Valencia College was recently awarded the inaugural Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. This award is based on student performance and graduation data collected by the U.S. Department of Education.
Colleges recognized by the Aspen Prize serve as models and laboratories for identifying practices that can elevate community college education. This is extremely meaningful to the 6 million students who rely on the nearly 1,200 community colleges nationwide, particularly students who are under-represented in higher education.
Walter Isaacson serves as the president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan educational and policy studies institute. The Aspen Institute board of trustees is made up of high-level individuals from the public and private sectors and include Madeleine K. Albright, Michael D. Eisner, Henry Louis Gates Jr., David Koch and Condoleezza Rice just to name a few.
In selecting Valencia as the best community college in America, Aspen officials noted that over half of the college’s full-time students graduate or transfer within three years of entering the school, a rate significantly higher than the national average (51 percent versus 39 percent).
At a time when data show an increasing number of students nationwide are not ready for college-level work – and that the U.S. has slipped to 12th globally in the percentage of young adults who hold at least an associate degree – Valencia is experiencing rising graduation rates among all students, including minorities.
Valencia has experienced dramatic increases in graduation rates among college-ready African American students, nearly tripling in the last decade from 15.4 percent to 44.3 percent today.
Graduation rates for college-ready Hispanic students have similarly impressive gains, jumping from 38.7 to 45.5 percent in the last decade.
Because community colleges also train students for the workforce, Aspen judges focused on the college’s workforce training programs and the likelihood of graduates landing jobs. They noted that Valencia graduates “are employed at rates higher than graduates from any of the other 10 Aspen Prize finalists. This is especially impressive given the region’s unusually high unemployment rate and low job growth rate.”
This is not the first time that Valencia has made national news. In November, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching named Valencia ESL professor James May the 2011 Florida Professor of the Year. May was one of only 27 state professors selected to represent the most outstanding undergraduate instructors in the country.
In 2009, Valencia won the inaugural Leah Meyer Austin Institutional Student Success Leadership Award for helping minority students succeed. In 2007, the New York Times named Valencia as one of the nation’s leading community colleges, and in 2001, Valencia was chosen by Time Magazine as one of the nation’s best schools at helping first-year students excel.
Interested in a new laptop computer? Sure you are!
Register today for FAFSA Frenzy February – a program offered by Valencia’s financial aid department to educate students about the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA), college goal sunday in Florida, veteran’s affairs and much more.
So why should you attend? A FAFSA must be submitted every year to receive financial aid. Applying early can increase your financial aid award and you’ll have experts in this department to assist you! Drawings for laptops will occur for students who complete their FAFSA onsite.
Help is available on the following campuses, dates and times:
West Campus
Student Services Building (SSB), Room 142 February 8, 2012
1:00-7:00 p.m.
Osceola Campus
Building 3, Room 100 February 17, 2012
10:00-7:00 p.m.
East Campus
Building 4, Room 122 February 22, 2012
1:00-7:00 p.m.
Dr. Bernice King, speaker, author, minister and daughter of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will speak at Valencia College tomorrow at 1 p.m. in the East Campus Performing Arts Center (PAC).
King’s presentation, titled “Raising the Standard,” is meant to be a call to action—especially for students—to become more civically engaged in their communities and lead others to achieve the dreams and ideals of her father.
Her visit is being sponsored by Valencia’s office of Student Development. As space in the PAC is limited and available on a first-come, first-seated basis, the college will offer live streaming in an overflow area as well as at locations on other Valencia campuses: West Campus, HSB 105; Osceola Campus, Bldg. 1 Auditorium; or Winter Park Campus, Rms. 224, 225 & 226.
Valencia’s East Campus is located at 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando. The talk is free and open to the public. For more information, call 407-582-2313.
Valencia will host a series of activities next week, January 23rd – 26th based on the work of internationally acclaimed scholar of religion, Karen Armstrong and her book, Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life.
The program schedule offers a unique opportunity to join Valencia colleagues and expose yourself to subjects like Socratic dialogue, compassionate listening, ahimsa, the Buddhist notion of non-self, Islam, Ayurveda, self-leadership, peacebuilding, meditation and mindfulness.
Valencia’s Peace and Justice program also host a Multifaith Forum with Imam Musri, Rabbi David Kay and Father William Holiday discussing the relevance of religion in the 21st Century on Wednesday afternoon from 1:00-2: 15 PM. All events will be held on East in 3-113 and are free and open to all.
In addition, Osceola and West Campuses will host Agnes Umunna, Liberian radio host and author of And Still Peace Did Not Come. A free and public film screening of Pray the Devil Back to Hell, hosted by the HEROS club will take place on West Campus in the Special Events Center, building 8 on Thursday evening from 6:30-9:00 PM. The discussion following the film will be led by Ms. Umunna.
The community, Valencia Students faculty, staff, alumni and friends are invited to these events . The schedule of events is available through the link below. If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Peace and Justice Office at 407-582-2291 or peaceandjustice@valenciacollege.edu.
In honor of Valencia College winning the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the Orlando City Commission on Jan. 9 paid tribute to the college that has been recognized as being the top two-year college in the nation.
“They were not named one of the best community colleges in the nation, but the best, number one community college in the entire nation,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said, proclaiming that Jan. 9 would be recognized as Valencia College Day in the city of Orlando.
Last month, Valencia was named the winner of the inaugural Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence at a ceremony held in Washington, D.C. The award comes with $600,000 in prize money.
During Monday’s city commission meeting, Dyer and members of the commission said the nation is finally discovering what they’ve known for a long time: the excellent reputation of Valencia.
“Congratulations to Valencia College,” said Commissioner Samuel B. Ings. “It was Valencia Community College when I was there and graduated from Valencia in the 1970s. It was really great that the Aspen institute recognized the great things they’re doing.”
Ings noted that Valencia prepares a lot of minority students for the job market and helps them find employment as they near graduation. “They really do move a lot of students along, particularly African-Americans,” Ings said.
Several members of the Valencia College staff attended the city commission meeting to hear Mayor Dyer read the proclamation, including Valencia President Sandy Shugart, who said his staff was deeply proud of the honor awarded by the Aspen Institute, and equally proud to be serving the Orlando community.
“A great college like Valencia College is only as good as the community we’re in,” Shugart said. “We’re grateful for that honor and that support.”
Dyer said the Aspen recognition is valuable to the city’s business leaders too. In a recent meeting to discuss economic development efforts in the city of Orlando, business leaders said one key to the city’s future growth will be having well-educated students and college graduates, Dyer said. “They talk about education being one of the most critical components,” Dyer said. He noted that Valencia College has a wide curriculum, offering 700 courses each semester, and that the college “produces more associates degrees each semester than any other community college in the nation.” These courses, Dyer said, “link students to well paying jobs” both in Orlando and other parts of Florida and the nation.
Commissioner Daisy W. Lynum also noted that those courses have first-rate reputations as well. “It’s real good to stand for intelligence and brilliance in education,” she said.
Walter Pacheco, Orlando Sentinel writes about Central Florida’s high-tech companies who face a fast-paced 2012. As innovations in mobile technology roll out, competition becomes fiercer among the top players.
Dr. Lisa Macon is a professor of Computer Programming and Information Technology at the West Campus, where she also serves as the program chair for Information Technology.
“We’ve been receiving a lot of calls for internships or short-term job placement agencies looking for students who can develop apps,” said Lisa Macon, professor of Information Technology at Valencia College, who teaches a class on app development.
Macon said there are a few local app developers and they charge hefty prices for their services. Teaching students about app development not only serves local companies looking for a less costly alternative, but it also encourages entrepreneurial growth.
As another major term is upon us – I have to ask myself, are students aware of all of the deadlines that come with a brand new semester?
Although registration began in early November, flex courses are still available for the spring term. If you are intersted in searching for possible classes – visit http://net5.valenciacollege.edu/schedule/ to see what’s still available! Monday, January 9, 2012 will start another school term and you have until January 17 to add or drop classes. Please remember that this is a critical deadline, you don’t want to be a “no show” if you decide a class isn’t for you!
Remember to always check www.valenciacollege.edu for important dates and deadlines and login to your atlas account for important announcements from the college, faculty and staff.
Here’s to a healthy, safe and successful school term!
Happy 2012! I hope everyone enjoyed a safe and happy holiday season. As this new year starts, back to work and back to schedules, I am going to work hard to keep the spirit of the season alive all year.
This year, as a staff service project, foundation staff volunteered at IDignity. IDignity was created to help the disadvantaged in Central Florida overcome the difficulties of obtaining the personal identification that is crucial to enabling them to become self-sufficient. For more information about the program, visit www.idignity.org.
The December event was held at the Orlando Rescue Mission. As a staff we spread out, working in different areas. I ended up helping with crowd flow as folks went through reception and intake. For some clients, this was a second trip to an IDignity event, they had already processed all of the paperwork and were awaiting a document (birth certificate, etc.). Those folks would check in at reception, where there was a door with a window, and a volunteer would often say, “Okay, wait just a second, let me check the list.” The client would wait patiently as the volunteer would check a few places.
If the door opened, it was great news! Document in hand, the volunteer confirmed the client’s identity and handed over the document. This was a celebratory occasion, not enough to just slip the document through the window and please move on your way. Volunteers offered applause, backslaps and cheers, with the clients in the reception area always joining in. For the client, the moment usually brought some tears, along with a story of how long this journey has taken. For some, it was as long as eight years spent trying to get correct documentation.
I joined in the cheering and revelry, but inside I felt a pang of guilt. I remembered back to when I lived in Illinois for a bit and had to get a new driver’s license. I was turned away because I didn’t bring in a certified copy of my birth certificate, just a photocopy. Even with my mom there, vouching the birth certificate was correct (she had been there!), even then they still turned me away. I remember the anger and frustration and inconvenience I felt, and now how out of context that was. All I had to do was wait for my mom to return to Florida, overnight the official copy and that was that.
My experience at IDignity was a great reminder not the let life’s little frustrations get you down. Even those working against insurmountable odds were able to face the day with a smile, a thanks, even a God bless. And I do promise, as one of my new year’s resolutions, to carry that experience in my heart all year as a reminder to always be grateful for what you do have. Happy new year!
Don’t miss Sandy Shugart in concert, releasing his newest CD, “Distances We Keep, “ at the Garden Theatre in Winter Garden.
Don’t miss Sandy Shugart in concert, releasing his newest CD “Distances We Keep,” at the Garden Theatre in Winter Garden. Saturday, January 14, 2012 8pm. Tickets: $15 (students/seniors $12); visit online for tickets.
This is coffeehouse music at its best – intelligent and engaging. Ranging in style from Americana to alternative country to urban folk, this singer-songwriter offers an acoustic tour of the emotions, including humor, with original songs mixed with the occasional cover.
Extended tickets for $40 include 6:30 pm pre-show reception plus 8 pm concert; visit online for tickets.
The following statement was released by William E. Trueheart, president and CEO of Achieving the Dream Inc., a national nonprofit dedicated to helping low-income students and students of color stay in school and earn a college certificate or degree.
Silver Spring, MD (December 12, 2011) – We are proud to congratulate Valencia College for winning The Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Valencia College – an Achieving the Dream Leader College and 2009 winner of Achieving the Dream’s most prestigious award– the Leah Meyer Austin Institutional Student Success Leadership Award – was recognized today for demonstrated excellence in improved student performance over time. Valencia College was also recognized for achieving high levels of equity in outcomes among all student populations, and for its deliberate and sustained focus on using data to guide practice and policy to sustain student success and program completion. Today’s recognition is the culmination of an intensive, year-long process that included the review of institutional-level, disaggregated data on completion, labor market, and learning outcomes, and two-day site visits to each of the ten finalist colleges.
We want to especially applaud Valencia College President Sanford C. “Sandy” Shugart and the entire faculty and staff, who are outstanding leaders in every sense of the word – serious, committed, and effective exemplars of the student success process. The work of improving student success is difficult, important, and urgent. Across the nation, more colleges are committing to raising persistence and graduation rates. Achieving the Dream Institutions like Valencia College are national exemplars of what is possible with an institution-wide commitment to student success and equity.
We are also proud to congratulate Achieving the Dream colleagues at Mott Community College and Southwest Texas Junior College who were among the top ten finalists for the Aspen Prize.
Following an announcement last summer, Valencia College is moving forward with plans to go smoke-free on all its campuses by August 2012. Several other Florida colleges and universities, including the University of Florida in Gainesville, have enacted smoke-free policies, meaning they don’t allow students, employees or visitors to smoke anywhere on school grounds. The University of Central Florida (UCF) is considering taking similar steps.
“I hate to interfere in people’s private lives and habits, but secondhand smoke affects everyone,” said Valencia President Sandy Shugart in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel.
The college will spend the next eight months preparing students, faculty and staff for the change in policy, and has launched a communications effort with the theme, “Share the Air.”
The Share the Air campaign includes campus banners, ashtray decals, printed informational materials and a new website, among other things. Valencia, in partnership with the Quit Smoking Now program, is also providing free on-campus quit-smoking programs for students, employees and members of the community who wish to kick the habit.
In November, student groups at all four campuses held events in conjunction with the America Cancer Society’s Great American Smoke-Out, an event that challenges people to stop smoking cigarettes for a day, hoping their decision not to smoke will last forever. The students used the occasion to introduce the college’s new smoke-free policy with a focus on health and nutrition (“Smoke a turkey, not your lungs” was the fun theme of Winter Park Campus’ event).
To see a video of the East Campus festivities and hear the views of smokers and non-smokers alike on the college going smoke-free, click here:
Valencia Wins 2011 Aspen Prize for Focus on College Completion, Job Preparation
Valencia College learned today that it won the inaugural Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Announced in a ceremony held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the award comes with $600,000 in prize money.
“It is such a privilege to represent my colleagues and the hundreds of community colleges across the country that have done amazing work for years and years,” said Dr. Sanford Shugart, president of Valencia College. “The whole country is looking to us these days, it seems. The nation has discovered that we have this unique instrument at hand. We are institutions where excellence is not defined by exclusivity.”
“This award embodies the idea that community colleges are incredibly important; important to the future of this great country, of course, important to our education system and our economy,” said Richard Riley, former U.S. Secretary of Education and former governor of South Carolina. “The prize is also highlighting which community colleges best show us the way to moving beyond extraordinary access to exceptional levels of student success. That’s something we need all community colleges to do nationally.”
In a competitive year-long process, the Aspen Institute, along with a panel of some of the biggest names in higher education, selected Valencia and four runners-up from a preliminary list of 120 “top” community colleges in the nation, based on student performance and graduation data collected by the U.S. Department of Education. The runners-up include community colleges from around the country, including Miami-Dade College, Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, S.D., Walla Walla Community College in Walla Walla, Wash., and Western Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah, Ky.
“Valencia College has proven that devotion to assessment yields results,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program. “The college is an engine for employment in Central Florida, and a model for the country.”
“Community colleges are America’s best kept secret,” said Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden and a community college professor. “Excellence happens every day in community college classrooms and campuses across this country…Congratulations to Valencia College and all the finalists. Your commitment to your students is an inspiration to all of us.”
In selecting Valencia as the best community college in America, Aspen officials noted that over half of the college’s full-time students graduate or transfer within three years of entering the school, a rate significantly higher than the national average (51 percent versus 39 percent).
At a time when data show an increasing number of students nationwide are not ready for college-level work – and that the U.S has slipped to 12th globally in the percentage of young adults who hold at least an associate degree – Valencia is experiencing rising graduation rates among all students, including minorities.
Valencia has experienced dramatic increases in graduation rates among college-ready African American students, nearly tripling in the last decade from 15.4 percent to 44.3 percent today.
Graduation rates for college-ready Hispanic students have similarly impressive gains, jumping from 38.7 to 45.5 percent in the last decade.
Because community colleges also train students for the workforce, Aspen judges focused on the college’s workforce training programs and the likelihood of graduates landing jobs. They noted that Valencia graduates “are employed at rates higher than graduates from any of the other 10 Aspen Prize finalists. This is especially impressive given the region’s unusually high unemployment rate and low job growth rate.”
This is not the first time that Valencia has made national news. In November, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching named Valencia ESL professor James May the 2011 Florida Professor of the Year. May was one of only 27 state professors selected to represent the most outstanding undergraduate instructors in the country.
In 2009, Valencia won the inaugural Leah Meyer Austin Institutional Student Success Leadership Award for helping minority students succeed. In 2007, the New York Times named Valencia as one of the nation’s leading community colleges, and in 2001, Valencia was chosen by Time Magazine as one of the nation’s best schools at helping first-year students excel.
Valencia’s innovations include:
LifeMap, launched in 1998, empowers students to chart their own paths through college to achieve career and life goals through connections with advisors, faculty, staff and interactive tools.
Supplemental Learning, which bolsters traditional courses with small-group study sessions, led by a student who has already successfully taken the class. Since 2006, almost 32,000 students have taken SL courses – one of the largest scale learning experiments to ever take place in a U.S. community college.
Bridges to Success, which offers disadvantaged high school students free tuition if they enroll in Valencia immediately after high school graduation, keep their grades up and participate in Bridges activities.
DirectConnect to UCF, which has streamlined the admissions, financial aid, advising and transfer processes for Valencia students continuing their education at UCF.
Founded in 1967, Valencia College operates six campuses and centers in Central Florida’s Orange and Osceola counties, offering credit and continuing education programs. The college has more than 70,000 students and more than 80,000 students have earned degrees at Valencia since its founding.
When Jeffreen Hayes graduated from Oviedo High School, she moved on to the University of Central Florida to major in chemistry. Her goal? To become a pharmacist.
It would have been a good plan, but there was one problem: Hayes wasn’t passionate about chemistry.
So she took some time off to consider her options, and turned to Valencia.
Here, she signed up for humanities classes and soon discovered her true love: humanities and art. After taking a class with the late humanities professor Philip Bishop, she asked him what kinds of jobs she might be able to get with a degree in humanities. “He said I could do a lot of things. I could be an art critic or work in a museum,” Hayes recalls.
Thanks to a number of internships – including one she landed while at Valencia – Hayes is on her way to her dream job as a museum director.
Hayes’ journey began at Valencia, where college staffers helped her land an internship at Orlando Museum of Art. There, her primary job was to lead tours of the museum’s African and pre-Columbian art galleries, primarily for elementary school children. In addition, museum staffers asked her to research an African-American artist, Kerry James Marshall, who had an exhibition coming up at the museum. “They wanted help figuring out how to reach out to the African-American community,” Hayes said. “I was supposed to research him and his work and come up with ways to engage the community.”
Although Hayes was growing increasingly interested in art – and a potential career as a curator – her dad wasn’t happy about the idea. A retired military man, he wanted to know how she was going to find a job. But she had a plan.
After graduating from Valencia, Hayes transferred to Florida International University in Miami, to finish her undergraduate degree in humanities. There, she got a work-study job in the campus museum – and learned more hands-on museum work. “It was a really great experience,” she said. “I learned how to describe objects, I learned the database system.” She also learned about an internship program in New York City, sponsored by an organization for women in the arts.
Upon graduation from FIU in December 2000, Hayes packed her bags and headed to Washington, D.C., where she worked for the federal government’s General Services Administration in the department’s art and architecture program. Her responsibilities included asking artists and galleries to send their proposals for various building projects.
She continued at that job for two years, before heading to Howard University in D.C. to earn her master’s degree in art history. At Howard, she landed even more internships – at the National Gallery of Art and the Library of Congress. It’s a path she encourages students to follow.
“I think the most important thing about the internships I’ve done was that they helped me find my niche,” Hayes says. “I learned, for instance, that I didn’t want to be a registrar — the person in charge of taking care of the collection,” who catalogs the works and coordinates the schedule. Instead, she discovered she liked researching the artists and their work and talking to them. “The internships allowed me to fine-tune my interests and really find my niche. My strategy was to work in as many different institutions in as many different positions as I could,” she said. But at the end of her many internships, she knew she wanted to be a museum curator.
Hayes has already had a taste of that, having worked as an interim curator at the University of Delaware and as associate curator at the Hampton University Museum in Hampton, Va. Now working full-time on her doctoral dissertation at the College of William & Mary, she will soon head to the Birmingham Museum of Art, where she’ll be doing a post-doctoral fellowship.
“I love what I do and I think that if you’re really passionate and if you’re willing to put forth the work, you can do it. But you have to be willing to do the work. You can love being an actress, but if you’re not willing to do the legwork, it’s not going to happen.”
She also advises students to find mentors and stay in touch with them. “I asked for help all along the way. I think that’s something a lot of younger people do not do,” she said.
Often, she said, it’s as easy as asking someone in the business if they have time for a cup of coffee to chat about how they got started. And after you’ve established that friendship, stay in touch. Hayes updates her mentors and friends in the art world about her moves, from one job to another.
“You would be surprised at the lifelong relationships you will have with these people. I am still in touch with the people I reached out to 10 years ago,” Hayes says. “Those people who’ve been instrumental in my life, I always let them know what my next step is. It shows them: Look, this is what you helped me accomplish.”
This program is for students who want more from their college experience—more challenges, more opportunities and more connections with fellow students and great professors. The Seneff Honors College is for those with a deep passion for learning.
overseas trips
special scholarships
recognition at commencement
Valencia offers this and more, all in a setting that nurtures the whole individual.
Five lucky students have won free tuition – after being named the winners of Valencia College’s Student Video Contest.
The contest winners are: Douglas Apolinario, Gilberto Moleiro,Annistacia Morgan, LaWren Sanderson and Cinthia Romero Santos.
Designed to inspire others to persevere and pursue their college dreams, the Valencia Student Video Contest has been wildly popular, with 103 students submitting videos in the contest and 28,000 votes received on Facebook.
The contest was the idea of Valencia’s president, Dr. Sandy Shugart, who envisioned an “American Idol” style contest, in which Valencia students could share their stories and the challenges they’ve faced to go to college. His goal was to spotlight real students and let them tell their own stories about their dreams and their challenges.
Like many Valencia students, the winners have taken an unconventional path to college or have beaten the odds to attend college. One of the winners, Cinthia Romero Santos, moved from Brazil to Orlando as a teenager after the death of her father. Although her family struggled as immigrants, Cinthia was determined to get a college education. She is now studying at Valencia to become a pediatric nurse.
Gilberto Moleiro is an international student who for 10 years pursued his dream of becoming a rock star. When he realized that wouldn’t happen, he didn’t give up; instead he decided to pursue a career in sound and music technology.
Doug Apolinario is also interested in a musical career, but has faced different challenges. As a teenager, he dropped out of high school to help support his family. Now he is working full-time and attending Valencia part-time. He’s the first member of his family to attend college.
Ten eligible finalists were chosen, based on the votes submitted on Facebook. From the 10 finalists, the winning videos were chosen by a panel of judges. The judges were: Lori Kifer, a member of Valencia’s board of trustees; Eric Rench, a West Campus student and member of the college’s student government association; Joyce Romano, vice president of student affairs; and Lucy Boudet, vice president of marketing and strategic communication.
“I loved all of the entries,” Boudet said. “There were videos that were funny and made me laugh; videos that were very courageous, with a student looking straight at the camera, explaining how he had made big mistakes and wanted to turn his life around…They all inspired me.
“Yet in the end, we picked the five videos out of the ten finalists that we felt best conveyed their own stories,” Boudet said.
The five students will receive up to 60 hours’ worth of tuition waivers at Valencia – so that they can complete their associate degrees.
The new Seneff Honors College at Valencia will launch Fall of 2012, offering four distinct paths to an honors degree.
This program is for students who want more from their college experience—more challenges, more opportunities and more connections with fellow students and great professors. The Seneff Honors College is for those with a deep passion for learning.
overseas trips
special scholarships
recognition at commencement
Valencia offers this and more, all in a setting that nurtures the whole individual.
A Passion for Technology and Teaching Earns National Honors for Top Professor in Florida
A Valencia College professor is being recognized today by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as the 2011 Florida Professor of the Year.
James May teaches English to speakers of other languages, but he has developed his own style – using technology to get beyond language barriers and help students learn.
“I guess I’ve always liked technology,” May said, “but I have never really believed in using technology for technology’s sake. Ask a language teacher and you will hear, ‘Truly acquiring a language requires interaction.’ As social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video-sharing sites and smart technology proliferated, so too did my ability to interact with my students. And I have found that, in addition to being more interested, my students read and write better as a result.”
The U.S. Professors of the Year program, administered by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), salutes the most outstanding undergraduate instructors in the country – those who excel as teachers and influence the lives of their students.
A total of 27 state winners and four national winners will be honored at a reception today at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.
“We’re thrilled that Dr. May was named Florida Professor of the Year,” said Ruth Prather, president of Valencia’s East Campus, where Professor May teaches. “His students do extraordinarily well. He’s a credit to Valencia and to his fellow faculty.”
May has had an extraordinary year. He won the Excellence in Technology award by the Association of Florida Colleges, taking first place. And last November, May was honored by the Florida Association of Community Colleges as their 2010 Professor of the Year.
Valencia is one of the nation’s largest and most celebrated two-year colleges. In September, the school was named one of 10 finalists for the million-dollar Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, which rewards the best and most innovative community college in the nation. Valencia is also ranked first in the nation among all community colleges in the number of associate degrees awarded, second in the number of associate degrees awarded to Hispanics and third in the number awarded to African-Americans.
Just a reminder! This year the Gaylord Palms ICE! is hosting a whole day scholarship fundraising event called Dia Latino en ICE! on Saturday, November 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
The Gaylord Plams’ is offering a 47% discount off general admission. The price for an adult is $12.00 and $8.99 for children. Half of the discounted ticketed price will be donated to the Hispanic Business Council Scholarship fund to support Valencia students!
For donations to be made to the Hispanic Business Council and to get your discounted rate, please purchase your tickets online and use the discount code SENOL
The ICE sculptures are new and the hotel has other activities to make it a fun day. Even thought it is a Latin day promotion, all the shows are in English, same as a regular day.
The chamber is also working on having a “meet the chamber” event from 5 p.m. to
7 p.m. where they will have free hot chocolate and coffee. All groups are welcome!
After 35 years of hard work and dedication, we would like to announce the retirement of Valencia nursing professor Susie Forehand (she began at Valencia November 11, 1976). Susie has been an advocate for quality nursing education all of her life. At Valencia, Susie’s dedication to students is exemplified in her contributions to nursing. She has educated and nurtured thousands of students who have gone out into the community to serve with her same dedication, preparing numerous men and women for a career in nursing.
Many will tell you that Susie is a hard professor, but she says she just expects the best from her Valencia students. Her students have been given a gift of an education that they will never forget. Many graduates return to see Susie and say, ‘thank you for teaching me how to be a great nurse.’ Susie’s commitment to excellence and service continue and will forever remain her legacy at Valencia College.
In lieu of gifts or an elaborate retirement celebration, Professor Susie Boatman Foreman requested donations to support current and future nursing student scholarships at Valencia. Should you wish to make a contribution please visit online at: https://donate.valencia.org/susie
Her nurturing character has extended over many years. In the early 1960s Susie participated in the Civil Rights movement during the Dr. Martin Luther King era of peaceful protest. In our own Orange County, Susie participated in passive marches, sit-ins and demonstrations that untimely resulted in “black & white” signs removed and local lunch counters open to serve all patrons.
She continued to explore new cultures by traveling the world and covering five continents in 11 years. These visits to Hong Kong, Spain, Greece, Mexico and England expanded her passion for inclusion. In addition, her travels have extended to six countries in Africa: Nigeria, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Senegal, and the Congo.
Susie’s good work has been recognized within our community through a number of awards including Nursing Excellence, Nursing Educator Award, Instructor of the Year and nominations as Woman of the Year. Although Susie Forehand is retiring, her commitment to nursing students at Valencia College will continue with your support.
In lieu of gifts or an elaborate celebration, Susie requested donations for current and future nursing student scholarships at Valencia.
We hope you will join us in honoring Susie’s milestone with a contribution reflecting her commitment to educating future nursing professionals at Valencia College.
Phoenix, Valencia College’s art and literature magazine, has been named the first place winner of its division in the Florida College System Publications Association’s 2011 magazine competition.
Phoenix competed with others from around the state, and once again, the magazine was awarded the “General Excellence” plaque. In addition to the overall prize, magazine contributors won nine first-place awards and one third-place award. The Phoenix features art, poetry, and prose from Valencia students.
In the poetry category, Valencia received first place award for the collection of poetry submitted by students Michael Martin, Helen MacMaster and Philip Pantely. Michael Martin also received a third-place prize for his poem, “Delayed Reaction.”
In addition, MacMaster won the Debra Vazquez Award in Poetry, which is given to one poet annually to honor a slain English teacher and poet who was a key presence in the FCSAA until her untimely death in 2004. This was the first time a Phoenix poet has won the award.
In the nonfiction category, Merlaine Sivels won a first-place award for her article, “Daddy Issues.”
In the art category, Alyssa Aviles won first place for her “Self Portrait,” and she also was awarded another first place prize for her work, “Endless Adoration,” in another category. Aviles and Angel Rivera’s illustrations combined to help the magazine with first place in the collection of illustrations with text.
In the design category, Meg Lavinghousez and Patrick O’Connor won first place in overall magazine design. They also landed a first-place prize for the magazine’s cover, and another for the magazine’s content page.
In the editing category, Echo Slocum won first-place.
Secure your future while doing the same for students.
Your deferred donation can provide support to future Valencia students.
Bequests are the simplest form of a planned gift, by naming Valencia Foundation a beneficiary through your will or amending your will with a codicil, you are affirming a commitment to education. You can pledge today to leave a lasting legacy. There are three types from which you can select when creating or amending your will. Below are definitions of each type of bequest and sample language that you and your lawyer may find helpful.
Bequest Type
Sample Language
Specific Bequest:A specific value or dollar amount named for a charitable gift by will.
I give $_______ (specific amount or percentage) to Valencia Foundation, a not-for-profit, IRS approved 501(c)(3) corporation chartered in 1974, in support of (a specific area of interest).
Residuary Bequest:A residuary bequest will provide remaining / residuary property of the estate after all the special gifts designated in the will were made.
I give and bequeath the residue of my estate to Valencia Foundation, a not-for-profit, IRS approved 501(c)(3) corporation chartered in 1974, to be used to further its purposes as the board of directors in their discretion may deem appropriate (or in support of a specific area of interest).
Contingent Bequest:This gift in your will depends upon an event which may or may not occur. Should your beneficiary pass on or disclaim the property, this contingency would ensure your estate is distributed as you requested.
In the event that ___________(beneficiary) does not survive me, I give the rest, residue and remainder of my estate (or $_______ specific amount or percentage) to Valencia Foundation, a not-for-profit, IRS approved 501(c)(3) corporation chartered in 1974, to be used to further its purposes as the board of directors in their discretion may deem appropriate (or in support of a specific area of interest).
