With the 2016-2017 academic year now underway, Durham College (DC) is welcoming close to 11,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students to its Oshawa and Whitby campuses and Pickering Learning Site. This includes more than 5,700 new students and over 600 international students who have travelled from 42 countries around the world to study at DC.

“As we get ready to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2017, we are excited to see the new academic year get off to such a strong start,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, vice-president, Academic, DC. “Our enrolment numbers indicate that students, both domestically and internationally, recognize DC’s commitment to fostering academic and career success. From introducing new programs to providing more educational pathways and opportunities for students to gain real-world work experience, we are focused more than ever on ensuring that at DC, the student experience comes first.”

In addition to its commitment to student success, the college has also launched several new, market-driven programs for 2016-2017 in areas including filmmaking, finance, journalism and documentary production, interactive media and welding.

In total, DC offers more than 140 full-time programs through its nine academic schools in addition to over 500 educational pathway opportunities in partnership with universities in Ontario, Canada and around the world.

Along with welcoming both new and returning students to campus, DC Orientation Week is also underway to help new students acclimatize to college life, connect with college employees, meet their peers, explore student services and learn about student clubs and activities.

On September 1 and 2, Durham College (DC) excitedly welcomed more than 200 new international students to the college’s International Student Orientation.

Held at the Oshawa campus, the event saw DC President Don Lovisa and Dr. Elaine Popp, vice-president, Academic, spend time with this diverse group of new students as they learned about the many services and supports available to them as they begin their post-secondary journey in Canada.

Students received tips and tricks on how to settle in at DC, went on a campus tour, attended workshops on acculturation and academic integrity, learned about how to find local housing and gained information about working in Canada. Activities focused on making students feel welcome and confident in choosing DC as their post-secondary destination of choice. Students have the opportunity to get to know each other better and thereby create the first level of their social network, as well as get to know the staff from the International office.

“International students who choose Durham College for their post-secondary studies are making a significant personal and financial investment in their future,” said Larissa Strong, manager of International Student Support. “DC offers a complete support system that will help students find their success academically, professionally, and personally. The International office supports students with practical issues like health insurance to more personal issues like adapting to a new culture.”

With additional students from abroad expected to arrive as the 2016-2017 academic year gets underway, DC prides itself on offering international students the highest-quality Canadian education, preparing them to find rewarding employment in Canada or in their home countries; a safe and vibrant campus environment; and a fun and rewarding student life, with everything from clubs, to cultural activities, to sports, to balance studies with challenges and fun outside the classroom.

For more information, please visit the college’s International website.

The year 1967 was an eventful one for Canada. Not only was our nation marking its 100^th anniversary, but two unique institutions – Durham College (DC) and McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada – were celebrating their grand openings. Now, with their respective 50^th anniversaries on the horizon, DC and the 23 other colleges that make up Colleges Ontario are joining forces with McDonald’s to offer new opportunities to the restaurant chain’s employees in Ontario.

Colleges Ontario, which serves as the umbrella group for the province’s applied arts and technology colleges, and McDonald’s have signed a partnership agreement that will allow management employees at the restaurant chain to receive credit towards a college business diploma if they complete specific training courses offered through McDonald’s. Employees who complete specified levels of company-based training will qualify to directly enter second year business or business administration programs at DC and other Ontario public colleges.

“This partnership is a win-win for Durham College and other public colleges in Ontario and our partners at McDonald’s,” said Marianne Marando, executive dean of DC’s School of Business, IT & Management. “Not only do McDonald’s employees gain access to top-flight courses and professors at DC, but the college gets to work alongside committed and motivated students who’ve already demonstrated their business acumen.”

Durham College looks forward to taking part in this unique partnership with McDonald’s and looks forward to welcoming employees to classes at DC’s School of Business, IT and Management in the coming months.

In collaboration with the Region of Durham’s Social Services Department, Durham College (DC) received support from the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Human Capital Research and Innovation Fund (OHCRIF) to conduct a literature review and environmental scan focused on co-production. An emerging social innovation that explores the possibility of improving public service delivery in Durham Region, the co-production project was headed by Randy Uyenaka, professor, Social Service Worker program at DC and Dr. Darren Levine, Manager of Research and Innovation for the Region of Durham’s Social Services Department. The study analyzed research findings and interviews with organizations currently employing co-production.

