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Presidential Report: Dec. 3, 2012Kudos Congratulations to our Early Childhood Department for receiving the “Outstanding Advocate, 2012” award from the Central Florida Chapter of the Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC). This is the local chapter of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) from whom we received accreditation last year. The award cited the department’s “advocacy efforts for young children and their families.” This award is usually given to an individual, so a departmental recognition is unusual and much appreciated! Congratulations to Dr. Nana Robertson and the entire Early Childhood Department! One hundred percent of the 67 Registered Nurses (RNs) who took the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX) test passed! The state average is 87.2 percent, and the national average is 90.8 percent. Additionally, 100 percent of the Practical Nurses (PNs) taking the test passed. The state average is 78.8 percent, and the national average is 84.9 percent. Locally, UCF had a 98.8 percent pass rate, and Valencia had a 95.5 percent pass rate. Congratulations to Dr. Cheryl Cicotti and all of our Nursing faculty for helping our students achieve these amazing results! Our Automotive Program has earned re-accreditation through 2017 from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). Congratulations to Dean Michael Staley, Program Manager Mark Davis and the automotive faculty and staff for their hard work! Congratulations to Professor and Program Director Mark Carey. The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) has notified us that our Annual Report for the Respiratory Care program “met or exceeded all currently set ‘thresholds’ for success on each of the required outcome measures.” The Commission states that we should be proud of this accomplishment, and we are! Thank you to Mark and the Respiratory Care staff for all of their hard work! Congratulations to Seminole State’s Student Nurse Association (SNA) and their faculty - Professor Marguerite Abel, Professor Sheron Rowe and Professor Lori Theodore – on receiving the SNA Chapter of the Year award! They were also recognized for the following honors:
Congratulations to Michael Garlich and the Communications and Marketing Department...
Other news from the AFC Convention: Congratulations to Lee Patrizzi, business services specialist at the Oviedo Campus. Lee won the Region III “Unsung Hero” Award.
Congratulations to student Danny Singh on the publication of his book, "Finance 101: The Whiz Kid’s Perfect Credit Guide." Danny’s goal was to raise awareness about the student loan crisis in America and make people realize that attendance at a community college makes good financial sense. Danny credits his success to the great faculty and staff at Seminole State, especially Dr. Debbie Socci. Danny is donating his profits to the Children’s National Medical Center. Congratulations to two of our Honors students, Kathryn Rose Skinner-Andrews and Jennifer Adams. Kathryn and Jennifer each had two pieces published in the Southern Regional Honors Conference Literacy Magazine – "2012 Sanctuary." This is a first for Seminole State Students and quite a prestigious honor. Congratulations, Kathryn and Jennifer! Athletics The Athletic Department, under the leadership of Athletic Director John Scarpino and Mike Nicholson, coordinator of intramural sports, celebrated the grand opening of the new Intramural Sports Field on the Sanford/Lake Mary Campus. The newly completed field allows Seminole State to offer outdoor field sports for the first time. Students will be able to compete in soccer, flag football, kickball and softball, with more sports planned for the future. The field’s opening reflects the College’s commitment to its Intramural Sports program, which has been active since 2010. The Lady Raiders Golf Team had a great Fall season. The team tied for a No. 2 ranking in the country. The team’s No. 1 player, Phon Angwarawong, is ranked No. 3 in the country. Coach Teno says that the team members are also “rock stars” in the classroom! Congratulations to the Lady Raiders! Congratulations to Coach Courtney Miller and the Lady Raiders softball team. In November, the National Fast-Pitch Coaches Association announced their "2012 Top 10 All Academic Teams." Seminole State was ranked No. 9 in the nation. Congratulations, Lady Raiders! News Seminole State has received an $8,000 donation from the Consulate of Mexico to help create scholarships for Mexican-American and international students from Mexico attending Seminole State. The donation will be matched by the Foundation to create $16,000 in scholarships. Seminole State was chosen, in part, because of the number of Mexican-Americans it serves. Seminole State ranks among the