Durham College (DC) hosted an information night on February 24 to showcase the college’s new two-year Insurance program and help students gain insight into a career in this thriving industry.

The free information session included a welcome message from Judy Spring, dean, School of Business, IT & Management, a keynote address from Trevor Buttrum, Career Connections program co-ordinator at the Insurance Institute and a panel discussion with leading industry experts.

“The most important skill you should have as a member of this industry is communication,” said Keith Miller, W.B. White Insurance & Financial Ltd. “You may get a call where it will be crucial that you are able to comfort the customer and be compassionate while ensuring you are gathering the information necessary to assess their situation.”

The insurance industry has been growing steadily in Ontario since 2005 and has seen an increase in employment above the provincial growth rate. DC is pleased to now offer a program in such a dynamic industry that employs more than 77,000 Ontarians.

 The two-year program provides a broad exposure to business with a specialization in general insurance. Students will have the opportunity to develop their knowledge in policies and legislation, fraud awareness and client management to achieve a rewarding career in a thriving industry.

 “The greatest misconception about the insurance industry is that it’s one that can be learned in a short time,” said Adam Hare, Petley-Hare Limited, Insurance Brokers. “It’s always evolving and changing and has so much to offer.”

Program graduates will have a number of career choices including appraiser, broker or agent, claims adjuster, customer service representative, loss control specialist, risk manager or underwriter – just to name a few. They will also have the opportunity to earn eight credits (out of 10) towards the internationally recognized Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) designation.

 If you’re a people person with a flair for numbers and an interest in risk management, a career in insurance could be the path for you. Learn more at www.durhamcollege.ca/programs/insurance or join us at our Open House on Saturday, March 21.

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On Saturday, March 21, Durham College (DC) welcomed more than 3,900 visitors during its annual Spring Open House. The doors to the Oshawa and Whitby campuses and the Pickering Learning Site were opened as potential students, their families and the broader community explored all that DC has to offer.

The college’s innovative programs were showcased throughout the day by expert staff and knowledgeable students. DC Crew took visitors on tours of the high-tech classrooms, labs and state-of-the-art facilities at all three locations, while helpful information sessions on topics ranging from the admission process, to financial aid, career planning and access and support services were also offered.

“We look forward to Open House every year,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “It’s a great opportunity for potential students and the wider community to access a multitude of resources and limitless information about DC at one time, while experiencing all that the college has to offer first-hand. We hope to see many of the people we met on Saturday joining us soon.”

Centre for Food (CFF) ambassador and celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy was also on-hand and spent the day at the CFF speaking with attendees about the field-to-fork philosophy and signing copies of his new cookbook.

Visitors’ at all three locations had the chance to win free tuition for the year, valued at $2,700 or an iPad.

If you missed the spring open house but are interested in a tour of Durham College, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/campustours or contact the Admissions and Recruitment Office at 905.721.3000. You can also visit us online to learn more about our extensive program offerings.

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Durham College, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and Trent University have collaborated on a call for submissions from the provincial government’s Major Capacity Expansion Framework to build a new flagship facility dedicated to health and community studies, located in Oshawa’s north end.

The proposed Centre for Integrated Health and Community Studies (CIHCS) and the partnership between the three institutions is detailed in a collaborative new website, investwith3.ca. The bold vision proposes a new facility that will enable the institutions to deliver curriculum and create a campus culture that educates students in the requisite knowledge, and technical and soft skills needed for success in the health-care and community studies field. Offering a unique mix of programs from the three institutions will give people in Durham Region, Northumberland County and beyond access to more health-care professionals and technologies, as well as access to new innovative approaches to health care.

Additionally, the proposed new facility will open up opportunities for exciting new collaborations with industry partners that will position Durham Region and Northumberland County as a leader in health-care delivery, services and innovation. It will strengthen and sustain the partnerships already in place with area health care and community institutions, many of which are recognized across the province for excellence in health-care delivery.

The proposal and partnership by Durham College, UOIT and Trent University builds on a long history of collaboration with decades of experience working together. The natural synergies that exist between the institutions provide a solid foundation for success for the Centre for Integrated Health and Community Studies.

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On Tuesday, March 31 Durham College (DC) announced it has finalized its stand-alone policy and procedure on sexual assault and sexual violence and they are now publicly available on the college’s website.

“This is an important step to take for Durham College, alongside the other colleges across Ontario,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “It’s essential that everyone knows their rights and responsibilities and that the security of our campus continues to be a priority.”

DC’s policy and procedure communicate that all members of the Durham College community have a right to work and study in an environment that is free from any form of sexual violence. 

These documents ensure that the college has a process that:

• Protects the rights of individuals
• Facilitates an environment in which those who experience sexual violence are believed and their rights respected
• Holds individuals who are found to have committed an act of sexual violence, accountable

Presidents at Ontario’s 24 publicly funded colleges voted unanimously in November to create a stand-alone policy and protocol that would be available at all colleges by March 31. A draft version was publicly released in January and there have been consultations throughout the province to finalize the document.

Building on DC’s existing policies and procedures, the stand-alone policy and procedure provide precise definitions of sexual assault and sexual violence, set clear standards for reporting and responding to incidents of sexual violence, and establish clear processes for complaints and investigations.

Individual colleges and Colleges Ontario (the advocacy organization for the province’s 24 colleges) have consulted with students and college staff throughout Ontario. There have also been consultations with legal experts, the Ontario Women’s Directorate, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, government officials and others, including DC’s Director of Campus Safety, Tom Lynch, who sat on the provincial advisory committee.

The colleges’ policies and procedures support the action plan on sexual violence announced by Premier Kathleen Wynne on March 6. Work will continue to ensure the initiatives at each college fulfil the expectations and requirements of the premier’s action plan.

Ontario’s colleges are currently working on next steps, including new education and training at the colleges and the development of new awareness and prevention initiatives.

“We are grateful to our students and staff who have worked diligently to finalize our new policy and procedure,” said Meri Kim Oliver, vice-president, Student Affairs. “It’s essential that we continue working together to raise awareness about sexual violence and the role we can all play in preventing it.”

DC’s policy and procedure can be found on its Sexual Violence and Awareness page, along with a video and infographic to provide additional resources to students, staff and faculty.

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Durham College (DC) has launched the DC Summer Accelerator program – a new initiative to help students, local youth and alumni take their innovative ideas or business ventures to market faster while utilizing the professional services from an experienced support team.

In collaboration with Spark Centre, the program offers incubation and acceleration services to support and provide access to services so young entrepreneurs can turn their great ideas into tangible and marketable products.

“We are thrilled to launch the DC Summer Accelerator, the latest addition to our FastStart programming,” said Debbie McKee Demcyzk, director, Office of Research Services and Innovation. “Teaming up with Spark Centre to provide expert advising and mentorship services, we will provide participants with a unique opportunity to kick-start their businesses. We’re confident that this will be a successful and in-demand program supporting young entrepreneurs.”

The DC Summer Accelerator is the perfect opportunity for those with compelling business ventures that have the potential for large market sustainability. Applicants must be committed and willing to receive coaching and work day-to-day with the Spark Centre team.

The program offers:

• Faster market entry with a sharp focus on building the technology, achieving milestones and growing revenues, while a support team provides advisory services, operational support and key connections.
• Reduced start-up costs through access to office space, bookkeeping, administrative support and preferred rates on professional services such as legal, accounting and intellectual property.
• A focused environment where participants are able to avoid common start-up failures by engaging with other entrepreneurs and industry professionals.

There is no cost to participate in the DC Summer Accelerator.  Some participants may opt to work part-time during the evenings or weekends while participating, which is acceptable as long as progress continues on their start-up activities.

Application deadline is Monday, April 20.

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Several representatives from Durham College (DC) visited Dublin Ireland to share their expertise and showcase the excellent programs offered at the college in the first Irish-Canadian Higher Education in Transformation Symposium, held at both the Dublin Institute of Technology and the Printworks, Dublin Castle.

Lon Appleby, professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies & Employment Services; Jay Fisher and Kevin Dougherty, professors in the School of Business, IT & Management; and DC President Don Lovisa travelled across the pond for the conference, which ran from March 30 to April 1. Also in attendance were representatives from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), Trent University, Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD), the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB), Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT), and Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT).  

DC staff and faculty actively participated through workshops and speaking engagements that provided a strategic focus for attendees on the direction of higher education.

Appleby hosted a workshop on the first day that focused on DC’s “global classes”, which connects students with industry experts, producers, researchers and authors from around the world through a virtual meeting room.