“Research into new and emerging areas of best practice will keep our faculty and students at the forefront of learning in their respective fields,” said Uyenaka. “This project provided a unique opportunity for faculty and students in Durham College’s Social Service Worker program to work with a valued community partner to explore a new social innovation. It is our hope that the benefits of this project will be felt locally, provincially and nationally in the years to come.”

Co-production involves service providers and recipients working together in partnership, throughout all phases of the service delivery process. Through this project, DC and the Region of Durham’s Social Services Department are exploring the potential of co-production to enhance collaboration between faculty and students, social service professionals, and residents across our local communities to enhance services and improve individual and community outcomes.

An innovation lab was held at DC’s Centre for Food, during which faculty from the college and staff from the Region of Durham’s Social Services Department began to co-create ideas for applying co-production principles within the local community. Ideas included enriching on-campus support for students’ health and wellness; greater access to services through local neighbourhood communities of support; and enhancements to individualized service planning and delivery within social services, including employment programs.  The project team is currently exploring ways in which these ideas might help to inform planning and service delivery, as well as continued collaboration, in the years ahead.

Durham College’s (DC) teaching-inspired restaurant, Bistro ’67, has been honoured with a Feast On™ designation in recognition of its support for local food producers. Sponsored by the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance, Feast On is a criteria-based program to promote restaurants and other businesses that showcase Ontario’s unique, locally produced food and beverages.

To receive a Feast On designation, a restaurant must demonstrate that products grown and made in Ontario make up at least 25 per cent of its annual food and beverage receipts. The program supports Ontario farmers and food providers by encouraging restaurants to buy from local suppliers, which in turn benefits local economies. Feast On member restaurants purchased more than $14 million worth of Ontario food and beverages in 2015 while educating consumers about the importance of sustainability in the food and beverage sector.

“The Feast On program is a perfect complement to Bistro ‘67’s commitment to the field-to-fork concept, which emphasizes the purchase of locally grown fruit and vegetables, as well as locally sourced meat and other products,” said Kevin Baker, dean, Centre for Food (CFF). “We’re proud to not only support our local suppliers but to join them as well, as much of the produce we use at Bistro ’67 comes from the CFF gardens, which are tended by Durham College’s Horticulture – Food and Farming students.”

The field-to-fork concept is based on the harvesting, storing, processing, packaging, sale and consumption of local food for local consumers. Named for the year that DC opened, Bistro’67 seats up to 70 guests and offers a variety of seasonal dishes designed to satisfy any palate, including the recently launched Summer Fresh Wednesdays series, which features produce from the CFF gardens. Meals are prepared and served by the college’s skilled staff and students, who create flavourful dishes inspired by local ingredients from across Durham Region.

The designation follows the college’s recent announcement that the CFF, including Bistro ’67, has been upgraded to a 3 Star Certified Green Restaurant® by the Green Restaurant Association, a non-profit that guides restaurants on becoming more environmentally sustainable through its Dine Green program. The 3 Star certification recognizes the college’s commitment to environmental sustainability in food and beverage preparation and presentation, and covers a total of nine areas at the facility.

To learn more about Feast On™ please visit the program’s website. For more information on Bistro ’67 and the CFF, please visit www.bistro67.ca and www.durhamcollege.ca/cff.

Long-standing campus partners Durham College (DC) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) announced today a new Innovative Initiatives Fund that will support collaborative initiatives proposed by staff and faculty at both institutions.

The fund has a project budget of $300,000 ($150,000 from each institution) to be used in a pilot year (2016-2017), after which funding will be considered on a more permanent basis.

“DC and UOIT have enjoyed a productive partnership for over a decade,” said Don Lovisa, President, DC. “This fund represents how we can broaden that partnership to include innovations in academic initiatives, research and innovation, support for entrepreneurship and joint partnerships involving the community.”

“The underlying spirit of the successful projects should be that students benefit from collaboration and that the campus and its institutions become more than the sum of their parts,” said Tim McTiernan, President and Vice-Chancellor, UOIT.

A steering group of senior staff and faculty from each institution are developing decision-making criteria and rules related to joint project proposals. The funding can be used to leverage joint partnerships and matching funding, where available. Projects could begin as early as this fall.

The two institutions’ history of collaboration includes an array of seamless and flexible academic pathways programs for students. The university and college also share services, such as campus security and information technology, that enhance administrative efficiency.

