volume lxxxvi, january 2017 A Publication of the florida association of colleges and universities
Association News
FACU & SAVE THE DATE!
Plans are well underway for the 2017 FAC&U Annual Meeting, being held May 31, 2017, at Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine. More information coming soon!
news from across the state barry university
Barry University Receives Workforce Development and Education Grant Barry University was one of the recipients of The Bank of America Charitable Foundation’s 2016 Workforce Development and Education grants. The grant is part of more than $525,000 the bank is investing in support of workforce development and education programs across South Florida. Bank of America’s grant helps fund Barry University programs that serve the student population. For years, Bank of America has invested in South Florida’s workforce development and education infrastructure, helping individuals and families build better money habits and find pathways out of poverty. In addition, the grant provides small businesses with technical assistance and support to help them thrive. “With this grant, we were be able to provide additional resources to support our fundraising initiatives, which creates more scholarship opportunities for our students,” said Barry University President Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP, PhD. “Our longstanding partnership with Bank of America is a great example of how corporate citizens can help make a positive impact in our community.
florida gulf coast university
FGCU Helps Veterans Transition To Civilian Life
In an effort to help veterans successfully transition to civilian life, FGCU now offers the Warrior Health and Fitness Program and the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurial Program.
I am an American Soldier. I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values. I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my Warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself. I am an expert and I am a professional. I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America, in close combat. I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life. I am an American Soldier. ~ The Soldier’s Creed There might not be a line on a school, job or loan application where The Soldier’s Creed fits as a reply to the question, “What makes you qualified?” But if you had to count on someone to succeed as a university student, owner, the person who lives by those words 2 employee or small-business likely would be someone you’d want on your team. >>> To read the full article by Keith Gibson on fgcu360.com, click HERE.
florida association of colleges & universities FAC&U Officers 2016-2017 FAC&U President Nathaniel Glover, MEd, Hon. LLD President, Edward Waters College FAC&U Vice- President Donal O’Shea, ScD President, New College of Florida FAC&U Past President Eileen Holden, EdD President, Polk State College 2016-2017 FAC&U Board Members Jeffery Albritten, EdD President, Florida SouthWestern StatevCollege Mr. Andrew Corty Publisher, Florida Trend Marshall Criser, III, JD Chancellor, State University System John Delaney, J.D. President, University of North Florida George L. Hanbury II, PhD President, Nova Southeastern University John Holdnak, PhD President, Gulf Coast State College T. Dwayne McCay, PhD President, Florida Institute of Technology Edwin Moore, PhD President, Independent Colleges & Universities of Florida Madeline Pumariega, PhD Chancellor of the Florida College System Ex-Officio Member Pam Stewart, Florida Commissioner of Education
news from across the state palm beach state college
PBSC Loxahatchee Groves Campus Set To Open Feb. 27 Students registering for spring classes at Palm Beach State College can now choose Loxahatchee Groves from among their campus choices. The Loxahatchee Groves campus, which sits on 75-acres on Southern Boulevard west of B Road, is set to open Feb. 27. Photography by Al Evans. PBSC’s long anticipated fifth campus is set to officially open Feb. 27. Existing students can register online now, choosing from 64 sections of general education courses that largely count toward the Associate in Arts transfer degree. New students can apply for admission online and get prepared to start in the spring. College leaders say the mostly 10-week classes developed specifically for that campus as well as some classes for the eight-week term can serve about 2,000 students. “As a resident of Wellington, I know the Loxahatchee Groves campus area communities have been anxiously awaiting our new campus,” said Dr. Maria Vallejo, vice president of growth and expansion and provost of the Belle Glade and Loxahatchee Groves campuses. “All of us at PBSC are very excited to be part of history in the making for our western communities.” The 75-acre campus site on Southern Boulevard west of B Road marks the first campus constructed by the College in more than 30 years. The $30 million first phase includes a three-story,
50,000-square-foot multipurpose facility with classrooms, computer labs, administrative office, a 250seat lecture hall and ancillary support spaces. Hunter Loomis, a 2016 graduate of Royal Palm Beach High School, is among the first students to enroll at the campus. He took a few dual enrollment classes at the Palm Beach Gardens campus while in high school, but the spring term will be his first time enrolling in college classes since his graduation. “The Gardens and Lake Worth campuses are equally far from me. It is about a 30-minute drive. The Loxahatchee Groves campus is only about five minutes. This worked out well for me. I won’t have to drive as far all the time,’’ he said, noting that he still may have to take classes at other campuses to complete his Associate in Arts degree. Spring classes for the 16-week term across the College begin Jan. 5, and the College typically offers 12-week and eight-week classes.
