DC Brewing Memories Coffee Tour Wraps Up

Durham College’s (DC) Office of Development and Alumni Affairs gave new meaning to the term ‘coffee break’ for alumni with their Brewing Memories Coffee Tour (BMCT).  The travelling series of events was part of DC’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2017 and saw the college host coffee breaks throughout the year at 50 workplaces that employ DC graduates. This month, the tour wraps up after more than 50 stops.

The BMCT was designed to provide opportunities for the college to re-connect with its graduates, hear their success stories, learn about their career paths and in turn, share with them the new and exciting things happening at DC – all while enjoying free coffee, tea and baked goods. Each attendee had the opportunity to share details of their program and received a commemorative ‘DC alumni at work’ sticker to be proudly displayed at their workplace.

The Office of Development and Alumni Affairs gathered with alumni in workplaces such as DC’s Oshawa and Whitby campuses, Durham Regional Police Services, Ontario Power Generation and Bombardier Transportation. The BMCT traveled outside of Durham Region, with stops at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto and the HMCS BYTOWN Officers’ Mess in Ottawa.

The tour also gave international alumni the opportunity to connect by engaging with former DC students in British Columbia, Romania, Turkey, Japan and England. The five alumni came together through DC’s Global Class to share their memories of DC and updates on their careers. Participants also learned about new college developments and took questions from audience members watching live, both in-class and on the web for a truly unique BMCT stop.


Durham College one of GTA’s Top Employers

Durham College (DC) has been named one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for 2018. This is the seventh time the college has received this honour.

DC is proud to be acknowledged for the work being done on campus to create opportunities for professional development and personal wellness for the college’s more than 790 full-time employees, including faculty, administrative and support staff. Highlights of that work recognized by the Top Employer program this year include DC’s annual Retreat with the President, a forum for staff to provide feedback and share ideas for improvement as well as the college’s diversity working group, which helps develop and implement strategies and initiatives related to student and employment diversity. The program also commended DC for encouraging employees to lead active, healthy lives by subsidizing memberships to the state-of-the-art Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre, which also offers massage, physiotherapy and other extended healthcare services.

Greater Toronto’s Top Employers is an annual competition organized by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. This special designation recognizes the Greater Toronto Area employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. Organizations are judged on several categories including physical workplace; work and social atmosphere; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement. Employers are compared to other organizations in their field to determine which offer the most progressive and forward-thinking programs.

For more information, please visit www.canadastop100.com/toronto/.


DC hosts Kenyan education delegation

In early November, as part of its participation in the Kenyan Education for Employment Program (KEFEP), Durham College (DC) hosted four days of workshops for delegates from five Kenyan national polytechnics. The delegation’s visit to Ontario marked the beginning of Durham’s KEFEP partnerships, facilitated through Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan).

In addition to a workshop hosted by Algonquin College, one of DC’s Canadian partners, touching on the Greening of Technical Vocational Education and Training, a diverse, cross-sectional group of DC employees delivered workshops on the following subjects:

  • Leadership and Change Management
  • Gender Mainstreaming
  • Industry Engagement and Program Advisory Committees

The Kenyan delegation also had the opportunity to connect with members of the DC leadership team (DCLT), including president Don Lovisa, Dr. Elaine Popp, vice-president, Academic; Mark Herringer, dean, International Education; and Moreen Tapper, dean, Centre for Academic and Faculty Enrichment. During a roundtable discussion, DCLT participants shared personal stories of their career development, as well as experiences with change management and leading teams through organizational transitions. Their Kenyan counterparts then shared details of their own experiences in connection with the evolution of Kenya’s post-secondary education system, including the recent change to college-led responsibility for curriculum development.

KEFEP is a five-year initiative focused on strengthening and supporting technical and vocational education and training in Kenya. It is funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada and facilitated by CICan. DC has been contracted on two separate KEFEP project with different mix of Kenyan and Canadian partners, to work together to achieve the overarching KEFEP goals through a partnership of 3.5 years. A vital component of DC’s internationalization strategy and efforts, partnerships such as KEFEP are great examples of partner-driven capacity-building projects that work towards sustainable results and professional development opportunities for all parties.


Durham College alumnus wins Ontario Premier’s Award

Durham College (DC) alumnus Brent Lessard has received provincial recognition for the leadership role he is playing in revolutionizing the future of transportation. The 2014 graduate of DC’s Mechanical Engineering Technology program was announced as the recipient of a Premier’s Award for recent graduates on November 27 at the annual gala that celebrates outstanding graduates from across the Ontario college system.

“I am incredibly honoured to receive the Premier’s Award,” said Brent. “I’ve been able to apply so much of what I learned at DC, including being exposed to diverse thinking during my studies, which has been a source of inspiration in my work. I also continue to draw on the importance of fostering a sense of community, which the college certainly did. It’s something that I have carried with me as I helped create the rLoop concept.”

rLoop, a non-profit, crowd-funded and sourced, online think tank and talent resource, was founded in 2014, a year after Brent graduated, and is focused on the development of a conceptual, high-speed transportation system called Hyperloop. Initially proposed by Elon Musk, chief executive officer at Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), the system involves the propelling of passenger or cargo-boarded pods in a low-pressure tube using sustainable and cost-efficient energy, in order to transport people from one place to another at the speed of sound.

Within the framework of rLoop’s commitment to innovation, Brent successfully connects and integrates the expertise of his colleagues, who live in various countries and time zones, speak different languages and embrace differing and unique cultures, to lead the development of a technology prototype with the potential to change the way we live and conduct business in Ontario, Canada and around the world.

His dedication has enabled him to propel the rLoop team, which is now comprised of 1,100 members from more than 50 countries, to greatness several times in the last three years.

In January 2016, he proudly guided his colleagues at the first SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Design Competition where they were awarded the Best Non-Student Hyperloop Design Award and earned a spot to compete as one of 30 teams at the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition, which took place in January 2017, in California. There, under Lessard’s direction, rLoop had the opportunity to test its Hyperloop prototype on the mile-long SpaceX track before receiving the SpaceX Hyperloop Innovation Award.

Lessard and his team were asked to return to the Hyperloop Pod Competition II in August 2017, where they tested the vehicle in the vacuum of the Hyperloop tube and achieved several Hyperloop firsts, including the first Hyperloop Pod demonstrating static levitation in a vacuum and the first Hyperloop Pod with pressure vessel tested at vacuum, capable of sustaining human life.

“Brent is a cutting-edge thinker who embodies the qualities that make a college education great – collaboration, innovation, entrepreneurship and learning through doing,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “As he and the rLoop team work toward revolutionizing the way we travel, DC’s students, employees and more than 82,000 alumni are incredibly proud he is representing the college and Canada on the international stage.”

Brent was one of 118 college graduates nominated for this year’s awards, including one other from DC, and is the sixth alumni from the college to win.

Each year the Premier’s Awards are presented to acknowledge the social and economic contributions that college graduates make to the province and throughout the world. Chosen from nominations submitted by Ontario’s 24 colleges, the award recipients have demonstrated outstanding career success related to their college experience and have made a significant contribution to their community.

For more information about the DC alumni community please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/alumni.


Strike Ends: Classes resume Tuesday, November 21

Full-time and partial-load faculty across the province have been legislated back to work by the Ontario government. This means that the strike is over and all full-time post-secondary students will begin class on Tuesday, November 21.

Deans will provide students with program-specific information via DC Mail to help ensure a successful return to class. Students are asked when returning to class on Tuesday to follow their existing timetable, as it was before the work stoppage.

With the return to class now scheduled, the revised semester dates apply to all full-time post-secondary students:

  • Fall semester classes will continue through the week of December 18 – 22, 2017.
  • The holiday break will be from Friday, December 22 at 6 p.m. – Monday, January 1, 2018.
  • Fall semester classes will resume on Tuesday, January 2, 2018 and will end on Monday, January 15, 2018.
  • The winter semester will begin on Monday, January 22, 2018.
  • Winter semester classes will continue through reading week and therefore the regular break previously scheduled from February 26 until March 2, 2018, is cancelled.
  • The Family Day weekend will be extended to include Tuesday, February 20, 2018. The college will be open this day, but classes will not run.
  • The winter semester will end Friday, April 27, 2018 as originally scheduled.

Apprenticeship students’ return to class and block details

Apprentices in day release programs will resume classes as follows:

  • Tuesday day release programs will resume class Tuesday, November 21
  • Wednesday day release programs will resume class Wednesday, November 22.
  • Thursday day release programs will resume class Thursday, November 23.

Students who were in blocks when the strike began will be contacted by DC or the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development (MAESD) to schedule the completion of their blocks. Those who were in blocks that were scheduled to start after the strike began will be contacted by MAESD when new seats become available.