A sunny sky and pleasant temperatures greeted more than 250 Durham College (DC) employees at the second annual Professional Development (PD) day. Open to employees from DC’s campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and the Pickering Learning Site, the event celebrates the contributions of all employees to inspire the imaginations and unlock the potential of students throughout the year.

Scott Blakey, DC’s chief administrative officer, welcomed participants to the event and reminded them that providing the best possible educational experience for DC students is truly a team effort.

“This day is about you, our employees, and how much we value your significant contributions to the college,” he said. “No matter what part you play, each of you has an important role in helping Durham College stay true to its mission – the student experience comes first.”

 The event’s theme, the importance of playing your role, was emphasized on social media with participants encouraged to tweet about their experiences with the hashtag #youmatter. The day’s keynote speaker was Sami Jo Small, a long-time member of Canada’s world champion and Olympic gold-medal women’s hockey team, Small told her audience that everyone at DC, no matter what job they have, should feel proud to be part of a team that’s producing great results for students.

“We all have different roles. Some we strive to be in, others we have been put in. They’re all important; win or lose, it’s about the journey you take,” Small said.

The PD Day events coincided with National Aboriginal Day, which is marked across Canada as a tribute to Canada’s indigenous people. Elder Shirley Williams and representatives of the Aboriginal Students Centre participated in a smudging ceremony to promote harmony and balance for the day’s activities. In addition, a flag-raising ceremony took place at the Oshawa campus to recognize the unique culture, history and significant contributions made by First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples to DC and to Canadian society.

Participants took part in breakout sessions throughout the day, where they discussed current best practices in education with experts from DC, and also learned about current trends in social media, nutrition for families and creating an appropriate work-life balance.

With more than 770 employees, DC is one of the region’s largest employers and provides more than $800 million in positive economic impact annually. DC has been named one of the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for  the past six years, and events such as PD Day are just one of the reasons why the college is not only a school of choice for thousands of students, but a great place to work as well.

Durham College (DC) is welcoming yesterday’s announcement by the provincial government that it will extend the Lakeshore East rail corridor east across the rest of Oshawa and into Bowmanville. The news is great for DC students and our community and will help to generate economic growth and development in Durham Region and well beyond.

In particular, the college is proud to play a key role in the Durham Learning and Business District (dLAB), a partnership between DC, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Trent University Durham, River Oaks Group and Halloway Developments Ltd. which released the following statement about yesterday’s announcement.

Photo: Province of Ontario news conference formally announcing plans for eastward extension of GO service through Oshawa and Courtice to Bowmanville (June 20, 2016). Photo courtesy: Sandra Austin, Regional Municipality of Durham.

Hundreds of proud family members and friends were on hand at Durham College’s (DC) Oshawa campus on Thursday, June 16 to celebrate the accomplishments of the newest group of students from the Centre for Success (CFS) program. Now in its ninth year, this unique initiative is a partnership between DC and four local school boards – Durham District School Board, Kawartha Pine Ridge School District Board, Durham Catholic District School Board and the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board.

The initiative is designed to enable in-risk secondary school students to complete their high school academic requirements in a college setting, offering them access to smaller class sizes, flexible schedules and increased one-to-one access to teachers. In addition, it provides an opportunity for students to earn at least one and potentially more college credits toward their post-secondary education at Durham College. This year, 92 per cent of participants successfully completed the program, which exceeds the provincial average of approximately 85 per cent at other dual credit college programs in Ontario.

DC president Don Lovisa praised the more than 120 students who completed the program, which began in February. He pointed out that many of the students had overcome personal hardships to reach this important milestone and offered them some words of advice for their future.

“Never be afraid to ask for help,” Lovisa told the audience. “Chances are someone will always be around to help you. You’ve taken an important step by working with your teachers here to get ready for the next stage in your life, where there will be new people to help you along the way.”

The students who completed the program were unanimous in their praise for the Centre for Success.

“The CFS made us feel like real college students,” said Micheline Poole of Bowmanville. “Students who may have had trouble in a traditional high school can come here and, like me, thrive. Good luck to all my peers on your journey to success.”

High fives, handshakes and hugs were the order of the day as each of the students were called to the podium to receive their competition certificates. For the students who have achieved a goal that many of them once thought was unobtainable, it was a day for celebration and one they won’t soon forget.

Alli McDougall of Oshawa echoed those sentiments: “The Centre for Success helped me utilize the skills I do have, while also helping me develop new ones that will allow me to continue my education. To my fellow classmates, always remember that you have a purpose and there is always a way to fulfil it.”