Durham College announced today the results of its Program Quality Assurance Process Audit (PQAPA) final audit report, which indicate that the college has successfully met all six quality assurance criteria outlined in the report; demonstrating that Durham College is dedicated to its mission – the student experience comes first – through all its quality assurance efforts.

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

“Durham College is dedicated to providing our students with quality programs, expert faculty, a superior learning environment and ensuring our graduates have the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in their careers and further education,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “We are proud to receive this high rating, which is a reflection of our collective quality assurance efforts. We look forward to continuing to deliver high-quality teaching and learning in the years to come.”

In addition to the six-star rating the report, which was approved by the OCQAS Management Board on December 17, also saw the college received two formal commendations, the first acknowledging the numerous opportunities for faculty development offered by its Centre for Academic and Faculty Enrichment (CAFE) and the second recognizing the implementation of the integrated student services model and support services offered in the Student Services building. The commendations will be listed as best practices on the OCQAS website and used as a reference for other colleges in the system.

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

Durham College’s PQAPA site visit took place April 2 to 4, 2013 with members of the review panel speaking with students, and program teams. The auditors also toured the college’s facilities and met with various members of the college community including the Durham College Leadership Team, members of the Durham College Board of Governors and Program Advisory Committees and staff and administrators from many student services departments.

The Irish Institutes of Technology visited Durham College (DC) on February 10 to showcase a new pathways agreement with DC which offers students the opportunity to complete an honours degree program in Ireland.

This initiative, led by Enterprise Ireland, aims to increase the number of Canadian students studying in Ireland to assist in the entrepreneurial growth of the island nation. As well, the agreement adds to the more than 450 pathway to degree options already offered to DC students.

Students who missed the first information session will have a second chance to learn about this exciting opportunity on Wednesday, February 26 with a free, online webinar at 4 p.m. Along with learning about the chance to study abroad, students will hear from current and recently returning Canadian students who will highlight the high quality education options and unique culture found there. As well, all students who partake in the webinar will be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Dublin, Ireland.

Registration for the webinar is available by visiting the Education in Ireland site.

Led by a group of Durham College (DC) student volunteers, the One Match Stem Cell and Marrow Network held their annual “Get Swabbed” event at the Oshawa campus on February 13. The event is held to help recruit healthy, committed donors for patients in need of stem cells.

This year, a specific emphasis has been placed in finding more young male donors between the ages of 17 and 35 from an ethnic background to address the shortage within this category. Approximately 12 per cent of the current stem cell donor base fits into this demographic, forcing a large amount of patients to draw from a small donor base that primarily consists of donors from other countries. In 2006, 77 per cent of stem cells used by Canadian patients were provided by donors from other countries.

“I really believe in this, this saves lives,” said Angela Gillis, a second-year Library and Information Technician student volunteering with the event. “It only takes a few minutes to fill out the form, to do the swab and the college campus is a great environment to be looking for the donors needed by this OneMatch campaign.”

With fewer than 30 per cent of patients requiring stem cell transplants able to find a match within their own family a necessity exists for the generosity of others to help potentially save lives. Currently, more than 237,000 Canadians have volunteered to donate stem cells. For those that missed the on-campus event but are interested in becoming a donor, please visit the OneMatch website or call 1.888.2.DONATE (1.888.236.6283).

Durham College (DC) students are being provided with more opportunities to continue their post-secondary education in an enhanced and simplified way with the recent launch of a new course-to-course transfer guide developed by the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT).

With more than 21,500 post-secondary students transferring within Ontario schools each year the course-to-course transfer guide will allow them to determine what credit they can expect to receive from participating institutions prior to applying.

Currently 35 colleges and universities are taking part in the two-phase launch with more planned to join in the future. Development of this initiative began in 2012 after the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities requested a more streamlined credit transfer system across the province. Durham College currently offers more than 450 pathways to degree options

DC president Don Lovisa has made the development of transfers and pathways a priority for the college and has put himself on the forefront by serving as Co-Chair of the ONCAT’s Board.

