The results of the 2012-2013 provincial government’s Key Performance Indicators (KPI) surveys have been released and Durham College graduates continued to impress employers this year with an employer satisfaction rating of 95 per cent, the highest employer satisfaction of all colleges in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and the Eastern Region. In addition, Durham College has the highest graduate employment rate of all colleges in the GTA with 83.7 percent of our students finding employment within six months of graduation.  

For patients who require special assistance, it’s important that they have access to a proper bed while at a hospital. That’s why Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) have joined together to support the Lakeridge Health Whitby Foundation’s Buy a Bed campaign.

Lakeridge Health Whitby has a high-priority need for specialty beds for patients with complex medical needs that require long-term hospital stays exceeding 30 days. These technologically advanced beds allow patients and hospital staff to adjust the height of the bed for easier transition from sitting to standing.

With the cost of one bed being $5,000, the foundation had originally hoped to raise $200,000 that would be used to purchase these technologically advanced beds and specialty air mattresses. However, thanks to donors like Durham College and UOIT, the foundation has surpassed their goal and recently announced that they have raised $225,000 thus far.

“This opportunity was a tremendous way to show our appreciation for their partnership in supporting our students’ learning opportunities,” said Susan Sproul, dean of the School of Health & Community Services at Durham College.

In addition to acquiring new beds, the foundation raises funds to ensure that Lakeridge Health Whitby has the best patient equipment and programs possible and invests in capital projects, equipment, specialized services and unique programs that benefit each patient and offer support to their loved ones.

Durham College has a long-standing relationship with Lakeridge Health Whitby that goes beyond donations and beds. Students of the School of Health & Community Services benefit from the opportunity to apply the knowledge they’ve learned in the classroom to real-life situations that include caring for patients in a hospital setting. 

Speaking to a packed house, former professional hockey player and sexual abuse survivor Sheldon Kennedy had Durham College students, staff and faculty hanging on every inspirational word as he described how he dealt with and overcame years of abuse at the hands of his junior hockey coach, Graham James.

Kennedy, who played for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames, answered a number of questions from the large audience as he discussed how far he has come since those dark days, when he visited the Oshawa campus on April 1.

“Pedophiles and sexual predators make up about two per cent of the population,” said Kennedy. “But it’s the other 98 per cent that we need to focus on educating.”

“It’s all about empowering bystanders (to recognize the signs) – it’s about taking action.”

Also included in the audience were a number of victims of abuse who shared their stories and thanked Kennedy for providing them with strength and inspiration. He in turn recognized their courage.

He also emphasized what he believes is the difference in being a victim and a survivor.

“You need to work hard to get out of being a victim, it’s about taking a risk to trust again,” he said. “The goal is to get people from victim to survivor but I don’t believe you’re a survivor until you’ve got your power back.”

Amy Power, a second-year student in the Child and Youth Worker program, saw the chance to hear Kennedy speak as an opportunity to better understand those she hopes to help.

“As a soon-to-be-graduate, Sheldon’s visit was an inspiring learning experience for me as a professional and a mother,” said Power. “I will soon be working with youth with similar traumatic experiences and he not only gave me an increased knowledge on the subject of sexual abuse and prevention strategies, but also advice and ideas that I can carry with me throughout my career to better help my clients.”

Kennedy has turned his troubled past, which included struggles with alcohol, depression and cocaine addiction, into creating awareness about sexual abuse and preventing it. In 2004, he, along with Wayne McNeil, founded Respect in Sport – Canada’s only online bullying, abuse, harassment and neglect prevention program for coaches and community leaders.

Since its inception, the program has been implemented by a number of national and provincial sports organizations including Hockey Canada, USA Triathlon, Sport Manitoba and many more.      

As part of Durham College’s commitment to provide financial aid to students in need, the college hosted a donor reception at the Oshawa campus’s Student Services building on March 26.

Student recipients were able to meet their donors face-to-face and thank them for their assistance during their college journey. In the 2012-2013 academic year, more than $1.6 million was donated to Durham College-endowed bursaries which allows students to pay for essential items like laptops, textbooks and school supplies or for daily expenses like food or clothing.