However, because of the timeframe in which the new campus will open, PBSC leaders wanted to ensure students have options soon after the certificate of occupancy is received for the campus. Although health sciences and technology are the initial focus of the first phase of the Loxahatchee Groves campus, the career programs that will be based at that campus will not be available until the summer or fall. They include: the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, which will start in the fall, and Health Information Technology Associate in Science degree, Health Informatics Specialist certificate, Medical Information Coder/ Biller certificate and Medical Transcription technical diploma, which all start in the summer. “We’re looking forward to the expansion to better serve the community,’’ said Dr. Roy Vargas, dean of academic affairs for the Belle Glade and Loxahatchee Groves campuses.
The Loxahatchee Groves campus, which sits on 75-acres on Southern Boulevard west of B Road, is set to open Feb. 27. Photography by Al Evans.
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news from across the state adventist university of health sciences
ADU to Expand Medical Geography Research in Central Florida Communities Adventist University of Health Sciences (ADU) announces the opening of the Center for Population Health Research, directed by Dr. Russ Butler, a Professor of Biology at ADU. Dr. Butler was commissioned to coordinate both faculty and student research across the University campus, and this center represents a long history of his work in this area. Population health is an approach to healthcare that aims to improve the health of an entire population. Rather than focusing on individualistic, case-by-case healing, the Center for Population Health Research will help develop long-term prevention methods and contribute to improving the health of Central Florida’s communities. “It is my hope that this research will impact struggling areas throughout Central Florida and
beyond, closing gaps in health disparities across the population,” says Lars Houmann, President for the Florida Division of AHS. The new research center will engage students and faculty in applying geographic information systems (GIS) technologies to medical geography research. Medical geography is the science of understanding the spatial patterns of phenomena related to human health and well-being in order to identify various factors which may affect the health of a population. Currently, Dr. Butler and his students are conducting research on water quality in nearby Bithlo, among other projects aimed at improving community health. GIS technologies can be used to match research data with map coordinates that can reveal patterns of disease and illness as well as pinpoint high risk areas. It uses spatial statistics, geo-spatial analyses, cartographic techniques, and remotely-sensed data to assess
and analyze spatial and temporal trends. In “Using that data, we can more accurately prescribe action,” explains Dr. Butler about the benefits of spatial mapping technology. The center’s use of GIS technologies will help develop skills in spatial thinking, quantitative analysis, and problem solving while providing hands-on research experience to students. In, providing students and faculty with this opportunity, the Center will contribute to the University’s wholistic approach to education and treatment. Dr. David Greenlaw, the President of ADU, is excited to expand the University’s role in population-health research. “It is our goal to give our students and faculty the very best resources to nurture personal and professional growth, and with this new research center they will be given the opportunity to produce results that will offer a positive impact on the community they serve.”
chipola college
Dr. Sarah Clemmons Named Interim President
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Dr. Sarah C l e m m on s , Senior Vice President of Instruction at Chipola, was named Interim President of the college following the resignation of former college President Dr. Jason Hurst on Oct. 18. In meetings with all college employees on Oct. 25, Dr. Clemmons said, “I am honored to have been asked to lead the college. Dr. Clemmons is currently the chief academic officer for the college with responsibility over all academic and workforce
instructional programs. She also oversees the college’s accreditation, grants, assessment and academic support programs. Dr. Clemmons came to Chipola in 1979 as an English instructor and became Division Chair of the Literature/Language Division rising through the ranks to eventually become the top academic officer of the college. She helped to start the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE), a free tutoring program for all students, which has won a Florida College System Chancellor’s Best Practice Award and has been
a finalist for a national Bellwether Award. She was instrumental in establishing Bachelor’s Degree programs at Chipola beginning in 2003. Dr. Clemmons is a native of Marianna, and is an alumnus of Marianna High School, Chipola College, University of West Florida, Troy University and Florida State University. The Chipola District Board of Trustees recommended that Dr. Clemmons serve as interim president of the college through June 30, 2017.
