Motors were running and engines were revving at Durham College from May 21 to 23 as the Whitby campus hosted the second General Motors (GM) Drive and Ride event.

In honour of the release of the completely revolutionized 2014 GMC Sierra and 2014 Chevy Silverado, GM will be travelling to different venues across Canada all summer, giving local GM salesmen a chance to become knowledgeable of these new vehicles and have a little fun with hands-on experience.

Craig Campbell, Pro Plus GM – training manager, Corporate Training Services, said that the tour kicked off at Durham College and will be expanding to 11 cities in total. “This is the first event in all of Canada and it happened in the Durham College parking lot,” he said.

Hundreds of local car dealers gathered over a three-day span to participate in a series of pylon-marked obstacles while driving the latest models. Three other competing automotive brands were compared in this five-module course to ensure GM remained the top brand of vehicles in its class.

The event included an off-road environment, driving dynamics skid pad, trailer towing and street driving, with other workshops located inside the Skills Training Centre.

A former graduate of Durham College’s Marketing program, Campbell says Durham College has provided its facilities to GM workers for the past 20 years to develop new strategies in areas of selling, retail training, advertising and customer aspects.

“When dealers go through product training, they go through us. Durham College Corporate Training Services employees train them,” said Campbell. “We work hand-in-hand. We shoot 25 walk-around videos (of vehicles) a year, develop broadcast literature and hundreds of different selling skills online or in the course, and Durham College employees put it together.” 

Durham College has released its new strategic plan, building on its recent success and outlining the college’s course of action for the next three years. Released on May 16, the plan incorporates feedback from more than 300 people and is designed to ensure the college continues to be a premier destination for post-secondary students for years to come. In addition, it offers a summary on how the college will continue to grow responsibly while developing new and dynamic partnerships and furthering the advancement of the student-focused teaching and learning already in place.

Strategic Plan 2013-2016 is based on the pillars of our students, our people, our business and our community and offers several specific commitments for each. This includes establishing the first-in-Ontario college-university laddering partnership with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), providing students with the ability to move seamlessly from apprenticeship to PhD; ensuring Durham College is competitive within the post-secondary education system by launching four-year degree programs in strategic areas of the economy; and championing, with other Ontario colleges, the conversion of targeted three-year advanced diplomas to three-year degrees under the pillar of our students.

Under the pillar of our people the college will find new ways to engage alumni while committing time and expertise so college leaders can serve on boards, associations and for significant events that will strengthen these groups and ultimately the well-being of the community.

Under the pillar of our business it will renew existing campus space in ways that better meet the learning, study and service needs of students and plan for new buildings and facilities that will allow it to demonstrate leadership in specific areas of study that are critical to the local community..

Lastly, under the pillar of our community, the college will advance innovation and the economic well-being of the community through industry-led applied research targeted to small- and medium-sized enterprises and take on a leadership role in the development and realization of the Durham Learning and Business Innovation Park.

“This new plan was developed through hundreds of consultations with faculty, staff, students, the college’s board of governors and this community,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “We believe that we have the right roadmap for the future and over the next three years we will achieve this strategic vision and this mission.”

The college has also released a video in support of the plan that provides a glimpse into the direction Durham College is headed and features students, staff, industry and partner testimonials about what they will be doing ‘in the next three years’.

Durham College’s Access and Support Centre (ASC) is committed to the belief that inclusion benefits everyone. On May 13, ASC staff members Kirston Arbour, disability advisor and Meghan Houghton, director of Learning and Disability Services were recognized for their dedication as they received the Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) Accessibility Award for outstanding commitment to accessibility for students who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing.

Since 1996 the CHS Accessibility Award has recognized individuals, businesses or organizations that have made or are making a significant or ongoing contribution that promotes the well-being and advancement of people with hearing issues.

The ASC has taken on numerous initiatives during their four-year partnership with the CHS including case consultations to jointly support students in the classroom as well as in the placement setting; development and delivery of workshops for faculty and staff; and promoting CHS services such as employment support and mental health counseling.

The joint initiatives have provided faculty and staff with tools to eliminate barriers. Student workshops have also provided opportunities to learn about employment supports and assistive devices that can increase access to the learning environment available through the CHS.

“About ten per cent of our student population has a disability and we want to ensure all our students can be successful and all the services we offer at the centre end up supporting that commitment,” Said vice-president of Student Affairs Margaret Greenley as she spoke of the importance of the ASC.