Durham College President Don Lovisa spoke at the event and emphasized the importance of college donors and what these awards mean to the students.

“Long-term investments in our students by our endowment fund donors, are what helps lead to quality employment and stronger neighbourhoods across Durham Region, Ontario and Canada,” said Lovisa. 

An example of this type of partnership is the contributions of Ontario Power Generation (OPG). In 2010, OPG partnered with the college and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) for a five-year agreement. As part of the OPG agreement, Durham College will receive $2.95 million for capital improvements, education programs, equipment, training, scholarships and bursaries. 

Students interested in applying for a donor award can do so through MyCampus. For more information on the Durham College Awards program and a listing of awards, please visit the Donor Awards page.

Durham College’s campuses opened their doors and welcomed students, parents, families and other guests to their Spring Open House on March 23. The annual event, which showcases the college, its programs and facilities, saw close to 4,700 people visit its Oshawa, Whitby and Pickering locations.

Showcasing the college’s innovative programs, the event also provided tours of its high-tech classrooms, labs and state-of-the-art facilities while knowledgeable staff and students answered questions and supplied important information about a variety of college programs, processes and departments including financial aid and admissions.

Leading up to the open house, the event generated a large amount of activity on its microsite with 8,653 unique page views and through social media with more than 100 tweets sent through Twitter. Pictures of the event garnered more than 10,500 views on the college’s Facebook page, while digital signage at the Student Services building also displayed live tweeting throughout the day using content from guests, staff and volunteers.

One of the guests was Ashley Barton, a future Durham College student who thoroughly enjoyed her time at the event.

“I am starting the Practical Nursing program at Durham College in September and I’m so excited,” said Barton. “I had so much fun at the open house today!”

Durham College is welcoming yesterday’s federal budget and its emphasis on creating a strong, skilled economy through a focus on skills training, including the new Canada Job Grant, enhanced apprenticeship opportunities, and support for applied research and innovation at colleges.

In particular, the new Canada Job Grant will address Canada’s skills mismatch and ensure a greater number of people are prepared for success in the workplace. Directly connecting skills training with employers that have a plan to train Canadians for an existing or better job, the grant will provide access to a maximum $5,000 federal contribution per person towards training at eligible institutions such as Durham College.

In addition, new opportunities for apprenticeships were announced including ensuring that government contracts and funding for infrastructure and maintenance support the employment of apprentices, which will help increase the completion rate of apprenticeships. The reallocation of federal funding to increase opportunities for apprentices was also announced along with encouraging the use of apprentices in infrastructure projects receiving federal funding and examining the use of practical tests as a method of assessment.

“At Durham College and across the Ontario college system we have worked very hard to draw attention to the need for increased government attention on growing and strengthening Canada’s skilled economy,” said Lovisa. “I am very pleased to see the federal budget has introduced significant steps in that regard through a focus on new opportunities for skilled workers and training, in particular the Canada Job Grant and new apprenticeship measures.”

Given its significant applied research presence in Durham Region, Durham College is pleased to see the government take important steps to help colleges strengthen research partnerships with industry. This includes an investment of $12 million to enhance the College and Community Innovation Program, and renewing the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) with funding of $920 million over five years to help create job opportunities and encourage economic growth.

“I am very pleased with the government’s recognition of the important role colleges play in preparing skilled employees who will move Canadian communities forward both domestically and internationally,” added Lovisa. “This includes our contribution to the research, commercialization and development of innovative new products and services and commitment to ensuring graduates are well-equipped with the research knowledge and skills needed to stimulate today’s economy.”

Lovisa was part of a panel of senior college and industry leaders from across Canada that met with Diane Finley, minister of Human Resources and Skill Development, in December 2012 to discuss the urgency in advancing a national skills agenda. He is pleased to see much of what was discussed at that session reflected in the budget given their importance to the country’s continued economic success. 

Congratulations to Zain Shafique, the new student governor for the Durham College Board of Governors for the 2013-2014 academic year.

Shafique, a first-year student in the Computer Programmer Analyst program, will begin his one-year term on September 1. Along with all board members, Shafique is accountable to the students of Durham College, their employers, the government of Ontario and the communities the college serves by ensuring that the college is effectively and appropriately managed to achieve its mandate and provide needed services.

