On August 28, employees from all corners of Durham College (DC) gathered together at the annual Academic Kickoff event for a morning of inspiration and motivation ahead of the new school year.

Led by Dr. Elaine Popp, DC’s vice-president, Academic, the event gave colleagues at the college a chance to reconnect while also sharing and igniting new ideas to continue growing the student experience inside the classroom and beyond.

Dr. Gerard Puccio, department chair and professor at the International Centre for Studies in Creativity, Buffalo State, delivered this year’s keynote address. A renowned creativity scholar, Dr. Puccio discussed creativity as a life skill and shared strategies with DC employees to unleash creativity in their own work and inspire it in students.

The morning also featured a panel presentation and discussion by student entrepreneurs from FastStart, the college’s free, co-curricular program that helps DC students and youth from the greater college community to develop and launch their own businesses.

The FastStart panel shared examples of how DC encourages and supports students’ entrepreneurial pursuits. Emphasis was also put on promoting and encouraging entrepreneurship to more students, including those specializing in creative arts, social innovation, food and more.

As part of its ongoing commitment to putting the student experience first, Durham College (DC) is redeveloping its Student Centre to offer new spaces, dining options and additional space for supports.

While the location remains the same, the redeveloped space will now be home to:

• New dining options for all students and employees, available as of Tuesday, September 4
  • Booster Juice – Enjoy premium smoothies and juices.
  • The Grill House – Enjoy fresh food options representing global cuisine.
• New student spaces
  • eSports Gaming Arena – Scheduled to open in 2019, the arena is part one of a four-phase eSports plan, which will also see an eSports club, varsity program and eventually, integration of eSports into current and future curriculum.  More information about eSports at DC can be found on the website.
  • Student Lounge – Students will be able to enjoy downtime and study in the newly renovated Student Lounge, which is scheduled to open at the end of September.
• SALS Tutoring Centre available as of Monday, September 3
  • Student Academic Learning Services (SALS) is extending their services to the Student Centre. In addition to the supports and programs offered in the Student Services building, students can access the SALS Tutoring Centre in room 217, a space dedicated to peer tutoring. SALS workshops and drop-in tutoring sessions will be offered and the area will also serve as a student study space for individuals and homework groups. Contact SALS by email or at ext. 2491 for additional information on available services.
• DC Students Inc.
  • DC Students Inc. (DCSI) provides a range of services from administration of the health and dental plan to offering outreach services:  support, counselling, information, referrals, events, and training with a focus on four key areas: Women’s Issues, Pride and the LGBTQ Centre, sexual health and the Campus Food Centre, a food bank available to all DC students who need help making ends meet. Email DCSI for additional information on the services they offer.

As the college prepares for another exciting academic year, the Student Centre will continue to play a vital role in campus life and we look forward to sharing it with the college community.

On July 16, in anticipation of the opening of Durham College’s (DC) new Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE), demolition of the Simcoe building began.

“Thousands of students, hundreds of employees and countless student groups and service areas called the Simcoe building’s classrooms, offices and meeting rooms home for nearly 50 years,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “While the building will no longer be physically present, its place in the college’s history will be forever remembered.”

Part of DC’s Building Something Amazing capital campaign, the new four-storey CFCE will replace the Simcoe building by bringing together local, Indigenous and global communities, and provide a new home for several of the college’s innovative and ground-breaking programs.

The demolition will also reclaim land for the Simcoe Geothermal Field project, a living lab that will help to create a net-zero carbon footprint in existing campus buildings. It will be incorporated into a wide variety of program curricula to address new green-energy technologies and careers.

In commemoration of the Simcoe building and its impact on campus life through the years, pieces of its iconic stone façade, removed as part of the ground-breaking ceremony in 2016, have been incorporated into the CFCE as part of a unique entrance feature wall that symbolizes the integration of DC’s history and future. Additional stone will also be relocated to the student lounge in the Student Centre after its renovations are complete.

Demolition on the Simcoe building is expected to be complete in August.

Durham College (DC) is pleased to share that its president, Don Lovisa, has been named chair of Colleges Ontario, an advocacy organization for the province’s 24 colleges.

“Don’s passionate commitment to students and his drive to innovate will advance college education in this province,” said Linda Franklin, president and CEO of Colleges Ontario. “He’ll play a strong role in producing the best possible college system for the rapidly changing economy.”

As chair, Lovisa will serve a two-year term overseeing the college sector’s Committee of Presidents. Comprised of one representative from each of Ontario’s colleges, the committee is responsible for a wide range of decisions affecting research, advocacy, communications and marketing, and more. Its focus will be on providing quality education to prepare students for today’s in-demand careers, as well as assisting with the expansion and development of career-specific college degree programs, much like DC’s new Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management.

“In an environment of mass change, automation and technological disruption, it is essential that more people have access to a high-quality, skills-focused post-secondary,” Lovisa said. “The colleges’ entrepreneurial approach and expertise in experiential learning can ensure Ontario is at the forefront of the new economy.”

Lovisa is no stranger to leadership, having served as the founding co-chair of the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer and chair of Colleges Ontario’s 50th anniversary task force. He was also one of the driving forces behind the Idea Summit, a conference bringing together local business leaders to discuss strategies for creating jobs and stimulating local investment, as well as establishing an Innovation Hub in the Durham Region.

The DC community offers its support and congratulations on this impactful achievement.

Aligning with its focus on innovation, applied research and artificial intelligence, Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce their plans for the development and construction of an eSports Gaming Arena for students, which will allow the college to take a leading role in one of the fastest-growing industries in the gaming market.