This past year, the ASC logged more than 12,300 service hours where interpreters or computerized note takers were in class providing assistance at both Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). Arbour, who is responsible for the scheduling and implementation of this service, has attended several external training sessions to continue her professional development and develop workshops for faculty and support staff in collaboration with the CHS.

“It is important that any student that walks though the doors has access to an inclusive environment,” said Arbour. “We appreciated the opportunity to work with the CHS to eliminate barriers and are looking forward to continued work with the faculty and staff to benefit all students.”

Houghton provides leadership and support for the ASC staff and has played a major role in ensuring students have access to technological devices that will ensure further inclusion. This past year, the ASC purchased the Bellman Alerting system which will help provide more inclusive placement opportunities for deaf, deafened and hard of hearing students. The Bellman Alerting system is a small portable device that uses flashing lights or strong vibrations to help individuals identify sounds that they would normally be unable to detect such as phones, alarms and doors.

“CHS has been our strongest partnership this year,” said Houghton. “We really appreciate all the support they have given us.”

Along with deaf, deafened or hard of hearing students, the ASC also provides services for students with learning disabilities as well as ADHD, physical, medical, mental health and visual disabilities. More than 1,000 students were registered with the ASC in the 2012-13 academic year.

In honour of nurses across the country and to celebrate their own nursing programs, Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) celebrated the 28th National Nursing week from May 6 to 12. The two institutions kicked off the week by welcoming Ontario’s Chief Nursing Officer, Dr. Debra Bournes to campus to speak with students and faculty.

The dialogue focused on the benefits of DC and UOIT’s partnership as well as the tremendous collaborative research strengths and innovating programming. First-year Practical Nursing student Mary Michalski attended the discussion with Dr. Bournes and faculty from both DC and UOIT.

“Debra Bournes provided insight into what nurses are initiating at the provincial level, and the health-care issues the Ministry of Health is currently working on and improving,” Michalski said.

Susan Sproul, dean of the School of Health & Community Services, said Bournes’ visit was to acknowledge and celebrate Durham College and UOIT as nurse educators, as well as to focus on improving the college’s Practical Nursing (PN) program and the Nursing – Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) (Hons) program offered by both the college and university.

“Both programs are offered on a shared campus at the same location.  Many of the PN students bridge into the four year nursing degree program,” said Sproul.

Always passionate about becoming a nurse, Michalski encouraged all students going into similar fields to get involved in the events taking place during the week.

“If nursing is your chosen profession, then Nursing Week is your chance to celebrate,” said Michalski. “Nurses make a difference in the lives of others.”

Attracting more than 50 learning facilitators from across the province, Durham College recently hosted the 6th annual Community Integration through Co-operative Education (CICE) Provincial Conference from May 8 to 10. The conference was designed to expand on existing initiatives that advocate for students who need extra support in the classroom as part of the college’s two-year CICE program.

CICE program liaison and field placement officer Karen Anderson spoke to the group about the many benefits of the existing program and the future initiatives that they hope to implement at Durham College and across the province.

“Our program is for students who won’t graduate with a diploma on their own, said Anderson.  “They wouldn’t be able to come to college without our program.”

The key note speaker for the conference was MPP for Whitby-Oshawa Christine Elliot, who has a personal interest in CICE as her son, John recently graduated from the program.

“The CICE program gives students an opportunity to get training, meet friends and get a job,” Elliott said. “John is going to be graduating with opportunities for a job and I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done for my family.”

“This program has turned my son into who he is today.”

CICE graduate Scott Franklin, pulled on the heartstrings of everyone in attendance with his touching words and gratitude for those involved with the program.

“I miss coming to school everyday and saying hi to everyone. If I didn’t come here (CICE) I wouldn’t be where I am,” he said.

Connie Bell, a learning facilitator at Durham College was one of the many teary-eyed audience members and has seen the wonderful things the program provides.

“Students blossom here. You really see how much they grow from the first day until they leave two years later,” said Bell.  “It’s their choice to be here, and their choice to grow as a person academically and socially.”

Durham College President Don Lovisa, attended the event and spoke about the benefits of the program and the unique opportunities it provides students.

“We are so proud that Durham College has taken a leadership role in offering this program, which is so important to the community,” Lovisa said. “The CICE program provides a unique opportunity for individuals with intellectual disabilities or significant learning challenges to learn at their own pace at a college level, and to be successful.”