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Durham College celebrates Centre for Collaborative Education grand opening

On October 2, Durham College (DC) hosted more than 200 guests for the grand opening of the Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE). Located at the college’s Oshawa campus, the multi-level, 75,000-square-foot facility is home to signature learning spaces, including the 360insights Entrepreneurship Centre, Global Classroom, First Peoples Indigenous Centre and Durham College Spa, which is open to the public.

“The Centre for Collaborative Education prioritizes the student experience in all aspects of its design and function,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “When students told us they wanted more collaborative learning and social spaces, we listened. There are very few offices in the CFCE. Instead, it holds industry-grade, cutting-edge labs, entrepreneurial and maker spaces, touchdown spaces and inclusive learning environments all focused on ensuring the student experience comes first.”

The milestone grand opening event featured demonstrations and tours of the new building; a traditional Indigenous ceremony performed by Troy White of the Mi’kmaq First Nation; official ribbon cutting; unveiling of the donor wall and installation of a time capsule that is intended to be opened in 2067, DC’s 100th year.

“This incredible building is the result of tremendous support from many areas – provincial, federal and local governments – as well as many donors who came together to support our Building Something Amazing campaign,” said Linda Flynn, associate vice-president, Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, DC, and president, Durham College Foundation. “The grand opening event is an opportunity for DC to celebrate our success while thanking everyone who helped us achieve it.”

DC launched the Building Something Amazing capital campaign in September 2017 to raise $5 million towards the CFCE’s total build cost of $40 million. With 95% of the goal achieved, you can still be part of this college milestone. The additional $35 million in funding is comprised of $22 million from the Ontario government and $13 million from the federal government, which when combined mark the largest single-project investment by government in the college’s history.

The CFCE is legacy project tied to the college’s 50th anniversary in 2017 and replaces the aging Simcoe building, which was originally built as a temporary structure and opened in 1969. In addition to addressing student needs, the CFCE is designed to reflect DC’s commitment to working with local business and community partners by creating a new facility where students, employees and the broader community can work together in ways that transcend the traditional concepts of education.

“It is no coincidence that DC includes collaboration among our core values,” added Lovisa. “It is only by working together, listening to each other and seeking to better understand one another that we will achieve the breakthroughs – professional, technological, social or otherwise – that will propel us forward locally and globally. This is what we seek to inspire and support with the CFCE.”

DC student Emma Brooks wins Changing Tomorrow award

Durham College (DC) student Emma Brooks has received an ontariocolleges.ca Changing Tomorrow Award for an essay about her vision of tomorrow and how her college education is helping turn her dreams into reality. Currently enrolled in DC’s Dental Assisting (Levels I and II) program, Emma was one of only 25 students from across the province to receive the honour, which includes $500 towards her current tuition and an additional $1,000 towards her fall semester.

A highlight from her submission includes:

“Tomorrow will be filled with beautiful and healthy smiles and it is my plan to be part of that movement. I believe that starting with a college education and pursuing additional education throughout my life is necessary for me to maintain a path of growth and happiness.”

DC President Don Lovisa was on hand to present Emma with the cheque to be used in support of her fall semester.

Held in celebration of ontariocolleges.ca’s 25th anniversary, the Changing Tomorrow Award competition saw over 1,000 essays submitted by students representing a diverse range of programs and stages in their educational journeys.

Congratulations, Emma.

DC celebrates fall at fourth-annual Harvest Dinner

On September 20, the grounds of Durham College’s (DC) W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (CFF) were once again filled with guests dining under the stars during the fourth-annual Harvest Dinner, as 130 community members celebrated fall’s abundance.

In keeping with the CFF’s field-to-fork philosophy, the family-style meal featured food planted on and picked from the CFF’s grounds and prepared by its students. Beginning with assorted appetizers including DC-made charcuterie and cheeses, the meal consisted of seven courses ranging from a trio of garden fresh salads, baked black beans with triple-smoked pork belly to Ontario lamb and apple goulash and roasted Ontario-beef striploin. Desserts included pavlova with raspberry pink-peppercorn marmalade and beet-velvet cake.