The inclusive nature of online video games allows non-traditional athletes to compete in the team-based sport. Netting $1.5 billion dollars in 2017, according to SuperData, the eSports industry has noticed a sharp spike in investments after recording a net worth of nearly $900 million in 2016.

The arena is part one of a four-phase eSports plan, which will also see an eSports club, varsity program and eventually, integration into current and future curriculum.  It will provide space for students to participate in the sport – either recreationally or competitively, while also providing experiential learning opportunities for several programs.

“We are very excited about the future of eSports at DC,” said Marianne Marando, executive dean, School of Business, IT & Management, DC. “Construction of the arena is the first step in providing the necessary space and equipment for students to pursue their gaming passion and talents. More opportunities will become available once the broader program is launched, including attracting top gaming talent to the DC and providing experiential learning opportunities for students to participate in the planning, promotion, execution and broadcast of eSports events.”

Situated in the DC Student Centre at the Oshawa campus, the eSports Gaming Arena is part of a larger renovation of the former E.P Taylor’s pub space, which will see one half dedicated to eSports. The other half will be home to a student lounge and foodservice area. It will house 30 computers for use by eSports club members and 20 high-end computers located in a separate, glassed-off section of the room for varsity gamers to train. Additional tables and seating will allow for spectators as well as a lounge area with screens that will live stream the varsity/competitive games.

“We feel like this is the right time to offer eSports at the varsity level,” said Ken Babcock, director, Athletics and Recreation, DC. “Today’s younger generation are already extremely connected to video games and as technology continues to advance and future generations become more versed with the digital world, eSports will only continue to grow. I think it is already on its way to becoming as popular as more traditional sports, especially with the National Collegiate Athletic Association taking notice. We look forward to welcoming students to the college while also being able to offer them a chance to compete on DC’s varsity eSports team.”

Construction of the eSports Gaming Arena is tentatively scheduled to begin in summer 2018.

Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that 360insights is helping build a local community of entrepreneurs and world-class students by making a significant donation to its Building Something Amazing capital campaign. The funds will be used to help complete construction of the college’s new Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE), and specifically, the 360insights Entrepreneurship Centre, which is scheduled to open in fall 2018.

“No company better understands the importance of fostering innovation, development and education than 360insights,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “Their donation to the CFCE is going to provide students and local youth with the space they need to explore entrepreneurship and access expertise in order to bring their own business ideas to life. We are very grateful for their support.”

Named in honour of the company’s generosity, the 360insights Entrepreneurship Centre will be home to FastStartDC, a program that helps students and youth develop valid business ideas and plans to take their products and services to market quickly and successfully.

“At 360insights one of our core values is ‘live in the possible’,” said Jason Atkins, founder and CEO, 360insights. “This means we strive for excellence free of limitations for both our clients and employees, which is exactly what entrepreneurs do each day. We are thrilled that our donation will support the local community while also helping students and youth transform their limitless ideas into reality.”

In addition to the 360insights Entrepreneurship Centre, the multi-level, 75,000-sq-ft CFCE will serve as an educational access point for students, while bringing together local, Indigenous and global community groups and members of key business sectors. The Building Something Amazing capital campaign was launched in September 2017 to raise $5 million to complete construction of the new space.

Recent alumni and current students of the Durham College (DC) Materials and Operations Management – Business Administration program (formerly Business Administration – Operations Management; now Supply Chain and Operations Management – Business Administration) are being offered advanced standing towards the Certified Supply Chain Management Professional (SCMP) designation thanks to a new agreement between DC and the Supply Chain Management Association of Ontario (SCMAO). Signed in May, the agreement makes the path to Certified SCMP status more efficient for graduates and offers another level of certification to complement their diploma.

Advanced standing will be given to alumni of DC’s three-year program who graduated between 2013 and 2017 and who have obtained a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0. Some SCMAO modules and workshops have been exempted from this advanced standing, including Module 2, 3, 4, and 6; and Interactive Workshop 1 and 3.

The Certified SCMP designation is an internationally accredited certification of strategic supply chain leadership and is Canada’s most widely held and highly regarded designation in supply chain management. To achieve advanced standing for grads, DC worked with the SCMAO to assess the curriculum for each program component to determine its alignment with the SCMAO modules and workshops.

Future graduates of DC’s Supply Chain and Operations Management programs will also have the opportunity to receive advanced prior learning recognition towards the Certified SCMP as part of the program.

For more information on this opportunity, please contact Jennifer Souch, program coordinator, Supply Chain and Operations Management – Business Administration at 905.721.2000 ext. 2279.

On June 19, more than 450 Durham College (DC) employees took time to invest in themselves at Professional Development (PD) Day 2018.

This year’s event offered a refreshed format that included three feature presentations, an opportunity for attendees to enjoy lunch together and a choice of one of 13 concurrent sessions on a variety of timely subjects led by DC employees from all corners of campus.

Aboriginal student advisors Julie Pigeon and Peggy Forbes helped attendees start the day in a good way by leading a smudging ceremony in the courtyard of the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre (CRWC). Next, DC president Don Lovisa kicked off the formal program by welcoming everyone and introducing the first of the day’s following featured speakers:

• Mark Bowden – Winning body language: optimizing workplace and client relationships
• Maydianne Andrade, PhD – Addressing unconscious bias
• SmartLeese Creative – Building client-centric relationship with improv

PD Day is an annual event, organized by the college’s Human Resources department, which enhances employee engagement using thought-provoking presentations and opportunities to reconnect with colleagues and recharge through exposure to new ideas and skills.

With more than 800 full-time employees and approximately 1,000 part-time employees, DC is one of the region’s largest employers and provides more than $900 million to Durham Region in positive economic impact annually. Events like PD Day are one of the many initiatives that help make DC one of the GTA’s Top Employers.