Excavation work near the site of Ontario Tech University’s new building at the Oshawa campus begins Monday, December 9. Excavation equipment and dump trucks will be stationed north of the construction site along Founders Drive. As a result, over the next two weeks motorists should expect disruptions to traffic flow along Founders Drive between the crosswalk north of the UL Building and the crosswalk at Founders Gate, daily between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

• View map of construction area

Traffic impact:

• Motorists who need to access the south part of campus should use the Simcoe Street/Founders Gate entrance or the Commencement Drive entrance.
• Eastbound traffic along the affected section of Founders Drive will be stopped intermittently to allow the dump trucks to be loaded. Obey the direction of traffic control personnel.
• All gates to the Founders Lot 2 parking lot as well as pay-and-display parking spaces will remain accessible as normal. Please be cautious when driving in these areas due to the presence of construction equipment.

Pedestrian impact:

• Pedestrians should cross Founders Drive only at designated locations. Follow posted signage.
• Be aware of the presence of large vehicles in the area.
• Do not use the walkway corridor along the west side of the construction site (adjacent to the Campus Library).

Your patience and co-operation is appreciated.

With the first snowfall already on the books, and more expected soon, pedestrians are reminded to take extra care when travelling around campus during winter weather and conditions.

Every winter season, a few tips are important to keep in mind:

Wear proper winter footwear to avoid slips and falls

Winter weather can often be unpredictable. Although the college provides timely snow removal and salt distribution to major pedestrian walkways, ramps, and entrances, students and employees should wear proper footwear with treads designed to grip icy surfaces to help avoid the possibility of slips and falls.

In rain or snow, use pedestrian walkways and avoid shortcuts on campus

During and after inclement weather, areas surrounding pedestrian walkways and entrances on campus may see the formation of snow banks, deep snow, slush or puddles. The campus community is asked to avoid taking shortcuts through these areas and to only use pedestrian walkways to avoid accidents or injury.

Pay attention while travelling around campus

Mobile devices can be distracting, especially when on the move. Everyone is encouraged to put their phone or tablet away while moving around campus or when crossing the street to ensure personal safety.

Be alert, obey traffic signs

Although the area surrounding the college is a community safety zone, intersections like Conlin Road and Simcoe Street can be very busy throughout the day.

To ensure personal safety, pedestrians should:

• Use crosswalks or traffic lights to cross the street. Never step off the curb, assuming a vehicle will stop for you.
• Be alert at the intersections.
• Be aware of accessible pedestrian signals and use them accordingly.
• If you’re using headphones, keep the volume low and only use them in one ear so sounds and signals around you can still be heard.
• Be aware of ongoing construction by checking MyCampus announcements or the Notice of Service Disruption webpage frequently.

While the Durham Regional Police Services, Region of Durham and campus security ensure the safety of our roads surrounding and within our campus, it is everyone’s responsibility to use sound judgement when using crosswalks or travelling around campus.

Report slippery conditions

If you notice an area on campus is experiencing icy or slippery conditions, please report it to the Service Desk by calling 905.721.2000 ext. 3333, option 1, or by emailing servicedesk@dc-uoit.ca.

Let’s hear it for the Durham Lords!

The Durham Lords celebrated national and provincial championship wins on November 9 and 10, securing gold in both the 2019 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) men’s soccer national championship, their first in program history, and the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) men’s provincial rugby championship.

As host of the CCAA national championship, Durham College’s (DC) Athletics department also worked hard alongside the team and coaches organizing the championship banquet, awards, coaches meetings, field preparation, promotions and more.

In addition to celebrating the Durham Lords championship wins this past weekend, we would like to also congratulate the men’s baseball team on their national college baseball championship gold medal on October 26, and the women’s rugby, softball and men’s baseball teams for their recent provincial silver medals. All of our varsity athletes have seen numerous team and individual achievements this season, and we couldn’t be more #DCProud of them!

Show your support for the Durham Lords and their season of success on Wednesday, November 13 by wearing your Durham Lords or DC gear. Everyone is invited to join Lord Durham for group photos at the main stairwell in the Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE) at 11:30 a.m. and in the atrium at the Whitby campus at 1 p.m.

As you may be aware, contract talks between the province, school boards and educational support staff represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) are currently underway. In the event that an agreement isn’t reached, CUPE support staff workers may go on strike effective Monday, October 7, which could result in the closing of Ontario’s public and Catholic schools.

 In the event of school closures, some of you may be faced with having to find alternative childcare solutions, which undoubtedly will be stressful and may take time. We recognize that this could create challenges for some parents as they work to find alternative childcare arrangements. If you’re finding yourself in this situation, please speak with your professor as soon as possible to discuss options. The college is committed to supporting you.

 

This message is shared on behalf of Tom Lynch, director, Office of Campus Safety.

The Regional Municipality of Durham has recently amended its smoke-free bylaw to include post-secondary educational institutions. As such, please be reminded that the Durham College (DC) Oshawa and Whitby campuses are smoke-free.

As stated in the Region’s bylaw and supported by the college’s smoke-free policy, smoking and/or vaping of any type including tobacco, cannabis and shisha is prohibited anywhere on the Oshawa and Whitby campuses and all on campus student residences. Please become familiar with the Region’s bylaw and the college policy as they provide clarity regarding enforcement and apply to all members of the DC campus community.

The Office of Campus Safety (OCS) enforces the smoke-free campus policy through focusing on education, awareness and voluntary compliance. Additionally, as outlined in the policy, all individuals found to be smoking on campus must provide identification to security upon request. This information will be forwarded in confidence to the OCS in the case of students and visitors or to Human Resources in the case of employees for follow-up. Non-compliance of the smoke-free policy will be addressed through informal provisions contained within existing student and employee conduct policies where appropriate.

While the formal enforcement of this policy currently falls to campus security and the OCS, we are confident that as a campus community, we can contribute to maintaining the smoke-free campus through respectful, thoughtful and cooperative interventions.

DC will continue to work with students and employees on an individual basis, who are prescribed cannabis for medical reasons. The college also offers a number of smoking cessation supports to students through the Campus Health Centre.

Adherence to the Region’s bylaw and DC’s policy is everyone’s role and providing a healthy and safe work and learning environments for all members of our campus community is our priority.

Please visit the smoke-free webpage with detailed FAQs for more information.

The fall semester has begun, which means there is a lot of activity on and around our campuses. Roads, parking lots and sidewalks are busy and we are asking that everyone does their part to ensure the safety of our students and employees.

Below are some safety tips to keep in mind.

Pedestrians:

• Use crosswalks or traffic lights to cross the street. Never step off the curb, assuming a vehicle will stop for you.
• Be alert at the intersections.
• If you’re using headphones, keep the volume low and only use them in one ear so sounds and signals around you can still be heard.
• Be aware of accessible pedestrian signals and use them accordingly.

Drivers:

• There are new Community Safety Zones close to the Oshawa campus on Conlin Road (between Founders Drive and Bridle Road) and on Simcoe Street North (between Niagara Drive/Selleck Lane and the Campus Ice Centre driveway). This means that penalties for violations, including speeding and careless driving are increased.
• Be alert at the intersections – watching for pedestrians and oncoming traffic.

• Campus speed limit is 25 km/hour.
• Obey stop signs.
• Respect pedestrians.
• Illegal parking will result in tickets and/or towing.
• Keep all electronic devices hands-free.

Inappropriate driving behaviour can be reported by email to parking@dc-uoit.ca or by calling ext. 2145.

Any accidents or injuries should be reported to the Office of Campus Safety by calling ext. 2400 as soon as possible.

Thank you for your cooperation. Let’s make it a great year!