We welcome your feedback on our online resources, designed to help you chart your charitable intentions, which can be found at www.VALENCIAGIVING.org.
If you would prefer, our foundation team would be delighted to meet with you to discuss your philanthropic objectives and to explore how you and your family can benefit.
Dr. Sanford “Sandy” Shugart, Valencia College’s president, has been named one of the Orlando Business Journal’s Most Influential Businessmen for 2011.
The business publication selected Shugart as the most influential businessman in the education field.
Shugart, 55, has led Valencia since 2000. He came to Valencia from North Harris College near Houston. Prior to that, the North Carolina native served as vice president of the North Carolina Community College System. He received his doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Shugart is the fourth president of Valencia, one of the nation’s largest and most celebrated two-year colleges. Earlier this year, Valencia was named one of 10 finalists for the inaugural Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, which rewards the best and most innovative community college in the nation. Valencia is also ranked first in the nation among all community colleges in the number of associate degrees awarded, second in the number of associate degrees awarded to Hispanics and third in the number awarded to African-Americans.
Shugart is well known on campus as a poet and musician. But the Orlando Business Journal article spotlighted a few things you may not know about Valencia’s president. For instance, did you know that his favorite movie is “Twelve O’Clock High,” a 1949 film about a general who takes over a bomber pilot unit suffering from low morale and whips them into fighting shape? Or that he describes the birth of his first child as his “most life-changing experience”? And who would have guessed that his pet peeve is aggressive drivers?
Voting is under way in Valencia College’s Student Video Contest and already more than 12,000 votes have been cast.
So what are you waiting for? Get on your Facebook account (or join Facebook and set up an account) and vote for your favorite student videos.
The video contest — which is open to current students and those who have attended Valencia within the past five years — will reward five winners with up to 60 credit hours of free tuition.
Over the past month, 103 students submitted videos in the contest — based on the theme “Why College? Why Valencia?” Now the public – along with Valencia students, faculty and staff — can help decide the winners by voting for their favorite videos on Valencia’s Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/ValenciaCollege?sk=app_179591362111969)
Voting began on Oct. 24 and will continue through Nov. 4.
Already, the video contest has created a buzz on Valencia’s campuses. “I started looking at these videos and some are so great,” said Jade Lewis, Valencia’s computer labs manager. “A few have been my students and it actually choked me up….The college is on the right path with this idea!”
Five winners will be selected from the 10 videos that collect the most votes. A team of judges will then sort through the top 10 vote-getters to select the winners. Judges will be focusing on originality, creativity and the best use of the theme: challenges that students have overcome to pursue an education.
The winners will be announced Nov. 15.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
When economic prospects look dismal it’s natural to focus on short-term, rather than long-term, goals. Our foundation board is committed to keeping both horizons in our line of sight so that we can serve today’s deserving student and prepare for tomorrow’s generations.
We imagine a community in which family finances never stand in the way of earning a college education.
As you plan for your family’s future, I invite you to use our web site tools at www.VALENCIAGIVING.org, which may spark some creative thinking about how to maintain your legacy forever.
Make a bequest pledge that costs you nothing during your life.
Give a contribution that provides you lifetime income.
Preserve your estate for your heirs and provide years of income to Valencia.
Convert surplus life insurance coverage into an endowment.
Donate appreciated securities and realize larger tax savings than if you had used cash.
We welcome your feedback on our new online resources, designed to help you chart your charitable intentions, which can be found at www.VALENCIAGIVING.org. If you would prefer, our foundation team would be delighted to meet with you to discuss your philanthropic objectives and to explore how you and your family can benefit.
Warmly,
Geraldine Gallagher, CFRE
President and CEO
P.S. If you have already made Valencia Foundation a planned giving priority please let us know so that you can become a founding member of our new Legacy Society. Feel free to contact Donna Marino at (407) 582-3128 to learn more.
Sadly, our poet Paul Guest had to cancel – his caregiver has a family emergency and is unable to travel with him to Orlando this weekend, and Paul was unable to find a suitable replacement. We are attempting to find a good date to reschedule this event in the spring.
We will let you know when the event has been rescheduled.
Paul Guest, author of the memoir One More Theory About Happiness and four award-winning poetry collections, will be reading on Friday October 28th at 7pm at the Winter Park Campus of Valencia College in Rooms 224-226.
At age 12, Guest was paralyzed from the neck down from a biking accident. He has triumphed over extreme physical challenges to become an acclaimed writer and teacher. Currently, Guest is a professor at the University of Virginia and continues to write about his experiences.
from One More Theory About Happiness:
“It was terrifying to no longer be a patient. To no longer be inrehabilitation. In recovery. Unspoken, but quietly feared, was the assessment, by doctors, by nurses, and therapists, that you had reached an endpoint in this process. That your rehabilitation had come to its expiration date. That nothing more could be done. What awaited was the rest of your life.”
This event is made possible by funding from the Dr. P. Phillips Chair in Education for the Physically Challenged. For further information, please contact Dr. Ilyse Kusnetz at ikusnetz@valenciacollege.edu or at extension x6937.
This year the Gaylord Palms ICE! is hosting a whole day scholarship fundraising event called Dia Latino en ICE! on Saturday, November 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
The Gaylord Plams’ is offering a 47% discount off general admission. The price for an adult is $12.00 and $8.99 for children. Half of the discounted ticketed price will be donated to the Hispanic Business Council Scholarship fund to support Valencia students!
For donations to be made to the Hispanic Business Council and to get your discounted rate, please purchase your tickets online and use the discount code SENOL
The ICE sculptures are new and the hotel has other activities to make it a fun day. Even thought it is a Latin day promotion, all the shows are in English, same as a regular day.
The chamber is also working on having a “meet the chamber” event from 5 p.m. to
7 p.m. where they will have free hot chocolate and coffee. All groups are welcome!
Learn about the unusual creatures of the South American rainforest discovered by Dr. Bruce Means, when he lectures at Valencia College’s East Campus on Tuesday, November 1 from 1-2 p.m.
Means’ presentation, titled “Wild, Wild Lost Worlds of South America: Exploration, Discoveries, Secrets,” will include the discovery of a biodiversity hotspot on previously unexplored mesas called “tepuis” in Venezuela and Guyana. These table-top mountains are where Means has found numerous frogs, giant earthworms (named Andiorrhinus meansi after Means), and terrestrial crabs new to science, including the tumbling pebble toad that curls into a ball and hurtles itself down the side of a mountain to escape its predators.
To scientists, though, Means’ most exciting discovery is an entirely new family of frogs that occupies a critical link between those frogs that lay aquatic eggs that hatch into gilled larvae (tadpoles) and the several families of frogs that lay eggs that develop directly into froglets.
Means has published four books and 270 scientific research papers, and has authored articles that have appeared in Natural History, National Geographic, International Wildlife, National Wildlife, BBC Wildlife, South American Explorerand other natural history magazines. He co-produced and starred in eight documentary films for National Geographic Explorer, BBC Television and PBS. He is currently executive director of the Coastal Plains Institute and Land Conservancy based in Florida and an adjunct professor at Florida State University.
Following the free presentation, Means will hold a book signing with copies of his “Stalking the Plumed Serpent and Other Adventures in Herpetology,” “Priceless Florida” and “Florida Magnificent Wilderness: State Lands, Parks and Natural Areas” available for sale.
The event, sponsored by Student Development, will take place in the Performing Arts Center on the college’s East Campus, which is located at 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando. For more information, please call Steve Myers, Valencia professor of biology, at (407)582-2205.
The tumbling pebble toad can be seen in this feature story from BBC-Earth News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8307000/8307333.stm
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
You are invited to create a memory! Click here to purchase your engraved brick and etch your name in Valencia's legacy.
Help lay the foundation for a student’s future!
The sale of personalized engraved bricks are available to anyone who wishes to create a lasting memory.
These bricks will be embedded in the entry courtyard of the newest Valencia Osceola Campus building 4 once construction is complete.
The cost of a personalized memory brick is $100. The proceeds from these courtyard-bound bricks will used to support scholarships for Osceola Campus students of Valencia College.
Grainger is one of five finalists for the “Best Partnership” award, one of the prestigious U.S. Chamber of Commerce Corporate Citizenship Awards that recognizes companies that make a positive difference in society. Grainger and the American Red Cross were nominated for the Ready When the Time Comes™ volunteer program.
Today there are 14,000 trained volunteers from more than 460 organizations and businesses across the country who serve as Red Cross emergency responders.
The nomination for the Best Partnership Award reflects their deep commitment to the Ready When the Time Comes™ program and emergency preparedness.
We are reaching out to partners in hopes that you will consider the opportunity to help garner national exposure for this volunteer program. For additional information on the volunteer program, visit Ready When the Time Comes™
The winner is selected by popular vote and voting ends on October 28, 2011. We encourage you to take a minute to view the strong partnerships nominated and then cast your vote at: http://bclc.uschamber.com/best-partnership-finalists-2011
What does a diverse student body mean to teachers and to colleges?
Professor John Scolaro, who has taught humanities at Valencia for 22 years, answers that question in an essay published in The Orlando Sentinel. Well done, professor!
My Word: Teachers must appreciate diversity
By John Scolaro, September 27, 2011
After teaching 22 years at Valencia College’s West Campus, I am more excited now than I have ever been about the prospects of the students I teach and see every day.
Students deserve the utmost respect from their teachers. They are, as the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber once said, developing beings. By this he meant that every student is an untapped reservoir. The teacher’s task, then, is to invite his or her students to share their experiences based on genuine interaction. As Buber said: “It means that the teacher shall face his pupils not as developed brain before unfinished ones, but as being before beings, as mature being before developing beings. He must really face them, that means not in a direction working from above to below, from the teacher’s chair to the pupils’ benches, but in genuine interaction.”
Teaching, in other words, is a lot more than simply dispensing information from above; it is more often the result of genuine dialogue. In fact, without dialogue between teachers and their students or between students and their peers, the transfer of ideas is dead. The root meaning of the Latin word for education, educare, is to “draw forth.” Students must be invited to speak.
Finally, the diversity among students these days is obvious. College-wide, we now have an enrollment of close to 60,000 students. Our students represent diverse cultures, languages, and religious and economic traditions. This constitutes a formidable challenge of the highest order.
As teachers, we need to appreciate diversity. Its absence leads to what a former student called unidimensional thinking, or the idea that everything should be filtered through the prism of our own world view in order to gain credibility.
If teachers and students maintain this closed view of others, we will continue to perpetuate the intolerance, racism, and disrespect for others so common in American culture today. The better route is to accept the world as a human kaleidoscope infused with mystery. We must learn to appreciate diversity.
Since students are imbued with unlimited potential, we teachers must find a way to inspire and honor them. To honor the uniqueness of our students today is more necessary now than ever before.
John Scolaro of Orlando is a professor of humanities at Valencia College.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
With a variety of activities during the month of October on multiple campuses, as well as special off-campus outings in the community, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow Valencia alumni, retirees, faculty, staff, students and friends. Chances are good that you will be able to find at least one you can’t resist!
Wednesday, October 12
Valencia Alumni Association Networking Reception & Idea Exchange West Campus Special Events Center, Bldg 8
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. — Networking Reception RSVPs Encouragedalumni@valenciacollege.edu
Thursday, October 13
Valencia’s Student Development Celebrates “Spirit Day” (Matador Day)
Popcorn Flicks in Central Park featuring “The Fly” 8-10:00 p.m. Bring your blanket or chair to enjoy the movie under the stars in Central Park in downtown Winter Park. Free popcorn. Rain date will be Oct. 27th. Free. www.enzian.org
Friday, October 14
Valencia College Allied Health Fair West Campus (outside tables located near cafeteria, SSB and AHS), 10 am – 2 pm. Learn about the health care programs offered at Valencia. Laboratory tours every hour, free popcorn and snow cones. Free. Allied Health
Latin Night in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month Osceola Campus, 7-10 p.m. Entertainment, food, dancing. Free for Valencia students; $5 for non-students. Directions
October 14 through November 6
Little Shop of Horrors
Book and lyrics by Howard Ashman; Music by Alan Menken; Produced by TheatreWorks Florida.
Seymour loves two things: a beautiful, way-out-of-his-league girl named Audrey and interesting, unusual plants. As a down and out floral assistant, he never dreamed that discovering an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood would turn him into an overnight sensation! Little Shop of Horrors is an affectionate rock-n-roll spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies that will have you laughing and dancing in your seats. Advance purchase tickets for Oct.14-Oct.23 – performances $17 with Promo Code VALENCIAHOMECOMING www.gardentheatre.org
Wednesday, October 19
Reception and presentation by Dr. George Lopez of Notre Dame Univ. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies East Campus, Bldg 6 Room 110, 1-2:15 p.m. Directions
Reception, Dinner and Conversation with Dr. George Lopez of Notre Dame Univ. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, Private event
Fine Arts Faculty Exhibit Opening Reception East Campus Building 3 Atrium
6:30-8:30 pm, Free
Monster Ball – “No Tricks Just Treats” Halloween Event Osceola Campus 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Loud music, food, drinks, scary characters, fun! Entry donation of $3 to benefit the American Cancer Society.
“The Drowsy Chaperone” opening night – musical comedy
Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar. Winner of many Tony awards in 2006, this magical musical will transport the audience to the dazzling musicals of the 1920′s as the musical literally bursts to life in the living room of a die-hard musical theater fan!
East Campus Performing Arts Center – Curtain time: 7:30 p.m. Discounted tickets available online at www.valenciacollege.edu/arts @ $6 with Coupon Code: VALENCIAALUMNI
Saturday, October 22
Memory Walk – Walk to End Alzheimer’s 8am-registration begins
9 am-walk begins
For more details and to join Team Valencia, visit www.valenciacollege.edu/alumni
October 22 through 23rd
Enzian’s Second Annual Haunted Swamp Walk of Terror The walk is a chilling tour through 2,000 feet of natural woods behind the Enzian Theater. Featuring original characters, spine- tingling theatrics and impressive decor, attendees will experience nail-biting fun and anxiety as they fall prey to hidden scare traps and surprises around every turn of their tour. Admission is $6 when purchased in advance, $8 day of the event and free for Enzian Film Society members. 8p.m. – 1a.m. For tickets and more information, visit www.enzian.org.
Sunday, October 23rd
Bright House Networks Calle Orange Festival
10 blocks of downtown Orlando are closed for the largest event in Central Florida! Now in its 14th year, Bright House Networks Calle Orange Festival features five stages of Latin America’s biggest and best performers! Music variety will appeal to the American Hispanic as well as those from the Caribbean, Central and South America! Enjoy authentic food delicacies from Hispanic countries and all types of entertainment including a block just for kids!
Thursday, October 27
“Wagner’s Music and Anti-Semitism in Film” presented by Professor Matt McAllister as part of the East Campus Humanities Speaker Series
Opera has remained relevant within popular culture primarily via its use in film and ironical deployments constitute one of its most sophisticated uses. The Nazi party’s use of music during its reign and the stigma that Wagner’s music in particular suffers from as a result will be discussed as well as the circumstances that allow for music to be read ironically in film.
Valencia’s East Campus Bldg. 6 Room 110, 1-2:15 p.m.
