Presidential Report: September 26, 2011
Kudos
Seminole State student Edwin Perez has been selected from a field of 260 applicants to receive a $5,000 scholarship awarded by the Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund. Congratulations, Edwin!
Joe Sarnovsky has been nominated for the Orlando Business Journal's "2011 Most Influential Men Award." Congratulations, Joe!
Larry Vienneau, a professor in our Studio Art Department, has received an honorable mention and two finalist awards in The Artist's Magazine's 28th annual International Competition from a field of 1,030 wildlife and nature submissions. Larry will also be featured in the next issue of The Artist's Magazine. Congratulations, Larry!
Liz Gombash, our new executive director of strategic grants planning and development, is serving on the editorial board for Thompson Publishing. Thompson Publishing monitors and provides updates to higher education institutions, state and local governments, and school districts on the latest laws and regulatory information on issues related to federal grants management and compliance. This is a great way to make Seminole State's name more visible in the grants community. Congratulations, Liz!
Pat DeSalvo, dean of Libraries and Learning Technology, has recently been re-elected to the executive committee of the College Center for Library Automation Advisory Board (CCLA). She was also appointed to the Services and Acquisitions work group of the Task Force for the Future of Academic Libraries in Florida. Both appointments will allow Pat to work with her colleagues in planning the transition for the new organization, which will support the 39 Florida college and university libraries, replacing both CCLA and FCLA by the end of the 2013. Congratulations, Pat!
Brandy Bartol, grant project director in nursing, was recently one of 20 panelists asked to serve as a peer reviewer for the Solicitation for Grant Applications for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Program. Peer reviewers were selected through a competitive process based on their academic and professional experience of providing high-level grant management from a variety of funding sources, experience with grant development, demonstrated success with community partners, and outstanding leadership skills. The 21st CCLC Program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. Congratulations, Brandy!
Jason Gaschel, a professor in our Automotive Department, received his master's degree in August from the School of Education at UCF. Jason plans to pursue his doctorate. Congratulations, Jason!
Webb Harris, a professor in our English Department, recently won the Thomas Burnett Swann Poetry Prize for 2011. The contest draws more than 100 national entries annually and carries a $1,000 cash award, with the winning poem published in Revelry Literary Magazine. Congratulations, Webb!
And Scott Howat was recently selected to attend a most prestigious educational meeting at Harvard University. Scott, would you like to tell us about it?
College News
Exciting news from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). In August, SACS approved Seminole State College for all four bachelor's programs: Bachelor of Science in Business and Information Management, Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering Technology, Bachelor of Science in Construction and Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Technology. This was a significant accomplishment for Seminole State. Many thanks to all who worked so hard to make this happen!
On July 18, the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care voted to award continuing accreditation to Seminole State College's Respiratory Care Program until July 31, 2021. Many thanks to Dean Angela Kersenbrock and her team, especially Mark Carey, who took on this challenging task.
Our Altamonte Springs Campus will be featured in a television commercial that will air across Florida. A nursing lab on the campus was chosen as the site for a public service announcement for the Florida Prepaid College Plan. Staff from Seminole State's Purchasing and Auxiliary Services Office, Facilities, Safety and Security, College Relations and Marketing, and the Campus Provost's Office all worked together to accommodate the film crew under a tight deadline. Many thanks to everyone involved.
Seminole State led all 28 Florida College System colleges in full-time enrollment (FTE) growth in every category for lower-division FTEs: Fee-Paying, Credit and Total FTEs in 2010-11. We maintained our ninth-largest position in the state with a 10.1 percent growth rate in lower-division FTEs vs. a system-wide average of 6.4 percent. With a 10.2 percent increase in total FTEs for the upper and lower divisions, we were the only college in the state to achieve double-digit growth! And we are now only about 130 FTEs behind Daytona State College.
October Board Meeting Date
Our next Board meeting is scheduled for Oct. 17; however, that is a week when the Legislative Committees will be in session. Mr. Chairman, I believe that you wanted to propose a change in the meeting date to Oct. 24.
Other Dates
Just a reminder that Collegewide Convocation is tomorrow morning in the Gymnasium. I understand that Scott and Cindy will be attending. And the annual Presidents' Club Dinner, hosted by the Foundation, is the evening of Oct. 5. I hope that all of you will attend.
