One of only three college Paramedics programs in Ontario to achieve this level of accreditation

OSHAWA, Ont. – Durham College announced today that its two-year Paramedic and Advanced Care Paramedic graduate certificate programs were both afforded six-year accreditation through the Canadian Medical Association after completing a rigorous review of programs, documentation and outcomes.

“This is the national standard by which all paramedic programs are judged and I am happy to say that our results speak for themselves,” said Judy Robinson, vice-president, Academic. “This is a tribute to the incredible skills, abilities and dedication of our faculty, the positive learning environment that Durham College provides and our great relationships with our stakeholders.”

The Paramedic programs were evaluated in five different areas: relevance, students, resources, integration and quality assurance. This process ensures programs enable students to attain the competencies specified in the national entry-level competency profile for the profession; support the students’ educational interests and protect their rights; offer adequate resources to support student learning to the level required to meet the objectives; provide an integrated learning experience for students. In addition, it ensures the evaluation process results in continuous quality improvement.

Each level of the evaluation process identifies critical criteria that must be met if a program is to be accredited, starting with a paper submission of evidence which is reviewed by a survey team recruited from across the country. The team evaluates the submission against the criteria and if enough are met, a site visit is arranged. Durham College’s submission was more than 5,000 pages in length.

During the site visit, the survey team interviews stakeholders from all facets of the program to validate the evidence that is submitted. Stakeholders include students, graduates, faculty, administration/leadership, field placement preceptors, clinical agencies, employers and service providers.

There are three possible outcomes from the submission and site visit: accreditation withdrawn: not enough criteria are met; two-year accreditation: some critical criteria not met; or six-year accreditation: all critical criteria met.

“The common outcome of an accreditation review is two years. Further evidence and/or changes to address the criteria not met are then submitted,” said Stephanie Ball, dean, School of Justice & Emergency Services. “To receive six-year accreditation for the Paramedic and most health-care programs is the exception.”

Durham College currently offers one of only three six-year accredited Paramedic programs and one of only three, six-year accredited Paramedic – Advanced Care programs in Ontario.

About Durham College

At Durham College, the student experience comes first. In September 2013, the college welcomed more than 30,000 students to campus including more than 10,000 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 recently completed 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, tourism, agricultural and horticultural programs, it also features Bistro ’67, a new, 70-seat, full-service, green-certified teaching and learning restaurant and Pantry, a new 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, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

Media contact:
Cosette Kazarian
Durham College
905.721.2000 ext. 3611
cosette.kazarian@durhamcollege.ca

Graduates of more than 80 programs able to complete degree requirements at universities in Canada and around the world

Oshawa, Ont. – Durham College today announced that it has more than 450 pathway opportunities in place with universities in Ontario, Canada and around the world, including Ireland and Australia, for the 2013-2014 academic year. These agreements, both formal and informal, enable qualified graduates of one-, two- and three-year Durham College programs to enter numerous undergraduate degree programs with advanced standing and complete their degree requirements in as little as two years.

This includes more than 30 pathways in place with its campus partner, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), allowing students to broaden their post-secondary experience in a variety of areas including media and arts, business, health, justice, science, technology and general arts and science.

In addition, the college offers 19 graduate certificate and eight fast-track programs to university and college graduates wanting to pursue further education.

“Being a participant of the Communication Bridge program between Durham College and UOIT was one of the best decisions I have ever made,” said Miranda Roach, a 2011 Durham College Journalism – Print and Broadcast program graduate. “Not only did it allow me to earn an undergraduate degree within two years, it also enhanced my skillset and critical thinking abilities. I excelled throughout my courses as a result of my initial completion of a diploma in journalism.”

Designed so students can apply their credits earned at Durham College toward a university degree, pathway programs allow students to leverage their existing college education to earn additional credentials – in some cases toward a year of study or more at university – so they can continue their post-secondary journey and further their future employment opportunities.

“Faculty and staff were more than accommodating, making the transition to a new learning environment comfortable and welcoming,” added Roach. “Completing both programs also broadened opportunities for my career path. I am a different person as a result of continuing my education and I’m also a proud graduate who was grateful for this opportunity because my success matters.”