Contact Nichole Jackson at njackson18@valenciacollege.edu for more information. Free. Directions
Saturday, October 29
UCF Homecoming Game vs Memphis Tickets $15 ($10 savings) for seats in the north end zone. Get an optional PATCH for just $2 more. Game Time is 4 p.m. UCF football tickets can be purchased by calling the UCF Athletics Ticket Office at (407) 823-1000 or email tickets@athletics.ucf.edu
October 29 through 31st
Enzian’s Second Annual Haunted Swamp Walk of Terror The walk is a chilling tour through 2,000 feet of natural woods behind the Enzian Theater. Featuring original characters, spine- tingling theatrics and impressive decor, attendees will experience nail-biting fun and anxiety as they fall prey to hidden scare traps and surprises around every turn of their tour. Admission is $6 when purchased in advance, $8 day of the event and free for Enzian Film Society members. 8p.m. – 1p.m. For tickets and more information, visit www.enzian.org.
Designing a mission to Mars may have helped Dolores Petropulos land in a place that once seemed equally far out – the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Now, the Valencia computer programming student is in Houston for a 15-week paid internship at NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
There, the 55-year-old Petropulos is working on the development and testing of software that can navigate and control the next generation moon lander. At the end of her internship, Dolores will make a final presentation to technical staff in the Johnson Space Center engineering directorate, the team responsible for providing engineering design, development, and test support for space flight programs.
“This is the next generation moon lander,” says Dolores, of the project she’s working on. “It’s pretty cool stuff. It’ll be used on a robotic mission.”
Dolores’ journey to Houston really began last summer, when she read a college-wide email encouraging Valencia students to apply for NASA’s National Community College Aerospace Scholars program. “It sounded interesting,” she says. “It was an online class and you had to develop a mission to Mars in it.”
Based on her work in the online class, NASA offered Dolores a trip to the Johnson Space Center in October 2010. There, teams of community college students from across the country competed to create a robotic Mars rover that could, among other tricks, pick up a rock out of a water obstacle. “Our little rover won the competition,” Dolores said. “Everybody else’s broke down at least once.”
That trip to Houston inspired Dolores – and ignited in her a new passion for robotics. “Once I won the trip to Johnson Space Center, and I got to see the next generation of space vehicles, the next generation rover, it got me very excited and made me realize that was the way I wanted to go,” she says.
When NASA officials encouraged the community college scholars to apply for internships with the space agency, Dolores checked it out – and sent in her application. Although she wasn’t selected for a spring internship, she learned over the summer that she would be going to Houston for the fall semester. The internship also comes with a $9,000 scholarship that she can apply to her living expenses.
Now Dolores is temporarily living in a Houston apartment furnished with mail-order furniture from Wal-Mart and an inflatable mattress – but she’s continuing to pursue her dream.
“I was looking at the business end of computers, not something like this,” she says. ”When I first started at Valencia, I never thought I’d end up being a rocket scientist.”
This isn’t the first time Dolores has been a pioneer. After graduating from Valencia in 1974, Dolores joined the Orlando Police Department – and became one of 12 women on the force of more than 500 officers.
Even that took a leap of courage. Dolores’ parents didn’t finish high school — and her father didn’t want her to attend college. But Dolores went anyway, and graduated in 1976 with an associate of science degree in criminal justice. “My dad was adamant that I not go, but it was a choice I made and I told him that I hoped he would understand,” she says. “Later on, he ended up being very proud of me and what I accomplished.”
During her years on the force, she struggled with the timed tests required for promotions. She practiced writing reports and memorized the law, but couldn’t pass the tests. Jealous of other officers who’d earned their four-year degrees, Dolores began talking to a Valencia counselor about returning to college in 1991.
Dolores confided in the counselor, telling her what she hadn’t told others – that she’d had problems taking promotional tests while on the force. The counselor suggested she get tested for a learning disability, and when Valencia’s Office of Student Disabilities tested her, Dolores finally discovered the root of her problems. She has dyslexia – which means her brain doesn’t properly process symbols such as letters and numbers.
Armed with knowledge about her learning disability, Dolores began taking remedial math classes, one at a time, while continuing to work on the police force. With the help of tutors and professors, she gradually worked her way through the math curriculum, up to Calculus 3. But she was sidelined in 1997 when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease, cancer of the lymphatic glands.
Even cancer couldn’t stop her. Although she waited until 2009, when she’d retired from the police department, Dolores returned to Valencia, eager to study computer programming. Determined to understand her disability and make the most of it, Dolores now regularly seeks out tutors or pops into professors’ offices to ask for help.
“All you have to do is go to the math lab and say the name Dolores,” said one of her professors, Hatim Boustique. “Everybody there knows Dolores.”
Other students tell Dolores that she’s got something they haven’t. But Dolores and her professors say that’s not true.
“She’s a normal student – as far as performance,” says Boustique, who teaches computer programming and analysis. “She is not a quitter. If she does not understand something, she will live in your office. She used to come to my office hours, every single hour. I gave her my full attention. If she does not understand something, she will stay and stay and stay until she understands it.”
For Dolores, who plans to attend Rollins College in fall of 2012 to finish her bachelor’s degree, Valencia will always be a special place. That’s because the college recognized her abilities when others didn’t, she says.
“It’s amazing that when I graduated from high school, I barely passed,” she says. “To see me now in Phi Theta Kappa, and being part of the honors program, is unbelievable. The educational system in the public schools had actually failed me. Coming to Valencia was the best thing I ever did – both then and now.”
Dolores will return to Orlando in December and complete her dual degrees, an associate of science in computer science and an associate of arts degree in general studies. Then she’ll transfer to Rollins. But she won’t forget Valencia.
“Valencia gave me my accomplishments that I have today and, for that, I’m very grateful,” she says. “I’m not saying they gave it to me on a silver platter. I had hard courses and very hard professors. But I’m finding and learning a lot of new things about myself, even at this stage in life.”
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
Steve Cunningham, professor of ESL and English is currently in the Russian Federation as a Fulbright Scholar, lecturing at the Orsk Humanities and Technology Branch or Orenburg State University.
“After almost two days of travel with a nine hour layover in the Moscow airport, I arrived in Orsk, Russia, at 2:00 in the morning on Friday, September 30th. The head of the Institute’s English department, Marina, and her husband were there to welcome me, and move me into my room at the student dispensary. What is a student dispensary, you wonder? So did I. I thought it was going to be a student dormitory. It is far from it. The dispensary is actually a facility where students can live while they are being treated for minor medical problems, and it also has guest rooms for special guests. I am in one of the guest rooms, and it more like being in a hotel than a dorm. My room is not huge, but it has a comfortable bed, a stuffed arm chair, a private bath, refrigerator, a radiator heater, and a 13″ color TV with rabbit ears. The only thing I’ve noticed missing so far is a laundry facility, so I’ll be washing my clothes in the sink and drying them on the radiator – a very workable solution.”
Remembering Tina Collyer. At the event Fire Chief John Miller (pictured here) spoke to friends and family and honored their commitment to keeping Tina's spirit of service alive.
Tina’s Turn Out was established by friends and community members in memory and celebration of Tina Collyer’s life. With the proceeds from the inaugural Sept. 24th walk, the Tina Collyer scholarship has reached $9,400 and is almost half way toward becoming a perpetual scholarship.
Tina Collyer, a Valencia graduate and an Orlando firefighter, had a passion for helping young Explorers fulfill their dreams of becoming firefighters. Once endowed, the Tina’s Heart scholarship will be earmarked for students, especially Explorers, who wish to certify as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) at Valencia College.
The EMT-Paramedic Program is designed for students who are interested in providing pre-hospital emergency care to acutely ill or injured patients. A stumbling block for many is the expense of completing the EMT program.
Help us with the next steps. Please contribute in memory of Tina Collyer and to help future EMT students. You can contribute online at www.valencia.org, just click on Give Now and make a donation.
If you would prefer to mail a check, write ‘In Memory of Tina Collyer’ in the memo field, and send to: Valencia Foundation, 190 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32801.
Thank you, in advance, for your consideration. Every gift, no matter how large or modest, will make a difference to our students.
Thank you to all who participated. Every gift, no matter how large or modest matters! You can still support future EMT students in memory of Tina Collyer by visiting www.VALENCIA.org and click on ‘Make a Donation’
More photos from this event are available on Facebook via Valencia Alumni Association or click here.
You are invited to create a memory! Click here to purchase your engraved brick and etch your name in Valencia's legacy.
Help lay the foundation for a student’s future!
Valencia College recently broke ground on a new $35 million building in Osceola County.
In conjunction with the groundbreaking, the sale of personalized engraved bricks officially opened to the community and college supportors. Once the building is completed these bricks will be embedded in the entry courtyard of the newest Valencia Osceola Campus building 4.
The cost of a personalized memory brick is $100. The proceeds from these courtyard-bound bricks will used to support scholarships for Osceola Campus students of Valencia College.
For more details or to place your order, please visit valenciacollege.edu/Osceola/bricks
Valencia College is proud to host the 2011 Orange & Osceola County College Night programs for the state of Florida.
College Night 2011 will provide an opportunity for high school and college transfer students to scope out their options for the future.
Students can sign up online . Attendees will receive information on everything college related, from admissions requirements to financial aid, degrees and programs and campus housing.
More than 110 admissions representatives from colleges and universities across the country will be present for this two-night event, which will be held at Valencia College.
College Night, Osceola Campus (Sign Up)
Valencia College
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
6:00-8:00pm (EST)
College Night, East Campus (Sign Up)
Valencia College
Thursday, October 6, 2011
6:00-8:00pm (EST) Last year’s representatives hailed from universities including Yale, Cornell, Rutgers and the University of Florida, as well as local schools including Valencia, University of Central Florida, Rollins, Florida Southern and Stetson. There were also representatives from the United States Air Force and military academies.
Already, a dozen videos and 150 entry forms have been submitted by students hoping to win up to 60 credit hours of free tuition. Through October 21, Valencia is sponsoring a video contest for original videos that make best use the theme, “Why College? Why Valencia?”
The contest is open to all current Valencia students as well as former students who attended the college in the last five years, so long as they are at least 18 years old and U.S. residents. Videos must be no longer than three minutes in length and must be produced in a standard video format (see contest rules for details).
To submit your video, go to the contest website (www.facebook.com/valenciacollege), complete an entry form and upload your video.
All entries will be posted on Facebook, where viewers can later vote for their favorites. Five winners will be selected by a panel of judges from the videos that get the most votes. The winners will be announced on Nov. 15 and their winning videos will be featured on www.valenciacollege.edu, Valencia’s homepage.
Valencia hopes to use the contest to draw attention to the personal stories of its students and inspire others to complete college, while offering the ultimate incentive to five lucky winners – a free education.
Source: Carol Traynor, Marketing & Strategic Communications
Valencia is rolling out a new degree program this fall – one that will give students in the health profession a chance to earn their bachelor’s degree.
One of only two bachelor’s degrees offered at Valencia, the Bachelor of Science in Radiological Imaging Science will begin online classes this fall. Students who earn their bachelor’s degree in radiology science can boost their earnings, in some cases significantly, depending on the field they work in.
According to a 2007 salary survey from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, a student who earns an associate’s degree in radiography earns an average starting salary of $46,376, while a student who holds a bachelor’s degree in the field earns between $64,000 and $85,744 a year.
Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in radiography also gives current sonographers and radiographers a chance to move into administration and management jobs, said Penny Conners, dean of Valencia’s Division of Allied Health. The bachelor’s program will allow the students to specialize in high-demand areas of the radiology field, such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and quality management.
The University of Central Florida offered the B.S. program in radiology science, but dropped it in July 2009 because of state budget cuts. Valencia has picked up the program – and that’s good news for students. Why? Because the estimated cost of four years of study for a bachelor’s degree in Radiologic and Imaging Sciences at Valencia would be $13,554. The estimated cost at a state university would be $19,308. The cost at a private school could be as high as $37,120.
To sign up for courses for the new bachelor’s degree in radiography, students must have completed their associate in science degree and must have passed the national certification exam.
Most of the courses will be taught online, Conners said, which makes the program ideal for those who are already working in the field, but want to earn their bachelor’s degree. “There’s only one course doing clinical work” – a practicum – “so it’s very doable, even if you’re a full-time employee,” Conners said.
Meanwhile, demand for employees with a bachelor’s degree in radiology should continue to be strong. By 2014, there will be 801 project job openings in the field of radiology in Orange, Osceola, Lake, Sumter and Seminole counties, according to Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc.
“It’s a good opportunity,” Conners said, adding that the bachelor’s degree program fits Valencia’s mission of serving both its students and the community. “A community college still brings that ability for someone in the community to advance themselves professionally.”
Valencia College will break ground on a new $35 million building on its Osceola Campus in a ceremony Thursday, Sept. 22. The groundbreaking ceremony will take place at 9:15 a.m.
The new four-story building, designated Building 4, will be the largest building on any Valencia campus – with 150,000 square feet in academic and support space. The campus is off East U.S. Highway 192 and Denn John Boulevard in Kissimmee.
Expected to open to students in spring of 2013, the building will house the campus library, cafeteria, bookstore, classrooms, science labs and a learning support center that will contain tutoring stations, computers and small-group study rooms.
Designed in Southern California “mission style” architecture, the building has two wings attached by a four-story atrium. The library also features a curved, two-story space with windows overlooking the lawn and commons area.
The building was designed by Hunton Brady Architects. Clancy & Theys is the project’s construction manager.
Landscaping and gathering spaces were considered an integral part of the design, said Kathleen Plinske, president of the Osceola Campus. “Whether it’s indoor or outdoor, we’re so crowded that there aren’t good places for students to spend time with their friends or with professors on campus,” Plinske said.
So Plinske, along with Valencia’s president, Sanford Shugart, and the design team from Hunton Brady Architects, designed the building around a green space – creating a “Jeffersonian” lawn, similar to that found at the University of Virginia.
“Dr. Shugart was thinking of a plaza space, with student activities, seating areas, and even outdoor learning areas,” said Hunton Brady vice president Maurizio Maso. “That’s how we ended up locating the cafeteria on one end, with a loggia or covered area, looking out into the green space. And on the other end of the building, we have a terrace, looking out into the student commons area.”
The outdoor space will also include three outdoor courtyards, which will feature benches, power outlets, wireless Internet and six-foot-tall glass slabs that will serve as whiteboards for students and instructors.
Because the building will have a variety of energy-efficient and green features, such as high-efficiency air-conditioning systems, dual-flush toilets and green materials used in the floors, walls and ceilings, Valencia officials are aiming for the building to be certified as a LEED Silver facility. If it receives that certification, it will be the fourth building at Valencia College to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as a LEED facility.
In addition to the energy-saving features inside Building 4, the landscaping plan will use native plants, which require less irrigation.val The new building will also house a cistern to capture rainwater and re-use it.
The University of Central Florida, which operates a regional campus at Valencia’s Osceola campus, committed $7.5 million to the project. In return, the new building will contain 12 classrooms for UCF, plus an office suite for administration and faculty members.
In conjunction with the groundbreaking, Valencia is also announcing the sale of engraved bricks, which will be embedded in the entry courtyard of Building 4. Each brick will sell for $100; a portion of the money from the brick sales will be used to support scholarships for Osceola County students. For details, go to valenciacollege.edu/Osceola/bricks
In conjunction with the groundbreaking, Valencia is also announcing the sale of engraved bricks, which will be embedded in the entry courtyard of Building 4. Each brick will sell for $100; a portion of the money from the brick sales will be used to support scholarships for Osceola County students. For details, go to valenciacollege.edu/Osceola/bricks
The Osceola Campus, founded in 1997, is Valencia’s third largest campus, with about 12,000 students. Osceola is Valencia’s fastest-growing campus, where enrollment has nearly doubled in the last five years.
