Durham College (DC) is excited to welcome new and returning domestic and international students for the fall semester. The start of this academic year has meant some of the college’s time honoured traditions have been adapted to accommodate online learning and limited access to campus, but our DC students have embraced the change to make us proud.

One tradition that took on a digital twist was Orientation, which was offered virtually for the first time ever. With the goal of helping new students successfully transition to college, this year’s Orientation featured a variety of online academic and social events designed to help students become acquainted with their new program, make connections with faculty and fellow students, and become part of the DC community.

Festivities began with a drive-through style Orientation swag bag pick-up event, with the festivities officially kicking off on September 8 with virtual program sessions. Students gathered via Google Meet to hear from faculty and learn more about what to expect this fall. An online Services Fair offered students the opportunity to learn about the various supports available at DC.

Programs offered included Start Strong, which helps students develop a foundation for success both in and out of the classroom, and PREP 1000, the college’s free preparatory course that helps learners become familiar with DC Connect and shares other valuable information so new students can confidently begin the year. This year more than 1,500 students attended Start Strong and 3,500 accessed PREP 1000.

However, it wouldn’t be Orientation without some social time. Activities included a virtual extra-curricular fair, eSports reigned supreme during the 12th Annual Campus Cup Soccer Match, which saw the Durham Lords go toe-to-toe against Ontario Tech’s Ridgebacks soccer team in FIFA live (congrats to the Ridgebacks on their win), and DCSI Fest 2020. Hosted by Durham College Students Inc., the independent student association representing all DC students, this online celebration included concerts, virtual field trips and guest speakers.

DC’s International Student Orientation welcomed students with online mini-modules on immigration, housing, arrivals, and more, to help students settle into Canada and successfully start their journeys at DC.

With great participation in the various sessions and activities, Orientation 2020 was an excellent start to the fall semester.

Durham College (DC) is proud to announce the appointment of Allison Hector-Alexander, director, Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions (OSDIT), to the City of Oshawa’s first-ever Community Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee.

As a member of the 15-person committee, Allison will contribute to the development of a community-driven model for supporting the implementation of the City’s Diversity and Inclusion Plan. She will work alongside City staff to eliminate barriers within City programs, services and policies and support the creation of new programs or initiatives related to enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the community.

The Committee is also expected to liaise and work with the City’s Oshawa Accessibility Committee and Cultural Leadership Council.

As a DEI specialist with a social work background, operating from an anti-oppressive/anti-racist framework, Allison brings a wide breadth of experience and deep expertise gained through her work with youth at risk, street-involved youth, Ontario Works recipients, new immigrants, women survivors of abuse, faculty and students.

Allison’s appointment to the City’s committee speaks to her recognition across Durham Region as a leader in DEI education and action; she has been honoured by numerous organizations for her work and leadership, including her receipt of the 2019 Madiba Award, which recognizes a community leader of African ancestry in Durham Region who embodies Nelson Mandela’s values, vision and commitment to overcoming barriers.

They may not have crossed the stage at the Tribute Communities Centre, but Durham College’s (DC) more than 3,800 graduates are being recognized through a variety of online and physical festivities, designed to acknowledge and celebrate their hard work and achievements.

The class of 2019-2020 will be invited to attend an in-person ceremony when it is safe to do so, however, DC recognized the importance of marking the accomplishments of its graduates upon completion of their credentials and created a Convocation Recognition website.

Filled with elements typically seen at convocation, the site features:

• Messages of congratulations from DC’s leadership team and each school’s dean.
• Virtual shout outs and recognition for grads submitted by family, friends, faculty and college employees.
• A list of frequently asked questions related to graduation.
• Links to order DC merchandise, from grad rings to t-shirts and flowers.
• Information about life as a college alumni, including benefits details.
• Digital DC swag so #DCGrad2020 pride can be shared online.
• Details about what comes next after graduation.

In addition, the site acknowledges this year’s Alumni of Distinction winners. The Alumni of Distinction award honours the extraordinary contributions DC graduates make to society while achieving career success. Congratulations to Judy Pal (Sports and Entertainment, 1983), Nancy Shaw (Practical Nursing, 1985), Lori Lane Murphy (Public Relations, 1988) and Ellen Stitt (Water Quality Technician, 2013).

The DC Alumni Association (DCAA) also helped ensure the class of 2020 was celebrated by providing free, DC-branded lawn signs that are now displayed at graduates’ homes to show college pride while celebrating their success.

More than 745 signs were distributed during three DC style drive-through events, featuring curbside pick up, as grads were cheered on by the college’s leadership team and its school deans. The sign is also available for download for those who missed the events or do not live locally.

“It was so important to find other ways to honour our graduates and their accomplishments,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College.  We’ve all experienced a lot of change and upheaval but our grads were able to persevere and finished what they set out to do when they chose to study at DC. I truly believe these students have graduated with a greater sense of inclusion, empathy and understanding of the roles we each play in making society a better place. They also have the skills they need to succeed in whatever comes next in their personal journeys, which is an incredibly powerful combination. On behalf of the entire college community, I want to congratulate and wish them the best of luck.”

 

Last month, Durham College (DC) launched a new initiative, DC on the Frontlines, to honour and shine a light on our college community members who are serving and protecting others in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and well beyond.

You can now meet some of our DC frontline heroes through a virtual gallery.

We invited students, alumni and present and past employees to submit a photo and share a glimpse of their experience serving on the frontlines. Over the past few weeks, our call was answered. First responders, nurses, personal support workers, volunteers and so many more have stepped forward.

Contributions to the gallery are still welcome and encouraged.

