Durham College (DC) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) announced today that Leslie Graham, a professor in the Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) Honours  program,  has been recognized with the 2014 Award for Excellence in Collaborative Education by the Council of Ontario University Programs in Nursing (COUPN).

The award is presented to a college faculty member teaching in a collaborative program who demonstrates excellence in teaching along with the ability to inspire creative and critical thinking in students. In addition, they must offer thoughtfulness toward student learning and well-being; motivation to exceed personal expectations; and the ability to further the growth of future nursing professionals. Graham received her award at the COUPN Awards reception in Toronto, Ontario on April 23.

“I am humbled to receive the 2014 Award for Excellence in Collaborative Education from COUPN,” said Graham. “It is such a privilege to teach and learn from the wonderful Collaborative BScN faculty and staff.  There is no greater joy than to see our Nursing students mature into novice registered nurses, contributing so richly to our health-care system.”

After 30 years of direct clinical practice in nursing in acute and critical care areas, Graham joined DC’s faculty as an instructor in the college’s Critical Care Nursing graduate certificate program in 2007. In 2008 she became a faculty member with the Collaborative BScN program, and has served as program co-ordinator of the collaborative program since 2012.

“I can’t think of a more worthy person to receive this distinguished award,” said Susan Sproul, dean, School of Health & Community Services, DC. “Professor Graham’s passion, vision and enthusiasm for moving nursing care forward in relation to current and emerging technologies can be felt through the entire BScN curriculum. She is able to motivate students to exceed their own expectations and pass along to faculty colleagues that same level of confidence.  Congratulations, Leslie!”

“This recognition is so highly deserved,” said Dr. Sue Coffey, director, collaborative BScN program, UOIT. “Leslie’s outstanding leadership in the area of nursing education, and particularly her visionary focus on simulation as a teaching-learning methodology will undoubtedly transform both nursing education and nursing practice.”

Graham has also taken part in a number of nursing research projects, including a variety of initiatives focused on the development, application and evaluation of using simulation and technology-enhanced learning in both nursing and critical care nursing curriculum.

The collaborative BScN is designed to graduate professional nurses committed to excellence and innovation in assessing and meeting the nursing needs of society. Students develop and transmit knowledge regarding nursing practice and the human experience of health, illness and healing. The fully integrated DC/UOIT partnership provides collaborative learning activities that enable students to take an active role in their own learning. This strategy, combined with traditional methods, prepares graduates for lifelong learning, research and teamwork and provides the leadership skills essential for nursing practice. State-of-the-art nursing labs also provide students with practical, hands-on experience in hospital and home-care settings and give them access to the latest technology, right at their fingertips.

COUPN is an organization of Ontario’s 20 publicly funded universities and one associate member institution that facilitates discussion between its members and advocates on a wide range of university issues and co-ordinates a number of shared services. The organization also works closely with the provincial and federal governments to develop and improve public policies that help universities deliver high-quality programs for students and research and innovation that positively impacts the social, cultural and economic well-being of Ontarians.

Once again, Durham Colleges (DC) Paramedic students have demonstrated their exceptional skills as they placed second and sixth in the Student Division of The National Paramedic Competition, held at the college’s Whitby campus on April 5.

The annual event, held in the Durham Region, challenges paramedics from across the country in head-to-head simulated emergencies to prove who the best in Canada are. This prestigious competition found its origins as the Durham Paramedic Skills Competition before transitioning to the now national competition in 2008. In turn, this has allowed for the prestige of DC’s Paramedic program to increase as a recognized partner with the event.

Students from DC compete annually in the student division, placing them alongside their professional counterparts in search of the best in the country. This year two teams of second year students competed for DC, with Geoff Hooper and Andrew Mokedanz achieving a second place podium finish while Jamere Bembrisge and Stefano Marcelli finished sixth.

“It is fun for the students to be challenged in a unique way and this is a wonderful event for the college to be involved in,” said Paramedic professor Kevin Griffin.

Along with competing, DC also had a large number of students assist in the hosting of the event as volunteers, providing an opportunity to network and learn from the professional teams in attendance.

“This is an opportunity for the students to showcase what they have learned over their two years in a setting with working paramedics,” said Griffin. “It offers students a networking opportunity as many services send representatives and any level of involvement in the competition is seen as a plus by employers during hiring.”