Valencia College math tutor Marisela Rey helps Valencia student Deidre Dungee
By Denise-Marie Balona, Orlando Sentinel
12:05 a.m. EDT, September 13, 2011
Valencia College today was named one of 10 national finalists for a big new award — the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, which comes with prizes totaling $1 million.
The award seeks to spotlight community colleges with a track record for excellence that will ultimately become models for the rest of the country. Community colleges, which serve nearly half of all college students, are a main focus of President Obama’s plan to boost the nation’s number of college graduates.
One other Florida school — Miami Dade College — was selected as a finalist from among the 120 institutions in the competition.
The schools were chosen based on high performance and their improvements in graduation rates and other indicators of student success.
For example, Valencia students graduate or transfer to other higher-education institutions at a rate of nearly 12 percent above the national average, college officials said.
Last year, 94 percent of Valencia nursing graduates passed their national exam, surpassing the state and national averages.
Community College Week magazine recently ranked Valencia No. 1 in the country for the number of associate degrees awarded.
Valencia’s president, Sandy Shugart, said being a finalist for the Aspen Prize is an affirmation of his faculty’s hard work.
“For more than 15 years, Valencia has been deeply focused on improving student graduation and learning, and we have begun to see extraordinary results in the last five to six years, especially,” he said. “The whole country is interested in those results.”
The $1 million in prize money will be awarded in December. The winner will receive $700,000. The rest will be split among three runners-up.
Valencia College doesn’t have a football team, but it has cracked a more meaningful national ranking.
Valencia — with six locations in Orange and Osceola counties and more than 70,000 students — has been named one of 10 finalists for the $1 million Aspen Prize, a national award recognizing “community college excellence.” Only one other Florida school, Miami Dade College, made the top 10.
The Aspen Prize winner will be named in December. Meanwhile, Valencia’s president, Sandy Shugart, has been invited to the White House next week to discuss his ideas about education with other community college leaders and Obama administration officials.
Shugart has a good story to tell. Valencia’s overall graduation rate is almost three times the rate at other large urban community colleges. Its graduation rates among African-American and Hispanic students have risen sharply over the past decade.
The White House has been highlighting community colleges in the president’s plan to “out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world.” They’re a more affordable option than universities for high-school graduates to prepare for the working world, and for the unemployed to gain new job skills.
Valencia began offering some four-year degrees this year, but its primary focus is still its two-year associate’s programs. Its success in that area, good enough to turn heads nationally, makes Valencia a real asset for Central Florida.
7:30 p.m. curtain – October 21, 22, 27, 28, 29
2:00 p.m. curtain – October 23 and 30
In 2006 The Drowsy Chaperone, a homage to jazz musicals, won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score with many featured actors/actresses nominated.
Click Here To Purchase Tickets
For more information about Valencia’s 2011-2012 Arts Season please click on the image above or visit: http://valenciacollege.edu/arts/
Administrators are urging faculty to find ways to cut textbook costs for students, the college will urge faculty and staff to adopt energy-saving habits, and the college will go smoke-free on all its campuses by 2012.
Those new initiatives — along with the addition of 31 new full-time tenure-track positions – were announced by Valencia President Dr. Sanford Shugart at Valencia’s annual Academic Assembly. In addition, Shugart said he will begin holding regular online conversations with 36 Valencia students who’ve been handpicked to provide the president with input on the college experience.
Financially, the upcoming year will be a challenging one for Valencia College, but one that the college can weather, Shugart told the assembled faculty. “So far, we’ve managed to navigate through the budget area rather well,” Shugart said, but he warned that the coming year will be tight and it’s unlikely that the college will hire many new faculty members next year.
Because rising textbook prices are students’ highest expense after tuition, Shugart urged faculty members to work together to find solutions — whether that means collaborating to write textbooks, using textbooks that can be rented, or agreeing to use the same textbook, which would reduce the resale price of the book.
Some faculty members are already working toward that goal. Biology Professor Robert Gessner has written his own textbook for his microbiology classes – and by using Powerpoint presentations and extensive notes that he provides to the students in lieu of a textbook, he has cut the students’ book costs for his microbiology class from $240 to about $90.
Shugart also announced the launch of a new video contest for students, with the winners receiving free tuition. The contest, which will launch on Sept. 1, invites students to submit videos about their lives and their college dreams — why they chose Valencia, why they want to attend college, how they’ve struggled and been motivated to continue. The videos will be submitted and viewed on Valencia’s Facebook page, with students voting for their favorites via Facebook. A team of judges will select five winners from the top 10 vote-getters — and on Nov. 15, five winners will be named. Each will receive free tuition for the remainder of their Valencia careers — up to 60 credit hours.
Among the other changes that Valencia students, faculty and staff will see in the coming year:
The college is continuing its push to go green. By Earth Day 2011, the college had recycled 1 million pounds of paper, cardboard, plastic and metal. Changes already undertaken in the college’s air conditioning systems are saving $900,000 a year and an estimated 1 million gallons of water a year. Next, the college is asking students, faculty and staff to start changing their behavior. ”We think there’s another million dollars to be saved, but it will be through behavioral change, the little habits that we can change,” Shugart said.
Valencia is launching its new James M. & Dayle L. Seneff Honors College and expanding the honors program on all campuses.
Inspired by the popular TEDTalks videos available online, Valencia will create a series of 4-minute videos that tell the stories about the work that individual professors are doing.
Although this is the final year of a three-year, $743,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the college’s Developmental Education Initiative will continue to research the best ways to provide remedial education and support for students who aren’t ready to tackle college coursework. The goal is to increase the number of students who graduate from college — particularly those who come from low-income homes.
Valencia continues to expand – adding a new campus at Lake Nona, a new building at the Osceola campus and a new building on the West Campus, which will house Valencia’s continuing education division. Valencia is also exploring new sites in Apopka and Poinciana, as well as a potential location at Horizon West in west Orange County.
The college will decentralize some of its academic operations, giving campus presidents more authority to innovate. “Our capacity to innovate is being limited by our size,” Shugart said. “The people who’ve been trying to nourish innovation are finding it immensely difficult to coordinate with 19 deans.”
The video below highlights Valencia Foundation Endowed Chair and National Institute for Staff & Organizational Development (NISOD) award winners.
Congratulations to each Valencia College Faculty and Staff for above and beyond efforts to support and enhance the student experience at Valencia!
Valencia educators are encouraged to remain current and continually improve discipline knowledge. With these endowed chairs, our faculty are given the opportunity to examine the effectiveness of their teaching, counseling, librarianship and assessment techniques as they influence student learning.
Congratulations to the following Distinguished Professors and Scholars, who have been awarded a 2011-12 Valencia Foundation Endowed Chair for Learning Leadership:
Category I
Rachel Allen: Patricia Havill Whalen Chair in Social Sciences Deidre Holmes DuBois: Sue Luzadder Chair in Communications Richard Gair: Abe and Tess Wise Endowed Chair in the Study of the Shoah Claudia Genovese-Martinez: Lockheed Martin Chair in Mathematics Albert Groccia: Raymer F. Maguire Jr. Chair in Mathematics Debra Hollister and Brian Macon: Freeda Louise Foreman Chair in Family Resource Development Deymond Hoyte: Bank of America Chair in Business Management Richard Sansone: University Club of Orlando Chair in Humanities Brenda Schumpert: Lester N. Mandell Chair in Natural and Physical Sciences Patricia Smith: Lockheed Martin Chair in Science Betty Wanielisat: Chesley G. Magruder Foundation Chair in Allied Health Yasmeen Qadri: Wayne Densch Chair in Geriatrics
Category II
Colin Archibald: SunGard Endowed Teaching Chair in Computer Science Mary Beck: Maguire Family Teacher Endowed Chair Ralph Clemente: Walt Disney World Chair in Film Technology Steven Cunningham: Tupperware Corporation Chair in Community Quality Corinne Fennessy: William C. Demetree Jr. Foundation Chair in Education for Special Needs Debbie Hall: Dr. P. Phillips Foundation Chair in Free Enterprise Kitty Harkleroad: Ira Vinson Henderson Chair in Nursing and Allied Health Jim Inglis: Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association Chair in Hospitality Management Ilyse Kusnetz: Dr. P. Phillips Foundation Chair in Education for the Physically Challenged James May: University Club of Orlando Chair in Advanced Computer Technology Pierre Pilloud: Central Florida Restaurant Association Chair in Restaurant and Food Management Lana Powell: SunTrust Chair in Economic Development and Business Education Suzanne Salapa: Universal Orlando Chair in Arts and Entertainment Pam Sandy and Robin Poole: Chesley G. Magruder Foundation Chair in Health and Life Sciences Michael Shugg: Jessie and Eugene Drey Endowment of the English-Speaking Union/Central Florida Branch Chair in English and Humanities Nicole Spottke: Raymer F. Maguire Jr. Endowed Chair in Communications
Five winners will get free tuition (up to 60 credit hours, does not include books) for the remainder of their two-year associate degrees at Valencia.
Valencia College is offering students who recently attended Valencia a visual voice!
Through a video contest students are asked to share goals, challenges, struggles and motivations in answering two questions: Why College? Why Valencia?
Five student winners, no matter where they are in pursuit of a degree, will receive the remainder of their coursework at Valencia (up to 60 credit hours).
Why College? Why Valencia? Submit a video sharing your answers. Tell us your story and you could be one of five students to win a free education at Valencia College. No matter where you are in pursuit of your degree, we’ll pay for the rest of your coursework at Valencia (up to 60 credit hours). We want to hear about your goals, challenges, struggles and motivations. This is your chance to share your story, inspire others and have the rest of your Valencia associate degree paid for!
Prize Details
Five winners will get free tuition (up to 60 credit hours, does not include books) for the remainder of their two-year associate degrees at Valencia.
Contest Starts: September 01, 2011 @ 12:00 pm (ET)
Contest Ends: October 21, 2011 @ 12:00 pm (ET)
Prize Eligibility: The contest is open to students who are currently enrolled at Valencia College or who have taken a course at Valencia College (or Valencia Community College) within the last five years (after January 2006). Only persons residing in the United States who are at least 18 years of age can enter. You will need your Valencia ID (VID) or a Valencia email address to enter.
More than 42,000 students will return to college classrooms at Valencia College on Monday, Aug. 29, when the fall semester begins.
But the number of students enrolled this fall will likely rise, because students who register late may be able to start classes in October.
Whether they start in August or October, this will be the first incoming class to enter as students of Valencia College. The college changed its name on July 1, dropping the name Valencia Community College.
The semester also launches two new bachelor’s degree programs, the first offered at Valencia. Students can now earn their bachelor’s degree in Radiologic and Imaging Sciences or a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology.
Both degree programs will be based at Valencia’s West Campus on Kirkman Road. However, all of the bachelor’s coursework in radiologic and imaging sciences will be online, except for the practicums.
In addition to the two new bachelor’s degrees, Valencia is offering a new Associate in Science degree in Business Management, Marketing and Administration.
And for parents aggravated that their son or daughter didn’t register in time for fall classes, here’s good news. It’s not too late to sign up for Valencia’s “Flex Start” classes – which start on Oct. 5 and Oct. 22.
No matter your style, Valencia College has a program that fits you.
Valencia has several university pre-majors to try on for size, and an A.A. degree that guarantees admission to a Florida state university.
There are also 33 A.S. career programs that give you the option to pursue a bachelor’s degree or strut directly into a new career with a job placement rate of 93% – 95%.
Check out Valencia Colleges full line of programs below!
Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Orlando presents the 6th annual CREW Careers: Building Opportunities
Who: Girls, age 16-18, interested in commercial real estate careers
When: Saturday, November 19, 2011, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Where: City Hall Orlando, 400 S. Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32802
Why: Through this free interactive program, CREW Orlando, the Orlando chapter of CREW Network – Commercial Real Estate Women, introduces the young women of Central Florida to the myriad of career opportunities in commercial real estate including environmental consultants, architects, surveyors, contractors, interior designers, attorneys, bankers and brokers. The 2011 CREW Careers event will allow participants to hear first hand from professionals as they detail their roles in a cutting edge commercial development project, tour the LEED certified City of Orlando Fire Station No. 1, as well as meet local businesswomen and gain an understanding of how to take the first steps toward a successful career in the vibrant commercial real estate industry.
For more information, and sponsorship opportunities, click here.
He may not be the next American Idol, but Valencia president Sandy Shugart will show off his guitar chops in an upcoming performance at the Orlando Science Center.
On Aug. 20, Shugart will perform some of his original songs at the Orlando Science Center, where the museum is currently hosting the traveling exhibit, “Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked the World.”
Shugart’s performance will be part of the science center’s quarterly Cocktails & Cosmos event. The August event, “Where Science Meets Mystique,” offers adult guests a chance to experience Arabic culture – in celebration of the new big-screen film, “Arabia,” which is opening in the science center’s Dr. Phillips CineDome theater.
An accomplished musician and poet, Dr. Shugart has performed for crowds worldwide
A published poet and songwriter, Shugart will be performing on a performance stage inside the “Guitar” exhibit. The event opens at 7 p.m.; Shugart performs at 8 p.m.
Shugart has performed in acoustic and folk-rock venues in California, Texas, the Midwest and Canada. In recent years, he has combined his musical life as a singer-songwriter with his speaking life as an academic, weaving songs and poems into his speeches.
Shugart has completed three recording projects over the past 10 years and has a fourth CD ready for release this fall, available through cdbaby.com or direct from Flat Foot Records.
The Cocktails & Cosmos event will run from 7 to 11 p.m. and is only for those ages 18 and up. Admission is $13 per person and includes admission to the Guitar exhibit. Admission is free for science center members.
“GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked the World,” explores the history and evolution of the guitar-from lutes and lyres to modern high-tech instruments-and show how the instrument became the cultural symbol it is today. It will be on display at the science center until Sept. 11.
And, in case there’s a quiz later, remember this: Shugart plays a Taylor Custom Concert Grand Auditorium guitar.
The Orlando Science Center is located at 777 East Princeton St., Orlando. For more information about Cocktails & Cosmos, contact Heide Evans at 407-514-2036 or visit www.osc.org
The following post was contributed by our intern for the past two semesters, Ben Kuykendall. Ben is studying for his Master of Nonprofit Management Degree at the University of Central Florida and will be graduating in December. We asked Ben to write a reflection on his internship experience and this is what he had to say.
“My internship experience at Valencia Foundation has made a significant contribution to my career development. Before interning with Valencia, my experience working in nonprofit organizations was limited, and my passion to make a difference outweighed my knowledge of how to do so effectively. After spending the last 7 months learning under the staff at Valencia Foundation, I can say with confidence that I am prepared to enter the challenging field of nonprofit management and contribute to an organization’s success.
Our handsome young intern, Ben.
Before interning at Valencia I knew little of how to actually go about raising support for a worthy cause. Sure, I had read about what was expected in my textbooks, but I had no direct experience and, to be honest, the idea of asking for money intimidated me a bit. Taking part in the various aspects of development and donor relations for Valencia Foundation gave me the experience, and with it the confidence, necessary to overcome any hesitation I may have had about developing support.
Whether I was writing letters to donors, organizing information in the Raiser’s Edge database, managing the Wall of Scholars donor recognition program, or even creating my own grant proposal, the foundation staff was there every step of the way; guiding me in my projects, while giving me the freedom to learn and take ownership of my work.
