President’s Update, October 2018


Thanks to all who supported the American Heart Association Heart Walk at Baseline Trailhead in Ocala on Saturday, Oct. 6.

Good afternoon CF team!

I am thankful that Hurricane Michael had minimal impact on CF. We closed Citrus and Levy Campuses for one day to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff. It is always a difficult decision to close since there are so many people impacted. Safety is always our highest priority, but we also consider the impact of lost instructional time and availability of services to our students and community. Please keep the students, faculty and staff of our sister colleges in the Panhandle in your thoughts. Both Gulf Coast State College and Chipola College are closed indefinitely and Tallahasse Community College is now open.

We are working steadily and thoughtfully through a strategic planning process designed to assess where we are, build on our successes and chart our course for the future. We have gathered input from students, faculty, staff, community and alumni through an online survey of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. There have been conversations with faculty and staff about our mission and vision, priorities, goals and objectives. We are listening to your ideas and refining our direction.

We will bring our revised mission and vision to the District Board of Trustees on Oct. 31, and the full strategic plan and scorecard to the board in December. We will begin 2019 with a new plan that will maximize our strengths in responding to the unique needs of the communities we serve. You can provide input and stay abreast of the process by visiting the Strategic Planning page at Inside.cf.edu. Thank you to everyone who has participated in the process!

Just a reminder to be careful about opening emails and links that may be suspicious. Several college staff members have received sophisticated emails that appear to be from my office. Recipients are asked to provide personal information including passwords. Please know that no CF employee will ever ask for your credentials via email. If you receive a phishing email, delete it without clicking links, responding or forwarding to anyone, including IT. For additional information, call IT Help at ext. 1378.

I am pleased to share that our 2018 baseball standout Josh Harper has been named the National Junior College Athletic Association Student-Athlete of the Year. Harper joins volleyball star Vanessa Benke, who was recognized as Female Student-Athlete of the Year in 2012-2013, and basketball star Ricardo Ratliff, who was recognized as Male Student-Athlete in 2010. CF is the only college in the country to have students recognized in all three categories.

There is so much going on at the college, especially at this time of year. You can stay informed by reading our Insider newsletter, which is emailed twice a week; visiting the Insider site at CFInsider.org; or clicking on the Campus Happenings tab. You also have the option of having individual posts delivered directly to your email.

Thank you for all that you do to support our students and community. Together we are transforming lives.

Jim