In Ontario, new data from the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer indicates that students who transfer among Ontario’s 44 publicly funded college and universities save an average of $11,000 in tuition plus more than a year of full-time study (business students). This combination of reduced costs and the opportunity to explore more than one post-secondary path creates an ideal scenario for students in terms of their ability to access both the hands-on applied learning and theory that comes from a combined college and university post-secondary experience and gain the skills, training and knowledge required to meet the demands of today’s employers.

“At Durham College the student experience comes first and as part of that commitment the college is dedicated to offering students access to as many post-secondary opportunities as possible,” said Judy Robinson, vice-president, Academic, Durham College. “This includes a strong emphasis on pathways from both college to university and university to college, the opportunity to graduate with both a diploma and a degree in less than the traditional amount of time and significant cost savings.”

A full list of the college’s pathway opportunities can be found at www.durhamcollege.ca/pathways.

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About Durham College

At Durham College, the student experience comes first. In September 2013, the college welcomed more than 30,000 students to campus including more than 10,000 full-time post-secondary 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 recently completed 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, tourism, agricultural and horticultural programs, it also features Bistro ’67, a new, 70-seat, full-service, green-certified teaching and learning restaurant.

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

Media contact:
Allison Rosnak/Michelle Roebuck
Communications and Marketing
905.721.2000 ext. 2333/ext. 2197
allison.rosnak@durhamcollege.ca / michelle.roebuck@durhamcollege.ca

More than 180 students will be recognized for their outstanding achievements

Oshawa, Ont. – Durham College President Don Lovisa will be joined by faculty, staff and corporate donors on Thursday, November 28 as the college honours more than 180 students for their outstanding academic achievements during its annual scholarship ceremony.

In-course scholarships, valued at $138,000, will be presented to deserving students from the Oshawa and Whitby campuses. Students will have an opportunity to express their appreciation to numerous individual, organizational and corporate award donors for their financial contributions.

Who:

• Durham College President Don Lovisa
• 184 scholarship recipients and their family and friends
• Corporate donors
• Faculty and staff from Durham College

When:
November 28
3:45 p.m. – donor and recipient meet and greet
5 p.m. – ceremony begins

Where:
Durham College Oshawa campus
Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre gymnasium
2000 Simcoe Street North

Parking:
Enter off Simcoe Street North or Conlin Road and proceed to Founders 3 parking lot.

For more information contact:
Michelle Roebuck/Cosette Kazarian
Communications and Marketing
905.721.2000 ext. 2197/3611
michelle.roebuck@durhamcollege.ca/cosette.kazarian@durhamcollege.ca

OSHAWA, Ont. – Members of the media are invited to attend Durham College’s annual Fall Open House, taking place on Saturday, November 16.

The event will showcase the college’s innovative programs and provide tours of its high-tech classrooms and labs and state-of-the-art facilities at the Oshawa and Whitby campuses and Pickering Learning Site.

Visitors to the Whitby campus will have the opportunity to check out the new Centre for Food (CFF), which officially opened in October and accommodates approximately 900 students studying a variety of programs in the culinary, hospitality, tourism, horticultural and agricultural sectors.

The CFF also features Bistro ’67, a new, 70-seat, full-service, green-certified teaching and learning restaurant; state-of-the-art kitchens and labs including a food and beverage pairing lab and hotel living lab; classrooms and meeting spaces; Pantry, a retail store featuring products made by students including fresh-baked items, meals-to-go, preserved foods and ready-to-cook meals; and a demonstration lecture theatre.

Expert staff and knowledgeable students will be available at all three locations to answer questions and provide important information about a variety of college programs, processes and departments including financial aid and admissions.

Who:

• Prospective students/applicants
• Alumni
• Durham College faculty, staff and current students

When:
Saturday, November 16
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where:
Oshawa campus
2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario

Whitby campus including the CFF
1610 Champlain Avenue, Whitby, Ontario

Pickering Learning Site
1340 Pickering Parkway, Pickering, Ontario

For more information contact:
Michelle Roebuck/Allison Rosnak
Communications and Marketing
905.721.2000 ext. 2197/ext. 2333
michelle.roebuck@durhamcollege.ca or allison.rosnak@durhamcollege.ca

OSHAWA, Ont. – Family, friends and faculty will join more than 750 students from more than 90 programs as they celebrate their graduation at Durham College’s fall convocation on Friday, November 1. The ceremony will also recognize the success of 377 students who have earned a place on the highly regarded President’s Honour Roll as a result of their hard work and the dedication of the college’s faculty.