Dougherty provided an address on the second day that focused on Factors that Influence College Faculty to Adopt Digital Technologies in their Practice, and Fisher shared his expertise on the third day with a speaking engagement based on A New Model Within Canadian Colleges and Universities to Develop a Diverse Future Generation of Entrepreneurs: Inclusivity and Accessibility.

“I was very pleased to co-host and participate in this international symposium and engage in meaningful discussions with colleagues from Canada, Ireland and other countries about the evolution of higher education,” said Lovisa. “In addition, I was very proud of our Durham College faculty who presented at the conference and by the excellent reception they received.  Through our collective efforts we can focus on responding to the rapidly changing social and economic environment affecting higher education. From this place of cohesion, we can adapt our institutions and continue to prepare our students for success and position them as tomorrow’s leaders.”

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Once again, Durham College’s (DC) Communications and Marketing department is recognized for their hard work and innovation at the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR) Paragon Awards. This year, the team received gold in the Video Shorts and Electronic College Annual Report categories, as well as bronze in Special Events Promotion.

The prestigious awards are the only national competition of its kind showcasing outstanding achievement in communications at community and technical colleges for the past 15 years. The 2015 national conference was held in Portland, Oregon. Graphic designers Beth Chapleau and Melanie Vincent, travelled to Portland to represent DC at this year’s conference.

“It was awesome to connect with so many people who work in communications and marketing,” said Chapleau. “To see all of the submissions from a wide range of community colleges was really interesting. DC is producing work we can definitely be proud of.”

On July 30, DC announced the official launch of its marketing campaign, Experience DC. The purpose of this multiplatform campaign is to bring the college experience to prospective and current students, parents, teachers and the community through a unique group of students representing a wide cross-section of programs, personal interests and personalities. From August 11 to 25, DC gave viewers a sneak peek at each student individually through a series of short videos on the Experience DC website. This series of videos, including the campaign launch video, were awarded gold at this year’s Paragon Awards. Since its launch, the Experience DC campaign has garnered more than 84,400 page views.

Another gold Paragon Award winner was the college’s 2013-2014 electronic annual report.

In addition to the two gold awards, the college received bronze for DC’s staff appreciation ceremony. On October 4, the college celebrated staff’s employment at the annual event. Service awards were distributed in five-year intervals, up to the 35-year mark, with nearly 170 staff members receiving recognition. For the first time, awards of excellence were given to nominated support, administrative and accessibility advocate staff. With more than 400 guests in attendance, DC President Don Lovisa, presented winners with their awards. Faculty excellence award winners were also given a $1,500 credit for a professional development course through the Centre for Academic and Faculty Enrichment. The annual ceremony allows faculty and staff to be recognized for their hard-work and dedication.

“I am beyond proud of the creativity, commitment, dedication and professionalism the DC Communications and Marketing department puts into their work every day,” said Carol Beam, executive director, Communications and Marketing. “To be recognized at NCMPR’s Paragon Awards is a great honour.”

This year’s NCMPR Paragon Awards received a total of 1,780 submissions in 53 categories. Winners represented a variety of colleges, all with a wide range of budgets, staff and resources. What made the award recipients similar was their dedication for producing creative and unique approaches to college communications and marketing.

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Durham College (DC) is aware of the potential strike by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) in Durham Region, and every effort is being made to ensure applications continue through the process unaffected.

The college is sensitive to concerns that mid-term marks may be delayed in the event of a strike, which may affect students who received conditional offers. While it is still early to speculate on the potential impact, DC wants to assure students and their families that it is working at a provincial level with the Ministry of Education and Colleges Ontario to develop a contingency plan that will allow students to complete the application process.

The Durham District School Board (DDSB) anticipates that mid-term marks will be submitted in advance of the proposed strike date and mid-term report cards mailed home.

“The student experience comes first at Durham College, and that commitment includes the application process,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “We recognize this is an anxious time for students who are completing their high school education and preparing for college. With this in mind we are working diligently to ensure that a potential work stoppage doesn’t create any unnecessary complications for students as they pursue their dreams to attend college.”

DC will continue to update applicants in an effort to keep future students and their families informed as the situation progresses. Students or parents/guardians who have further concerns are invited to contact the college at 905.721.3000 or please check the DC website for regular updates.