Shafique has served as a cultural ambassador to the United States on an exchange program for the 2008-2009 academic year and has been awarded a Gold Medal and President’s Voluntary Award by Barack Obama. He is also an honorary Louisiana State Senator. In addition to hosting Culture Shake, a weekly radio show on Riot Radio, Shafique is an international student mentor.

Thank you to all of the students and nominees who participated in this year’s election and congratulations to Zain on a successful campaign. Good luck in your position!

Program Quality Assurance Process Audit (PQAPA) was implemented in order to grant greater autonomy to Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology to govern their programs.

Overseen by the Ontario College Quality Assurance Service, PQAPA involves the regular and cyclical review of each college’s program quality assurance processes. It focuses on college-wide policies and practices and drills down on selected programs to verify that practices are implemented; recommendations lead to improvement; and program quality is assured.

Each external evaluation of a college includes completion of a quality criteria form and self-study report; a two-day site visit; ends in a report from the audit review panel documenting the degree to which the college’s processes conform to the criteria; and provides recommendations aimed at improving and enhancing processes and procedures to ensure learning comes first.

Watch the video and see what PQAPA means to Durham College.

Durham College recently announced that its most recent Dual Credit Data Report, covering September 2012 to January 2013, indicates an impressive 85 per cent success rate for students enrolled in the college’s more than 100 dual credit courses.

Focused on subjects involving the skilled trades, apprenticeship, business, health, wellness, general education, math, science, the arts and more, dual credit courses allow secondary school students from the Durham District School; Durham Catholic District School; Kawartha Pine Ridge District School;  Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School; and Trillium Lakelands District School boards to get a head start on their futures by earning a secondary school and college credit at the same time, resulting in a seamless transition from secondary school to post-secondary education or an apprenticeship.   

“Dual credits offer secondary school students wonderful exposure to a post-secondary or apprenticeship learning environment while they work toward both their OSSD and future career path,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “I am very proud of the results of this report, which are a great example of what happens when local schools, school boards, the provincial government and Durham College work together to create opportunities for students that are designed to meet their individual interests, strengths and needs.”

Delivered at select secondary schools and at the college’s Oshawa and Whitby campuses, depending on each course, individual school and school board, dual credits are aimed at students who are:

• Considered at risk of not graduating from high school;
• Enrolled in a specialist high skills major (e.g. students focused on a career path that matches their skills and interests while meeting the requirements of their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD);
• Enrolled in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (e.g. students in Grades 11 and 12 who are earning co-operative education credits through work placements in skilled trades); and
• Under age 21, out of school and close to completing their OSSD requirements. 

In addition, at-risk students can take dual credit courses through Durham College’s Centre for Success program, which encourages students to stay in school and earn their high school diploma by engaging them in a college environment – demonstrating that they can also be successful in post-secondary education. Students work toward their diplomas while on campus with access to regular college support systems and amenities. In addition to meeting the graduation requirements most students also earn a college credit during their time in the program.

“After working as a secondary school teacher and guidance counsellor for 31 years, I can honestly say this is one of the most successful student success initiatives that I have been involved with,” said Gail MacKenzie, manager of Strategic Initiatives, Durham College School of Interdisciplinary Studies & Employment Services.  “The dual credit program allows students to reach their true potential and realize they can be successful, not only in their secondary school program but at post-secondary education.”

Are you the new student voice of Durham College?

The college’s Board of Governors (BOG) is now encouraging full-time students who feel they demonstrate leadership and can provide a strong student voice to run for the position of student governor.

Along with all board members, the student governor is accountable to the students of Durham College, their employer, the government of Ontario and the communities the college serves by ensuring that the college is effectively and appropriately managed to achieve its mandate and provide needed services. As a student governor, you are a full voting member involved in decision making for college policies.

The BOG is accepting nominations for a new student representative for the 2013-2014 academic year until Friday, March 8, with elections taking place Monday, March 11 to Friday, March 15.  

Take this opportunity to represent your fellow students – nominate yourself or someone you know today! For more information, please visit the student governor web page or contact Jennifer Clark, board secretary, at ext. 3292 or jennifer.clark@durhamcollege.ca.