BOARD REPORT FROM THE DEC. 6, 2017, MEETING OF THE CF DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The meeting was held at the Ocala Campus in the Founders Hall Board Room.
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
■ Approved Write Offs for Fiscal Year 2017-2018.
■ Approved 2017-2018 College Catalog Deletions.
■ Approved the Ocala Aquatics Inc. Lease Agreement Extension through Dec. 31, 2019, which allows Ocala Aquatics Inc. to complete fundraising and financing to design and construct new pool facilities off campus within Marion County.
■ Approved RFQ 17-8 Architectural and Engineering Services Recommendation for Health Sciences Technology Center.
■ Approved a Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination Commitment Agreement.
■ Approved Change Order No. 1 – Appleton Museum of Art HVAC Replacement Phases 1 and 2.
■ Approved Change Orders No. 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 to GMP – Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus Construction Project.
■ Approved the Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus Construction and Building Acceptance.
■ Approved Board Policy 1.00: Mission (Vision) of the College.
■ Approved Budget Priorities for 2018-2019.
■ Received the Monthly Financial Summary Report and List of Warrants.
■ Received a Suicide Prevention Grant update from Tom Walsh, program director. The three-year, $300,000 grant is raising mental health awareness on campus. A survey conducted in spring 2017 showed that many CF students are sad, lonely, depressed or experiencing anxiety. Although 72 percent were aware of available counseling services, only 8 percent used them.
■ Received a 2013-2018 Strategic Plan update from Dr. Jillian Ramsammy, vice president of Institutional Effectiveness and College Relations. She reported that the college has met the goal or is making progress in 69 percent of the strategic indicators.
■ Received a Grants Annual Report from Matt Matthews, director, Resource Development and Accreditation. CF has received 12 new grants and has three continuing grants totaling $7.9 million. Staff is working on nine grants in the coming year and is being more strategic about applications.
■ Received an Airport Property update on a potential new partnership between CF, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Ocala Police Department. CF Public Safety currently uses property for a driving pad and it could house a shooting range for numerous law enforcement agencies in the future. OPD Chief Greg Graham said the Ocala City Council thinks it’s a great idea, would purchase the property and lease it to the college. Sheriff Billy Woods said it’s an opportunity to look to the future for multi-agency use of the facility. College Attorney Rob Batsel said CF would be the operator and all parties would share expenses.
TRUSTEE COMMENTS
Trustee Don Taylor asked about the use of the Citrus Campus as a pet shelter during Hurricane Irma. Dr. Vernon Lawter, vice president of Regional Campuses, explained that it was a last-minute request from the Citrus County sheriff and emergency management officials. Despite not having a generator, there were no incidents and the county provided carpet cleaning afterward. Dr. Lawter will be following up with the sheriff.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
■ The Marketing and Public Relations team brought home eight awards from the Association of Florida Colleges Communications and Marketing Commission Awards of Excellence: first place in Annual Report, Brochure (Citrus and Levy), Single Sheet Flyer (prepping for health science education),Video/Electronic Promotion (Career Explorer Series) and second place in Viewbook/Recruitment Piece (international viewbook), Redesign (Insider newsletter, from print to digital), Poster, Newsletter (electronic). The team also earned three awards in the 2017 National Council for Marketing and Public Relations Region 3 Medallion Awards competition: Gold Medallion Award for Brochure (Citrus and Levy brochures), Silver Medallion Award for Magazine (Connection, fall 2016), and Silver Medallion Award for Viewbook (international viewbook).
■ The Patriot Press placed fourth at the state publications awards banquet, placing in nine of the 18 individual categories, including two first place awards. James Blevins, who graduated from CF this past spring, and Delaney Van Nest, the current managing editor/photography editor, were two of only four students at the convention to earn an Inner Circle Award for placing among the top three in three different categories. Mark Anderson, the editor-in-chief in the spring and a current CF student, placed second in humor writing.
■ CF is one of only 344 colleges and universities to receive Arbor Day Foundation recognition in 2016. This distinction shows commitment to encouraging students and university personnel to care for the planet’s tree resources.
■ The Patriot Blues Jazz Band and Combo performed at the Jazz at Sunset event at Silver Springs State Park on Oct. 1 in celebration of the anniversary of the state park status.
■ CF Teacher Education Department partnered with Early Learning Coalition of Marion County on Sept. 30 to host “Fall into Reading” literacy fair for families. Marion County Public Libraries, Ocala Civic Theatre, Boys and Girls Club of Marion County, and Appleton Museum of Art were among those represented in the storybook themed booths. All children received two free books.
■ Gabriella Urdaneta has been selected as a 2017 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar and will receive a $1,000 scholarship. The scholarship, sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, recognizes 200 Phi Theta Kappa members with awards totaling $200,000. Twenty-five of these scholarships are earmarked for society members who are active personnel or veterans of the U.S. military. This year’s recipients were selected by a panel of independent judges from nearly 1,000 applicants. Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars are selected based on outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated leadership potential.