The event was the culmination of countless hours spent preparing in the CFF’s fields, labs and classrooms. It was a true team effort that saw Horticulture – Food and Farming and Horticulture Technician students cultivate and harvest the produce used in the meal, Culinary Management, Culinary Skills and students prepare the dinner and students from the Special Events Management, Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Operations and Hospitality Skills programs serve guests.

For those who missed the Harvest Dinner, CFF fruits and vegetables, as well as other local ingredients, will continue to be served at Bistro ’67, the college’s full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant. Fresh produce and student-prepared goods are also available at Pantry, the retail store within the CFF. For anyone looking to expand their own culinary skills, cooking classes and demonstrations are available through DC’s School of Continuing Education.

For more information, visit www.websiteredesign.durhamcollege.ca/cff.

Durham College welcomes approximately 13,600 students to campus for the 2018-2019 academic year

Durham College (DC) is pleased to welcome approximately 13,600 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students, including over 1,800 international students representing 64 different countries from around the world. This includes over 7,300 first year students and, as a testament to the value of a college education and the importance of both theoretical and experiential learning, over 530 students will join DC having already attended university.

“This is going to be another exciting year for DC,” said Paul Bishop, executive director, Strategic Enrolment Services, registrar, Durham College. “The diversity of our student population – from first-time students to those with previous university experience – is a testament not only to the market-driven programs offered at the college but also its commitment to ensuring students are learning the skills they need to succeed in today’s rapidly changing economy.”

Over the last several years, DC has developed a number of programs that are not only the first of their kind in Canada, they have also been created in direct response to industry needs. These include the college’s new degree, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management, which addresses an identified gap in the health care sector for professionals with a hybrid skill set consisting of medical technology expertise and business management acumen, and Mechanical Technician – Elevating Devices.

Other programs new to DC this fall include Civil Engineering Technician, Civil Engineering Technology,Cosmetic Techniques and Management, Data Analytics for Business Decision Making, Esthetician – Spa Management and Power Engineering Techniques – Fourth Class, all of which have been created with a successful career after graduation in mind.

Also new is the Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE), which just opened its doors at the college’s Oshawa campus. Home to the Durham College Spa providing massage therapy, cosmetic and esthetic programs and services, as well as many other innovative spaces, such as the Global Classroom, the CFCE was designed to support experiential, modern approaches to learning, helping usher DC and its approximately 13,600 students into the future.

DC responds to shortage of AI talent in Canada with new program

Durham College (DC) is tackling the acute shortage of skilled artificial intelligence (AI) professionals in Canada, the most significant barrier to AI implementation today, with a new graduate certificate program.

Artificial Intelligence Analysis, Design and Implementation – the first program of its kind in Canada – will launch in September 2019 and aims to make students employable even before they graduate. By putting emphasis on hands-on learning and training, students will gain real work experience while solving actual business problems through capstone projects, an optional work term and applied research opportunities with the Durham College Hub for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence for Business Solutions, better known as the AI Hub.

“The Greater Toronto Area is home to one of the highest per-capita concentrations of AI companies in the world, yet our AI ecosystem is suffering because the skilled workforce it demands does not exist,” said Marianne Marando, executive dean of the college’s School of Business, IT & Management. “DC’s new graduate certificate program will help fast-track more AI analysts, designers and system programmers who can hit the ground running.”

The program will focus on AI implementations across multiple sectors through a blend of open and custom solutions. Students will learn how to leverage AI to extract data and guide decision-making as well as service delivery, solving complex day to day problems with state-of-the-art solutions, all while creating efficiency and quality gains for small and medium-sized enterprises up to the largest of corporations.

“There has never been a more critical time for Canadian educational institutions to step up and play a vital a role in solving the crisis of skill shortage in the field of Artificial Intelligence that Canada faces today,” said Danish Arshad, executive director, International Council of E-Commerce Consultants. “Jobs in Canada requiring AI skills have grown by 1,069 per cent since 2013[i]; automation will impact at least 50 per cent of Canadian jobs in the next decade[ii]. In these disruptive times, DC’s AI graduate certificate proactively paves the way to not only build future generations of AI professionals but also prepare markets for the impending automation disruption.”

Whether their goal is a career as an AI specialist or to better understand how AI techniques can enhance their work in sales, marketing or product management, students will learn how to:

  • Identify and understand opportunities where AI can create value in an organization or community.
  • Identify risk and project management concerns unique to AI projects.
  • Structure a project team when resources are scarce.
  • Apply techniques for developing and implementing AI solutions.