“As someone who has been involved in the credit transfer discussions for a long period of time, I have seen first-hand how institutional collaboration is transforming the culture of credit transfer in Ontario,” said Don Lovisa. “I am proud to be a part of ONCAT, the only organization in Ontario that brings together all colleges and universities to achieve a common goal to improve student mobility.”

ONCAT was established in 2011 as part of a five-year, $73.7 million commitment from the province to support the development of post-secondary infrastructure required to promote student mobility.

Monday morning came early at the Centre for Food (CFF) on February 3 when the college played host to Breakfast Television’s (BT) Jennifer Valentyne and the Live Eye crew as they filmed five different segments that aired throughout the morning.

Showcasing the college’s culinary, hospitality, events and horticulture students, Live Eye opened with President Don Lovisa and Valentyne surrounded by students in the building’s main atrium in front of the college’s spectacular living wall. After discussing the CFF’s field-to-fork concept Lovisa then presented Valentyne with her own chef’s jacket while setting the stage for the ‘Durham College Winter Warm Up’.

The four remaining segments saw culinary students and profs discussing how to work with local apple cider to create a classic hot and cold winter beverage; horticulture and events students and profs showing viewers how to make seasonal table centerpieces on a shoestring budget; culinary students and profs showing off how to make delicious vegetarian chilli and lamb stew and the best wines to pair them with; and lastly horticulture students showed Valentyne and viewers how to create an indoor garden designed to provide a variety of flavour-enhancing culinary herbs all winter long.

“Everyone at Durham College was thrilled to welcome Jennifer and her crew to the CFF this morning,” said Lovisa. “It was a great opportunity to have some fun with our students, professors and, of course, Jennifer, while sharing everything we love about CFF and its programs and students as well as the college’s commitment to field-to-fork. We would welcome them back anytime!”

Toronto’s number one morning show, BT airs from 5:30 to 9 a.m., Monday to Friday and offers viewers a refreshing look at the day ahead, combining the latest in local news, weather, traffic , celebrity interviews, lifestyle trends, local community events and big ticket giveaways. LiveEye sees Valentyne tour around the Greater Toronto Area and far beyond to businesses, tourist attractions, etc. 

Pictures from the day can be found on Durham College’s Facebook photo gallery and the video segments can be found on BT’s website at the following locations:

• Segment 1
• Segment 2
• Segment 3

Durham College, in partnership with the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC), is pleased to announce that School of Media, Art & Design (MAD) students Chris Gauvreau and Manjula Selvarajah, along with journalism Professor Danielle Harder, have been selected to travel to Jamaica and Antigua this January with another trip to follow in February to Guyana and Barbados to produce videos documenting the CARICOM Education for Employment (C-EFE) program, part of ACCC’s overall Education for Employment (EFE) initiative. C-EFE is a seven-year initiative funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD), formerly known as CIDA.

Gauvreau, Selvarajah and Harder will produce the videos as part of the C-EFE’s marketing strategy and materials. The team will be filming and interviewing individuals working on several EFE projects currently underway in the Caribbean with a particular focus on how to engage industry in education/training while showcasing industry involvement in curriculum development. Through these partnerships, Canadian post-secondary schools can share their experience in educational programs tailored to local employers’ needs, while providing Canadian college students with learning opportunities abroad.

Gauvreau, a second-year student in the Digital Video Production program, and Selvarajah, a third-year student in the Journalism – Print and Broadcast program, were chosen to participate by a panel of professors and Greg Murphy, dean of MAD, based on their portfolio presentations and interviews.

“We are incredibly proud of the strong depth of talent at Durham College,” said Fiona Richards, executive director, International Business Development. “Being able to utilize the talents of both our students and faculty in an international setting while providing Chris and Manjula with an opportunity to obtain real-world work experience while gaining exposure to other countries and cultures continues to enhance our reputation for providing experiential learning and bringing our mission ‘the student experience comes first’ to life.”