I can’t think of a better introduction to nonprofit management than to have interned with Valencia Foundation for the past two semesters. The work I was given was meaningful and applicable to my degree program and eventual career goals, but the people I was able to work under are who made my time as rewarding as it was. Specifically, Donna Marino, manager of donor stewardship, poured into me her wealth of knowledge and experience. Donna showed me daily how to effectively maintain relationships with donors and, most importantly, how enjoyable and how rewarding working for the benefit of others can be.
Armed with the knowledge and experience passed down to me from Valencia Foundation’s 37 years of success, I’m much more prepared now to begin my career in nonprofit management after graduation this December.
Valencia Launches New Arts Season — and New Website to Buy Tickets Online
Every year, Valencia College stages a wide variety of arts programs, from theater to film to visual arts and dance productions.
This fall, for instance, theater lovers will be lining up to see Valencia’s production of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” a comedy that critics have called a delicious and wildly comic spoof of musical comedies and their desperately loyal fans.
In June, check out “The Laramie Project,” a documentary-styled play that examines the 1998 beating and murder of Matthew Shepard, an openly gay college student who was killed because of his sexual identity. Critics say the creator has used the power of theater to force audiences ”to face the unsettling questions about the potential for violence in even the most ordinary corners of the American landscape.”
If theater’s not your thing, there are plenty of other arts events at Valencia. Starting Aug. 19, the East Campus will be home to “Graphic by Design,” an exhibition showcasing exceptional work created by Orlando-area graphic and advertising art professionals. Dance lovers can kick off the arts season with Valencia’s Choreographers Showcase in November. And in December, music lovers can take in the Winter Choral Concert, the Fall Symphonic/Jazz Band Concert and the Fall Opera Workshop.
To learn about Valencia College’s 2011-2012 arts events — and buy tickets to the events — check out the college’s new arts website at
There, you can purchase tickets for individual events or buy a season ticket package. That’s good news for arts patrons because, in the past, tickets to Valencia arts events were available only at the box office, by phone or through Red Chair Project website. Using Valencia’s new arts website, you can receive priority seating and get your choice of show dates and times.
Have questions? Call the box office at 407-582-2900.
Jack Rogers, East Campus geology professor, won the grand prize in a photography contest sponsored by WildBird magazine, one of two national birding magazines in the country.
Rogers said his winning image of a sandhill crane was taken on the edge of a retention pond near a friend’s house in southeast Orlando.
“I found them along the pond’s edge, the parents digging for food and the chick (known as a colt) following along waiting to be fed,” said Rogers. “The shot captures the moment when the colt is flipping a mole cricket to better get it into position to swallow.”
Rogers used a Sony DSLR camera with a 400-millimeter telephoto lens to bring the viewer up close. As the grand prize winner, his photo appears in the September/October issue of WildBird which is on newstands now. He will also receive a pair of Zeiss binoculars.
Rogers has dabbled in bird and nature photography most of his life, but took it up seriously when he moved to Florida eight years ago to teach at Valencia.
“I like to use my photography to share with others the beauty of our natural world and hopefully lead them to consider the value of preserving it,” Rogers said.
His images have been published in Florida Wildlife Magazine, National Wildlife Magazine, and a variety of other publications, including a National Geographic book on bird coloration that came out last year. You can find some of his published prize-winning images here: http://www.pbase.com/paleojack/award_winning_and_published_images
Rogers also regularly donates his images to conservation organizations such at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, the Florida Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society.
In addition to geology, Rogers teaches a course on nature photography which is offered in the spring on the East Campus. The course includes four field trips where his students practice in the techniques they learn in the classroom. Examples of the students’ work is now on display around the East Campus.
Source: Carol Traynor, Marketing and Strategic Communications
I would like to thank you for the scholarship that was given to me. I am a single mother who started my venture to return to college almost two years ago. This spring will be my final semester here at Valencia. I will be transferring to UCF and continue my studies there. My passion is to work with children. I want to get my degree in psychology and work in the school system or with the Department of Children and Families.
Since I came back to school I have been a full-time student and have juggled work, being a mother and school and have been able to maintain good grades. I am very proud of my achievements and thank you for the scholarship, because without scholarships like these, continuing my education would not have been possible. I have worked hard and am pleased with where I am academically. I am a very determined person and I want to be a wonderful example to my two sons and other children. I want them to know that the sky is the limit in life, and as long as you dedicate yourself to something, no matter what anyone says, your goals can and will be achieved. It is never too late! Scholarships like the one you have given me are truly a blessing. Thank you for your generosity.
Plans are underway for Building 10, a new, three-story, 60,000-square-foot facility on Valencia’s West Campus on Kirkman Road.
SchenkelShultz Architecture and McCree, an Orlando-based design/build team, was awarded the $13 million construction contract in June. The project is currently under design, with construction slated to begin in January 2012 and be completed by December 2012.
The new building will become home to Valencia’s Continuing Education division, which is currently based out of a rented space on Sand Lake Road. By ending its lease on the 30,000-square-foot Sand Lake Center, the college will be able to save about $70,000 annually.
In addition to Continuing Education services, Building 10 will house the Global Language Institute, technology support services and institutional research, as well as a model shop for the architecture program and some additional classroom space.
With a credit student body of 41,178 (up 7 percent from last year), Valencia continues to grow. The college has two other building projects currently underway. Construction is in progress for the first building of the new Lake Nona Campus in southeast Orange County and the Osceola Campus is scheduled to break ground on a new building in September.
Even before you become a Valencia student, the Answer Center is there for you. It should be your first stop for questions about admissions, residency and financial aid. The Answer Center has locations on every Valencia campus and provides help on a walk-in basis.
Student Success Course
This course is a great elective for new students looking to gain some college survival skills. It will help you develop techniques for managing your time, studying, taking tests, setting educational and career goals, and using Valencia resources.
Tutoring and Academic Help
Free tutoring services are available for all subject areas. With group and one-on-one tutoring options, you can get the academic assistance you need, no matter your learning style. Math, reading and writing support is available on all campuses, while offerings for other subjects vary from campus to campus.
Career Centers
Located on each campus, the Career Centers are available to assist you with making career decisions, setting career goals, writing résumés and cover letters, and interviewing techniques. We also offer assessments, internship opportunities, recruitment fairs and job-search tools to help you explore your options.
Libraries
Valencia has a library on each campus, offering a wide variety of educational resources – from books and periodicals to eBooks, CDs and videos. The libraries also provide computer workstations for accessing the Internet and over 140 online databases. Librarians and other qualified staff are available to help you with research, reference documentation, interlibrary loans, and learning technologies.
Online Resources
In addition to free Wi-Fi and campus computer labs, Valencia offers a host of online services through Atlas, our online learning community. Each student receives their own Atlas account where they can check email, register for classes, access admissions and financial aid records, and connect to educational and career planning resources.
Advising Services
Academic advisors and counselors are available to assist with career and educational planning, academic and personal challenges, transferring to a university and more. Current Valencia students can get help on a walk-in basis at any Student Services office. In addition, A.S. and A.A.S. students will be assigned to a Career Program Advisor who can provide program-specific academic advising.
Through the SAGE Office (Study Abroad Global Experience), the foundation offers scholarships for study abroad opportunities. Here are two thank-you’s from students who recently traveled to China:
“I would like to thank the SAGE program for additional financial support provided for my study abroad class to China. The trip was very educational and gave me a new perspective on how business is conducted in foreign countries. It has inspired me to start looking into employment opportunities abroad. I cannot express how thankful I am for everything.” –Erich
“I want to thank you for awarding me a one thousand dollar scholarship. Because of your kind courtesy, I was able to travel to China by airfare and stay two weeks in two amazing cities, Beijing and Shanghai. I will definitely recommend this scholarship program to anyone who needs financial assistance in their hope to study abroad.
Over my stay in China, I got to visit some remarkable sites! The Great Wall of China, that being my favorite site, was absolutely incredible! The view of the gorgeous mountains and never-ending wall was exhilarating to see! I also visited The Temple of Heaven, The Forbidden City, Fengjing Ancient Town, Yonghe Gong (Buddist temple), Huangpu River, etc.
I learned a lot about Chinese culture and their ways of doing business thanks to the guest speakers, lectures and historical sites visited. China has taught me to be a holistic thinker and more appreciative of life. We can’t focus our attention on one thing, we have to look at the whole picture.” –Sasha
Ana De La Rosa graduated from Valencia in the spring of 2008. While at Valencia she participated in an alternative spring break program with Habitat for Humanity, served as an active member of Amnesty International and completed the Introduction to Peace Studies course.
Ana is currently in Peru with the Peace Corps and writes about recent experience to her Professor Penny Villegas …
“It has been a little while since I have written and felt like it was time to share. This last week I had the opportunity to go on one of the most amazing and rewarding trips of my life. I live in the northern coast of Peru, where it is hot and poor and most other volunteers live in the Andes and middle of Peru where it is cold and poor. The highest reported number of new HIV and AIDS cases is not only on the coast but in my actual district.
We have five high schools we work with in the area and we train young health promoters to teach their peers about the realities of HIV, AIDS, Dengue, and Malaria. The program has been running successfully on the coast for going on 6 years so the rest of the country is trying to adapt the peer to peer education model. Another volunteer and I had the opportunity to take one health promoter from each school, two teachers and a school principal to Ancash, Peru. It is two bus rides and 22 hours away from us. Before my service two volunteers had brought a group of the kids from Ancash to Tumbes and so now it was our turn to pay them a visit. The trip was covered by PEPFAR- the U.S. President’s AIDS fund-since our youth went there with teaching modules, skits and ideas for the new up and coming peer educators in the Sierra. These kids had never left home for more than a day trip to the beach- let alone seen snow. It was wonderful sharing this 7-day experience with them. They got to go to museums and stand at the base of the biggest mountain in Peru.
They did a live television interview talking about the importance of sex education and helped train the kids from Ancash. It was a great exchange of culture and knowledge and I am so lucky to have been a part of it. I have a classroom in Minnesota I am pen-pals with and I cannot wait to send them pictures from this trip. The cultural exchange possibilities go on and on!
Ana de la Rosa Valencia 2008
About the Peace Corp in Peru: Volunteers in this South American nation work in the areas of youth and community development, environmental and agricultural conservation, health, water sanitation and hygiene promotion, and business development. Many Volunteers working on HIV/AIDS prevention and care receive support from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program. Volunteers are trained and work in Quechua and Spanish.
Valencia will, for the first time, offer bachelor’s degree programs starting in Fall 2011. Students on a specific career track can transfer into programs that lead to:
Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology
Concentrations in computer systems, electrical/electronic systems and lasers and photonics.
Valencia College, Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering program was developed in partnership with local engineering professionals and incorporates the same state-of-the-art equipment found in the research and development departments of major companies. That way, you’ll be prepared to meet both industry demands and employer expectations by the time you graduate. And with small class sizes of only about 22 people, you’ll get the same individual instruction and support that students have come to expect from Valencia.
Bachelor of Science in Radiologic and Imaging Sciences
Concentrations in computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and quality management.
Valencia College, Bachelor of Science in Radiological Imaging Sciences program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), Valencia’s bachelor’s program is designed to help you meet industry demands and employer expectations. Thanks to our partnerships with local healthcare providers, this program was designed to meet the local workforce needs and can provide placement for you to conduct your practicum. In addition, this program is especially ideal for working professionals, since all courses, except for the practicum, are offered online
Steve Cunningham, professor of English as a Second Language for Academic Purposes (EAP) at Valencia College’s Osceola Campus, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to teach in Russia during the 2011-2012 academic year, according to the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
Cunningham will be teaching at the Humanities and Technology Institute, a branch of Orenburg State University, in the city of Orsk. His three-month trip will be focused on training current and future high school English teachers in Russia how to best incorporate educational technology into their English language instruction.
While this will be his first trip to Russia, Cunningham is no stranger to teaching English to non-native speakers. In his 26 years as an educator, he has worked as an English as a Second Language instructor, intensive English program coordinator, international programs director, curriculum designer, and has conducted teacher training at Valencia and other colleges both in the U.S. and abroad.
Cunningham is one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in 2011-2012.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between Americans and people of other countries. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The program operates in more than 155 countries worldwide.
Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given approximately 300,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.
Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in government, science, the arts, business, philanthropy, education and athletics. Forty-three Fulbright alumni from 11 countries have been awarded the Nobel Prize, and 75 alumni have received Pulitzer Prizes. Prominent Fulbright alumni include: Muhammad Yunus, managing director and founder, Grameen Bank, and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize recipient; John Atta Mills, president of Ghana; Lee Evans, Olympic gold medalist; Ruth Simmons, president, Brown University; Riccardo Giacconi, physicist and 2002 Nobel Laureate; Amar Gopal Bose, chairman and founder, Bose Corporation; Renée Fleming, soprano; Jonathan Franzen, writer; and Daniel Libeskind, architect.
For further information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, please visit http://fulbright.state.gov.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
Orlando Sentinel film critic Roger Moore writes about Valencia’s latest indie film, the comedy “My Fair Lidy.” One article is about the shoot, and one is about its star, Christopher Backus.
Valencia College will hold its 11th Annual Dance Summer Repertory Concert on July 15 and 16 at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30 p.m.) in the Performing Arts Center on Valencia’s East Campus.
The concert will showcase the work of Valencia students enrolled in the Associate in Arts Dance Performance program and will include choreography from faculty and guest artists, including alumni from the dance program. Also, students from Valencia’s Summer Dance Institute will participate in the performance.
The Valencia Summer Dance Institute is a four-week program that provides free quality dance instruction to high school students from Central Florida. Participating students are given the opportunity to work with college and guest instructors in the areas of dance and costume.
Choreographers for this year’s Dance Summer Repertory Concert include: Leslie Brasseux Rodgers, Valencia’s artistic director; Jeanne Travers and John Parks, dance professors from the University of South Florida; Sarah Harkness-Sebastian, guest choreographer; Casey Saxon, dance adjunct faculty member at Valencia; Emily Cordell, Ashley Hymson, Nikki Peña and Jessica Smith, alumnae of Valencia’s Dance Performance A.A. Pre-Major; and Alayna Catella, a current student in Valencia’s Dance Performance A.A. Pre-Major.
Ticket prices are $8 for the general public and $6 for senior citizens and Valencia students, faculty and staff.
The East Campus is located at 701 North Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando. For further information and tickets, please call the Performing Arts Center Box Office at 407-582-2900 or visit http://valenciacollege.edu/summerconcert.
Source: Melissa Tchen, Marketing and Strategic Communications
Valencia Community College officially becomes Valencia College tomorrow. Along with a new name, the college introduces a new ad campaign to support student enrollment and communicate Valencia’s impact on the community.
“The word ‘community’ may be out of our name, but it is part of our DNA,” said Valencia President Sandy Shugart. “We are deeply committed to the principle of an open door to higher education and empowering students to achieve their greatest goals.”
The campaign underscores Valencia’s belief that “anyone can learn anything under the right circumstances,” a philosophy that has transformed the college into a leading learning centered institution and the top producer of associate degrees in the nation.
Helping students attain a college degree includes helping them afford tuition. Valencia awarded $180 million in financial aid this year and offers workshops on financial literacy throughout the year. Tuition remains low at under $100 per credit hour, approximately half that of a state university.