Along with the college’s student success, Durham Region Emergency Medical Services (EMS) placed first in the Primary Care Paramedic division. For more information on the national competition including results, photos and competition history, please visit www.paramediccompetition.ca. 

 

Kevin Fraser, a professor with Durham College’s (DC) School of Media, Art & Design (MAD), recently won the Making A Difference Award (MADA) for his documentary film, Living As Brothers, at the 2013 Toronto Global Community Film Festival (COMMFFEST). Fraser’s film has also been selected as one of only 29 films to be screened around the world as a representative of the Africa World Documentary Film Festival (AWDFF).

The feature-length documentary delves into the lives of Jamaican migrant workers making the long journey to labour in the fruit orchards of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Most of these men are skilled workers such as mechanics, electricians and farmers but because of poor employment situations in Jamaica, the migrant work in Canada becomes the only plausible option to support their large families. Several of the men have turned this into an annual means of employment having made the trip for more than 20 years, spending up to nine months of the year away from their families.

“I grew up in Niagara and worked on the farm where I filmed over a summer and returned 20 years later to find some of the same men still working there,” said Fraser. “When I shared this experience with friends in Toronto, I was surprised to find so few people knew Canada brings in thousands of migrant workers each year, mostly to do work that we are not willing to do ourselves  and that began the film for me.”

Fraser pursued the close to home subject matter with fervour and completely self-funded the documentary, purchasing his own camera and calling in favours from friends within the industry for help and additional equipment. After spending countless hours back on the farm and in Jamaica learning about the migrant worker experience, Fraser took on the additional work of editing and distributing to ensure the self-made film could have the appropriate impact.

“Living as Brothers is a very simple film, I allowed my subjects to tell their stories in their own words,” said Fraser. “I hope my students find it inspiring and see that they can create their own media projects and if they bring their passion to it, they can get their work seen and hopefully inspire others.”

Fraser, like many DC faculty members, continues to pursue his passion outside the classroom to ensure what he provides in the classroom remains relevant and beneficial to his students.

“The reality is that the media landscape that students are now venturing into is changing rapidly,” said Fraser. “Working on my own projects keeps me involved in the industry, hones my technical skills and feeds my passion and I think it’s one way I can help my students succeed when they go off to work on their own projects by sharing my technical skills, creative skills and real-world experience.”

The final year of several Durham College (DC) programs require students to complete an extensive capstone project. As part of this assignment, students must research their desired field of interest and develop a product using the skills they have learned through their program to fill a niche within the market. On April 7, students in the final year of the Electronics Engineering Technology program had the opportunity to show off their capstone creations.

“We expect our students to go out and find an opportunity or a problem to solve,” said Electronics Engineering Technology Professor Louis Bertrand. “We are trying to make them go out of the classroom and find something relevant to the real world and address that opportunity with what they have learned over the last three years with software, hardware, system design, analog hardware, transistors and chips.”

Ryan King, a third-year student in the program, excelled at this specific curriculum requirement. Combining a passion for cars with what he had learned through his program, King developed an aftermarket device allowing for electronic vehicle automation (EVA) in older vehicles. The device, which is installed into an older vehicle, allows use of modern features such as interactive voice commands, Bluetooth control through a smartphone or tablet and live engine telemetry readouts via duel LCD screens to a not-so-modern vehicle.

“I thought about what’s something all cars except those built in the last two or three years lacks, that automation, that voice control,” said King. “It would be really cool to bring that into the car scene as an aftermarket feature so with EVA you can now keep your hands on the wheel, keep your eyes on the road, talk to the car to turn different things on and start it with your phone from a distance.”

During the fall semester students spent one hour a week in class dedicated to learning project requirements such as patent searching, project management and mechanical technology as well as hearing from previous graduates who provide insight from their own capstone experiences.

“It’s a challenge,” said Bertrand. “We try and make sure the challenge isn’t so insane they just give up but challenging enough that it really stretches their capabilities and because it’s something generated by the students themselves, they are a lot more enthusiastic about the capstone assignment then us coming along with a single project designed for everyone.”

The Durham College (DC) campus was alive with the sound of music last week as students in the Music Business Management (MBM) program held their annual Reel Music Festival from April 2 to 5. The festival, in its fourteenth year, is organized entirely by students as part of their curriculum and features a song writing competition, educational conference, film showcase and several artist performances throughout the three days.

