Durham College (DC) is pleased to congratulate its Communications and Marketing department on winning six Education Digital Marketing Awards (EDMA), presented by the Higher Education Marketing Report, the most widely read publication for educational marketers.

Competing in the two-year institution group with a student enrolment of 7,500 to 15,000, DC won three Gold Awards, one Silver Award, one Bronze Award and one Merit Award. Winners were selected by a national panel of industry specialists who reviewed each piece to judge creativity, marketing execution, message impact, technology application and innovation content.

“With the EDMAs recognizing some of the best educational websites, digital content, electronic communications, mobile media and social media, I am so happy for Durham College and the amazing team that worked to execute these projects,” said Carol Beam, executive director, Communications and Marketing, DC. “Their creativity, dedication and genuine enthusiasm are truly evident in the quality of work they produce. Every marketing piece is created with the student experience in mind.”

Awards and categories

The Go to DC low enrolment microsite took gold in the Admission Website category. Using a cluster-focused approach, the microsite allowed visitors to explore open programs based on their interests and suited to their future career goals. All elements of the corresponding advertising campaign were directed to www.durhamcollege.ca/2014gotodc, resulting in 44,572 page views and 25,189 unique page views, helping the college achieve a 2.5-per cent increase in enrolment. DC was one of only three of Ontario’s 24 colleges to see an increase in enrolment for the 2014-2015 academic year.

Another gold came via DC’s 2013-2014 Annual Report in the Annual Report category. Designed to be user-friendly, the digital publication placed a strong emphasis on using images and infographics to communicate key information about the college, while linking to DC’s website to provide additional details. In addition, the Annual Report features stories about three DC graduates who have experienced great success since completing their studies at the college; offers an overview on research projects including funding secured; maps out where DC’s international students hail from; highlights the more than 450 academic pathways the college offers to universities in Ontario, Canada and around the world; provides links to audited financial statements; and more.

DC’s 2015-2016 College Guide also brought home gold in the Online Publications category. Combining top-line elements of the previously used DC Viewbook and Full-time Calendar, the College Guide provides prospective students with program information, application guidelines, information on pathway programs, fee information, important dates, student services and more. In particular, it is designed to direct prospective students to www.durhamcollege.ca/programs for comprehensive program information including course listings, admission requirements, career options, etc. Programs are housed by cluster, and graphics and icons are used to convey important information.

The Experience DC social media marketing campaign took silver in the Total Digital Marketing category. Running until August 2015, Experience DC is bringing the college experience to prospective and current students; parents; teachers; and the community via an amazing and unique group of students representing a wide cross-section of programs, personal interests and personalities. They are each offering a unique perspective of what a year in the life of a DC college student is really like through a custom website, personal interaction and social media including blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

Experience DC was also recognized for its video series which won bronze in the Digital Video category. As part of the pre-launch initiatives for Experience DC, videos introducing members of Team Experience were revealed daily at experience.durhamcollege.ca in August 2014. Each video gave viewers a sneak peek at the students involved in the campaign. Video shorts for this submission include the Experience DC trailer, as well as introductions to Rebecca, a second-year Special Events Planning student and Christian, a third-year Business Administration – Marketing student.

Finally, the Alumni digital magazine was recognized with a Merit Award in the Online Publications category. Published six times per year, the Alumni magazine is available in an interactive digital magazine format and is downloadable as a PDF. It serves to keep the college’s 67,000 alumni up to date on current college news and events, with a message from the president, a spotlight on sports, and an alumni profile celebrating the successes of DC’s many talented graduates.

Funding will support research project focused on teaching methodology for
Developmental Services Worker program

Oshawa, Ont. – Durham College (DC) today announced that its Office of Research Services and Innovation (ORSI) has been awarded $29,527 in research funding from the Ontario government through the Ontario Human Capital Research and Innovation Fund (OHCRIF).

The awarded funding is based on a proposal developed by Kay Corbier, principal investigator and professor with the School of Health & Community Services. One of 17 proposals selected, out of 94 submissions, the project will see Corbier, along with a team of DC faculty members, undertake a research project that seeks to introduce and evaluate the use of simulation as a teaching methodology  in the curriculum for the college’s Developmental Services Worker (DSW) program.

Titled The Experience of Simulation and the Perception of Preparedness of Developmental Service Worker Students to Practice in Field Placement Practicum, it will evaluate the perceptions of second-year DSW students at the beginning and end of their field placement to gauge the impact of simulated activities taught in a Personal Support Skills course in preparation for students to use those skills with clients.

“DSWs require a specific and unique set of skills to provide quality support to people with developmental disabilities,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, director, ORSI. “We are pleased to receive this funding which will enable us to determine the most effective way to teach our students those skills while enabling us to test simulation as a teaching tool that can be employed in DSW course work. All of this is in line with our commitment to fully prepare our graduates for future careers.”

