Durham College


Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology is located in the Durham Region of Ontario, Canada, with a campus co-located with Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, a second campus in Whitby, a learning site in Pickering, and community employment services in Uxbridge, Port Hope, Port Perry, Beaverton, Oshawa and Bowmanville.

History

Founded in 1967, Durham College has more than 86,000 alumni.
The college opened on September 18, 1967, with 16 portable classrooms, 14 staff and 205 students, offering courses in applied arts, business and technology. The college soon added courses in health sciences and adult training and grew to 1,250 students by its 10th anniversary.
In the 1980s, the college grew, with enrolment increasing to 2,700 in 1987 and further expansion of the facilities, including the construction of a new robotics lab, the precursor to the Integrated Manufacturing Centre found on campus today.
In the early 1990s, the Whitby campus was established, featuring the Skills Training Centre, where thousands of apprentices have studied.
The college established partnerships with York and Trent universities, that first brought university courses to the Durham College Oshawa campus, and then with Ontario Tech University which opened in 2003. Durham and Ontario Tech have established a post-secondary partnership, sharing a campus, some facilities and selected services.

Student life

At Durham College, since the Student Association split between Ontario Tech University and Durham College in 2017, student life activities, clubs and programs that promote their intellectual development and growth has been lacking. On campus, there are many amenities available to students, including housing options, sports and recreational activities, shopping, transportation, parking, health and medical facilities, campus safety, and franchise of food options.
Within the college there are multiple learning spaces designated for educational purposes. One space is the campus library which has four floors of learning space and a rotunda housing a periodicals collection. The rotunda includes a three-storey glass wall overlooking the Polonsky Commons. Other learning spaces include the computer learning commons, student services building, student centre, and bookable study spaces campus-wide.
Durham College offers first year information, academic support resources, career services, and Student Academic Learning Services. The student life office and Student Association offer events and programs for students of all years, while the student media comprises The Chronicle student newspaper, Riot Radio, and The Water Buffalo. Athletics range from badminton to basketball, rowing to running, and more.

Partnerships

Durham College has a shared campus and facilities with Ontario Tech University. The college, in conjunction with Ontario Tech and private enterprise, has developed network infrastructure to support laptop-based learning at both institutions. This includes the integration of wireless services on campus, as well as e-learning content and curriculum development.

Programs

The college offers a wide range of programs in a number of different disciplines including business, information technology, media, art, design, general arts, science, skilled trades, justice, emergency services, health and engineering technology.

Campuses and locations

Durham College has two main campuses, located in Oshawa and Whitby, Ontario, and a learning site in Pickering. Uxbridge campus was originally an Ontario Employment Services centre, but the Uxbridge site now has classrooms to offer programs for those planning to upgrade academic skills to enter into college programs.

Presidents

The school's team name is the Durham Lords.
Varsity sports at Durham: