Chair Rusty Branson announced that the May 22 board meeting has been changed to May 29.
RECOGNITION
■ Dr. Jim Henningsen recognized former trustee Don Taylor from Citrus County for his service to the board from 2011-2019 and presented him with a plaque.
■ Dr. Jennifer Fryns, associate vice president, Career and Professional Programs, introduced CF student Marcus Chandler and John Wallace, adjunct instructor of Music. Marcus recently won Best in State in the Percussionist category at the 2019 Florida College Activities Association Winter Music Symposium.
PRESENTATION
Sam Ajlani, program director, Engineering Technology, Business, Technology and Workforce, presented on FANUC Robotics and showed videos of the college’s four robots on campus. CF has been working on becoming a certified FANUC training site for several years and is farther along in the certification process than any other college or university in Florida. When the process is complete, national and international training will be offered through CF Corporate College. Lockheed Martin, Cardinal Glass and other local companies using FANUC robots are very interested in sending their employees to CF for training.
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES:
■ Approved a change order for the Health Sciences Technology Education Center construction project to increase the square footage to accommodate for a fourth floor design. The total cost for the change order is $280,893.
■ Approved academic and administrative calendars for fiscal year 2019-2020.
■ Approved write-offs for fiscal year 2018-2019 in the amount of $62,408.64.
■ Acknowledged receipt of the Monthly Financial Summary Report and List of Warrants.
■ Received a review of Auditor General Report No. 2019-133 from Joe Mazur, vice president of Administration and Finance. The report is an operational audit of the period Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2017.
■ Received a Patriot PRIDE update from Dr. Vernon Lawter, vice president of Regional Campuses. The initiative started in 2013 and defines important factors used to implement service excellence at CF. PRIDE surveys are always accessible on the student portal and hard copies are available on campuses. The 2018 results showed an increase in each service category and the overall average was 94 percent, the highest ever.
■ Received a legislative update from Jessica Kummerle, manager of Governmental Relations, who reported that the House and Senate provided their first round of budget bills in the third week of the session. The House allocated $1.22 billion to the Florida College System and appropriated $21 million to CF. The Senate allocated $1.28 billion to the FCS and appropriated $22.9 million to CF. Both bills will be heard this week in the Appropriations Committee and then head to Budget Conference. Many other bills related to higher education are moving through the legislative process.
■ Received an overview of the Association of Florida Colleges from Marjorie McGee, director of Student Life and the 2019 statewide AFC president. She is one of three CF staff members who have served as AFC president. As the professional association for Florida’s 28 institutions, AFC provides advocacy for the FCS and its 7,000 members. CF will be hosting the Region 3 conference on April 12.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT TO THE BOARD
2019 Best Online Community Colleges in Florida. CF was recently ranked as the 9th best online community college in Florida by the SR Education Group. The methodology included available degrees, tuition rates and other program coursework details. The SR Education Group is committed to a thoughtful and data-driven approach to ranking schools that benefits students and colleges. SR Education Group has been publishing rankings since 2009 and awarding scholarships since 2010.
Health Science Technology Education Center. On March 13, I presented to the Florida House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee. I informed the committee of the critical need for the building to expand our health science programs to meet the growing demand in our local workforce, the history of the project, the project status and answered various questions asked by members. Accompanying me were Trustee Joyce Brancato, Trustee Robert Winsler, CFO Joe Mazur, Dean of Health Science Dr. Stephanie Cortes, Vice President of Regional Campuses Dr. Vernon Lawter and Governmental Relations Manager Jessica Kummerle. All colleges and universities that have received PECO funding for projects but have not begun construction were requested to testify.
Citrus Campus Update. The Citrus Campus held its annual College Preview Night on March 7 and attracted a record number of guests (246). This event was followed on March 12 by a dual enrollment cohort orientation session for 97 additional guests, 53 of whom were preparing to enter the 2021 cohort of dual enrollment students taking classes together at the Citrus Campus.
Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus Update. Ninety-nine percent of welding students passed the latest welding certification test on March 14. Levy held a FAFSA “Take the Challenge” workshop on March 14. The campus will be hosting a Health Sciences Information session on March 28 at 5 p.m.
Shop Talk Cancer Awareness Program. The next Shop Talk cancer awareness workshop will be held Monday, April 15, beginning at 6:30 p.m. and will focus on “Brain Health: What’s New in Cancer and Stroke Prevention and Treatments.” Dr. Praveen Reddy, from Ocala Health Neurosurgical Group, and Dr. Iraj Nikfarjam, from Ocala Health Florida Stroke Institute will be the presenters. Shop Talk is offered in partnership with Ocala Royal Dames for Cancer Research and Ocala Health.
Marion County 175th Anniversary Celebration. CF will be represented at Marion County’s 175th anniversary celebration March 30, at McPherson Field in Ocala. The festival is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CF will have posters with a timeline of college history and copies of the 50th anniversary book for review, as well as recruitment materials.
