Students in Durham College’s (DC) Journalism – Web and Print program were provided with a unique classroom experience on March 18 as a scheduled lecture on interviewing was transformed into a collective interview of one of Canada’s most iconic broadcasting voices, Peter Mansbridge.

Mansbridge, chief correspondent for CBC News and the anchor of CBC’s The National, provided insight and wisdom into being a journalist to the first- to third-year students in attendance. His more than 45-year career has taken him across the country and around the world in his 45 years in the industry and his first piece of advice that he gave before receiving any questions from students pertained to the ambition required to be successful in the difficult field of broadcast journalism.

“Ambition is a good thing; you want to think big but be prepared to start small,” said Mansbridge. “When you start being witness to events that may seem small in terms of local news but are still powerful, you take that experience and then raise that up as you progress further along the line in terms of covering bigger events that have bigger consequences. You use that vantage point to tell an audience that is desperate for information and you can have an enormous impact making people more involved.”

Mansbridge touched on several key areas for students to focus on during their journey into the industry including advice about field placements; the distinct difference in writing between mediums (television, print and online); and confidence in interviewing.

“There really are no bad questions, there can be bad answers but there aren’t ever bad questions,” he said. “You may think that it’s such a simple question but quite often those simple questions can get the most successful answers. If you can get them to pause before they answer then you’ve made them think and that’s what you want to get.”

Following the question-and-answer period, Mansbridge was thanked for his time and took the time to personally meet with all of the students in attendance. Following the impromptu interview, students were tasked with accumulating the information gained into assignments as well as the creation of material for both the student-produced paper, The Chronicle, and online magazine, The Water Buffalo.

Beginning this September, students will have the chance to gain the skills and experience necessary to succeed in Mansbridge’s arena of broadcast journalism through the college’s new program stream, Journalism – Broadcast and Electronic Media. In the first year, students are introduced to the core journalism skills and will begin to focus on broadcast and online media platforms in the second year.

The post-diploma Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program, collaboratively offered by Durham College (DC), the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and Georgian College (GC), has reached a significant milestone, achieving a seven-year accreditation from the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN).

“Durham College is proud to see our collaborative RPN to BScN program recognized in such a meaningful way by the CASN, “ said Susan Sproul, dean, DC School of Health & Community Services. “This accreditation is a reflection of our important partnership with both UOIT and Georgian, the strong curriculum and learning experiences we have in place for our students and the ongoing hard work and dedication of our faculty.”

The accreditation is consistent with the seven-year accreditation status previously granted for DC and UOIT’s collaborative BScN and RPN-to-BScN programs, which are offered at the college and university’s joint campus in Oshawa.

“Congratulations to Dr. Sue Coffey and the entire nursing team on this outstanding achievement,” said Dr. Ellen Vogel, dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, UOIT. “This accreditation is a testament to the high-calibre program we provide our students and the dedication of our team.”

The collaborative DC-UOIT-GC program is an educational pathway available for individuals who have successfully completed their RPN diploma from an approved program and are interested in pursuing their BScN degree. Students enrich their knowledge in the sciences, nursing and additional disciplines while being introduced to the latest in learning technologies to enhance their success as a working professional.

Full- and part-time study options are offered at the joint UOIT/DC campus with full-time studies also available at GC’s campus in Barrie.

The CASN is the national voice for nursing education, research and scholarship in Canada. Only nursing programs successful in achieving accreditation status from the CASN Accreditation Bureau, within the term limit of the accreditation status granted, are eligible to claim CASN-Accredited Program status.

As part of its commitment to providing both international academic pathways and opportunities, Durham College (DC) announced today that its International office is hosting two professors from Brazil as part of the newly created  Brazil-Canada Technological and Professional Fellowship Exchange program, a joint initiative between  the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) and Brazil’s Secretaria de Educação Profissional e Technológica (SETEC) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES). The program is designed to bring together instructors and administrators from Brazilian federal institutes of education, sciences and technology to observe how Canadian colleges operate and collaborate on projects linked to applied research and science innovations.

Paulo Roberto Barbosa, a professor of mathematics and mechanical engineering from the Instituto Federal São Paulo, and Sandra Mariotto, a food biotechnology professor from the Ïnstituto Federal do Mato Grosso, are part of a pilot group of 43 professors being hosted by ACCC-member colleges across Canada prior to the Brazil-Canada Technological and Professional Fellowship Exchange program being implemented.

Both professors arrived at DC’s Oshawa campus on February 18 for a three-month visit to explore the Canadian college system and work closely with college faculty members, administrators and subject matter experts to develop detailed curriculum for future fellow visits. In particular, they will focus on the linkages between DC and local industry from an applied research perspective.

“The idea is that upon completion of this activity in Canada, we will be well positioned to assist with designing a custom program for Brazilian educators,” said Barbosa.  “One of our main goals is related to linkages between the college and local industry and the model of applied research and innovation. It is the institutional mission of the Brazilian institutes and efforts have been made in order to have effective actuation in this area – this exchange is part of these efforts. This experience has been fantastic for us!”