More information about the proposed strike is available on the DDSB website.

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Durham College (DC) was recognized on Wednesday, May 6 by the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management (OFMEM) and the Insurance Bureau of Canada for its unique approach to emergency preparedness.

In celebration of the 20^th anniversary of Emergency Preparedness Week, which this year runs from May 3 to 9, a group of students in the Interactive Design and Media program collaborated with OFMEM to create a series of videos and posters to promote emergency preparedness in Ontario.  

Students were required to create 60 to 90 second videos for families and seniors that stressed the importance of being prepared for situations such as emergency preparedness on campus, stovetop safety, emergency preparedness for pet owners, electrical blackouts, storms, floods and public alerting – just to name a few. The criteria was set by OFMEM, and students had to work with them to develop a process from feasibility study to the end product.

“This recognition will motivate and build the students’ confidence for their future careers,” said Linda Cheng, professor, School of Media Art & Design at DC. “It taught them to listen attentively, understand the needs of a client, come up with a plan, form a team, establish a timeline and deliver a final product.”

The partnership initiated in 2012 when Jude Kelly, Communications and Public Education, OFMEM, worked with Cheng and her students, to create a game day program for the Juno Hoops charity basketball event. Kelly was impressed by the students’ talent and proposed a collaboration.

“The project was so successful that I approached Ms. Cheng immediately afterward to see if she would be interested in working together on another project,” said Kelly. “She liked the concept and slotted it into her curriculum.”

After two successful collaborations in 2014 and 2015, the partnership has proven to be an excellent resource for OFMEM and valuable experience for students.

“I strongly believe in practicing what we learn in the classroom as it pertains to industry,” said Cheng. “This recognition validates our curriculum and our students’ talent and professionalism, and we will certainly continue to build on this collaboration and expand into more industries.”

This project also included students from DC’s Contemporary Web Design program, who created mock web pages on emergency preparedness. Successful entries were posted on the OFMEM website and YouTube channel, and promoted via Twitter and Facebook.

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Durham College (DC) students will soon have the option to study in India.

A new window for DC has been opened as it announces the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with India’s National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), to provide education and hands-on training in the automotive and agricultural sectors.

The signing was one of 10 MOU’s announced recently by Colleges and Institutes of Canada (CICan) and the offered programs will be branded by CICan, NSDC and participating Indian partners.

DC president Don Lovisa applauds Indian Prime Minister Modi's leadership in upgrading the skills of India’s workforce. The agreement partners Canadian colleges with an institution in India to develop a joint venture arrangement for skills training geared towards students studying in applicable sectors.

“Our automotive programs offered at our Whitby campus and the agricultural work we’re currently undertaking at DC’s Centre for Food (CFF) are helping prepare our students for the demands of a complex and changing world,” said Lovisa. “This is a very exciting development for the college.”

Recently, Dr. Satender Arya, CEO of the Indian Agricultural Sector Skills Council, visited DC’s CFF. The visit has not only allowed him to view DC’s developments in agriculture and see the college’s programming in action, but has allowed for more developing partnerships abroad to position DC as an international presence.

Although the MOU with DC is currently signed only for the automotive and agriculture sectors, the college is also preparing to work in India in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) field, which could be added to the NSDC framework in the near future.

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Durham College (DC) will accept grade 12 mid-term grades as final grades for students applying to the fall 2015 semester from any school board impacted by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) work stoppage.

“Our primary mandate as a college is access for students,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “At Durham College the student experience comes first and we remain committed to students’ success by putting plans in place to support affected students’ academic needs during these unique circumstances.”

In order to be eligible for consideration, students must have completed their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) prior to starting classes in the fall, and meet the entrance requirements for any program they have applied to. The current deadline for confirmation of all entry requirements is August 22. Should the strike go past the deadline for the school boards to issue the OSSD’s, refunds will be offered to any applicant who has already paid their $500 deposit.

“We understand that students’ in the affected boards feel uncertain about their post-secondary future,” said Meri Kim Oliver, vice-president, Student Affairs. “The leadership team at Durham College is doing everything we can to reassure them that, should all necessary requirements be met, we will accept them with open arms based on their mid-term grades.”