With an overall objective to support research and innovation projects that identify ways to help people prepare for, return to or keep employment and become productive participants in the labour force, all OHCRIF-funded research and innovation projects must align with Ontario priorities.

In particular, one of Ontario’s research priorities for 2014-2015 is to investigate learning environments and teaching quality, which Corbier’s project seeks to address.

“Research in the pedagogy of learning applicable to the DSW field is scarce,” said Corbier. “Specifically, there is little research on the effectiveness of the use of simulation in teaching support skills in the developmental services field. We hope that by exploring simulation as an educational tool we can improve our teaching quality and advance our field.”

The project brings together a large internal and external team. Marie McEwan, DC simulation specialist, played a key role in the design, development and co-ordination of the simulation activity being used as the basis for the project with additional internal support coming from ORSI, The Centre for Academic and Faculty Enrichment and two research assistants/graduates from the college’s DSW program.

Within the community, the Region of Durham Adult Community Support Services Program, Community Living Oshawa/Clarington, the Provincial Human Resources Strategy Core Competency Implementation Team and the Standardized Patient Program from the University of Toronto are also participating.

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About Durham College

At Durham College, the student experience comes first. In September 2014, the college welcomed more than 30,000 students to campus including 11,100 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students as well as part-time and continuing education students and online learners. The college offers a wide range of market-driven programs in a number of different disciplines including culinary, hospitality, tourism, horticulture, business, information technology, media, art, design, general arts, science, skilled trades, justice, emergency services, health and engineering technology, enabling students to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market.

A three-phase expansion of the college’s Whitby campus was completed in 2013 when the 36,000-square-foot Centre for Food opened on the northwest corner of campus. Accommodating approximately 900 additional students studying in culinary, hospitality, event management, food science, and agricultural and horticultural programs, the CFF features Bistro ’67, a new, 70-seat, full-service, green-certified teaching-inspired restaurant and Pantry, a  retail store featuring fresh-baked items, meals-to-go, preserved foods and ready-to-cook meals created by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

Media contact:

Meghan Ney
905.721.2000 ext. 6219
meghan.ney@durhamcollege.ca

Oshawa, Ont. — Durham College’s (DC) Centre for Food (CFF) and Bistro ’67 hosted CFF ambassador and celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy on December 1. He was at DC’s Whitby campus to join community members for lunch at Bistro ’67 and visit with students studying in the college’s field-to-fork-based culinary and hospitality programs. Kennedy is an avid proponent of the field-to-fork movement, a vision at the heart of the CFF as Durham Region’s first-ever post-secondary presence focused on the concept.

“I draw my inspiration from flavours that have imprinted on my palate and memory,” said Kennedy. “Whether it was my first taste of summer strawberries or Ontario corn, the connection I feel with local produce and the land informs everything I do. Students at the Centre for Food are learning to draw on those same inspirations by following the field-to-fork philosophy. With programs like the ones being taught at Durham College, both students and the Ontario food industry have a bright future ahead of them.”

Community members who purchased tickets to this event were treated to an intimate three-course lunch with Kennedy, prepared by students under the guidance of Benjamin Lewis, manager and chef de cuisine at Bistro ’67, a 70-seat, full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant open to the public. Based on recipes from his new cookbook, J.K. The Jamie Kennedy Cookbook, dishes included cucumber and sheep milk feta with bulgur wheat and cherry tomato; hors d’oeuvres including curried sweet potato and Swiss chard, chicken liver pâté and marinated pickerel; roast and confit of duck with roasted potato and sour cherries; and bread and butter pudding with homespun ice cream. Following lunch, Kennedy shared insight about the field-to-fork movement, answered questions, and signed cookbooks for 140 students studying in culinary and hospitality programs.

“Our Centre for Food offers students a best-in-class education across culinary, hospitality, event management, food science, agricultural and horticultural programs, from completing the full cycle of farming to the preparation, serving and celebration of food,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “Our field-to-fork focus teaches students a valuable philosophy, one that is shaping the future of our local food and farming industries and helping maintain Ontario’s strong agricultural tradition.”

With the capacity to accommodate 900 students, the CFF is a green-restaurant certified building. In addition to Bistro ’67, it houses Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by the college’s culinary students. The CFF grounds also feature an apple orchard, farm fields and greenhouses that support academic applied-learning and research while growing fruits, vegetables and other produce for use in its kitchens, laboratories and Bistro ‘67.

Community-based and committed to providing an outdoor extension to the indoor classroom for students, the CFF is currently involved in two fundraising campaigns: Field to Fork: Sowing the Seeds of our Community, a crowdfunding campaign, and the Plant a Tree and Watch a Student Grow Program, both in support of the landscaping needed to complete the CFF’s grounds.

For more information on programs offered at the CFF please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/cff.

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About Durham College

At Durham College, the student experience comes first. In September 2014, the college welcomed more than 30,000 students to campus including more than 11,100 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students as well as part-time and continuing education students and online learners. The college offers a wide range of market-driven programs in a number of different disciplines including culinary, hospitality, tourism, horticulture, business, information technology, media, art, design, general arts, science, skilled trades, justice, emergency services, health and engineering technology, enabling students to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market.

A three-phase expansion of the college’s Whitby campus was completed in 2013 when the 36,000-square-foot Centre for Food opened on the northwest corner of campus. Accommodating approximately 900 additional students studying in culinary, hospitality, event management, food science, and agricultural and horticultural programs, the CFF features Bistro ’67, a new, 70-seat, full-service, green-certified teaching-inspired restaurant and Pantry, a  retail store featuring fresh-baked items, meals-to-go, preserved foods and ready-to-cook meals created by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

Media contact:

Lisa Power
Durham College
905.721.2000 ext. 2952
lisa.power@durhamcollege.ca

Oshawa, Ont. – Durham College (DC) is pleased to join Ontario’s 23 other colleges in signing the first-ever province-wide agreement that grants recognition for entire previous years’ credits when a student in a business diploma program transfers to the same program at another college.

“Durham College is proud to be a part of this agreement,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “Our goal is to ensure a smooth learning process for our students. Any post-secondary student who transfers from another institution shouldn’t have to repeat already completed courses. This new agreement helps eliminate any duplication, cut costs for students and makes sense from an overall learning perspective.”

The agreement, announced by Colleges Ontario and the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT), applies to students in accounting, business administration, human resources and marketing programs.

This unique universal college agreement allows students to easily transfer among all college business programs across Ontario.

The agreement means that business students who transfer at the end of their first or second year will receive full credit for their completed courses. Given the high enrolment of business programs, these pathways provide additional flexibility for a significant number of students.

“Ontario’s colleges and universities continue to strengthen their systems for transferring credits among post-secondary institutions,” said Glenn Craney, the executive director of ONCAT. “We are pleased that all of the province’s 24 colleges have signed this agreement which demonstrates their high level of commitment to institutional collaboration on student mobility.”

Expanding credit-transfer options and helping students make informed decisions about their post-secondary education is a priority for the Wynne government. Ontario is investing $73.7 million toward credit-transfer improvements between 2011 and 2016.

“Our government knows a strong credit transfer system will lead to a more effective and cost-effective post-secondary education for students across the province. That’s why we continue to work with our sector partners to make Ontario’s post-secondary education system more seamless, flexible and affordable,” said Reza Moridi, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Colleges Ontario is the advocacy organization for the province’s 24 public colleges.

ONCAT was created to enhance academic pathways and reduce barriers for students looking to transfer among Ontario’s publicly funded institutions. More than 21,500 students transfer within Ontario each year. ONCAT’s support for those students includes producing the Course-to-Course Transfer Guide, which can be found at ONTransfer.ca.

Ontario’s colleges are working to develop similar province-wide agreements for other program areas.

About Durham College

At Durham College, the student experience comes first. In September 2014, the college welcomed more than 30,000 students to campus including more than 11,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students as well as part-time and continuing education students and online learners. The college offers a wide range of market-driven programs in a number of different disciplines including culinary, hospitality, tourism, horticulture, business, information technology, media, art, design, general arts, science, skilled trades, justice, emergency services, health and engineering technology, enabling students to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market.

A three-phase expansion of the college’s Whitby campus was completed in 2013 when the 36,000-square-foot Centre for Food opened on the northwest corner of campus. Accommodating approximately 900 additional students studying in culinary, hospitality, event management, food science, and agricultural and horticultural programs, the CFF features Bistro ’67, a new, 70-seat, full-service, green-certified teaching-inspired restaurant and Pantry, a  retail store featuring fresh-baked items, meals-to-go, preserved foods and ready-to-cook meals created by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

Media contact:

Meghan Ney
T: 905.721.2000 ext. 6219
C: 905.259.8300
meghan.ney@durhamcollege.ca

As part of its commitment to campus safety, Durham College (DC) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) will hold an emergency secure-and-hold drill at the joint DC/UOIT Oshawa campus on Wednesday, November 26 at 9:45 a.m. All buildings west of Simcoe Street North and south of Conlin Road will be affected.

The drill is designed to build awareness around the steps to take in the event of an actual secure-and-hold event while testing the college and university’s emergency response plan and secure-and-hold procedures in order to identify areas for improvement going forward.  An outline of the drill can be found on the secure-and-hold webpage.

Please note: the campus will be closed during the drill and no traffic permitted to enter or leave the premises.

The Office of Campus Safety will use the Campus Incident Response Emergency Notification System (CIRENS) to notify staff, faculty and students of a secure and hold event. Students are encouraged to follow the college or university on Twitter to receive CIRENS messages, not only for this exercise, but for all emergent situations on campus.

Durham College (DC) is open with regular operations. If winter weather affects the campus, specific information will be posted on the DC website. Please be aware of winter conditions when driving and take extra precaution travelling to and from campus.