Higher Education Happenings Show. The Higher Education Happenings radio show on WOCA February 22 featured Dr. Mac McIntosh, Dean of Criminal Justice and Public Service, and Dr. Stephanie Cortes, Dean of Health Sciences, who focused on the helping professions. The show is held in partnership with University of Central Florida and Webster University to promote higher education opportunities in our community.
Other Voices on the Value of Higher Education. CF is working with community leaders to promote the value of higher education through Other Voices columns in the Ocala StarBanner. On February 10, a column by Rusty Branson, Chair of the CF District Board of Trustees and President of CenterState Bank of Marion County, focused on “CF investment in talent pipeline is paying off.” On February 24, Chad Christianson, CEO of Ocala Health, shared “CF critical to meeting health care workforce needs.” And on March 17, Lonnie Powell, shared “Preparing an equine workforce in the Horse Capital of the World®.” Powell is CEO and executive vice president of Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association as well as Publisher and CEO of Florida Equine Communications. Additional columns are scheduled into the summer.
Friday Talks Business Advancement Series. The topic for the March 29 Friday Talks is “Where Education Meets the Horse Industry.” The panelists are Tammy Gantt, Associate Vice President of Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association; Dr. Judy Downer, Professor and Program Manager of Equine Studies; and Kaitlyn Grimes, CF graduate and intern at FTBOA. Friday Talks are held at the CF Hampton Center beginning at 8:30 a.m. and are held in partnership with the Ocala/Marion County Chamber and Economic Partnership.
AFC Trustees Legislative Conference. Trustee Joyce Brancato and Trustee Robert Winsler participated in the AFC Trustees Legislative Conference on March 13 and 14. They, along with Jessica Kummerle, Governmental Relations Manager, and Dr. Vernon Lawter, Vice President of Regional Campuses, met with Senator Dennis Baxley, Representative Charlie Stone and Senator Keith Perry.
Student Life/Student Activities Board. The Student Activity Board Ocala hosted CF’s Second Annual Got Talent on February 28. Over 250 guests (approximately 70 more than last year) enjoyed 11 different acts that ranged from dancing, to singing, to a trombone! Our Ocala Student Life Team was responsible for the recruitment and management of over 112 volunteers for the NJCAA/FCSAA State Basketball Tournament held March 6 through 9.
Campus Suicide Prevention. Tom Walsh, Director of Campus Suicide Prevention Project was featured in the Ocala Star Banner on February 25 in an article entitled, “Asking RUOK: CF Confronts the Taboo Subject of Suicide.” In May, Walsh has been invited to speak at the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI). He was invited to join the Citrus County Mental Health Council and recently spoke at the Citrus Campus for Mental Health week. QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training continues in SLS1501, ENC1101, PSY2012, DEP2004 and nursing classes.
Academic Affairs. Josh Strigle, in his role as the chair of the Florida Virtual Campus Distance Learning and Student Services Member Council, co-hosted the Second Annual Open Educational Resources Summit in Maitland on February 27 and 28. Representatives from FCS and SUS institutions as well as attendees from out of state participated in presentations, discussions, and hands-on activities related to adopting and incorporating open educational resources (OER) into their discipline-specific courses. Josh also presented on using OER in Canvas.
Professor Wins Florida Book Award. Ron Cooper, Humanities Faculty member and Director of CF Honors Program, won the silver medal award in the 2018 Florida Book Awards General Fiction category for his book, All My Sins Remembered. In this 13th year of the competition, more than 170 books were submitted across 11 categories. The winning authors from across the state will be honored April 11 at the Abitz Family Dinner, the annual awards banquet, at the Mission San Luis in Tallahassee.
Phi Theta Kappa. The Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society held their spring induction ceremony on March 26 at the Klein Conference Center. They welcomed almost 100 new members this semester and the chapter holds the number four spot in the Florida region for new member acceptance. Ninety-eight percent of Florida Phi Theta Kappa members complete their associates degrees and/or transfer to a four year college compared to 55 percent of students in Florida. Sisty-seven percent complete a bachelor’s degree. Phi Theta Kappa will hold its fall induction ceremony in October.
Spring Nation College Media Convention. Rob Marino, Associate Professor of Communications, took five members of the Patriot Press to New York City for the College Media Association Spring National College Media Convention on March 9-12. College Media Association is the professional association dedicated to serving the needs of collegiate student media programs and their advisors.
Foundation Update.
The Taste at the Farm was successful in raising over $64,000 for scholarships and with a sold-out crowd. It also was a good transitional event for the new premiere fundraising event the Foundation is planning for 2020. Name and details to follow, but you had a sneak peek if you were able to get tickets.
The Annual Donor Luncheon will be April 3, Webber Center. The Foundation will highlight scholarship recipients and the donors who help us transform lives.