In addition to participating in the Brazil-Canada Technological and Professional Fellowship Exchange program, DC is pleased to count nearly 400 international students from more than 32 countries around the world as part of its overall student population. Each receives a high-quality post-secondary educational experience and access to the college’s International office including front-line service for all aspects of the admissions process; international student mentors; and arrival services. DC also offers Canadian students looking to study aboard access to academic pathways with universities in Ireland, Australia and the United States as part of the more than 450 academic pathway opportunities in place with universities in Ontario, Canada and around the world.  

Durham College is now accepting nominations for the 2014 Alumni of Distinction Awards, which are awarded at annual spring convocation ceremonies in June.

Designed to recognize the extraordinary contributions its alumni make to society while achieving career success, past Alumni of Distinction Award winners include health-care leaders; entrepreneurs; business owners; chief executive officers; journalists; multimedia designers; and many more.

 Since 1969 more than 63,000 alumni have graduated from Durham College and gone on to make a significant impact in their communities.

Winners may also be nominated for Premier’s Awards, which recognize Ontario college graduates for their tremendous contributions to the province and beyond.

Deserving alumni can be nominated via an online nomination form from now until Friday, April 11. For more information, please contact Lori Connor, alumni officer, at 905.721.2000 ext. 3035.

Durham College (DC) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s (UOIT) Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre was rocking last week as the two institutions played host to the FIRST® Robotics Canada (FRC) Greater Toronto East Regional Competition.  More than 1,000 students from 48 high school teams from across Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Michigan and New York competed in the event held from March 6 to 8.

Using the Aerial Assist℠ program featuring two alliances of three schools each competing in a timed match to see who can score the most goals, teams did battle in hopes for a coveted spot at the FRC World Championship taking place in St. Louis, Missouri from Wednesday, April 23 to Saturday, April 26.

Once all of the dust had settled, the alliance formed by W.A.F.F.L.E.S., representing a number of high schools from Kingston, Ont., The Big Bang from Rick Hansen Secondary School in Mississauga, Ont. and Paradigm Shift from L’Amoreaux Collegiate Institute in Toronto, Ont. won the final competition and will take part in the world finals.

“The FIRST Robotics competition gives students an opportunity to work with engineers, to build robots and also learn the necessary soft skills to work as a team,” said Rajiv Galva, chair for the GTA East planning committee. “Teachers can interact and connect with students in a way that can’t be done in a normal class room. There is a place for everyone on a FIRST Robotics Team, whether you like building robots, writing proposals or creating websites. Students who graduate through FIRST are most likely to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics, which is crucial for the development of the nation.”

Also travelling to St. Louis will be the Kinetic Knights (also representing a number of high schools) from Kincardine, Ont. who were the recipients of the Chairman’s Award; Rookie All-Star winners the Robo Blue Devils from Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, Ont.; and the Engineering Inspiration award winners, the Tronic Titans from Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School in Oakville, Ont.

Surrounded by his family at Durham College’s (DC) Whitby campus on March 6, second-year Renewable Energy Technician student Kurtis Paddison was awarded a $1,000 Leadership Scholarship by the College Student Alliance (CSA), a member-driven advocacy and student leadership organization that serves Ontario’s college students.

The scholarship, which is awarded to only 15 students throughout the province, is presented to an individual who exhibits academic excellence while demonstrating leadership qualities within their college community through volunteerism and participation in organizations primarily focused on helping others while maintaining a high level of academic success in their chosen program.

Once Paddison learned of the scholarship he immediately pursued the opportunity, demonstrating the qualities required by candidates by volunteering during campus orientation; assisting Habitat for Humanity in the community; and serving as a member of the Campus Emergency Response Team (CERT), a division of St. John’s Ambulance responsible for attending to medical emergencies on the DC campus.

“One of my teachers posted a notification (about the scholarship) on DC Connect and I followed it,” said Paddison. “I went through and thought I would be a perfect candidate for this. I get a lot of support from my whole family so it made it real easy for me.”

President Don Lovisa was joined by Ted Bartlett, general manager and chief operating officer of the CSA, to present Paddison with the scholarship. Both spoke highly of his qualifications for being selected from the pool of 45 annual applicants who applied to receive the award.

“We are always very proud of all of our students especially when one is selected among so many applicants to receive a scholarship like this,” said Lovisa. “It’s a real testament to Kurtis as an individual and to his dedication to his studies. It’s just wonderful to look up and see his family here to support him.”

Paddison plans on using the scholarship to assist with the paying of student loans and after graduation this spring is looking to jump right into his career.

“I hope to move into commercial power generation,” said Paddison. “Working with and monitoring power quality in large solar fields and trying to hook up wind turbines.”

In addition to opportunities available through organizations such as the CSA, Durham College students also have access to several scholarships and bursary opportunities via the college’s Financial Aid and Awards office with the college awarding more than $2 million in bursaries in 2013. For more information please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/financialaid.