Student supports

Durham College realizes that this work stoppage has created a great deal of stress and uncertainty for students. To ensure students have the support needed to get back to class and focus on their studies, a number of additional supports will be available, including:

Supports will include enhanced resources for students for academic, mental health and financial needs.

Additionally, many offices on campus will be open with extended hours. This includes academic school offices, The Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions, Durham College Students Inc. (DCSI), and the Aboriginal Student Centre. Athletics is also offering a number of services including free after school kid’s programs for children aged 4-12 and free stress relief yoga classes.

We know this has been a difficult and challenging time. Students are reminded that confidential counselling services are available through the Campus Health Centre at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre (Room G1030), by calling 905.721.3037 or via email to healthcare@durhamcollege.ca. After hours and 24/7 support is available by calling Aspiria Student Assistance: 1.877.234.5327. DCSI also provides outreach services at the Student Centre where professional counsellors are available to students at no charge.

Please check www.durhamcollege.ca/backtoclass for details regarding these additional services and extended hours. As classes resume, new and or expanded services will be offered as required. Durham College encourages students to take advantage of the many resources that are available to them, and to establish a personal support plan for their return to class. The college is committed to helping all students fulfill their educational goals successfully.

Financial relief

Ontario’s colleges are actively working with students and the Ontario government on the criteria for a relief fund for students who have experienced financial hardship due to the strike. As soon as the details are finalized, they will be shared with all students.

More information

The college’s FAQ page will continue to be available, providing up-to-date information including return to class plans, details on parking, financial aid and additional student supports.

We understand this has been an incredibly tough time for students. We also know there is a great deal of concern about students’ studies and the long-term effects of these past weeks. Please know that Durham College is committed to moving forward to ensure student success both in and out of the classroom.


Limerick Institute of Technology articulation agreements

Durham College (DC) and the Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) have signed nine articulation agreements to provide new degree pathways for DC students. Graduates of several of the college’s two- and three-year programs will now be able to enter LIT bachelor programs with advanced standing, allowing them to earn a degree in as little as one academic year.

The agreements will provide qualified graduates from DC’s Centre for Food (CFF) and schools of Media, Art & Design (MAD) and Business, IT & Management (BITM) with the opportunity to pursue degrees at LIT including:

  • Business Studies with Sports Management – Bachelor of Arts
  • Digital Animation Production – Bachelor of Science
  • Graphic Design Communication – Bachelor of Arts
  • Business Studies with Sport Management – Bachelor of Arts
  • Music Technology and Production Bachelor of Science
  • Culinary Arts – Bachelor of Arts
  • Business  with Enterprise & Innovation – Bachelor of Business
  • Business Studies with Event Management – Bachelor of Arts
  • Creative Broadcast & Film Production – Bachelor of Science

DC graduates will be able to build on the knowledge and skills acquired through their diploma program while gaining an international experience as they study abroad. LIT is one of the fastest growing degree-granting colleges in Ireland, with over 6,500 students learning across five state-of-the-art campuses in Limerick and Tipperary.

The relationship between the two schools has been growing steadily over the past year. Most recently LIT president Vincent Cunnane visited DC, touring both the Oshawa and Whitby campuses and meeting with faculty members and members of the college’s Academic Leadership Team, including Dr. Elaine Popp, vice-president, Academic; Marianne Marando, executive dean, BITM; and Tony Doyle, associate dean, CFF.

Previously, DC sent five faculty members to LIT for a week of professional development and in February, 22 MAD students traveled to Ireland with another three faculty members. As part of their cross-country trip they visited LIT’s School of Art & Design in Limerick to learn about further education options available to them. The group visited LIT’s Clare Street campus, a refurbished convent and chapel where fine arts bachelor’s degree programs are taught including Painting, Printmaking and Contemporary Practice, Sculpture & Combined Media, and Photography and Lens Based Media.

DC offers students more than 450 academic pathways through agreements with institutions in Ontario, across Canada and around the world.


DC named one of Canada’s top 50 research colleges for fifth consecutive year

Durham College (DC) announced today that it has once again been named one of Canada’s top 50 research colleges by Research Infosource Inc., a Canadian research and development intelligence company. This is the fifth consecutive year the college has been included on the list, which is informed by data on research income, research intensity and research partnerships and projects at colleges across the country.

DC’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship or ORSIE, has a mandate to solve industry and social challenges through innovation and collaboration. Operating under four research themes – cultivating healthy lives and resilient communities, advancing agriculture, agri-business and tourism, enabling technologies of the future and enhancing scholarly teaching and learning – researchers and students collaborate with industry and community partners to develop real-world solutions to challenges faced by small-to-medium-sized enterprises and community organizations.

