Durham College (DC) is pleased to welcome 12,500+ full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students who have chosen to embark on their academic journey this fall. This includes 6,300 first-year students and more than 2,500 international students who represent 74 countries from around the world. Another 4,000 students have registered to develop new skills and knowledge through Professional and Part-time Learning.

This year, the majority of DC’s programs will be delivered in person, allowing students to benefit from the college’s exceptional labs and academic spaces for the best hands-on, experiential learning – a vital component of the innovative and transformation education DC offers.

In June 2022, the college announced the realignment of its academic faculties to streamline and better integrate similar programs to reflect the modern world of work. By grouping programs that share comparable fields and disciplines, DC is able to maximize collaboration with industry and community partners, while continuing to offer an exceptional student experience.

“The start of a new academic year is always an exciting time and we are thrilled to welcome our students to our on-campus and virtual learning spaces,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, executive vice president, Academic. “Durham College has a long history of evolving alongside the industries and communities we serve and as a leader in post-secondary education, the changes to our academic portfolio will ensure we continue to offer quality learning opportunities that benefit all stakeholders.”

Over the last several years, DC has developed a number of leading-edge programs to support and strengthen our local and global economy and ensure our graduates consistently meet the needs of employers to make positive impacts within the workplace. Newly added programs this year include the Honours Bachelor of Construction Management degree, two innovative tech-focused programs – the Internet of Things graduate certificate and Web Development diploma – and the Supply Chain Management – Global graduate certificate.

“It is incredible to be a part of our students’ academic journeys, as they learn to face challenges as opportunities to grow, develop confidence and prepare for the doors that will open,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “As Durham College continues to lead the way as a post-secondary institution, offering the best possible learning experiences, we look forward to celebrating our students’ successes as they embark on the year ahead.”

To kick off the 2022-2023 academic year, Durham College (DC) welcomed first-year domestic and international students to campus with an exciting roster of in-person events for Orientation week.

The transition into college life can be intimidating, but DC’s Orientation week helps students put their best foot forward by introducing them to student services, offering study tips, and providing ample opportunity to mix and mingle with the rest of their cohort while learning to navigate the Oshawa and Whitby campuses.

To start the festivities, DC faculty helped lead the way to a successful academic year by sharing insights and setting course expectations at Program Orientation. After that, everyone switched gears to attend DC’s first-ever Block Party and, later that night, the coveted Campus Cup, where students got to embrace their sense of school pride and cheer on the DC Lords in the annual varsity soccer game against Ontario Tech University.

The excitement didn’t stop there! Fall Orientation featured a long list of social mixers, such as an outdoor movie night under the stars, a fabulous drag brunch hosted by the DC Student Association (DCSA) and DC Pride Coalition, and a jaw-dropping performance from the Great Canadian Lumberjacks, who wowed the crowd with axe throwing, chainsaw carving, wood chopping, and more. Students were also encouraged to visit the open house at the First Peoples Indigenous Centre, take a campus tour, meet members of the DCSA, and attend an in-person Ask a Student, or parent and family session.

On the last day of Orientation week, DC students closed out the celebrations by making their way to the Rogers Centre for University & College Night, where they watched the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-3.

This year’s Orientation week saw a promising demonstration of enthusiasm and excitement for learning – DC can’t wait to see what this new semester has in store.

Durham College’s (DC) Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) is thrilled to share that two work-integrated learning (WIL) projects have been awarded more than $100,000 in total funding for the 2022-2023 academic year. These generous grants are provided by Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada and its Innovation Hub (iHub) which is dedicated to developing future-ready students through its unique hands-on experiential learning opportunities and partnerships.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support of CEWIL Canada and iHub on these two emerging projects at DC,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “These projects are perfect examples of how we’re identifying and responding to the evolving needs within our national and global community and serves as proof of how our students and employees are leading the way in inclusivity and innovation.”

The first project, led by Greg Murphy, executive dean, Faculty of Media, Art & Design (MAD) at DC is committed to improving media representation of people with disabilities living in Canada. This new accessible and inclusive image bank will authentically represent those with a disability by focusing on the individual rather than the equipment they rely on, which is unfortunately portrayed the majority of time in stock image sharing sites. To better improve this representation, 84 students in MAD will capture and edit images and videos in collaboration with Spinal Cord Injury Canada throughout the 2022 fall semester.

The second project receiving funding is a brand-new student-produced podcast called Founder’s Drive. It aims to spark inspiration and curiosity among entrepreneurial-minded youth world-wide to explore starting their own businesses. The podcast will help foster inclusivity, honesty, trust and accessibility for new entrepreneurs by building a foundation of self-determination. This project is led by Danielle Harder, a professor in MAD, and will be hosted through DC’s 360insights Entrepreneurship Centre and FastStartDC. This project will give 13 students across five academic programs in MAD the unique opportunity to host, produce, market and promote six podcast episodes, equipping them with the tools and experience they need to better conquer their entrepreneurial dreams in our ever-changing media industry.

