is not about the absence of activities. It’s about the lack of a sustained culture that encourages students to participate and belong.
Humber’s focus on being “future-ready” in job training and career preparation sometimes comes at the cost of fostering community in the present.
Community is built through consistency and not just with posters or events. This can all be done through spaces that invite people to linger, conversations that extend beyond class, and systems that value social connection as much as academic success.
Humber collects data through the Humber Student Success Survey and the Ontario Colleges Student Experience Survey, tools that could serve as powerful roadmaps if used to improve academic services and campus belonging.
Small changes could make a big difference, such as clearer communication about events, more accessible scheduling for commuters, extended lounge hours, and increased support for clubs that promote cultural exchange.
Humber doesn’t need to resemble a party-focused university, but it should foster a stronger sense of balance where students can learn, connect, and feel part of the campus community.
Student life should not be something students have to seek. It should be something they feel the moment they step onto campus.