Regular updates will be posted on www.durhamcollege.ca, and all current DC applicants will be contacted directly in an effort to keep future students and their families informed as the situation progresses. Students or parents/guardians who have further concerns are invited to contact the college at 905.721.3000.

More information about the strike is available on the DDSB website.

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For some, the cleanliness of our environment is not top priority but sometimes it’s a good idea to make it one.

On May 13, Durham College (DC) students and employees hauled on gloves, collected empty garbage bags and took to the outdoors with the Sustainability Sub-Committee to make the campus beautiful during the 2015 Campus Clean-up.

Events like this play a key role in DC's Living Green mandate, which includes environmental stewardship and raising awareness while promoting sustainability in its goals.

There were two options for the event — drop-in or stay for the entire time — but for two hours, all participants worked hard to clean up all the litter left behind on campus. By 3 p.m., 537 lbs. of waste, such as planks of wood, shopping carts and buckets, and 182 lbs. of recycling were removed from the stream and trail path behind the South Village Residence.

The hard work did not go unrewarded. All participants received a Living Green glass water bottle as a thank you for making the environment a priority.

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Durham College (DC) had the pleasure of hosting the annual Ontario Journalism Educators Association (OJEA) conference at the Sheraton Centre Hotel on May 21, in Toronto, Ont.

The conference gives journalism instructors and professors across Ontario a chance to get together to share their successes and challenges over the past year, as well as brainstorm ways to boost enrolment and discuss the latest software and industry trends.

This year, more than 15 representatives from Algonquin, Conestoga, Niagara, Centennial and Humber colleges attended the event, which was held in conjunction with the Newspapers Canada – Ontario Community Newspapers Association conference.

As the host college, this was a great opportunity to showcase enhancements in the Journalism – Web and Print and Journalism – Broadcast and Electronic Media programs offered at DC. Journalism program co-ordinator and OJEA president, Brian Legree, and journalism instructor and OJEA secretary, Danielle Harder, were happy to share the great changes made to The Chronicle’s website – the DC student-run newspaper, along with community projects and partnerships involving our students.

Each year the host college invites a guest speaker to discuss trends in the industry. This year DC brought in award-winning reporter and host of the CBC’s World Report, David Common.

Common spoke about the changes in the industry and what that could mean for today’s journalism graduates, discussing the marketable skills young journalists need in today’s market, including the ability to think critically, write quickly, understand and manipulate video/audio quickly and the ability to work independently.

 “It’s a great opportunity to host a conference like this,” Legree said. “It allows us to share the accomplishments of our journalism students, changes we’ve made to our program and publications, and to stay current with industry trends so we can continue to offer our students the best learning experience.”

For more information about DC’s Journalism programs please visit our School of Media Art & Design.

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In response to the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) strike, Durham College (DC) hosted its first Intro to College session on Wednesday, June 3 and will host two more on Saturday, June 6 and Wednesday, June 10 to ensure secondary school students, and their parents, are prepared for the transition from high school to college.

“It was really helpful,” said 17-year-old Lukas Cholette who is currently attending J Clarke Richardson Collegiate in Ajax. “I got to learn more about my program, meet new people and walk around the college to learn where to go.”

Lukas has been accepted into DC’s Electrical Engineering Technician program, and said he feels more prepared as well as rejuvenated to begin college in September.

At the sessions, students can engage in a Q&A with a panel of faculty and students; participate in a financial aid workshop; meet their coach who will work with them throughout their time at DC; interact with faculty and staff; and learn about other support services dedicated to helping them succeed. Students can also confirm their offer and pay their deposit (debit/credit only), if they haven’t already done so.

There is also a special session designed for parents to provide them with information about how DC will support their kids when they begin in September, and throughout their college career.

“It was fabulous,” said Lukas’s mom, Debbie Cholette. “It helps our mindset and reduces anxiety, and we feel very reassured.”

Lukas’s dad, Rob, added that he was especially impressed by the Student Academic Learning Services (SALS) that assist students in the event they are ill or become injured, in addition to providing many other supports.

“Lukas hopes to play hockey during his time at DC, and it’s comforting to know that if he hurts himself, the college will accommodate him so he can keep on top of his schoolwork and be prepared for tests while he recovers,” said Rob. “It’s good to know students won’t be left on their own.”

The Cholettes were so impressed with the information they received that they decided to come back for the Saturday session to take in more of the services available to them through the Intro to College sessions.