Submit your frontline story and help DC continue to celebrate the important work that you do.

Thank you to everyone who has shared their story so far. Today and every day you make us #DCProud.

Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that its Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) will receive more than $1 million in applied research grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to help create innovative solutions for local and regional social challenges.

Applied over a three-year term, the funding is provided through the College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF), which is managed by NSERC in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The funding is being directed to three of DC’s applied research projects, which will be completed alongside a number of community partners, including:

• A participatory action research project that aims to design financial empowerment tools and resources that will help address the specific and unique needs of low-income residents. Through partnerships with a number of local agencies – including libraries, employment centres and new immigrant welcome centres – research lead Lorraine Closs and partner Randy Uyenaka, both full-time faculty in the college’s Social Service Worker program, will engage low-income residents to understand the use of available supports in their neighbourhoods, as well as barriers to access.
• An innovative research project using virtual reality to simulate uncontrolled fire scenarios and improve training for firefighters using immersive life-like experiential learning. By eliciting physiological and psychological responses similar to the human reactions in a real-life fire scenario, research lead Dr. Michael Williams-Bell and partner John Goodwin will develop a safe and controlled training environment for participants, resulting in saved lives and a reduced number of training injuries.
• A series of Innovation Lab co-production workshops held with early childhood educators, parents, faculty, students, behaviour experts and service providers, to develop a tool for educators and families to support the development of social competence in pre-school aged children. Under the direction of research lead Nicole Doyle and partner Corrine McCormick-Brighton, the tools will be used in EarlyON Child and Family Centres in the Durham Region.

“We are so thrilled to receive this funding and are excited to begin work with our community partners to develop innovate solutions to the unique challenges facing our preschool educators, firefighters and low-income population,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “While these projects aim to positively impact our community, they are also providing excellent experiential learning opportunities for our students as they gain valuable experience working alongside experienced researchers.”

CCSIF grants are intended to support college social innovation research projects in partnership with local community organizations. Through the CCSIF grants, each of the three DC research projects will receive more than $300,000.

Applied research at DC is facilitated through ORSIE and seeks to solve social and business challenges through innovation and collaboration. By engaging industry, faculty, students, and community partners, research projects successfully address the needs of a technology-driven knowledge economy. DC has been named one of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges by Research Infosource Inc. six times.

Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that our Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) has received bronze in the 2020 Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) Awards of Excellence in the Applied Research and Innovation Excellence Award category. CICan announced this year’s winners today in a media release. CICan is a national organization representing publicly supported colleges, institutes, CEGEPs and polytechnics in Canada and internationally.

“Durham College takes great pride in CICan recognizing our decade of leadership in providing business solutions and student training,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “Under the leadership of Debbie McKee Demczyk, the ORSIE team continuously demonstrates an incredible ability to anticipate emerging trends and provide consultative, collaborative services that meet the needs of businesses, all while providing significant hands-on learning experiences for students.”

The CICan award recognizes ORSIE’s extraordinary contributions to the DC campus community and the team’s role in supporting social, cultural and economic development at local, provincial, national and global levels. Winners of the Applied Research and Innovation Excellence Award category are selected based on the following criteria:

• Institutional commitment: evidence within the last five years of commitment in building the institutional capacity to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and social innovation in the community.
• Impact on SMEs: evidence within the last five years of new or improved products, processes, services that enhance profile and market opportunities.
• Impact on communities and regions: evidence of enhanced collaboration with companies, community partners, local associations and organizations that have a significant and sustainable impact on local or regional innovation.
• Impact on students: demonstrated application of skills into workplace settings, with a focus on the capacity to engage in innovation and entrepreneurship activities. Must be supported with data.

The long list of ORSIE’s accomplishments since it first opened in 2009 includes the launch of four applied research centres on campus – the AI Hub, Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation, Mixed-Reality Capture Studio and Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation – as well as supporting entrepreneurship and social innovation through FastStart and Enactus, which enable students to use their creativity and skills to develop solutions to real-world challenges while contributing to the economic growth of their communities.

“Since ORSIE launched, research at Durham College has accelerated at an exhilarating pace,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “We entered into 2020 on the wave of success enjoyed last year that saw us achieve all-time highs on an expanding number of initiatives. The dedicated faculty, staff and students continue to demonstrate exceptional hard work and commitment in their pursuit of excellence. Their work is cutting-edge and impactful at every level.”

Learn about ORSIE’s work in these areas and more, including its leadership in autonomous vehicle applied research.

On this First Responders Day in Ontario, Durham College (DC) recognizes the ways in which this year’s observance carries unique significance in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DC community salutes and thanks those who are dedicated to serving and protecting others in an emergency and well beyond every day. This includes the employees and students who returned to the frontline during this pandemic, present and past faculty and employees, and thousands of alumni.

While our gratitude to first responders remains unwavering year-round, First Responders Day offers us a special moment to reflect on and honour the contributions of police officers, firefighters, military personnel, dispatchers, paramedics, nurses, doctors, emergency medical technicians, emergency managers and medical evacuation pilots.

DC also recognizes the vital need to acknowledge and extend appreciation to the many other professionals who suddenly find themselves taking personal risk and making sacrifices similar to those that have long been the domain of first responders.

Thank you to the workers who are providing skills, support and expertise in the areas of mental health and addictions, developmental service, personal support and social services; skilled trades; security and corrections; and healthcare office administration, to name but a few.

There is perhaps no greater test of one’s learning and training than the challenge of working in the midst of a large-scale emergency such as a pandemic.

In addition to our deep appreciation, DC employees take great pride in continuing to help prepare and support our first responders and frontline workers at all stages of their careers.