Looking through Bier goggles - Durham College and UOIT

Campus
Ray McNeil
The Chronicle
A month into the new school
year, and UOIT is reporting enrolment
at the university is up
nearly 14 per cent this year.
“It characterizes the growth
of the university over the last
eight years,” said Tim McTiernan,
president of UOIT. “We
have one of the highest rates
of increase in applications
across the Ontario university
system.”Location, he says, is
a big factor. Oshawa, and the
surrounding area, is one of the
fastest growing communities in
Canada.
“About 40 per cent of our
students come from Durham
Region, and that percentage
has remained pretty constant
as we grow in numbers,” said
McTiernan.Many students at
UOIT take location into account
when planning their
post-secondary education, preferring
a university that’s close
to home.
“I applied to Trent, got accepted
there, but the commute
is a little ridiculous,” said Kirsty
Price, a first-year student in the
Registered Nursing program. “I
was going to apply to McMaster,
but I can’t really afford to
stay in residence.”
Still, Price says she researched
UOIT to make sure
it the right university for her.
“They have a lot to offer, in the
sense that they also are collaborative
with Durham College.”
Price took the General
Health course at Durham, then
moved to UOIT. She says it’s a
more intensive course that will
earn her a better salary.
But distance is not the only
incentive to sway students.
“It actually has a nice campus,”
said Rahat Rayhan, a
first-year Automotive Engineering
student, who heard
that UOIT provides one of the
best automotive programs
around.Originally from Scarborough,
Rayhan says he was
accepted to McMaster University,
but the distance was too
far. “Yeah, that was one of the
major reasons I came here, because
it’s closer to my house.”
UOIT is also on the cutting-
The Chronicle October 4, 2011 7
UOIT enrolment on the rise
Emily Wood
The Chronicle
Organizers of this year’s
Mind Your Body Day at Durham
College were not expecting
high attendance for their
information session, but they
had expected more than one
student.
The two-tiered event featured
booths set up in Vendor’s
Alley as well as a three-hour
information session with six
speakers scheduled to talk to
students. But the information
session was cut short due to low
attendance.
In fact, attendance was virtually
non-existent. Only one
student arrived to take advantage
of the free session.
Though this was not the first
information session held during
the event, last year’s audience
was made up of only Durham
College staff.
Speaker Heather Bickle, of
the Canadian Mental Health
Association, made the most
of her time, going ahead with
her presentation as planned.
It dealt with substance use and
abuse among students, discussing
typical reasons for use and
safe and unsafe dosage.
The presentation was informative
without preaching sobriety,
including examples of
Bickle’s own experiences with
drinking. It allowed open discussion
and questions without
the fear of being judged by
Bickle, who was the only one to
speak that day. Those set to follow
left after Bickle’s presentation,
having nothing to address
but an empty room.
Amanda Cappon, a mental
health worker on campus, was
running the speakers for the
day. She had hoped for a better
turnout.
“I can’t fault location only,
but I do think that that was a
pretty big barrier in terms of
getting attendees,” Cappon
said.The information sessions
were held in the new student
services building on campus,
which sees much less traffic
than Vendor’s Alley.
Planning for the event began
in the spring of this year. Without
a budget allotted for the
event, they relied on generosity
for a space on campus and donations
from local businesses
for giveaways.
“It’s really connecting with
all the community partners, so
it’s being able to get their commitment
to attend,” Cappon
said.Employees at Durham Region’s
Mental Health Services
volunteered their time. Some
were equally disappointed in
the low turnout, but were eager
to return next year.
Promotion on campus and
off did little to encourage attendance.
Cappon emphasized
that they used every avenue
available to them. Emails were
sent out to staff and students,
information was posted on the
flat screens across campus and
Durham Mental Health Services
was used to spread the word
beyond campus.
The recent strike caused a
slowing in the spread of information
relating to this event,
but Cappon was pleased with
the overall promotion effort.
“Maybe next year,” Cappon
said with a hopeful smile.
But she admits the future is
uncertain for the presentation
portion of the event. Quantity
and effectiveness of advertising
will be considered in the decision
to maintain the information
sessions during next year’s
Mind Your Body Day.
edge of education; Globe and
Mail’s recent Canadian University
Report awarded UOIT an A
for Campus Technology.
“I love the research going on
at UOIT and it kind of interested
me,” said first-year Energy
Systems Engineering student
Christina Mazza.
Mazza applied to Ryerson
and Waterloo, but the program
at UOIT was closer to the field
Ray McNeil
A PLETHORA OF APPLICATIONS: Tim McTiernan, president of UOIT, says the school has one of the highest
application increases across Ontario. He credits location as a main factor, due to Oshawa’s growth.
Low student turnout
for Mind Your Body
she’s interested in.She also says
the atmosphere is very welcoming
at UOIT, “Everyone’s
friendly, no one’s really overcompetitive
or snobby,” she
added.
“I think UOIT is a terrific
institution, its got fabulous faculty
and staff,” said McTiernan,
“the students have great energy
and great focus and great spirit.”