BOARD REPORT FROM THE MARCH 28, 2018, MEETING OF THE CF DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The meeting was held at the Ocala Campus in the Founders Hall Board Room.
RECOGNITION
■ Randy Ewers was introduced as the newest trustee appointed by the governor for a term beginning March 13, 2018, and ending May 31, 2021. He succeeds his father, Ron Ewers.
■ Outgoing trustee Ron Ewers received a plaque in recognition of his service to the board from 2009 to 2018.
■ Dr. Jennifer Fryns, dean of Arts and Education, introduced CF Visual and Performing Arts students John Miller and Christopher Patti, who were awarded first place statewide in the Concerto Competition at the Florida College System Activities Association Winter Music Symposium in January. Miller was awarded first place in the Brass category and Patti received first place in the Male Vocalist category. Both students received a $2,000 scholarship to continue their studies at a state university in Florida.
■ Dr. Mark Paugh, vice president of Academic Affairs, introduced Dr. Judy Haisten, a CF foreign language instructor who was recognized by the Florida World Languages in Colleges and Universities as the Teacher of the Year. This is a top award for college teachers of Foreign Languages.
■ Bob Zelinski, director of Athletics and Wellness, introduced new head Volleyball Coach Israel Delgado, who has more than 25 years of coaching experience.
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES:
■ Approved revised 2018-2019 Academic and Administrative Calendars.
■ Received the Monthly Financial Summary Report and List of Warrants.
■ Received a Public Safety update from Doug Prevatt, Public Safety director, who discussed the recent school shooting in south Florida. He explained the run/hide/fight active shooter protocol and encouraged everyone to watch the video posted on the CF Public Safety web page. CF Public Safety officers are non-sworn, unarmed security officers who monitor all campus locations 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except the Hampton Center). Ocala is the largest city in the three-county area and there has been no violent crime on the Ocala Campus in the last five years. CF uses the RAVE alert system to send voice and text messages to students and staff in emergency situations.
■ Received a Patriot PRIDE update from Dr. Vernon Lawter, vice president of Regional Campuses, who shared that the PRIDE standards have now become a part of the CF culture. Survey results from approximately 2,000 students show the overall highest satisfaction rate ever of 92 percent in 2017. For the first time, all three campuses reached 90 percent or higher. Since 2013, the college has improved in every rating each year. The staff recently celebrated this achievement with a breakfast in the Patriot Café.
■ Received a Vintage Farm update from Dr. Rob Wolf, dean of business and technology. Many upgrades are happening at the farm, including new lighting in the parking area, fiber optics for phone/internet access, planting of seasonal crops for college catering services, and compost bins for fertilizing crops. An architectural rendering was shared with a floor plan for classrooms in the existing barn and a proposed covered arena. The plan will keep the aesthetics of the barn while making it compliant with current building codes. A Vintage Farm Advisory Board has been created. Staff has visited other schools to research and plan for the expansion of experiential labs for the Equine Studies and Agribusiness programs. Cattle and horses are currently on the farm property and tours are being provided for K-12 students. Priorities for the farm include: complete classroom renovations, move Agribusiness program operations and the greenhouse from the Ocala Campus to the farm, and hire a full-time farm manager to assist instructors.
■ Received a legislative update from Jessica Kummerle, manager of Governmental Relations. The Florida College System will have $30 million for performance based funding, just over $6 million for restoration of funding cut from the system last year, and $10 million for industry certifications. Although the Appleton Museum did not receive funding, CF will receive $1 million in nonrecurring special operational support. President Jim Henningsen added that CF will receive $3 million for the Health Sciences Technology Center, which came from a total pot of $27 million in funding. Only nine projects were funded throughout the system. CF will host a reception to thank our local legislative delegation on April 19.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
■ Five CF students were named to the Florida College System’s 2018 All-Florida Academic Team. The students will be recognized at an awards ceremony April 6 at the University of South Florida in Tampa. CF students Danielle Bryan, Katelyn James, Crystal Palmer, Karma Pfeiffer and Jacob Ratcliffe were named to the team for their outstanding academic achievement, leadership and service to the community.
