Durham College President Don Lovisa’s contract extended for a fourth term

Durham College (DC) is pleased to announce that President Don Lovisa’s contract has been extended for a fourth term. He will remain in the role until March 31, 2024 with an option to renew at that time.

Lovisa, who is DC’s fifth president, was appointed to the role in 2008. Since then, the college has thrived under his leadership, experiencing significant strategic growth in enrolment, research, capital development and market-driven programs.

From the development of the Whitby campus, including a new student residence and the start of its phase IV expansion in support of skilled trades, to the new Centre for Collaborative Education at the Oshawa campus, DC’s physical footprint has grown thanks to Lovisa’s vision, with at least one major capital project completed each year since 2010.

Developing alongside its infrastructure has been the college’s applied research centres. Now with four distinct areas of focus – entrepreneurship, craft brewing, artificial intelligence and mixed reality capture – DC continues to raise the bar for innovation, while supporting student development and community businesses.

During Lovisa’s tenure, the college has also launched two bachelor degree programs and increased its focus on experiential learning both in and out of the classroom, which has contributed to an 85 per cent increase in total enrolments (domestic and international) since 2008.

As the current chair of Colleges Ontario, Lovisa is able to share his experience as a community builder, directly influencing the broader college system across the province.

“It is a great honour to continue in my role as president,” said Lovisa. “Creating, building and working with great colleagues is key to our success and I am incredibly proud of the accomplishments we have achieved as a team. While the past few months have been filled with challenges and uncertainty, I am confident that together, our DC community will continue to support one another, leading the way for a bright future. As a college we are entering this new decade at the forefront of post-secondary education.”

The DC Board of Governors, who oversee the president’s role, is confident Lovisa’s leadership will continue to guide the college through the next phase of its evolution.

“We are inspired by President Lovisa’s unwavering commitment to DC and look forward to seeing all the college will achieve during his fourth term and beyond,” said Ivan DeJong, chair, DC Board of Governors.