While in the Caribbean the students will be posting updates to their personal twitter accounts about their adventures using #projectcaribbean.

In addition to what is taking place in the Caribbean, a team of MAD students based at the college will be co-ordinating and leading a one-hour live Riot radio show during each trip (two shows in total). The shows will feature interviews with Selvarajah and ACCC partners in the Caribbean. There will also be daily traveller blogs with short updates on how the team is doing on location.

The students back in Canada will also be creating a website for the project that includes more details about the trip, blogs and samples of footage shot. The site will be updated regularly while the team is away so that people may follow their adventures. Some behind-the-scenes footage may also be posted to showcase the work involved in preparing for the trip.

“This is a phenomenal opportunity for us,” said Selvarajah. “It will give us a chance to take everything we have learned in our classrooms and studios and apply it in a real-life scenario. We plan to make our client happy with the pieces we produce and our college very proud.”

At Durham College the student experience comes first and the First Generation initiative provided by the Student Life office is an excellent example of this mission. First introduced in 2009 as a pilot project, the program is designed to encourage and support incoming students whose parents or guardians did not attend a post-secondary institution by providing assistance in the form of mentoring programs, orientation events, academic workshops, student bursaries and more. On average a third of all Durham College students are considered to be first generation.

Led by Lucy Romao Vandepol, First Generation student co-ordinator, the initiative provides the opportunity for students who enter post-secondary education unfamiliar with the college environment to familiarize themselves with everything on campus at their own pace.

“The key to the First Generation program is being able to build that rapport with students and letting them feel like they have someone on campus to go to,” said Romao Vandepol.

Working directly with first generation students, Romao Vandepol acts as host of Latte’s with Lucy, a frequently occurring workshop that brings together first generation students to answer questions and provide assistance during their time at Durham College.

“I didn’t know my way around or what would be expected of me but Lucy and the first generation group really filled in all those blanks for me,” said Mechanical Engineering Technician – Non-Destructive Evaluation student Clifford Roffey when asked about the program.

First generation students are invited to attend the next Latte’s with Lucy on Thursday, January 30 from 2-3:30 p.m. in the Student Services Building to learn more. 

Creativity, collaboration and engagement was the title and theme of a TEDx event that took place this past weekend and featured prominent speakers including astronaut Marc Garneau and Durham College professor Lon Appleby.

TED conferences bring together people from the worlds of technology, entertainment and design and have progressed into a global staple of education built upon a series of inspirational and enlightening TED Talks videos that are easily accessed online. TEDx are local, self-organized events that bring people together to share and learn through the combination of live speakers and TED Talks video’s.

Appleby, who teaches in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Employment Services, was one of eight speakers selected to present at the Oshawa event. Appleby has been a full-time professor of the general education program for five years, teaching such classes as: short history of the world; the global class; and popular culture and media. His expertise in education and global issues are what interested Durham College graduate and TEDx organizer Chris Fernlund into inviting him to be a speaker at the event.

“Chris had previously been a student of mine in my short history of the world course,” said Appleby. “After graduation Chris continued his studies and as well decided to organize the TEDx event showing him to be one of the many outstanding students I am seeing these days at Durham College who have an interest in human history and world affairs.”

Appleby’s presentation focused on the change occurring in the classroom as the world continues to become more interconnected and interdependent. When asked about Durham College’s progression in terms of this ever evolving global community, Appleby was excited by the direction the college is heading.

“From the top, Durham College is forging a culture of innovation and student success, and what I see around me, increasingly, from the new programs and growing enrolment and the kinds of courses that are being offered, is a college that is determined to become a leader in education for the twenty-first century,” said Appleby. “This is an exciting time to be a professor.”

Durham College (DC) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) share a commitment to innovative and successful post-secondary education. This includes a need to provide the new classrooms, laboratories and infrastructure required to support the learning of current and future students, professors and researchers.

