Each day DC's employees bring our mission to life, within the classroom and beyond. Underscored by a dedication to ensuring DC remains at the forefront of post-secondary education, our employees are mentors and leaders who embrace challenges, seek solutions and strive for excellence.
Several DC employees took part in Hofstede Training workshops lead by Jan Vincent Meertens, from Hofstede Insights, a company dedicated to cross-cultural management and organizational change.
The purpose of this training was to help develop a community at DC that uses the Hofstede Model of National Culture, an approach often considered the standard for cultural understanding in institutions around the world.
Working towards certification, employees participated in workshops, e-learning classes, training exercises, consulting and much more. Certified employees are now using this newfound knowledge to educate others about positive international and inter-cultural learning, both inside and outside the classroom, ultimately enhancing the student and community experience at DC.
Joanne Spicer from DC’s Centre for Academic and Faculty Enrichment (CAFE), and colleague, Jenna Mittelmeier, professor at the University of Manchester in Manchester, U.K., presented a workshop at the Shaping Sustainable Futures for International Higher Education (SSFIHE) Conference in Toronto. Their workshop, titled, Internationalization at a Distance: Global Classroom Technologies for Fostering Inclusion and Sustainable Access to International Education, focused on internationalization, a method of higher education aimed at developing intercultural and international awareness for students.
Joanne and Jenna's workshop put DC in the spotlight with a live demonstration of DC's Global Class. The Global Class, developed by Lon Appleby, professor, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, is DC's interactive, internationally live-streamed class created to connect with other educators and students around the world to discuss different topics and provide learners with an internationalised learning experience
Hundreds of attendees from around the world came together both to take stock of internationalization in higher education as it is currently evolving in Canada and around the world, and to consider the ways in which it could be shaped sustainably into the future.
Working out of their garages and basements, DC students, employees, alumni and community members are using 3D printers to create the frames for face shields used by the healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative launched on March 26 and within 48 hours the first donation of personal protective equipment (PPE) built with the college’s 3D-printed parts were delivered to Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg, Ontario.
"Ontario PPE manufacturer InkSmith put out a call for support to the 3D printing community and Durham College immediately answered that call," said Chris Daniel, a professor with the college’s School of Science & Engineering Technology.
"I am completely overwhelmed by the support we have received in such a short time," said Chris. "Thank you so much. In only four days, our team of 11 working with 16 printers has grown to 33 with 44 printers and your donations have supplied us with one and a half months of material that will allow us to make approximately 8,750 face shields at a rate of 220 per day."
DC staff, students and alumni used rapid prototyping machines across Durham Region to create the face shield frames. With community outreach being led by ORSIE, the college worked with industry partners to see the parts put to use.
Chris Daniel is a professor in the Mechanical Engineering Technology program at DC as well as a faculty advisor with the college’s FastStart entrepreneurship team. DC also recognizes the efforts of Chris Gillis, Manager, Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.