Sessions are located at the Oshawa campus, 2000 Simcoe St. N., with reception at the main entrance to the Gordon Willey building. Parking is free, and refreshments will be served.

“The success of our students is priority one, and these circumstances have challenged the leadership team at DC to do everything it can so all students are able to enter college knowing how to access the tools they need to succeed,” said Meri Kim Oliver, vice-president, Student Affairs. “DC has excellent support systems and high quality services that we want to inform our students about so they feel confident about starting their college career.”

There is still time to register for the June 6 and 10 sessions. Students can learn more and register at www.durhamcollege.ca/infosessions 

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For nearly two decades, the Roger Anderson Charity Classic golf tournament has been one of the most popular and most influential annual fundraising events in Durham Region. But it is far more than just another round of golf.

On June 11, Durham Region chair and chief executive officer Roger Anderson welcomed 230 golfers to the Deer Creek Golf and Banquet Facility in Ajax, Ontario. Representing a wide spectrum of organizations from across the area, the golfers teed off for a chance to improve the lives of individuals living in Durham Region.

Now in its 18th year, the Roger Anderson Charity Classic has created and maintained a legacy of giving to community organizations by providing assistance to students in financial need at Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and by supporting child and youth initiatives at the Ontario Shores Foundation for Mental Health. To-date, over $5.3 million has been raised.

“I look forward to this event every year,” said Anderson. “It’s wonderful to see the community come together to support students and youth while also enjoying a day out on the golf course.”

Representatives from each of the three recipient organizations were on hand for a cheque presentation and the chance to extend their gratitude for the ongoing and enthusiastic support of everyone involved in the tournament. 

Tournament organizers would like to recognize all of the sponsors for their ongoing and generous support.

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Durham College (DC) was honored to receive a donation from the Trillium Automobile Dealers Association (TADA) to establish the Trillium Automobile Dealers Association Award, which will be awarded annually, for five years, to four second-year students. 

“We value our partnership with Trillium Automobile Dealers Association, and are grateful for their generosity,” said David Chambers, associate vice-president, Office of Development and Alumni. “Student success is at the forefront of Durham College and this award, which will be offered as bursaries to students facing financial challenges, will provide additional support and opportunities for these students to achieve their goals.” 

The $55,000 bursary will be disbursed at $11,000 per year, and awarded to two students in the Motive Power Technician – Service and Management program and two from the School of Business, IT and Management, who are studying Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Human Resources, and Operations Management – Business Administration. Each year’s recipients will be selected by DC’s Financial Aid and Awards office. 

“TADA is very happy to provide this support to Durham College, said Dave Fraser, education coordinator, TADA. “Our main goal as an association is to connect more and more of our members with the most qualified candidates of the future.” 

For more than 100 years, TADA has been a leader in progressive and innovative work on behalf of new car and truck dealers within Ontario. They strive to establish and maintain fair and uniform business practices, standards of advertising and training, and proactive programs to enhance customer service for consumers.

TADA launched their innovative Career Start program in 2014, which encourages new car dealers to form relationships with high school and post-secondary schools, host career fairs, showcase career opportunities at the Canadian International Auto Show, and promote careers through print brochures and social media advertising.

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Durham College (DC) is pleased to welcome Dr. Elaine Popp to the college family as the new vice-president, Academic. Popp has more than 15 years of progressive experience in senior academic leadership within the Ontario college and broader post-secondary systems, a background that will help further strengthen the leadership team at DC.

“I am very pleased to be joining Durham College and am looking forward to working with everyone on campus to deliver a post-secondary experience that ensures our students succeed while they are on campus and long after they graduate,” said Popp. “I have been particularly impressed by the college’s growth in students, programs and partnerships over the past number of years – its reputation has never been stronger.”

Before joining DC, Popp was the associate vice-president, Academic at Humber College, where she chaired many strategic and academic committees and oversaw the review and development of academic regulations, policies and procedures to support and guide program development, implementation and delivery. She was also involved in leading the development of institutional space allocation and request processes.

Among her roles at Humber, Popp was associate dean in the School of Hospitality, Recreation & Tourism, a program co-ordinator in the same school and program head of the Kinesiology degree program at the University of Guelph-Humber, where she designed, developed and executed curricula.