Under the theme of enabling technologies of the future, DC is leading the way helping companies and organizations plan, develop, and implement state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) systems and practices into business solutions. Through the establishment of the AI Hub, the college is assisting small and medium-sized enterprises to create products, services, and processes that have commercial value, enabling them to scale and compete through AI-enabled systems and management practices. Faculty researchers and students are working alongside industry partners in developing the solutions.

ORSIE is also offering AI workshops and a boot camp for DC students, focusing on the foundations of AI to enhance their skills.


Students gain experience under pressure in 48-Hour Film Challenge

Here’s the pitch: make a western featuring a mop and a character who is a super geek with a love for Velcro. While it may not be your typical Hollywood fare, it’s the concept behind “Strung Out”, the winning film of the second annual 48-Hour Film Challenge at Durham College (DC). This quirky but fabulous project is the high moment of the academic year in the School of Media, Art & Design (MAD), and is the biggest competition of its kind in Canada.

Beginning at noon on October 10, more than 500 MAD students from seven programs were challenged with creating original short films in only two days. Teams were each given a genre, line of dialogue, prop and character type that had to be included in their final submissions. Films were due by noon on October 12 and then stitched together by faculty and staff for a private screening at the Cineplex Odeon Theatre in Oshawa.

The film crew for this year’s best picture winner – Fynn Badgley, Zen Egyed, Muhammad Muntasir Kaudeer, Judy Krajcik, Matthew Ledrew, Narendiren Loganathan, Nicole Potter, Jordan Rivoire, Kendall Schofield, Ashlyn Van De Ven – will now have their names engraved on the prestigious “Deanie Award”, a trophy featuring a miniature likeness of MAD executive dean Greg Murphy.

A jury of industry professionals chose the winners in all categories. They were: John Arkelian, director, Cinechats Film Program; Andy Malcolm, foley artist, Footsteps Studio; Eileen Kennedy, film liaison for Durham Region; Catherine Richards, director of culture and recreation, City of Oshawa; and Katie Boone, manager, International Projects and Partnerships, DC.

The film challenge brings together students from DC’s programs in Advanced Filmmaking, Broadcasting for Radio & Contemporary Media, Contemporary Web Design, Interactive Design, Media Fundamentals, Photography and Video Production, along with mentoring staff and faculty. It is an event designed to help students meet and collaborate across program boundaries and to form a community of emerging content creators. It also provides students with an opportunity to flex their creativity and develop the so-called “soft skills”, such as communication, teamwork and problem solving, which are vital to achieving success after graduation.

This year’s student films can be viewed on the challenge’s website and MAD YouTube channel.


Durham College recognizes student achievement at 2017 Fall Convocation

On October 26, more than 1,100 students received their credentials during this year’s Fall Convocation; friends, family and the college community were on hand to celebrate the achievement. Whether beginning their career or pursuing further education, these individuals have graduated knowing they have the skills they need to succeed.

Held at the Tribute Communities Centre in downtown Oshawa, graduates from the Centre for Food and schools of Business, IT & Management; Continuing Education, Health & Community Services; Interdisciplinary Studies; Justice & Emergency Services; Media, Art & Design; Science & Engineering Technology and Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship & Renewable Technology received their diplomas and certificates.

In honour of the college’s 50th anniversary in 2017, two alumni from DC’s first graduating class in 1969 also attended convocation; John Krezanowski graduated from the college’s Mechanical Engineering Technician program and Ron Hooper graduated from the college’s Marketing program. Ron is also an Alumni of Distinction award recipient.

As part of the college’s commitment to building on its positive reputation, the outstanding contributions and exemplary service of retired employee Margaret Greenley was recognized through the honorary designation of vice-president emeritus.

A video of the entire ceremony is now available.


Gold and diamonds from Durham residents for DC

Durham College (DC) is excited to share the news about our recent Readers’ Choice award wins. We would like to thank those who supported and voted for us in the categories below: 

  • Continuing Education – Diamond
  • Trade School – Diamond
  • Durham College Employment Services – Diamond 
  • Bistro ’67 Restaurant – Diamond
  • Kid’s Camps – Gold

We are proud to serve our communities by providing quality education and services in a variety of areas including full- and part-time post-secondary and continuing education courses and programs and employment services.

The annual Readers’ Choice nominees are chosen by local residents who select their favourite businesses for the products and services they offer in the Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa and Clarington areas.