Additional emphasis will be put on managing data in a manner that preserves its security and users’ privacy.

“The opportunity to train and test students in a focused AI program is going to attract AI enthusiasts at all stages of their expertise” adds Tushar Singh, CEO and founder, Minute School. “Combined with DC’s strong connections between its academic schools and industrial partners, as well as the faculty’s unique focus on Narrow AI, this program will go a long way in addressing the AI skills gap facing our country.”

 

Massage therapy now available at Durham College Spa

Students, employees and community members seeking some relief can now get massage therapy treatments at the newly opened Durham College Spa. Located on the second floor of the Centre for Collaborative Education at the Oshawa campus, the spa includes a massage therapy clinic as well as cosmetic techniques and esthetics labs.

Provided by Massage Therapy student practitioners, under the guidance of expert faculty including Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs), massage therapy services are the first to be offered by the new full-service, teaching-and-learning spa.

Spa guests are encouraged to take advantage of the “double-up deal” – two 75-minute therapeutic massage treatments for only $60. Each appointment includes:

  • An orthopedic assessment.
  • Therapeutic massage.
  • Self-care/post-treatment exercises.

Those interested are encouraged to book online or visit the spa in person. Single appointments are also available for $35 each.

With cosmetic technique and esthetic services scheduled to launch in 2019, the Durham College Spa is also inviting input from community members that will help guide the types of services to be offered – an online survey is available at www.durhamcollegespa.ca/survey.

The Durham College Spa is an inclusive space committed to making holistic beauty, health and wellness accessible and more affordable for all, while supporting the intensive training and learning of a new generation of massage therapy practitioners, beauty advisors and estheticians.

Learn more at www.durhamcollegespa.ca.

DC prof Jeff Dalziel named Record Producer of the Year by Canadian Country Music Association

On September 7, Durham College (DC) professor Jeff Dalziel was named the 2018 Record Producer of the Year by the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) for the album What We’re Made Of by Warner Music Canada recording artists The Washboard Union.

A faculty member with the college’s School of Media, Art & Design since 2013, Dalziel teaches in the Music Business Administration and Music Business Management programs in addition to his work as a mixer, producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumental performing artist.

Dalziel received the award at the CCMA Industry Lunch & Awards, part of annual Country Music Week celebrations, held this year in Hamilton, ON. It was his second major win for 2018 having taken home Record Producer of the Year honours from the Country Music Association of Ontario in June.

With a career that spans nearly two decades, Dalziel is regarded as one of the top multi-genre music producers in Canada and currently has multiple hits on the charts and Canadian country radio. Under the banner of his own company, DIESELMUSIC, he provides A&R development for artists, produces, records, mixes, masters and co-writes songs for record publication, music, TV and film.

At DC, Dalziel uses his experience and expertise to prepare students for success in the highly competitive music industry. From major label presidents and A&R reps, to songwriters and artist managers, he draws top industry players to campus as guest speakers to provide the best music business learning environment in the country.

And while the CCMA Awards do not include a category for teaching, the number of Dalziel’s current and past students that he counted at the major industry event – working and thriving in the field they trained for and love – show he’s as successful in front of the classroom as he is behind the mixing board.

DC students and employees help celebrate Centre for Collaborative Education

On September 5, Durham College (DC) flung open the doors to the Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE) and invited students and employees to explore the newest building on the Oshawa campus.

While enjoying free cupcakes and lemonade, as well as music spun by DJ Greedo, members of the campus community took self-guided tours of the CFCE’s innovative learning spaces, which include the following:

  • 360insights Entrepreneurship Centre, home to FastStartDC, a program that helps students and youth develop valid business ideas and plans to take their products and services to market quickly and successfully. 
  • Centre for Success and Academic Upgrading, home to the School-College-Work Initiative, a partnership between DC and five regional school boards, which assists at-risk students to earn their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) in a college environment and find their way to post-secondary education. Students also have the opportunity to take college-level courses in order to earn dual credits that can be counted against both completing their OSSD and a chosen college program. Academic upgrading supports mature students in achieving prerequisites they need in order to pursue post-secondary education. 
  • Durham College Spa, an inclusive space committed to making beauty, health and wellness accessible and more affordable for all, while supporting the intensive training and learning of a new generation of massage therapy practitioners, makeup artists and estheticians. It includes a massage therapy clinic and makeup and esthetics labs. 
  • First Peoples Indigenous Centre (formerly the Aboriginal Student Centre) which uses a holistic approach to education, serving First Nations, Métis and Inuit students by focusing on their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. 
  • Global Classroom, where state-of-the-art technology enables students and faculty to discuss topics in a virtual classroom, joined by experts and other students from around the world in real time to foster intercultural competency and experience. 
  • Interprofessional Simulation Lab, a 21-bed unit that simulates a hospital environment for students in various health-care programs. 
  • Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions, a space dedicated to ensuring that DC students feel welcomed and supported on campus through a variety of diverse and comprehensive programs designed to foster academic and social growth.

Located on Simcoe St. North, the CFCE stands just east of where the aging Simcoe building once stood. The new multi-level facility is a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017 and will now serve as an educational access point for students while bringing together local, Indigenous and global community groups and members of key business sectors.

Up next for the CFCE will be a formal, by-invitation grand opening celebration on Tuesday, October 2, which will include an Indigenous ceremony, official ribbon-cutting, unveiling of the donor wall and time capsule installation.

Student Orientation underway at Durham College

With the 2018-2019 academic year soon underway, Durham College (DC) is busy getting ready to welcome more than 7,100 first-year students to campus during its annual Orientation, which runs from September 4 to Thursday, September 13.

Designed to help first-year students acclimatize to college life, meet staff and faculty, explore student services and enjoy the college’s Oshawa and Whitby campuses, Orientation also provides students with an opportunity to learn more about program expectations and student clubs, all while developing new friendships.

“Orientation sets new students up for success by helping them establish a community of support on campus,” says Krista Licsi, student orientation and transitions co-ordinator, Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions. “They can step out of their comfort zone to meet other first-year students, learn about their program and discover opportunities to get involved in campus activities, all of which will help them should they encounter any barriers while completing their program here at DC.”

This year’s Orientation includes over 25 activities to help introduce students to college life, including the First-year Fun Fair on September 4, followed by the men’s and women’s soccer teams in the 8th annual Campus Cup later in the day, pitting the DC Lords against the UOIT Ridgebacks.

New this year are a few activities, like the LGBTQ2+ Paint Night and Social on Wednesday, September 5, designed to help members of the campus LGBTQ2+ community make connections on campus; and the Black Student Success Network social event on Wednesday, September 5, providing students with opportunities for mentorship, wellness and social engagement.

For a full list of Orientation activities and more details please visit www.websiteredesign.durhamcollege.ca/orientation.

DC welcomes new International Students to campus for Orientation

This week Durham College (DC) welcomed more than 1,000 new international students from 62 countries to campus for the 2018-2019 academic year. To help prepare students for the year ahead, an International Orientation was held on August 31 at the Oshawa campus.

DC president Don Lovisa and Dr. Elaine Popp, vice-president, Academic, kicked off the event by delivering welcome remarks on behalf of the entire college to the diverse group of new students.

Throughout the day, students received guidance on the many services and supports available to them and how to prepare for post-secondary education. They learned about their health insurance plan, banking in Canada, how to find part-time work and also gained valuable information about building a future in Canada. The event also facilitated the development of new friendships, with activities like Race Around DC, a fun twist on the traditional campus tour inspired by The Amazing Race Canada, and Get-to-Know-Your-Peers Bingo.

 “International orientation really kick-starts the college experience for students and provides them with the foundation of support they need to succeed while attending post-secondary studies in Canada,” said Janine Knight-Grofe, manager, International Education. “Our goals for orientation and every day after are fourfold – we work to integrate students into the DC community, foster an inclusive and caring environment, enhance understanding of expectations and resources, and build resiliency and personal development.”

More than 1,800 international students will be studying at DC for the 2018-2019 academic year. With additional students expected to arrive as the year gets underway, DC prides itself on offering international students the highest-quality Canadian education, a safe and vibrant campus environment and a fun and rewarding student life – with everything from clubs and cultural activities to sports and recreation – to balance studies with activities outside the classroom.

For more information, please visit the college’s International website.