news from across the state florida Agricultural & Mechanical university FAMU, Lockheed Martin Sign $5M Agreement for NASA Space Exploration Project Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) Interim President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., and Scott Jones, Lockheed Martin director of Supply Chain Management on Civil Space Programs, today executed a new master agreement that enables FAMU students and faculty to work on NASA’s Orion MultiPurpose Crew Vehicle Program and other Lockheed Martin space exploration projects. FAMU is the first historically Black college or university to participate in these efforts. During the five-year collaboration, Lockheed Martin will provide up to $5 million in funding to FAMU through a series of task orders commissioning work related to space exploration. The contract signing ceremony was held at the historic Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center, the
assembly and test area for the Orion spacecraft. “FAMU is excited about the opportunity for our talented faculty and students to work with the Lockheed Martin and NASA team on the journey to Mars,” Robinson said. “The world-class researchers and laboratories at the FAMU- FSU College of Engineering, the FAMU College of Science and Technology, and other STEM disciplines will help make discoveries and develop new technologies needed for deep space exploration.” Jones added, “The signing of this contract brings together the talents and resources of both Florida A&M University and Lockheed Martin. As NASA continues to push the boundaries of space exploration, partnerships like this will help provide skills and technologies needed to advance us further than ever before.” According to J. Murray Gibson, Ph.D., dean of the FAMUFSU College of Engineering, the partnership brings unique strength in engineering research and
education that will benefit the Orion program. “The partnership of FAMU and FSU embodied in our college combines the strengths of a leading historically Black university with a Carnegie ‘highest’ research activity institution,” Gibson said. FAMU Professor Okenwa Okoli, Ph.D., is the principal investigator for the project. He serves as the associate director of the HighPerformance Materials Institute. “Deep space exploration introduces a range of new challenges and requirements. This agreement will enable Lockheed Martin and NASA to engage the full spectrum of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering’s talent and resources,” Okoli said. National and state leaders praised the two organizations for creating such an important partnership that will impact the next phase of aerospace research. >>>To read the full article by Kanya Stewart on famu.edu, click HERE.
pasco hernando state college PHSC To Host MLK Lecture Series
P a s c o Hernando State College (PHSC) will host the 32nd annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Lecture Series featuring “Reflecting on The Little Rock Nine, 60 Years Later” presented by Patricia L. Griffen, Ph.D., clinical psychologist with Clinical Psychology Services, Inc.
Two presentations are scheduled over a two-day period, Jan. 18 and 19, and are offered at no cost. Griffen, an independent clinical practitioner, who as a student, was at the forefront of the integration movement in Arkansas at the Ouachita Baptist University. “We are grateful to have Dr. Griffen as a guest lecturer to engage our faculty, staff, students, and the community when the topics of race,
social justice and equality issues are hot national topics,” said Imani D. Asukile, director of global and multicultural awareness and special assistant to the president. The public is invited to attend; school and organization groups are welcome. For more information, contact the PHSC information center at 1-855-NOW-PHSC or visit www.phsc.edu.