Our Distinguished Alumni Reception, honoring John (1970) and Shirley (1971) Rudnianyn, will be April 4, 4:30-5:15 pm, Appleton Museum of Art. $10 per ticket.
Marion County Farm Bureau Board will tour and hold their meeting at Vintage Farm on April 16, 5:30-8 p.m.
Former Congressman Cliff Stearns will be presenting a discussion on virtual reality to students and staff in the newly renovated Cliff’s Cyber Café in the LRC on April 17, 12:15-1:30 p.m.
The Foundation’s audit begins the first week of April. Conversations continue with prospects and donors.
Records/Registrar.
Spring Total Graduation Applications: 1,342
Spring Student Self Applications: 621
Spring AutoGrad*: 721
DE Student Graduation Applications: 113
Spring Commencement Walkers: 512 (includes summer graduates)**
Summer Total Graduation Applications: 168
* AutoGrad is a Jenzabar process to find any student eligible for graduation that did not self-select and apply.
** Summer graduates can elect to participate in Spring or Fall commencement ceremonies.
Admissions/Recruitment.
2/21/19: Hosted Belleview High School Round-up where 27 students applied
2/21/19: Attended Forest High School College Preview Night where 7 students applied
2/26/19: Hosted Ocala Preview Night that had 530 attendees and 119 students applied
2/27/19: Attended West Port High School FAFSA and Application Night where 13 students applied
3/2/19: Participated in the Strawberry Festival that had 2000 attendees
3/4/19 & 3/5/19: MTI Round-ups where 51 students applied
3/5/19: Levy Preview Night had 35 attendees and 10 applicants
3/7/19: Citrus Preview Night had 245 attendees
3/12/19: Provided a United Way Education Skill Building Presentation for Strong Families with 35 participants
Student Success Advising Center. The Advising Center team hosted the March 11 (first day of summer registration) MEGA MONDAY event. Advisors were available to “walk-in” advise and register attendees on the spot. It was very successful with 125 students, and 10 staff members from various instructional departments. Each term the event results are more positive and the need for a larger room is now necessary.
Financial Aid. Patrick Hoffman, Director of Financial Aid, reported that during the 2018-19 aid year, a total of $45,425,622 has been awarded to 5,705 students. This includes all prospective students that apply and submit the financial aid application and supporting documents to the college. During spring 2019, $11,706,408 has been disbursed to 3,507 students so far.
Math Department Open House. Math Open House will be held on Wednesday, April 10, from 12:30-1:45 p.m. in Building 7. It will be located in the main hallway and using rooms 104 and 105. This year’s theme is Math In Film. The event is designed to show students how math is used in the creation of films as well as how it has been used within movies. We will have some math and film trivia, presentations/discussions about math in film, and food and prizes.
Athletics.
Men’s and women’s basketball completed the season this month and hosted the sixth straight FCSAA/NJCAA District Championship. This was the final year of hosting this event as it will move to Northwest Florida State College in 2020.
Baseball, with a record of 29-5 is the # 1 team in the Nation and in the State this week’s. CF ranked # 1 in runs scored, hits, doubles, and extra base hits, along with runs batted in and total bases.
Softball is holding on to the # 3 state ranking and # 11 national ranking, the team is 9-1 in conference play and well on their way to their 8th straight post season appearance at the State Softball Championship to be held in Sanford on May 2-5th.
Appleton Museum of Art.
Exhibits
• Through May 26
America’s Everglades: Through the Lens of Clyde Butcher
This exhibition of large format black and white photographs spans three decades and captures the rugged and remote beauty of the Everglades.
• Through July 7
Familiar Beauty: Drawings by Vicki Jones
Jones’ realistic and sometimes surreal works vary in subject matter including landscapes, portraiture, still-lifes and architecture.
Education
• February 1-28
Four hundred and seventy-seven people visited the ARTSpace during the month of February.
• February 16
Fifty-nine people attended the ARTS4ALLFlorida Art Exhibition Reception.
• February 20
Hollis Mutch, Museum Educator and Marie Fielding, Education Assistant gave a tour of the museum and a printmaking workshop to 19 students from Hillcrest School.
• February 23
Hollis Mutch, Museum Educator and Naomi Ballard, Education Assistant, gave a tour of the museum and a printmaking workshop to 12 students from Ft. King Middle School.
• February 25
Patricia Tomlinson, Curator of Exhibitions, spoke about the museum and its programs to 25 members of the Ocala/Marion Youth Leadership Program.
• March 2
First Saturday
Sixty-seven people attended the First Saturday program in the ARTSpace.
Events
• Over 260 people attended a viewing of Mark Emery’s new film Out of the Mist: A Silver River Story.
Next Board Meeting. The next meeting will be held Wednesday, April 24, 2019, at 3 p.m. at the Citrus Campus.