“By offering innovative WIL opportunities at our institutions across Canada, we continue to see growth in students’ personal and professional competencies,” indicated Charlene Marion, director, WIL at CEWIL Canada. “The skills and competencies gained through these experiences serve to support students as they transition to the workplace, entrepreneurial endeavours, or future studies.”

The funding received for these two work-integrated projects at DC will provide students with the skills and experience they need to flourish post-graduation in careers and businesses of their own.

These projects have been funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning program and CEWIL Canada’s iHUB. For further information on these programs and funding opportunities, please visit their website.

On August 30, Durham College (DC) employees officially launched the start of the new academic year at the 2022 Academic Kickoff. After being held virtually for the past two years, the in-person event was nothing short of exciting, as more than 400 employees from all areas of the college gathered for a morning of inspiration and motivation.

Led by Dr. Elaine Popp, executive vice president, Academic, DC colleagues were greeted with a hot breakfast and the chance to reconnect with each other before the morning’s events kicked off with a keynote address from Dr. Henning Beck, neuroscientist and best-selling author. Exploring methods for better thinking and ways to identify the ideal environment to generate innovative solutions, Dr. Beck left employees feeling inspired to think in new ways.

For many, the event was an opportunity to meet new colleagues, as it was the first employee gathering on-campus since the college announced the realignment and renaming of our academic faculties in June 2022. In addition to hearing about updates and successes from the Academic Plan, the agenda also featured an Exemplary Faculty panel discussion, where members shared experiences and sparked new ideas to showcase how DC is leading the way in the student experience, both inside the classroom and beyond.

The event concluded with the announcement of this year’s nominees for the Employee Awards of Excellence, which recognize our employees’ outstanding achievements from the past year. The winners will be announced later this fall.

With the majority of classes set to start on Wednesday, September 7, the campus community is feeling energized and excited for the new year ahead.

From August 15 to 19, Durham College’s (DC) Whitby campus hosted 18 very special guests, who spent the week exploring future career opportunities available in the skilled trades. The summer camp was hosted by Skills Ontario and provided campers with several hands-on activities in each of DC’s skilled trades programs – including an off-site tour of Ontario Power Generation (OPG), a long-standing community partner and donor of the college. Skills Ontario has been providing programs like this for students in Grades 7 to 9 for over 30 years, with an intention to inspire youth to explore skilled trades and technologies. This is the first summer since 2019 that the camp has been able to run in-person.

“We’re thrilled to bring back our popular summer camps program,” says Ian Howcroft, chief executive officer, Skills Ontario. “It is crucial for youth to not only explore opportunities in the skilled trades and technologies, but also to build their skills for the workforce and consider what career path is right for them.”

Supported by experiential learning opportunities – a concept that is deeply embedded in many of DC’s programs – campers learned about the many career paths available in the skilled trades and technology fields. Daily camp activities were led by Skills Ontario staff and DC employees, and featured interactive activities and competitions, including: virtual reality welding, building birdhouses in the carpentry shop, learning hoisting and drilling techniques, creating tasty treats while learning about DC’s Field to Fork philosophy, using plumbing skills and materials to build hula hoops, as well as a Co2 Dragster car assembly and performance race.

“I had the pleasure of visiting the camp and was very impressed with each camper’s enthusiasm and pride for their work. I’m pleased to see youth taking such interest in the skilled trades and having the ability to experience the state-of-the-art facility we have at our Whitby campus,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “I’m grateful for the work Skills Ontario provides young people and I’m sure this will be the beginning of a lifelong passion of learning for the campers and foster DC’s relationship with them all as future leaders in our community.”

DC’s Whitby campus is leading the way in skilled trades and technology education. It spans over 350,000 square feet in state-of-the-art learning spaces, including the newly opened Ontario Power Generation Centre for Skilled Trades and Technology, which features a double-height shop lab, new classrooms and student touchdown spaces. The campus also includes the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which is home to the award-winning full-service restaurant, Bistro ’67; retail store, Pantry, and the Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture and its community-inspired urban farm.

DC is proud to partner with Skills Ontario in an effort to introduce youth in the Durham Region to the many skilled trades professions while also helping them develop communication, problem-solving and teamwork skills. Skills Ontario summer camps are sponsored by the Government of Ontario and Magna. For further information on future camps, please visit their website.

*photo credit Skills Ontario

Durham College (DC) is excited to announce that its 2021-2022 Annual Report is now available. As one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the sixth consecutive year, DC is committed to sharing its report in the following interactive online format.

The highlighted accomplishments featured in this report serve as undeniable proof that the innovative work of our students and employees – inside and outside the classroom – is truly making a positive impact. Our DC family has a lot to be proud of, which is why we’re so pleased to share these stories of resilience and leadership with you.

“Despite the challenges we faced in the pandemic’s second year, the college’s commitment to our mission – Together, we’re leading the way – remained steadfast and strong,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “This year’s annual report features a number of stories that highlight the inspiring collaboration, innovation and determination exemplified by every member of our campus community over the last year. These stories demonstrate how DC is leading the way in everything we do.”

We hope the successes featured in this report inspire you and provide you with a glimpse into the future of Durham College and our global community.