The festival was developed for MBM students to assist with providing hands-on experience in event planning along with giving insight into the music industry. As well, students are offered opportunities to engage in networking opportunities through the various events.

 This year saw a number of music industry professionals making appearances at the event, highlighted by MBM graduate and MTV Canada host Lauren Toyota who returned to DC to moderate Songs Revealed, the annual song writing competition developed to showcase local talent to a panel of industry professionals. Durham College president Don Lovisa and Oshawa mayor John Henry were also in attendance for the song writing event.

“Just as DC showcases its art students, this event is a showcase for MBM students,” said MBM student Danielle Feraday. “It’s showcasing everything we’ve learned in our classes this year and helping teach us real world aspects along the way.”

Additional highlights from this year’s festival included live performances throughout the Oshawa region at local establishments including The Hub, Wasted Space and EP Taylor’s; Prescription 2 Rock, a clinic on the music business hosted by Dale Russell from Canadian rock band the Guess Who; and several seminars such as The Power of Branding, Planning Live Music, The Current State of the Music Industry and DIY Musicians.

The Durham College (DC) Whitby campus has primarily been the home of programs from the School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship and Renewable Energy which has meant the campus has been filled  with a predominantly- male student population. This mirrors industry trends which see women represent only 19 per cent of apprentices in Ontario. However, this trend has recently begun to change as more women have chosen to pursue careers in the skilled trades.

Jessica Cooper, Samantha Hulcio, Lindsey McKay, Jordan Burch and Courtney Pelow-Jones are all students in the Welding Techniques program at DC and have all begun to pursue a career in the trades despite several of them having completed prior degree or diploma programs.

Both Hulcio and Cooper are examples of this transition to the trades with Hulcio earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trent University and Cooper earning a diploma in Police Foundations from Fleming College prior to coming to DC. However, both also possess a desire to work in the trades and through DC’s welding program have found an outlet to pursue it.

“I realized that was not the path I wanted to take with my future,” said Hulcio when asked about her prior education. “I instead did some research into the trades programs because I knew that was the type of work I enjoy.”

Both students credit the warm and accepting learning environment for their success thus far.

“Working alongside the guys in my program has been very enjoyable,” said Hulcio. “We have a great group in our class and they have treated all the women with respect and encouragement.”

The number of women in trades has increased since the early 1990s with the number of skilled trades programs completed by females rising 13 per cent since 1991 according to Statistics Canada. However, this still only amounts to a one or two per cent representation in several trade categories as the larger share of apprenticeships completed by women is within the food and service and hairstylist/hairstyling programs. This is a trend that both Hulcio and Cooper know they can assist in changing.

“I believe that it is important for women to pursue trades because there are a lot of good paying jobs out there and they don’t all need to be done by just men, even though that’s what we’ve been told over and over for years,” said Cooper.

The Whitby campus currently offers 14 apprenticeship programs including 11 that are Red Seal as well as numerous trade-related diploma and certificate programs; living lab environments in areas including solar cell systems, wind turbines and geothermal technology systems; expanded shop areas for green building trades and technology; and most recently the 36,000-square-foot Centre for Food, which opened to students in the fall of 2013.

The Police Foundations program at Durham College (DC) has taken on a new initiative allowing students to learn from working directly with Oshawa community schools. Maria Iannuzziello, former police officer and current co-ordinator of the program, initiated the Village Union Project.

Named after Village Union Public School in Oshawa, Ont. the project has been designed for Police Foundations students to work directly in Oshawa elementary schools allowing them to gain experience working with youth.

“We put 100 students in Village Union Public School last semester,” said Iannuzziello. “That provided the teachers and students with so much help and assistance, they loved us there.”

Val Brooks, Village Union Public School principal, credits the success of the project to the Police Foundations students involved and the commitment they have shown to their younger counterparts.

“Durham College Police Foundations students are very responsible and genuinely care about our students,” said Brooks. “They participate in school activities, are eager to help out whenever they are needed and are good role models”

After its launch last spring, the program has been successful in assisting DC students in gaining valuable experience as well as providing assistance to a local elementary school. The program has expanded this semester to include Glen Street Public School and Mary Street Community School, both in Oshawa, while several students have also chosen to stay on as assistants with the schools even after earning their required credit.