Valencia is the primary entry point into higher education in Central Florida. More than twice as many local high school graduates enroll at Valencia than at all public universities in the state combined. Through DirectConnect to UCF, Valencia paves the way for more students to transfer to a university than any two-year college in the country. More than 20 percent of UCF’s upper division is made up of Valencia transfers.
Valencia begins two new bachelor’s degree programs this fall with electrical and computer engineering technology and radiologic and imaging science. They add to an already strong presence of bachelor’s programs offered through UCF’s regional campus at Valencia.
UCF offers complete bachelor’s degrees in applied science, architecture, business administration, criminal justice, electrical engineering, elementary education, interdisciplinary studies, legal studies, nursing, political science, psychology and sociology at Valencia’s West Campus.
On Osceola Campus, UCF offers bachelor’s degrees in applied science, business administration, elementary education, interdisciplinary studies and psychology.
Valencia’s workforce offerings are highly regarded with signature programs in film, nursing, hospitality and culinary, digital media, and computer technology. This year it began a new program in cyber security and digital forensics and is developing one in homeland security.
Valencia also operates several programs, including Take Stock in Children and Bridges, that identify at-risk students prior to college and provides them with mentors coupled with financial support throughout their academic careers.
The college operates six campuses and centers in Orange and Osceola counties offering credit and continuing education programs. Last month it broke ground on what will become the Valencia Lake Nona Campus. The college was founded in 1967 as Valencia Junior College and renamed in 1972 as Valencia Community
College.
Television spots can be seen on YouTube and will air locally in July and August.
In addition to TV, the college plans to have outdoor billboards, bus shelter ads, cinema advertising, and online ads. You can see more of the campaign at http://valenciacc-news.com/campaign.
Wherever you happen to live, Valencia is easy to get to. The college has four main campuses and two centers throughout Orange and Osceola counties, with plans for a fifth campus in southeast Orlando.
Campus Tours/Information Sessions
The best way to get a sense of what Valencia is really like is to stop by for a visit. You’ll have a chance to explore campus, ask questions, hear from current students, and decide if Valencia is right for you.
There are two options for your visit:
Sign Up for a Campus Tour (30-minutes)
30-minute walking tour of the campus guided by a Valencia Student Leader
Check out classrooms, labs and the cafeteria
Receive answers to your general questions
Sign Up for a Valencia Preview (90-minutes)
1.5 hour introduction to Valencia
Presentation by the Transition Services Department
Discussion on steps to enrollment, admission process, financial aid and career options
Cliff Morris retired from Valencia in 2005, but that doesn’t mean that his days as an educator are over. In fact, the former West Campus dean of mathematics is back in front of the classroom—it just happens that the classroom is halfway across the world— in South Africa.
Cliff's students at Portland High School, Cape Town, South Africa
As often as three times a year, Morris makes the trip to Cape Town, South Africa, where he teaches mathematics to students at Portland High School for two and three week intervals. “I connect with educators around the world, especially in South Africa,” said Morris. “They have the same concerns and challenges that we do. They don’t have enough teachers or enough resources. That’s where I can help.”
Morris first realized his calling in South Africa back in 2000, when he traveled there through a nonprofit group called People to People International. He joined 37 other U.S. math educators for 10 days to tour South African schools and meet with education officials. Wanting to help improve the state of education there, Morris and the other group members asked how they could be of assistance. They were told to share their expertise in the classroom. Morris decided to do just that, making his first solo-teaching trip to Portland High in 2002 and sparking a long-term relationship with the school.While Morris’s trips to Portland High have become routine, his experiences there certainly haven’t. Sometimes he’ll spend an entire visit assisting one teacher, other times he’ll hop around from class to class. Oftentimes he ends up being the on-call math substitute, stepping in to teach anything from algebra to calculus.
In addition to teaching, Morris has helped in many other ways. In the beginning, this meant raising funds for students’ tuition. (In South Africa, even public schools charge tuition, which can range from $30 a year, to $300, depending on the school.) Eventually though, he felt he could make a more lasting impact by helping to bring more resources to the school. The first thing that Morris accomplished was to get Texas Instruments to donate graphing calculators to the school. He and other volunteers also painted classrooms to cover graffiti, outfitted classrooms with new cabinets and chalkboards, and got the school its own router and server so that it could receive quicker Internet access.
One of the biggest resources that Morris has brought, and continues to bring, to South African schools is more volunteer instructors. Morris partnered with some of his colleagues from his first trip to create the Volunteer Education Support 4 Africa Trust, or VES4A. The purpose of the trust is to create a cross-educational exchange program where U.S. educators can travel to South Africa to teach both the students and instructors there.
By focusing on collaboration and remaining constructive rather than critical, Morris and the other visiting instructors are able to have the greatest influence. “We don’t want to export the common philosophy that America’s way is the best way,” said Morris. “We’re there to export help.” It is this philosophy that has made Morris a welcomed visitor, colleague and friend to Portland High and the students and faculty there. Lending a hand is a tradition that he hopes to continue long into his retirement. “I was fortunate that I got paid for 30 years to do something I loved and fortunate to be able to continue on,” said Morris. “I retired at 52 and at 58 I can still travel, get around fluidly, and I have the pleasure to teach— so I do.”
For the second year in a row, Valencia Community College ranks first in the nation in the number of associate degrees awarded by a community college. The ranking was published on Monday by Community College Week.
The report was compiled using preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics and focused on degrees conferred during the 2009-2010 academic year. In that year, Valencia awarded 6,303 associate degrees, including 2,650 earned by minority students.
“Valencia’s focus on improving student success, particularly in the critical first year of college, is paying off,” said Valencia president Sanford C. Shugart. “The rankings also underscore the role Valencia plays as the primary entry point to a college education in our region.”
Also noteworthy, the college ranks second in the number of degrees awarded to Hispanic students and third in the number awarded to African Americans.
Aside from overall associate degrees conferred, Valencia ranked high across a number of academic disciplines: first in the number of degrees awarded in general studies, 9th in registered nursing and 18th in engineering technology.
Valencia offers three types of degrees: the Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.) and the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree. The A.A. degree parallels the first two years of a four-year bachelor’s degree. In Florida, graduates with an A.A. degree are guaranteed acceptance as juniors into the state university system.
A long-standing partnership between Valencia and the University of Central Florida has contributed to Valencia’s transfer rate, considered to be among the highest in the country. DirectConnect to UCF guarantees Valencia grads acceptance and accelerated admission to the university. Since the program’s inception in 2006, approximately 45,000 students have indicated that they are DirectConnect to UCF students.
On July 1, Valencia will drop “community” from its name and become Valencia College. Starting in August, it will expand its offerings to include several bachelor’s degrees.
On Wednesday, June 22, Valencia College will break ground on the first building of its new Lake Nona Campus, opening opportunities for students to study biomedical and life sciences and earn their associate degrees.
Located in the northeast quadrant of Lake Nona’s “medical city,” the campus will join UCF’s medical school, the Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute, Nemours Children’s Hospital and the VA Medical Center.
“We are delighted to bring a campus to the Lake Nona community that will allow us to expand our course offerings and develop new programs to support the unique economic development needs of the region,” said Kathleen Plinske, president of the Lake Nona and Osceola campuses.
In addition to offering advanced science and math courses leading to the A.A. degree, the campus will focus on meeting the technical training and employment needs of the surrounding research facilities and hospitals, as well as Orlando International Airport.
Valencia has offered college courses in a wing of Lake Nona High School since 2009, both to the general community and through its Collegiate Academy, where high school students can enroll in advanced placement and dual enrollment courses leading to an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree. There are currently 364 students enrolled in the Collegiate Academy, and 9 out of the top 10 students at Lake Nona High School are Collegiate Academy members.
When it opens in August of 2012, the three-story, 83,000 square-foot building will contain 18 classrooms, six science labs, a library, a bookstore, small café and administrative offices.
Built at a cost of $21.7 million, this is the first of four buildings proposed for the campus, which will eventually accommodate about 5,000 students and total a minimum of 250,000 square feet.
The campus features an environmentally friendly design based on specifications set by Green Building Initiatives, a Portland, Oregon based non-profit. “Green” features include energy saving lights and air conditioning, reflective roofing materials, recycled construction materials and native landscaping that requires very little piped irrigation.
Valencia Foundation offers a new online scholarship application that makes it even easier for our students to access essential financial support as they juggle their coursework with family and professional responsibilities.
Scholarships may be specific to a degree, program, profession or demographic. They may include community service, academic achievement or financial-need components. Each one is a little different so students will qualify. Fall-semester decisions will be made over the summer, and new funds also are available throughout the year.
Valencia Foundation scholarships represent the leadership, investment, and kindness of philanthropic individuals, corporations and organizations that are deeply rooted in our community. In the past three years, we’ve disbursed more than $10 million in private scholarships.
If you have any questions about online scholarship application please contact Celica Cofield. If you would like more information on how you can establish a Valencia scholarship or have questions regarding the Valencia Foundation please contact Donna Marino at 407-582-3128.
Valencia offers more than 60 groups, clubs and organizations, including clubs for movie, book, art and animal lovers, clubs for African-American, Latino, Caribbean and Muslim students, career interest groups, student government and Valencia Volunteers. We also offer intramural sports and campus fitness centers for aspiring athletes and those who just want to stay in shape.
Campus Activities
From film festivals to music and dance concerts, plays, guest speakers and cultural events, there’s always something happening on Valencia’s campuses.
The biggest student event is Matador Day, a festival held each fall. A long-standing tradition, this fun-filled event features music, food, games and contests. (Little known fact: the matador is Valencia’s mascot.)
Around Town
Year-round sunshine, local theme parks and nearby beaches have made Central Florida a vacation destination – and a great place to live. As a Valencia student, Disney, Universal, Islands of Adventure and SeaWorld will practically be in your backyard, along with more than 5,000 restaurants and shopping destinations like Mall at Millennia, Florida Mall and the outlet stores.
For a more local experience, there’s also downtown Orlando, which is home to unique arts venues and a thriving music scene. If sports are your thing, you can cheer on the UCF Knights at their new football stadium nearby the East Campus or catch a Magic game at the completed Amway Arena in downtown Orlando.
A more recent addition to Valencia’s Dance Series, the Summer Repertory Concert is designed to showcase Valencia’s resident dance company, Valencia Dance Theatre and provide a performance opportunity for the annual Valencia Summer Dance Institute.
The Repertory Concert includes faculty and guest artist choreography, including choreography by former Valencia Dance graduates. The Summer Repertory Concert provides a summer performance opportunity for not only our dancers, but for our Valencia viewing audience as well.
Performance Dates: Friday, July 15, 2011 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 16, 2011 8:00 p.m.
East Campus Performing Arts Center
Box Office: 407-582-2900
Tickets: $8.00 General Admission/$6.00 Valencia Employees, Students and Seniors
Instructor Daeri Tenery, right, discusses an experiment with chemistry students Ashley Munns, left, and Steffanie Graber recently at Valencia Community College's East Campus. The college will offer a weekend track to associate-of-arts degrees. (George Skene/Orlando Sentinel / June 7, 2011)
Like community colleges statewide, Valencia has had to turn away students because there aren’t enough classrooms to keep up with surging enrollment.
Now, to try to fit more people on campus and also meet a growing demand for courses that accommodate working adults, Valencia is introducing a weekend associate-degree program.
In August, Valencia will roll out the new program, designed to help students complete a degree in about seven semesters exclusively through classes Friday nights and during the day Saturdays and Sundays.
Although the college has long offered some classes on weekends, this is the first time it has packaged a variety of courses in a way that allows students to fit everything they need to earn an associate of arts into the weekend.
No other community college or state college in Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole or Volusia counties offers the option. But it’s an emerging trend among state-funded colleges in Florida — and one of the innovative ways educators are trying to stretch their limited state construction dollars while also serving a student body that has grown by more than 100,000 during the past four years.
Enrollment within the state-college system jumped 14 percent from the 2005-06 school year to last school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.
At Valencia, already one of the nation’s largest community colleges, growth was even bigger. Enrollment there spiked almost 30 percent.
Valencia’s new weekend-degree program will be introduced first at the East Campus on North Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando — its largest. It was built for about 14,000 students but serves about 21,000, said Michelle Foster, assistant provost there.
If the program goes well, she said, it might be expanded to other locations.
In 2010, weekend degrees were introduced on a limited basis at Miami Dade College and Polk State College. Both institutions plan to expand their programs this coming school year.
Ken Ross, vice president for academic and student services at Polk State, based in Winter Haven, predicts that weekend degrees will eventually catch on with other institutions.
One of the main missions of a state college, Ross said, is to help students earn a degree in the fastest, most convenient way possible so they can move into the work force or get started on another degree. Right now, in an economy that is still sluggish, people can’t afford to leave their jobs during the week to sit for a lecture or do science experiments.
Weekend degrees offer a perfect fit for these students and higher-education institutions struggling with a space crunch, he said.
That’s why Polk began offering a bachelor’s degree in applied science in a weekend format last year. Next school year, students will be able to complete a bachelor’s in nursing on a weekend schedule.
“It’s kind of a no-brainer,” Ross said.
Colleges everywhere are trying new things to stretch their available space. A number of colleges nationwide — for example, Bunker Hill Community College in Massachusetts and Northern Virginia Community College — have introduced “graveyard” classes, which begin around midnight, according to the American Association of Community Colleges.
Seminole State College is adding classes in the early mornings at its Altamonte Springs campus to squeeze more courses into the regular weekday.
This fall, two to four classes will be offered at 6:30 a.m. — an option that Lynn Colon, provost of that branch, hopes will appeal to working adults. The plan is to offer some classes on a Monday-and-Wednesday schedule and some on a Tuesday-and-Thursday schedule.
“Someone who did work could possibly take two classes before work in the morning,” she said.
Many colleges are expanding their online offerings so students can work from home whenever they like.
“We’re seeing more demand for online classes, and that’s what we’re working on expanding,” said Chuck Mojock, president ofLake-Sumter Community College.
Valencia’s new weekend-degree program will allow students to complete an associate of arts degree by attending classes fewer times a week but for longer chunks of time. They will take primarily general-education courses — those foundational courses students need to take before they can move on to upper-level courses to pursue a bachelor’s degree.
Although students will be able to choose from a variety of classes and class times, the selection will be considerably smaller compared with offerings available during the week, Foster said.
Friday classes will run from about 7 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Classes offered Saturdays and Sundays will run from about 7 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. or from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. or from 1:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
The last class of the day Saturdays and Sundays will be longer so it can accommodate a science lab.
The Anita S. Wooten Gallery at Valencia College’s East Campus will host a memorial exhibition titled, “Friends of Anita S. Wooten Exhibition,” beginning Friday, June 17, with a reception from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The collection will be on exhibit through August 5.
The exhibition will feature the work of Victor Bokas, Eric Breitenbach, Rocky Bridges, Michael Galletta, Cicero Greathouse, Nancy Jay, Mitchell Long, Robert Rivers and Que Throm.
Valencia Professor and artist Anita Wooten was well-known throughout the Central Florida arts community before her death from cancer in 2001. Wooten’s soulful work reflected the hopes, anxieties and fears of her decade-long battle against the disease.
The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.
Summer gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.
The gallery is located in Building 3 on Valencia’s East Campus at 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando.
Please join Central Florida’s top architectural design and building professionals at the 22nd annual AIA Orlando Golf Tournament, benefiting AIA Orlando and Valencia Foundation’s scholarship fund. Last year’s event raised $10,000 in scholarship funding for students in need. This year we plan to beat that number. In total, AIA has generated $248,000 in scholarships.