The annual fall event will recognize graduates from the schools of Business, IT & Management; Continuing Education; Health & Community Services; Interdisciplinary Studies & Employment Services; Justice & Emergency Services; Media, Art & Design; Science & Engineering Technology; and Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship & Renewable Technology as they are awarded their diplomas and certificates. 

In addition, the college will also acknowledge 11 students as they receive the Durham College Student Leadership Award. The award is granted to students in recognition of their outstanding contributions to campus life and the commitment and exemplary leadership they demonstrate during their time at the college. Students must accumulate a pre-determined amount of leadership points through the college’s Co-Curricular Recognition program by participating in activities that enhance student life; engage students; and encourage involvement.

The college’s fall convocation ceremony will bring its total number of alumni to close to 63,000 strong.

When:
Friday, November 1
7 p.m.

Where:
General Motors Centre
99 Athol Street East
Oshawa, Ontario

For more information contact:
Michelle Roebuck
Communications and Marketing
905.721.2000 ext. 2197
michelle.roebuck@durhamcollege.ca

Durham Region’s first-ever culinary and hospitality facility now open

WHITBY, Ont. – Durham College celebrated the official opening of the Centre for Food (CFF) today, marking Durham Region’s first-ever post-secondary presence focused on field to fork. 

Durham College president Don Lovisa was joined by celebrity chef and CFF ambassador Jamie Kennedy and chef Christian Pritchard, who acted as the event’s master of ceremonies, as the college showcased the new facility, which is located at the northwest corner of the Whitby campus. In addition, Roger Anderson, chair, Region of Durham; Pat Perkins, mayor, Town of Whitby; and Brittany Lombard, a second-year Culinary Management student, also offered remarks congratulating the college on the opening of the new building.

“Today marks an extraordinary day for Durham College as we celebrate the official opening of the Centre for Food,” said Lovisa. “Over the past four and half years, there have been many people who have helped turn our initial vision into this wonderful facility we are standing in today and I collectively thank each of you for your support.”

In addition to self-guided tours of the new building and the opportunity to try food prepared and served by the college’s culinary and hospitality students, guests enjoyed a musical performance by Canadian singer, songwriter and musician, Greg Keelor. The event also featured the opening of Bistro ’67, a new, 70-seat, full-service, green-certified teaching and learning restaurant, which offers dishes that include produce and delicious flavours from Durham Region that are prepared and served by students.

“Since Day 1 we have been committed to the creation of a centre that provides the curriculum, faculty expertise, and state-of-the-art facilities and equipment required to meet the growing need for new men and women able to fill both existing and emerging roles within the spectrum of a field-to-fork concept,” added Lovisa.

Accommodating approximately 900 additional students studying a variety of programs including Culinary Skills, Culinary Management, Cook – Apprenticeship, Hospitality Management – Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism, Hospitality Skills, Event Management, Special Events Planning and Golf Facility Operations Management, the CFF features state-of-the-art kitchens and labs including a food and beverage pairing lab and hotel living lab; classrooms and meeting spaces; a retail store that will feature products made by students including fresh-baked items, meals-to-go, preserved foods and ready-to-cook meals; and a demonstration lecture theatre.

In addition, the Horticulture – Food and Farming and Horticulture Technician programs, have been relocated to the college’s Whitby campus to complete the full cycle of farming to the preparation and celebration of food.

The overall Whitby campus expansion project has seen $44 million invested in an expanded post-secondary presence in the region with the college working to bring new full-time programs to life and develop the skilled workforce needed for local communities to grow and prosper.

For more information contact:
Allison Rosnak
Communications and Marketing
905.721.2000 ext. 2333
allison.rosnak@durhamcollege.ca

Celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy to help celebrate culinary and hospitality-focused programming in Durham Region

WHITBY, Ont. –Durham College will introduce a whole new level of academic programming on Thursday, October 17 when it officially opens the Centre for Food (CFF) at its Whitby campus, marking Durham Region’s first-ever post-secondary presence focused on culinary and hospitality.

President Don Lovisa will be joined by celebrity chefs Jamie Kennedy and Christian Pritchard as the college showcases the new facility, located at the northwest corner of campus and based on the field-to-fork concept. This includes the official opening of Bistro ’67, a new, 70-seat, full-service, green-certified teaching and learning restaurant.

Guests will enjoy tours of the new building; food prepared by the college’s culinary students; student-led cooking demonstrations; and a musical performance by Canadian singer, songwriter and musician Greg Keelor.

Accommodating approximately 900 additional students studying in culinary, hospitality, tourism, agricultural and horticultural programs, the CFF features state-of-the-art labs including a food and beverage pairing lab and hotel living lab; classrooms and meeting spaces; a retail store that will feature products made by students including fresh-baked items, meals-to-go, preserved foods and ready-to-cook meals; and a lecture theatre.

The opening of the CFF marks the end of the three-phase construction project that has been underway at the Whitby campus since 2009. The project has seen $44 million invested in an expanded post-secondary presence in the region with the college working to bring new full-time programs to life and develop the skilled workforce needed for the local communities to grow and prosper.

Who:

• Christian Pritchard, chef and master of ceremonies
• Jamie Kennedy, celebrity chef and CFF ambassador
• Don Lovisa, president, Durham College
• Roger Anderson, chair, Region of Durham
• Pat Perkins, mayor, Town of Whitby
• Brittany Lombard, second-year Culinary Management student
• Durham College faculty, staff and students

Visuals:

• Bistro ’67, a new, 70-seat, full-service, green-certified teaching and learning restaurant
• Self-guided tours of the facility
• Student-led cooking demonstrations
• Musical performance by Canadian singer, songwriter and musician Greg Keelor
• CFF living wall

When:
Thursday, October 17
4 to 6 p.m.

Where:
Durham College Centre for Food (Whitby campus)
1610 Champlain Drive

Parking:
Enter off Champlain Drive and proceed to the main parking lot at the Whitby campus.

Media are asked to please RSVP by Wednesday, October 16 to:
Allison Rosnak
Communications and Marketing
905.721.2000 ext. 2333
allison.rosnak@durhamcollege.ca

Oshawa, Ont. –Durham College announced today that it has welcomed more than 10,900 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students to its Oshawa and Whitby campuses and Pickering Learning Site since classes for the 2013-2014 academic year officially began on September 4, an overall enrolment increase of nine per cent. This includes more than 5,700 new students as well as 346 international students.

“The new academic year is in full swing and Durham College is very pleased to see this significant increase in our enrolment numbers, which are reflective of our commitment to fostering student success through high-quality academic programs designed to meet the needs of today’s employers,” said Judy Robinson, vice-president, Academic.

In addition to increasing the number of students on campus, September also marked other important milestones for the college including the introduction of several new programs and the opening of the Centre for Food (CFF) at the Whitby campus, part of the college’s three-phase Whitby campus expansion project, which began in 2008.

Home to the new Culinary Management and Special Events Planning programs, which started this fall, the 36,000-square-foot CFF is located at the northwest corner of campus. Building on the success of the college’s first two hospitality-focused programs, Culinary Skills and Hospitality Management – Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism, which both launched in September 2010, it is based on the field-to-fork concept, bringing students, farmers and growers together with food science and the preparation and celebration of food.

Accommodating approximately 900 additional students studying in culinary, hospitality, tourism, agricultural and horticultural programs, the CFF also features Bistro ’67, a new, 70-seat, full-service, green-certified teaching and learning restaurant, which offers dishes that include local produce and delicious flavours from the region that are prepared and served by culinary and hospitality program students.

The college also introduced new Advertising and Marketing Communications; Architectural Technician; Architectural Technology; Broadcasting for Contemporary Media; Information Systems Security – Computers and Networking; Occupational Therapist Assistant/Physiotherapist Assistant; Project Management; and Horticulture – Food and Farming programs this September along with Mechanical Techniques – Plumbing and Electrical Techniques, which will begin in January.

For more information on the CFF, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/CFF and for details on any of the college’s programs, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/programs.

About Durham College
At Durham College, the student experience comes first. In September 2013, the college welcomed more than 30,000 students to campus including more than 10,000 full-time post-secondary 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 recently completed 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, tourism, agricultural and horticultural programs, it also features Bistro ’67, a new, 70-seat, full-service, green-certified teaching and learning restaurant.

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

Media contact: 
Allison Rosnak
Communications and Marketing 
905.721.2000 ext. 2333
allison.rosnak@durhamcollege.ca