top colleges in the nation for associate degrees to Latino students. Events On Oct. 18, Seminole State hosted National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Odyssey Day. The event provided a great way for participants to see and drive “vehicles of the future.” The day also included a workshop with speakers representing the Clean Cities Coalition, Progress Energy, Harvest Time International and General Motors. Thank you to Mike Staley, dean of the School of Engineering, Design and Construction; Professor and Program Manager Mark Davis; Professor Jason Gaschel; and the entire Automotive Program team for coordinating this event! On Nov. 26, Governor Rick Scott held a press conference announcing $10,000 Bachelor’s degree programs at seven Florida colleges. Seminole State will be participating with a $10,000 B.S. degree in construction. The four-year degree leads to professional licensure as a general contractor and will be available to students as early as August 2013. This is not a “discounted” degree, but rather one for which the students will be awarded financial assistance if they fulfill their contract with Seminole State and reach the $10,000 mark in tuition and fees. The additional $3,000 will be awarded in funds raised from private contributions. Currently, there are 2,000 job openings annually in Central Florida in this area, and Seminole State is the only college offering this degree. At the Council of Presidents meeting in Orlando last Thursday and Friday, Chancellor Hanna spoke about these degrees and indicated that there are 149 bachelor's degrees currently being offered at 22 of the FCS colleges. That will soon become 23 colleges of the 28 offering BS degrees with the addition of Brevard. So far, 11 of the 22 colleges have joined the $10,000 "challenge" with the expectation that most will join in, but with different guidelines for each one as appropriate to the particular college. Also, last week at COP, Chancellor Hanna provided growth statistics for the past six years for the 28 colleges. In terms of percentage growth, the top colleges are: Polk (79.8 percent); Seminole (54.9 percent); Edison (48 percent); Valencia (43.9 percent); and Central Florida (43.5 percent). On Nov. 29, the Florida Department of Education held a Continuing Contract Workshop on our Heathrow Campus. It was attended by faculty from around the state, including Dr. Michael Artiaga, faculty senate president, and Mr. George Bernard, UFF President-Seminole, who testified. Chancellor Hanna reported at the COP meeting last week that the majority of comments fell into the following categories:
He emphasized that no one is "perfectly happy" with the proposed draft as it is, and that he will take the comments into consideration as the rule is finalized for presentation to the State Board sometime in early 2013. The Chancellor has asked the presidents to take a formal position on the proposed rule once it is finalized and before it goes to the State Board. Upcoming Events This Sunday, several of us – under the direction of Dr. Mark Morgan – will be heading to Dallas to attend the annual meeting of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Yes, the reaffirmation of our accreditation is getting closer. And, thanks to Dr. Morgan and an incredible team who have been working very hard, we are ready! On Saturday, Dec. 8, at 6 p.m., we are hosting a reception for Trustees and Foundation Board members before the 7:30 p.m. performance of "Cabaret." If any of you can make it, please let Cheryl know. On Sunday, Dec. 16, we will be holding our Commencement ceremony at UCF’s Arena. Dr. John Hitt, president of UCF, will be the featured speaker. If you can attend, please let Cheryl know. She will provide you with the event information. Please plan to be there from 1 to 4 p.m. If you want to get into the holiday spirit, please plan to visit Leu Garden’s Holiday House between now and Jan. 2. Each room of the 11-room estate has been dedicated to a leader in the Central Florida Community. Students from Seminole State’s Interior Design Program met with the leaders and then decorated the rooms based on the individual’s “story.” Individuals featured are: Gerry Weldon; Harriett Lake; Alex and Juliet Martins; Toni Jennings; Buddy Dyer; and Linda Chapin. Many thanks to our Interior Design students and faculty for this amazing effort! The College will be closed for Winter Break from Friday, Dec. 21 through Tuesday, Jan. 1. In early February, there will be a Trustees Legislative Conference in Tallahassee. Cheryl will send you the details, but is expected that there will be a reception at the Governor's Mansion on Feb. 6 in the evening. And, last, but not least: When we return in January, if all goes as planned, Alex will be a married man! |
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