Durham College (DC) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) announced today a $900,000 donation from the Estate of Anne Sabat. The gift will be shared equally by the two institutions to create scholarships and bursaries for students to pursue post-secondary education.

Ms. Sabat, who passed away in 2015, was a longtime resident of Oshawa whose family built a successful dry goods and retail business after arriving in Canada in the early 1900s. Although Ms. Sabat’s father and mother had little formal education, they strongly believed in its benefits and this commitment was carried on by their children, and in particular Anne, who strongly supported the college and the university.

“My Aunt Anne took great delight in meeting with staff and students and learning more about their work, studies and needs. I know she was very pleased with her decision to make these gifts to both the college and UOIT, which will total almost $1 million,” said Sylvia Boissoin, Sabat family.

This generous bequest will create bursaries for graduates from DC’s Centre for Success (CFS) program. The program is a partnership between the college and five local school boards designed to enable in-risk secondary school students to complete their high school academic requirements in a college setting via access to smaller class sizes, flexible schedules and increased one-to-one access to teachers. Approximately $9,000 will be distributed annually to CFS graduates who are in need of financial assistance to continue their post-secondary education. In the event that none of the centre’s graduates meet the eligibility criteria for a given year, funds will be made available to other DC students facing financial hardship to help them continue their education.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Sabat family, and particularly to Ron and Sylvia Boissoin, who have served as executors of Anne’s estate and have worked tirelessly to ensure that her wishes to make this generous donation to DC become a reality,” said Don Lovisa, President, DC. “Thanks to their commitment to education and to the young people of Durham Region, more students will be able to continue their post-secondary education and go on to lead successful and fulfilling lives.” 

At the university, the legacy gift will be added to the Sabat Family Endowment. This fund rewards students with a minimum average of 80 per cent who are entering or continuing full-time studies. Annual income from the fund will be matched by the university to support as many as 12 annual awards with a value up to $3,000 each.

With the 2016-2017 academic year now underway, Durham College (DC) is welcoming close to 11,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students to its Oshawa and Whitby campuses and Pickering Learning Site. This includes more than 5,700 new students and over 600 international students who have travelled from 42 countries around the world to study at DC.

“As we get ready to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2017, we are excited to see the new academic year get off to such a strong start,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, vice-president, Academic, DC. “Our enrolment numbers indicate that students, both domestically and internationally, recognize DC’s commitment to fostering academic and career success. From introducing new programs to providing more educational pathways and opportunities for students to gain real-world work experience, we are focused more than ever on ensuring that at DC, the student experience comes first.”

In addition to its commitment to student success, the college has also launched several new, market-driven programs for 2016-2017 in areas including filmmaking, finance, journalism and documentary production, interactive media and welding.

In total, DC offers more than 140 full-time programs through its nine academic schools in addition to over 500 educational pathway opportunities in partnership with universities in Ontario, Canada and around the world.

Along with welcoming both new and returning students to campus, DC Orientation Week is also underway to help new students acclimatize to college life, connect with college employees, meet their peers, explore student services and learn about student clubs and activities.

On September 1 and 2, Durham College (DC) excitedly welcomed more than 200 new international students to the college’s International Student Orientation.

Held at the Oshawa campus, the event saw DC President Don Lovisa and Dr. Elaine Popp, vice-president, Academic, spend time with this diverse group of new students as they learned about the many services and supports available to them as they begin their post-secondary journey in Canada.

Students received tips and tricks on how to settle in at DC, went on a campus tour, attended workshops on acculturation and academic integrity, learned about how to find local housing and gained information about working in Canada. Activities focused on making students feel welcome and confident in choosing DC as their post-secondary destination of choice. Students have the opportunity to get to know each other better and thereby create the first level of their social network, as well as get to know the staff from the International office.

“International students who choose Durham College for their post-secondary studies are making a significant personal and financial investment in their future,” said Larissa Strong, manager of International Student Support. “DC offers a complete support system that will help students find their success academically, professionally, and personally. The International office supports students with practical issues like health insurance to more personal issues like adapting to a new culture.”

With additional students from abroad expected to arrive as the 2016-2017 academic year gets underway, DC prides itself on offering international students the highest-quality Canadian education, preparing them to find rewarding employment in Canada or in their home countries; a safe and vibrant campus environment; and a fun and rewarding student life, with everything from clubs, to cultural activities, to sports, to balance studies with challenges and fun outside the classroom.

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

The year 1967 was an eventful one for Canada. Not only was our nation marking its 100^th anniversary, but two unique institutions – Durham College (DC) and McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada – were celebrating their grand openings. Now, with their respective 50^th anniversaries on the horizon, DC and the 23 other colleges that make up Colleges Ontario are joining forces with McDonald’s to offer new opportunities to the restaurant chain’s employees in Ontario.

Colleges Ontario, which serves as the umbrella group for the province’s applied arts and technology colleges, and McDonald’s have signed a partnership agreement that will allow management employees at the restaurant chain to receive credit towards a college business diploma if they complete specific training courses offered through McDonald’s. Employees who complete specified levels of company-based training will qualify to directly enter second year business or business administration programs at DC and other Ontario public colleges.

“This partnership is a win-win for Durham College and other public colleges in Ontario and our partners at McDonald’s,” said Marianne Marando, executive dean of DC’s School of Business, IT & Management. “Not only do McDonald’s employees gain access to top-flight courses and professors at DC, but the college gets to work alongside committed and motivated students who’ve already demonstrated their business acumen.”

Durham College looks forward to taking part in this unique partnership with McDonald’s and looks forward to welcoming employees to classes at DC’s School of Business, IT and Management in the coming months.