■ The college was recently recognized nationally by the Student Mental Health Policy Alliance for demonstrating core values of compassion, accountability, respect and excellence for its student counseling center. Recognition as a “Champion in Student Mental Health Equity” signifies that the college observes with the highest national standards access and quality of care, while being committed to continually improve student wellness.
■ The first annual Digital Media Career Summit was held March 2 for 100 students from all three school districts and was hosted by the CF Visual and Performing Arts Department.
■ The CF Visual and Performing Arts Department hosted the third annual District Honor Band, pulling 125 of the top prospective students from four area school districts to perform in two ensembles and work with guest clinicians over a two-day period. Students did “speed” roundtable sessions with 14 different industry experts, learned about CF and University of Central Florida’s degree programs and enjoyed a keynote by Cheryl Briggs, professor of Animation at UCF. Professor Briggs discussed UCF alumni work on the Disney film “Moana.” The event was sponsored in part by a grant from the Ocala Film Foundation.
■ Six CF graduates who attained their Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education were recognized at the Marion County Public Education Foundation Golden Apple Gala event in January. The students won the Rookie Teacher of the Year distinction at each of their respective schools.
■ The Florida College System Activities Association state basketball tournament was hosted at CF Ocala Campus March 7-10. The event was a success with big crowds for each game and a wonderful atmosphere throughout. CF was congratulated on many fronts for hosting the tournament and working with the local hotels and restaurants in preparation for the event. Special thanks to Bob Zelinski, his athletics team, and volunteers who made it all possible!
■ Taste of Ocala was held March 3 and raised more than $55,000 to create three new Equine/Agribusiness endowed scholarships. The foundation received a $110,000 commitment for creating a “digital docent” experience at the Appleton. The Foundation’s Donor Luncheon will be on April 4 at the Webber Center and will highlight student scholarship recipients and recognize the support of its generous donors.
■ Citrus Campus College Preview Night on March 8 attracted 185 guests who attended a general information session along with breakout sessions on dual enrollment, financial aid and the application process. Thirty-five students applied for admission on site during the event.
■ Lockheed Martin partnered with CF to present an inaugural STEMcon event March 8 at the Ewers Century Center, and more than 200 Marion County middle school students and parents attended. Lockheed Martin engineers performed demonstrations on STEM-related activities, and students learned about careers in the field.
■ Marketing and Public Relations will present the Friday Talks Business Advancement Series March 30 on “5 Empowering Communication Techniques.” The program, which is offered in partnership with the Ocala/Marion County Chamber and Economic Partnership, has been so successful that the college will continue the series in 2018-2019.
■ The college was represented at the Habitat for Humanity Strawberry Festival in Ocala and the Florida SpringsFest at Silver Springs State Park, both on March 3, reaching thousands of potential students. Special thanks to Marketing and Public Relations and Enrollment Services for promoting the college at these community outreach events.
■ In Appleton Museum of Art news:
Twenty adults attended an On Top of the World Master the Possibilities presentation and tour of “Rembrandt” and “Folk Couture” exhibits.
More than 160 people visited the museum’s booth at the March First Friday ArtWalk.
More than 40 people participated in March First Saturday in the ARTSpace.
More than 35 people attended Patricia Tomlinson’s lecture on fashion in the Appleton’s permanent collection.
More than 590 people attended the reception for the Young in Art exhibit featuring artwork by Marion County school students.
On March 3-4, more than 390 people visited the museum’s booth at the Silver Springs SpringsFest.
■ In Athletics news:
Men’s Basketball finished the season at 25-7 and qualified for the tournament a record 14th time. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in the first round.
After a tough year for the Lady Patriots, Women’s Basketball was 8-20 overall and did not qualify for the state tournament. Recruiting has begun for the 2018-2019 year, which includes a search for a new head coach.
Baseball has begun play and the team is 19-10-1 on the season. In conference play, they are 8-5, in third place and ranked number six in Florida. At the half-way point of the conference, they are in good position to qualify for the state tournament, May 11-15 in Lakeland.
Softball has also started play and the team is 36-8 overall. They are ranked number four in Florida. The ladies are first in the conference with a 9-1 record and are well on their way to obtaining a state tournament spot in Sanford May 4.
New head Volleyball Coach Israel Delgado has started recruiting and building a schedule for 2018-2019.
The next board meeting will be held Wednesday, April 25, at 3 p.m. at the Citrus Campus.