■ The Teacher Education program hosted 60 high school students from Citrus and Marion counties at the CF Teacher Education Career Summit on Nov. 30. The students, part of existing teacher assistant programs and Future Florida Educators clubs in high school, participated in roundtable discussions on careers in education, learned how CF prepares students for these careers, and toured the CF Learning Lab School.
■ The Business, Technology and Career and Technical Education department held its first BELL Event on Nov. 17 in the Ewers Century Center. Nearly 150 high school students in the tri-county area who are interested in careers in Business, Engineering and Logistics Leadership had the opportunity to learn about CF’s associate degree programs, meet with local employers, and hear from individuals who have been successful in these careers.
■ The PRIDE Service Excellence survey results for the first three quarters of 2017 are at an all-time high with 92 percent of students satisfied that CF employees are exhibiting the five service tandards (Professional, 95 percent; Responsive, 92 percent;, Informative, 93 percent; Dependable, 89 percent; and Engaged, 91 percent). Final 2017 totals will be available in January.
■ Seven Student Activity Board members attended the National Center for Student Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. Students listened to three keynote speakers and attended seven professional development workshops. Students also networked with fellow advisors and student leaders from around the world. They toured the Capitol, Ford Theatre, White House, African American Museum, Washington Memorial, Arlington National, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Korea Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial and the World War II Memorial.
■ The American Association of Community Colleges held its fall meetings in Washington, D.C., Nov. 15-17. Dr. Henningsen co-chairs the commission on Research, Technology and Emerging Trends. One of the priority areas he has requested the group research is best practices in performance funding models across the country. Presentations were made on innovative approaches to workforce and economic development. He also attended his first board meeting as a new member of the AACC Board of Directors.
■ Fall Commencement is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 15, at 5 p.m.
■ The Association of Florida Colleges Trustees Commission Legislative Conference is scheduled Jan. 9-11 in Tallahassee and the Association of Community College Trustees National Legislative Summit is scheduled for Feb.11-14 in Washington, D.C.
■ In CF Foundation News, more than 14 new scholarships have been established in 2017. The management company running College Square Apartments will resign Dec. 31; the Foundation Board solicited proposals and is working to contract with Roberts Real Estate to begin on Jan. 1, 2018. The President’s Holiday Reception is Dec. 8 at the Vintage Farm Campus. The next Foundation Board meeting is scheduled for Dec. 12.
■ In Appleton Museum of Art news:
Museum staff are preparing for two upcoming exhibitions of Rembrandt etchings and an exhibition of artifacts from the Fort King site in January. In February, the museum will host “Folk Couture,” which features contemporary fashion designs inspired by folk art from the American Museum of Folk Art.
“Mysteries of the Amazon” exhibition attendance continues to be good even though the main portion of the museum is closed to visitors. November 2017 attendance figures are down approximately 1,200 in comparison to the same time period last year. The last “Mysteries of the Amazon” exhibition event is a performance by Tribe of Love on Jan. 11.
Patricia Tomlinson, curator of Exhibitions, has been working with CF faculty to increase the number of classes that incorporate the collections and temporary exhibitions into their curriculum. During November and December, CF nursing classes visited the museum and have used imagery in the “Mysteries of the Amazon” paintings as inspiration for their clinicals.
More than 500 people visited the museum’s art making activity area at the Fine Arts for Ocala Arts Festival on Oct. 28 and 29.
The inaugural Inspired Speaker event on Nov. 19 with Mark Emery was attended by more than 275 people.
The December First Friday Art Walk was a success. More than 200 people visited the museum’s art making activity and received museum promotional materials.
The December First Saturday, attended by more than 50 people, featured collage making, tree frogs and snakes inspired by the Amazon rain forest.
■ Athletics news:
Men’s Basketball is currently ranked No. 5 in the state; the men’s overall record is 8-1 with a huge weekend coming up on Dec. 9-10 with 10 of the state’s best teams in action. The Florida JUCO Shootout at CF will feature five games each day and the finest collegiate basketball to be played in the area. CF will face Gulf Coast State College (Ranked No. 7 with 11-1 record) at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, and face Miami-Dade College at 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10.
Women’s Basketball is having a difficult start to the year. The Lady Patriots are 1-9 with a game tonight (Dec. 6) versus Eastern Florida State College. The team is looking forward to the holiday break and resetting for the conference opener in January.
Baseball and Softball fall season scrimmages and practices have ended and the teams are beginning to make decisions on the players that will fill the roster in January.
Volleyball season ended at the state tournament in November with a loss to Polk State College. The Lady Patriots won their seventh consecutive Mid-Florida Conference title and placed three players on the conference first team. We are currently searching and preparing for interviews for the Head Volleyball Coach position.
The next board meeting will be held Wednesday, Jan. 24, at 3 p.m. in the Founders Hall Board Room at the Ocala Campus.