To support this important and necessary growth, DC and UOIT are working together on a campus master plan. This plan is designed to address the future expansion and needs of both institutions for their shared campus in Oshawa, as well as DC’s Whitby campus and UOIT’s downtown Oshawa location. It will include recommendations on:

• How best to create a mixed-use hub for activity between the two academic institutions, as appropriate, and with the surrounding community through incorporating business, incubator research space, and social activities.
• Further growth and/or enhancement opportunities to both the DC Whitby campus and UOIT’s downtown Oshawa location.
• How to support the ongoing development of north Oshawa as a complete community with enhanced transit opportunities, natural heritage linkages and the infrastructure needed to accommodate sustainable development.
• Ensuring that all campuses and locations are sustainable in terms of building design but also in terms of walkability, active transportation and respect for the natural environment.

With a goal to have a campus master plan with input from the local community completed by October 2014, a campus master planning open house will be held on Wednesday, January 29 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Gordon Willey building at the Oshawa campus. All members of the campus community and the public are invited to attend.

Following a very successful first term marked by significant achievement, strategic growth, community involvement and dedication to the student experience, the Durham College Board of Governors is pleased to announce that Don Lovisa will continue in his role as college president for a second five-year term, effective January 1 and running through to December 31, 2018.

“I am honoured and excited to serve another five years as president of Durham College and very proud of what we’ve accomplished together in my first term,” said Lovisa.  “Durham College has become a post-secondary destination of choice; our reputation has never been stronger and we’ve expanded and led the college system in growth and new program development.  I take pride in the direct, positive impact of Durham College on the social and economic well-being of Durham Region and the strong partnerships that we have developed with our community.”

Since assuming the role of president in 2008, the college has thrived under Lovisa’s leadership, realizing substantial growth in student enrolment, buildings, learning spaces and reputation, along with a stronger partnership with its campus partner, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), that has provided more opportunities for students than ever before. This includes a strong dedication to meeting the needs of all learners with the college welcoming more than 10,000 full-time, post-secondary and apprenticeship students in fall 2013, meeting its 2015 enrolment target of 10,000 students two years ahead of schedule.

The college also opened a new Student Services building at the Oshawa campus in March 2011; opened the Pickering Learning Site in September 2012; and undertook a three-phase expansion of the Whitby campus, resulting in the opening of the new Centre for Food in October 2013. Lovisa also demonstrated provincial leadership on student mobility as co-chair of the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT), increasing emphasis on offering students as many high-quality post-secondary options as possible and supporting continuous learning from apprenticeship to PhD. At Durham College, there are now more than 450 pathway opportunities with universities in Canada and around the world, many of which are with UOIT, and students of both institutions are moving between the two with greater frequency each year.

“Don has provided strong leadership for the college through a very successful first term, realizing strategic growth, academic excellence and success at every level,” said Ron Chatterton, chair, Durham College Board of Governors. “With an excellent team in place across campus, he is well-positioned to achieve further success in the years ahead as we prepare to celebrate the college’s 50th anniversary. Please join me in congratulating him on a job well done and supporting him as he commences his new term.”

During his time as president the college also introduced a new strategic plan; launched a new academic vision and plan; is working toward the introduction of its first-ever baccalaureate degrees in 2015; and received millions of dollars in research funding to work on applied research initiatives with small- and medium-sized business designed to advance innovation and the economic well-being of the community.

In addition, Lovisa has remained focused on developing and maintaining strong community, industry and business partnerships with organizations such as Ontario Power Generation, Parkwood and DC @ Core21, including taking a leading role in the development and realization of the Durham Learning and Business Innovation Park. 

“As I look to the future, I see a college that will continue to innovate, transform, build and provide our students with new opportunities in helping them find even greater success,” added Lovisa.  “With our experienced and dedicated staff and faculty, Durham College is well-positioned for continued success and the delivery of the very best programs and services.”