“I am confident the combination of Elaine’s experience and educational background will provide a solid foundation for Durham College moving forward,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. 

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The Durham College (DC) Board of Governors is pleased to announce that Pierre Tremblay is its new chair, effective July 1, 2015.

Tremblay is a well-respected and dedicated leader in the Canadian Nuclear industry, most recently serving as president and then executive advisor for Canadian Nuclear Partners, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation (OPG). As a Canadian nuclear senior executive, Tremblay’s extensive career at OPG has spanned over 35 years. Tremblay has been vice-chair of the DC Board for the past two years and replaces Ron Chatterton, who has reached the end of his term with the Board. As Chair, Tremblay will draw on his experiences with DC and as a governor with UOIT in providing governance, oversight and leadership on behalf of a 17-member Board of Governors that represents the strengths and diversity of the communities the college serves.

“I’m very pleased to be the incoming chair at a time when Durham College has so much momentum looking forward,” said Tremblay. “Over the past few years the college has realized significant growth in enrolment and programs, shown leadership with its applied research and entrepreneurship activities, and developed new partnerships, among its many highlights. I know the Board is looking forward to supporting further growth and success in the year ahead.”

In addition, Dan Borowec is now vice-chair, also effective July 1, 2015. Borowec is an experienced senior community leader, including his current role as director of economic development and tourism for Northumberland County. With a background in both post-secondary education and community economic development, he has brought extensive experience to his role on the board over the past three years.

To learn more about the Durham College Board of Governors, visit www.durhamcollege.ca/bog.

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Here’s some food for thought: without the aid of pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other insects capable of spreading pollen from one plant to the next, a majority of our food source will die off. Not to mention, the lush, green environment we’ve grown accustomed to would falter.

That’s why Field to Fork, Durham College’s (DC) crowdsourced fundraising initiative, raised funds in August 2014 to create a pollinator garden at the Centre for Food (CFF) with the goal of increasing pollinators at the CFF and in Durham Region.

This summer, the project received a boost from Dutchmaster Nurseries, a family-run business located in Brougham, Ont. Dutchmaster delivered a variety of shrubs and trees to the garden, such as serviceberry, winterberry and flowering currants. Students began populating the garden with the donated plants, and added in St. John’s wart and barrier foliage to create a semi-enclosed sanctuary for the bees and butterflies.

The pollinator garden does more than provide a safe haven for pollinators. It also provides learning opportunities for students in the Horticulture – Food and Farming and Horticulture Technician programs, where they can hone their horticulture and pruning skills and practice plant identification. The plants in the garden will also provide berries for harvest and will help increase the crop yield in the gardens at the CFF.

"The donation of these plants from Dutchmaster Nurseries, will provide our students with hands on learning opportunities in horticulture, provide pollinators a habitat to thrive and will give our fruit producing crops a much appreciated boost," said Shane Jones, professor, School of Science, Engineering & Technology. "On top of all that it provides us with a beautiful garden of native wildflowers!"

To learn more and support this venture, visit the Pollinator Garden project page.

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Students in Durham College’s (DC’s) Power Engineering Technician program will have the rare opportunity to work directly on exhaust gas turbines, or jet engines, thanks to the work of Ralph Trauzzi, professor, School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship and Renewable Technology (START).

Trauzzi made two of these engines available for students to coincide with the advanced curriculum DC developed and implemented for its START students to ensure their success upon graduation.

“When the opportunity arose, I said I would love to get a turbine engine for the program. We are so lucky to have this opportunity,” said Trauzzi. “Having the ability to work directly on an engine will benefit these students greatly, not only with the knowledge, but with experience as well.”

The final purchased turbines were acquired online as kits requiring some assembly, but the cost was low enough for Trauzzi to buy two and the required ancillary equipment. Currently, the engines sit on a wooden test stand that is clamped to a table. Eventually, they will be mounted on a floating stand that enables horizontal movement to allow students determine engine thrust.

“This engine can be run-up automatically through its start cycle, but I believe the student will learn more by doing it manually,” said Trauzzi. He has built a control panel, which will require the students to perform the proper steps in the correct order for both startup and shutdown.

This is just one of the many ways DC is constantly staying up-to-date and providing students with opportunities for success. To view a demonstration of this gas turbine engine, view the video on the left.

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