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news from across the state university of south florida
USF Medical Students Take To The Streets To Serve Patients Where They Live The group visits the homeless where they live – on the streets. They go without white coats, carrying backpacks stocked with overthe-counter medications, first aid supplies, hygiene products and socks. They sit next to their patients on a sidewalk or curb and make eye contact. “How are you? Anything we can do to help you tonight?” the medical students ask. The Tampa Bay Street Medicine Project (TBSM) was founded more than two years ago by five University of South Florida medical students with the support of a grant from Alpha Omega Alpha honor medical society. The core group shared a common passion: providing much needed health care and advocacy for a homeless population often
neglected. Since July 2015, the project’s student volunteers have logged nearly 1,600 interactions with homeless individuals during their street runs on the outskirts of downtown Tampa and at clinics conducted at The Well dropin center and First Presbyterian Church of Tampa. They are supervised by volunteer faculty physicians and other health professionals, who step in when more severe problems arise. But the dozen or so students – who gather in a vacant parking lot adjacent to a graffiti-covered wall every other Friday evening and disperse in small groups to offer care to the homeless – do much themselves. They take medical histories, do physical check-ups and hygiene education and address many common medical complaints, including musculoskeletal pain
(common among those sitting and sleeping on sidewalks), headaches, coughs and congestion, itchy skin, wounds, and a lot of foot problems. The USF project was modeled after the tenets set forth by the International Street Medicine Institute, which leads a global network of more than 80 groups practicing street medicine. “Their motto is we go to the people,” said Eric Monaco, one of the founding members of Tampa Bay Street Medicine who last year served as a co-president for the student-run organization. “It levels the playing field and helps build trust when you meet with people where they are — whether that’s under the bridge at I-275 or at a bus station near the Salvation Army.” >>>To read the full article by Anne DeLotto Baier on usf.edu, click HERE.
embry-riddle aeronautical university Crowdfunding Connects Students With Donors
In less than a year, the new Embr yRiddle Crowdfunding platform crowdfunding.erau.edu, which debuted last fall, helped students and faculty raise tens of thousands of dollars in support. “The crowdfunding initiative allows students to participate in their own success, and witness directly the benefits of philanthropy,” says Chris Lambert, senior executive director of development at EmbryRiddle. To date, projects that have
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benefited from crowdfunding include a student team attempting to launch a rocket into space, another team set on breaking the electric land speed record, a veteran’s group that was able to purchase a vehicle to shuttle vets around campus, and several scholarship funds. “In the past, students have wanted to raise money for their projects but have never had the outlet to do so. Now, crowdfunding enables them to go out into the community, share their amazing work and raise money to reach their goals,” says Yoon Van Hout, director of annual giving at Embry-Riddle.
The Eagle Space Flight Team at the Prescott Campus was the first big success, surpassing its $4,500 goal to raise a total of $4,905 by December 2015. Bryce Chanes, a senior aerospace engineering student and the team’s founder, finds it rewarding to have small donors involved. “It’s not a corporation or the university just handing us money. It’s been a struggle but a blessing to answer to people who are actually interested in our success.” >>> To read the full article by Alan Marcos Pinto Cesar on erau. edu, click HERE.
news from across the state MIAMI DADE COLLEGE
MDC President Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. Miami Dade College President Padrón was recognized alongside 20 other individuals, including Bill and Melinda Gates, Ellen Degeneres, Michael Jordan, Margaret H. Hamilton, Frank Gehry and Tom Hanks. During his more than fourdecade career, President Padrón has been one of the most effective national voices for access and inclusion. He has created a culture of success at Miami Dade College while elevating it to a position of international prominence. Throughout his career, he has worked tirelessly to ensure all students have access to high quality, affordable education, producing impressive results in student access, retention and overall achievement. As a result of his efforts, today MDC enrolls and graduates more minority students than any other institution in the United States. He has championed innovative teaching
President Barack Obama awards MDC President Dr. Eduardo Padrón the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., November 22, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
and learning strategies, making MDC a national model of excellence while preparing students for the 21st century global knowledge economy. The Presidential Medal of Freedom was established by President John F. Kennedy, by executive order, in 1963. Some past recipients include civil and human rights leaders Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Desmond Tutu; environmentalist Jacques-
Yves Cousteau; astronaut Neil Armstrong; scientists Jonas Salk and Stephen Hawking; entertainers and media personalities Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg and Walter Cronkite; author Maya Angelou; world leaders and public service leaders Shimon Peres, Margaret Thatcher, Colin Powell, Sandra Day O’Connor and Henry Kissinger; and legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, among others.
NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
Nova Southeastern University Receives $3 Million Grant from U.S. Navy and NAVAIR Thanks to NAVAIR and the U.S. Navy, the next generation of specialists in science, math and technology are being trained right here at Nova Southeastern University (NSU.) A $3 million grant is allowing students in NSU’s Halmos College of
Natural Sciences and Oceanography to participate in the project as part of the Electromagnetic Observatory in the Straits of Florida. Students from Florida Atlantic University SeaTech are also participating. Members of the HCNSO Physical Oceanography Lab working with crew members aboard the M/V Richard L. Becker as part of the educational project funded by
NAVAIR and the U.S. Navy. In this project, physical oceanography students are participating in field work and are trained in computational fluid dynamics for modeling the magnetic signature of oceanic processes. >>> To read the full article on nova.edu, click HERE.
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news from across the state SAINT LEO UNIVERSITY
Technology is a powerful driver that can enhance learning. Dr. Candace Roberts and Dr. Holly Atkins have spoken dozens of times all across the country about using technology to engage students in meaningful learning experiences—but never at the White House, at least not until recently. A group including professors Atkins and Roberts, recent Education Department graduate Stacie Dunmire, and adjunct professor and local school district assistant superintendent Vanessa Hilton, had the honor of speaking at a December White House briefing about the best ways to prepare future teachers to use educational technology effectively in their K-12 classrooms. At the invitation of the U.S. Department of Education, the Saint Leo representatives were asked to describe the many ways that the Saint Leo Education Department employs “program deep and systemwide” integration of technology to prepare the best teachers for tomorrow’s classrooms. “It’s not about the technological tools,” said Roberts. “It’s about engaging
Called to Washington as Exemplars
students in meaningful learning experiences. The tools are always changing. We teach the students how to teach and how to make the best use of a variety of tools.” In a few years, when today’s technology is replaced, the Saint Leo teaching alumni such as Dunmire will retain the capacity and collaborative skills to keep working with peers to find which technologies are best suited for helping school children really grasp the subject matter before them. By hosting a professional briefing, and simultaneously publishing a report (http://tech. ed.gov) on advancing educational technology in teacher preparation, the Department of Education was calling on programs across the country to adopt the innovative mindset of programs like Saint Leo’s and others. Dr. Holly Atkins described many different initiatives she has spearheaded at Saint Leo. As the director of the Teacher Technology Summer institute that Saint Leo hosts for area school teachers, Atkins explained how the institute helps the teachers become confident in assessing and applying technology in practical ways, and in sharing
experiences over the course of the year with counterparts. The institute has been expanded over time with the addition of an advanced-level group whose members returned for higher-level project work and to mentor teachers in beginner cohort. Vanessa Hilton, assistant superintendent for student achievement at Florida’s Pasco County Schools, spoke from the point of view of a district that employs teachers educated at a number of different colleges and universities. Her job is to make sure Pasco finds the educators who are best prepared to help students become successful learners. Hilton reflected that this has been easiest when working in partnership with Saint Leo because of the quality and relevancy of the teacher prep program, and encouraged others to leverage these partnerships in their own districts. “The most important aspect of St. Leo’s program is that they are good listeners…they ask for feedback and listen to the needs of the K-12 system to ensure relevancy,” Hilton said. “They know how important it is to emphasize student learning over the quantity of technology integration.”
FAC&U is the only organization comprised of all 70 college and university presidents in all three sectors of the non-profit private and public higher educational institutions in Florida; this includes all presidents from the State University System, the Florida College System and the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida. Member institutions should submit content for possible inclusion in the next issue of this electronic newsletter by April 1, 2017. Articles should be 250-300 words in length and sent electronically to news@facuflorida.org. Photos and a current school logo are encouraged.
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FAC&U (850) 488-4845 P.O. Box 15587, Tallahassee, Florida 32317 www.facuflorida.org