“Working with youth is one of the highlighted interests of most police services today,” said Iannuzziello. “Giving our students this experience will put them in the running for jobs while we are also able to make a difference in the lives of children in our community.”

Dalton Burger, a professor in Durham College’s (DC) Paralegal program recently took part in the annual York Region Secondary School Mock Trial Competition held at the Newmarket Courthouse in Newmarket, Ontario. The competition welcomed students from 24 area high schools who have received mentoring from local lawyers and paralegals to conduct mock trials before various judges of the Ontario Court of Justice.

The event was created to help students develop their interest in the legal field while exposing them to a fully integrated, hands-on experience. The trials began on February 24 and will continue for a week with the finals being held on Monday, March 3. The winners of the York Region event receive the celebrated Mock Trial Competition Cup and bragging rights for the next year.

Burger was on hand to assist students with the competition as well as provide information about post-secondary opportunities and pathways.

“Each year I am proud to see what these students accomplish in their mock trials,” said Burger. “The Paralegal program at DC is a perfect match for many of these students who showcase a passion for law and are interested in directly representing clients before various courts and tribunals.”

DC’s Paralegal program is accredited by The Law Society of Upper Canada (Law Society), the regulatory body governing professional paralegals in the province.  The program prepares students for the Law Society’s paralegal licensing examination, enabling them to provide legal services within authorized areas of law practice and represent clients before Small Claims Court, Criminal Court (summary convictions), Provincial Offences Court and government tribunals.

Durham College (DC) Journalism – Web and Print students are undertaking a new endeavour to provide another learning outlet to their already full program. The venture is a new online magazine called The Water Buffalo with 100 per cent of its content provided by Journalism students.

“Until now, students have had The Chronicle, a weekly paper that caters to news production,” said Teresa Goff, an instructor in the Journalism program. “The Water Buffalo is an opportunity for students to use new digital tools to tell stories and engage readers.”

The large animal was chosen as the magazine’s title because the media industry is a changing beast. In order to adapt, both content and delivery of that content must evolve to match reader expectations, much in the same way the water buffalo has adapted to survive for generations. In honour of this distinctive fact, the magazine will cover a variety of topics from entertainment to social issues while maintaining its goal of providing an alternative news option for those living in Oshawa and within the Durham Region.

“We hope to reflect both the changes here at the college and in the Durham Region as well as the changes in the way that people access their information,” said Goff. “The stories that appear in the magazine will be told on many media platforms incorporating interactive polls, social media and interactive content.”

The online magazine’s first issue will launch on Thursday, February 20 with a diverse array of stories including features on the amazing journey of the Durham College women’s volleyball team manager; the beginnings of a competitive intercollegiate gaming league; and a chronological breakdown of the continuing evolution of the music industry coupled with an audio interview.

Two Durham College (DC) students recently took advantage of the record cold temperatures when they won the Winterloo Student Ice Carving Competition in Waterloo, Ont. on February 15. Marisa Latin, a second-year Culinary Management student, and Michael Stowell-Smith, a first-year student in the Hospitality Management – Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism program, teamed up to represent DC at the first annual event.

“We were invited to be one of three colleges (along with Conestoga and Fleming College) to participate in this event,” said Dave Hawey, professor and program co-ordinator of DC’s culinary programs. “Participating in events like this gives our students the opportunity to network as well as represent DC in an extra-curricular activity.”

The competition required students to create an ice carving from a 300-pound block of ice with basic carving tools. The carving was to be based on the competitions theme of Hearts and Dogs and was to be completed within a four-hour time limit. Carvings were then judged based on their relevance to the contest’s theme, overall impression and defined finish.

Faculty members from DC’s culinary and hospitality programs were also on hand to act as mentors for the students in the competition, assisting with larger cuts necessary in creating the sculpture. Stowell-Smith and Latin completed a beautiful swan carving that impressed the judges and pushed their effort ahead of their competitors, winning the inaugural event.

Hawey went on to mention the value for students participating in events such as Winterloo.

“Students gain the opportunity to learn a new skill which is great for their personal and professional portfolios and the support from the rest of the students and faculty showcased the tremendous pride found at DC and the Centre for Food,” said Hawey.