When: Friday, June 24, 8:30 a.m. shotgun start
Where: Waldorf Astoria Golf Club
For more information, please contact AIA Orlando (407-898-7006) or Valencia Foundation (407-582-3150).
LifeMap is a student's guide to figuring out "what to do when" in order to complete their career and education goals.
MeInTheMaking is part of Valencia’s LifeMap program and is a way to reach student who are experiencing Valencia as new college students and assist in setting and achieving goals. However, LifeMap is not just for ‘new’ students!
LifeMap links all of the components of Valencia (faculty, staff, courses, technology, programs, services) into a personal itinerary to help students succeed in their college experience. LifeMap is a student’s guide to figuring out “what to do when” in order to complete their career and education goals.
Students have access to LifeMap web resources, online planning tools, and connections to people and college services through Atlas. Atlas is Valencia’s online system that allows a student to receive e–mail and check student record information using a secure personal identification number and can be accessed at www.MeInTheMaking.com.
The website is aimed at increasing students’ understanding and use of LifeMap and the many resources available to help them set and achieve goals at Valencia.
Students will notice environmental graphics/murals on all the campuses that reinforce LifeMap messages and drive interest in the MeInTheMaking website. The LifeMap tools—My Job Prospects, My Career Planner, My Education Plan, My Portfolio and My Financial Planner—are avialble to all student through their Atlas account!
Need help registering for classes? Here are some helpful tips on how to get ready for the fall semester.
Atlas Web Registration
The Atlas system provides Web registration at Valencia . Point your Web browser to http://atlas.valenciacc.edu and follow the directions to log on. On campus, you can use the Atlas Access Labs in the Student Services Building on the East Campus (Building 5, Room 213), West Campus (Student Services Building, Room 142), Osceola Campus (Building 1, Room 151), and Winter Park Campus (Building 1, Room 220). Atlas registration provides current class listings and a search feature to find the courses you need. Students with holds cannot use Atlas registration until the holds have been cleared. Help is available in the Atlas Access Labs and through the AskAtlas site in Atlas. If you have a hold on your account, please visit the Answer Center.
Wait List:
Some departments use a wait list to prioritize seat availability. If a course that you want has a wait list, you must add your name to the wait list from the drop-down menu that will appear when you attempt to register. Wait listed students will be notified via their Atlas e-mail account as seats become available. You will have a limited time to respond to the e-mail or the seat will be offered to the next wait listed student. Important: Check your Atlas e-mail account frequently. Please note that if you needed to get an override in order to register for a course, you will NOT be able to add your self to a wait list for that course on Atlas. You must come in person to the Answer Center so a Student Services Specialist can manually add you to the wait listed course.
Assisted Registration
Assisted registration is a limited option for registering on campus. Course selection and required approvals are entered by a Student Services Specialist in the Answer Center. Assisted registration is only an option for senior citizens, internship placement students, students who wish to audit a course, and students who received a course override and need to be added to a wait list. All other students must register for courses on their Atlas account.
Dual Enrollment Registration
Dual enrolled high school students may only register for classes by:
Contacting the Dual Enrollment Office at (407) 582-1600 or visiting the office on West Campus in SSB-132.
Class Cancellation
Classes may be canceled during registration due to low enrollment or the ability to find a qualified instructor. If a course is canceled, every effort will be made to notify the students involved and to help them find a suitable substitute class. Notifications will be sent to students’ Atlas e-mail account. Important: Check your Atlas e-mail account frequently.
For its final play of the 2010-2011 theater season, the Valencia Character Company will present William Shakespeare’s classic comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
For its final play of the 2010-2011 theater season, the Valencia Character Company will present William Shakespeare’s classic comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Showtimes are June 9-11 and June 16-18 at 7:30 p.m. and June 12 and 19 at 2 p.m.
Silly, magical, funny, romantic and mystical, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is one of the Bard’s most often produced plays. It follows the adventures of four young lovers and a group of amateur actors who are manipulated by the fairies inhabiting a moonlit forest. Valencia’s interpretation will be fairly traditional, exploring love as a sometimes-irrational facet of life that often seems beyond our control.
Ticket prices are $10 for general admission and $8 for students, seniors and Valencia staff and alumni. Tickets are free for Valencia students.
Disney Institute is bringing its renowned Disney’s Approach to People Management program to Valencia College on Thursday, May 26. Sponsored by Valencia College, the full-day event will teach area professionals how to train, develop and retain skilled employees who understand and convey the values of their business to achieve positive economic results.
“This is a rare opportunity for local business professionals to participate in a Disney Institute experience in Central Florida,” said Jeff James, vice president for Disney Institute. “It’s a day of Disney training that will offer dozens of easy-to-implement, proven ideas that can help businesses large and small thrive.”
Disney’s Approach to People Management will give participants an insider’s look at the Disney approach to selection, training, retention and communication, all of which build a strong, positive corporate culture. Participants will learn how Disney instills pride and ownership in employees and how any organization can inspire and motivate its own employees.
“In an era where everyone is competing for business and market share, a competent, motivated workforce isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity,” James said. “This program is made for organizations looking to recruit, retain and manage the best talent they can find.”
The Disney Institute learning experience is unique in the world of training. More than business theory, the program highlights proven Disney business practices that are easily adaptable to organizations in any industry. Engaging content is presented in an entertaining fashion, providing participants with tools that can literally transform their organizations.
Program registration is $399 per person. The registration fee includes continental breakfast, luncheon and workshop materials. For more information or to register, call 407-582-6688 or visit valenciacollege.edu/signatureevents.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
Valencia Community College students and five Orlando organizations and took top place at American Advertising Federation’s Annual ADDY award ceremony in Miami on May 1.
A graphic design student, Jaclyn Steinberg, took top place at the American Advertising Federation’s District Addy Awards. Jaclyn’s winning entry, a 1950s-style anti-smoking campaign, goes on to compete at the national show in San Diego June 4. Our fingers are crossed that she’ll win! Another student, Brian Nutt, won a silver Addy award for a logo design.
Gold Addy winners were: Acropolis, Disney’s Yellow Shoes Creative Group, Florida Hospital, Red Rocket Studios, Universal Orlando Resort and Jaclyn Steinberg, students at Valencia Community College.
Steven Crist came to Valencia looking for a second chance at a college education.
He got it, and much more.
Crist, the college’s 2011 Distinguished Graduate, has been selected to receive the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship for up to $30,000 a year for three years.
The highly competitive scholarship is awarded to the nation’s top community college students who have financial need. It is intended to cover a significant share of educational expenses for the final two to three years necessary to achieve a bachelor’s degree – including tuition, living expenses, books and required fees.
Crist is one of 60 scholars selected this year to receive the award, out of a pool of hundreds of applicants from 17 different states.
Another Valencia graduate, Mikhail Elliott, who is studying economics at the University of Tampa, won the award last year.
Crist delivered the commencement address at Valencia’s graduation on May 7, where he received his Associate in Arts degree. He is still weighing his options about where to transfer. He plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and after that, law school. He wants to help the disadvantaged.
Those who know the 27-year-old Midwest native marvel at his energy, organizational skills and goal-setting prowess.
He will readily tell you he was not always in such control of his life.
Ten years ago, Crist was in high school in Ohio and feeling aimless. On his 18th birthday, he dropped out and began a nearly year-long journey of self-discovery that included stints of homelessness.
Seeing no future on the path he was on, Crist gathered up his courage, earned a GED and enrolled at Ohio State University. It turned out to be a rocky transition. He didn’t do as well as he had hoped and was again confronted with the question of what to do next.
One day, he spotted a recruitment flyer on campus. It was from Disney, which was looking for interns. Crist leapt at the opportunity and was invited to come down to Orlando.
As Crist puts it, this was a chance to hit the reset button on his life.
Over the next few years, Crist parlayed his internship into a full-time job. He worked as a concierge at exclusive attractions and later rose in the ranks in guest relations, attending to the needs of visiting VIPs.
Crist says exposure to the Disney culture was life-changing. He found a new self-confidence and learned about the importance of goal-setting.
When Crist decided it was time to go back to school, Disney was supportive. Crist chose Valencia based on its reputation for smaller class sizes and personalized attention.
He thrived.
Crist was steered toward honors-level classes by advisers who knew he wanted to pursue a career in law. He won leadership positions in some high-profile student organizations and maintained a 4.0 GPA while working in a job that demanded as many as 30 hours a week.
Mixed in with that were countless hours of informally advising other students on how to navigate the college and succeed in their studies.
Soon after arriving at Valencia, Crist told his advisers that he wanted to make a difference at the college that had nurtured and encouraged him and taught him the importance of giving back.
How does he think he did?
“I did well in the areas where I could get involved,” Crist said. “The key was becoming invested in Valencia, getting involved. I wanted to leave Valencia a better place for those who come after me.”
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a private foundation dedicated to helping young people of exceptional promise reach their full potential through education. The Foundation’s Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is the largest private scholarship for two-year and community college transfer students in the country.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
Years of hard work came to a close on Saturday for the graduating class of 2011.
With 1,050 students and thousands of guests in attendance, it was the largest commencement ceremony ever in Valencia’s 44-year history.
The event was also historical for another reason: this year’s commencement marked the final one for Valencia “Community” College; come July, the college will change its name to Valencia College.
“This is bittersweet for us,” said Valencia President Sanford Shugart.
Packed into the Silver Spurs Arena, the graduates listened to commendations from the chair of Valencia’s District Board of Trustees, Raymer Maguire III, and from representatives of the college’s leadership and alumni.
Rob Stio, an Honors graduate who plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in international affairs, received a $5,000 Hites Foundation Scholarship as well as a transfer scholarship to Rollins College Hamilton Holt School.
The prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, which provides up to $30,000 per year, was awarded to the distinguished graduate, Steven Crist.
In his commencement address, Crist saluted the support he received from friends and from the director of the Honors program, Valerie Burks, while also challenging the institution to give students more of a voice in administrative decision-making.
“Valencia has successfully positioned itself as a viable and valuable alternative to attending a four-year college for the freshman and sophomore years,” Crist said.
“As a result, you have many bright, young minds walking your halls every day, with a wealth of knowledge, and even criticisms to contribute to your institution,” he said. He went on to encourage college leaders to “give those students a voice…even if it makes you uncomfortable.”
When at last, an hour into the ceremony, the president took the podium and said, “Will the candidates for degrees please stand?”, the students sat motionless for a moment until Shugart added, “That would be you,” eliciting laughs from the crowd.
The new college grads exited the arena to sunny skies and a Lynx bus parked nearby that had been imprinted with their names as well as the names of 7,200 others who graduated from Valencia throughout the 2010-2011 academic year.
The bus which read, “The 2011 Valencia Grads are Going Places. Congrats!”, was quickly surrounded by students and their families as they searched for and pointed out their graduate’s name and posed for photos.
“We are going places, so that’s kind of cool,” said Stio.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
Why DirectConnect at Valencia? If a student is planning to transfer to the University of Central Florida after completing an associate degree at Valencia, Direct Connect helps to ensure a smooth transition to UCF after graduation.
Benefits:
Guaranteed admission to a bachelor’s degree program at UCF.
Preferential admission to select bachelor’s degree programs at UCF.
Joint advising from UCF and Valencia help ensure a smooth transition.
UCF staff available on-site at Valencia’s West and Osceola campuses to help with advising, admissions, financial aid and academic support.
Can take your UCF courses at the main campus or on Valencia’s West or Osceola campuses.
Fans of MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew” or “Dancing with the Stars” will have a chance to cheer on some non-celebrity dancers in support of nursing students at Valencia College.
Femmes de Coeur is presenting “Let Us Entertain You” on May 22 from 4-9 p.m. in The Ballroom at Church Street in downtown Orlando. Proceeds will be used for nursing scholarships for Valencia, Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences, Seminole State College and UCF College of Nursing.
Manny Ramos, professor of nursing, and his partner Fayvin Duffy will be competing in the Faculty Challenge against nursing faculty from the other schools. The event also includes silent and live auctions.
Tickets are $75 each. To order tickets, call Judy Conrad 407-620-3987 or visit www.femmesdecoeur.org
If you can’t attend but would still like to show your support and vote for Manny, go to www.femmesdecoeur.org and click on “Donate,” then scroll through the photos at the bottom of the page until you find Manny Ramos and click on “Donate/Vote.”
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
As a student from a single-parent household, with an immigrant parent, paying for school is a big concern of mine. Without the aid of outside funds such as scholarships and grants, I would not be able to dedicate the majority of my time to achieving academic excellence. Instead, I would have to work a full-time job to earn money to go to school and support my other expenses that stem from adulthood. I am grateful to be a recipient of your scholarship, and your assistance has motivated me to continue to reach for my goals.
Florida College System Chancellor Dr. Will Holcombe today announced that 14 Florida colleges have been deemed eligible for The Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The Sunshine State leads the nation in the number of colleges qualified to compete for part of $1 million to reward excellence at two-year institutions that have outstanding academic and work-force outcomes.
“Colleges in our system are selected for national recognition and grants on a regular basis. We are thrilled that half of our colleges, the most of any state, have been chosen for this prestigious honor, “said Dr. Holcombe. “This competition will bring further recognition of the vital role our colleges play in Florida’s economy and people’s lives.”
The Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence seeks to recognize community colleges with outstanding academic and workforce outcomes in both absolute performance and improvements over time. The selected colleges must demonstrate that students in their schools gained knowledge and skills, completed degree or certificate programs, and obtained jobs with competitive wages.
The Florida colleges eligible to compete for The Aspen Prize are:
• Brevard Community College
• Broward College
• Central Florida Community College
• Chipola College
• Daytona State College
• Lake City Community College
• Lake-Sumter Community College
• Miami-Dade College
• Northwest Florida State College
• Santa Fe College
• St. Johns River Community College
• South Florida Community College
• Tallahassee Community College
• Valencia Community College
Eight to 10 finalists will be named in September 2011, with the final prize winner and up to three runners-up announced in December. The winner will receive approximately $700,000, with the runners-up sharing the remaining money.
The Aspen Prize is financially supported by the Joyce Foundation, the Lumina Foundation for Education, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, and the JPMorgan Chase Foundation.
Valencia’s Criminal Justice Institute (CJI) hosted a memorial service on April 27 to honor Orange County Deputy Brandon Lee Coates who died in the line of duty last December.
Deputy Coates attended basic recruit law enforcement training at CJI in 2006. His wife, Orange County Deputy Sheriff Virginia Coates, is also a graduate of the program.
Donna Marino, donor stewardship manager at Valencia Foundation, announced at the ceremony that a memorial scholarship fund had been established in memory of Coates. An initial gift of $500 was made by students now enrolled in the same class that Coates once was.
Numerous law enforcement officials from central Florida, along with Deputy Coates’ widow and mother, Debbie Griffin, attended the ceremony.
Inscribed in a memorial monument that stands at CJI were these words:
“This monument is dedicated to the valiant men and women that have selflessly given their lives to protect the innocent and preserve the American way of life. We honor the valor in their hearts and the fortitude they showed in the face of death. As recruits at this academy, we strive to walk the path they have laid before us. To be as brave, chivalrous, and have the same courage under pressure. We celebrate their lives, their sacrifice, and the hope they inspired in us all.”
CJI’s ceremony was the first of many local, state and national law enforcement ceremonies that occur each May to honor officers who have died in the line of duty.
To make a donation to the Brandon Lee Coates Memorial Scholarship Fund, please visit Valencia Foundation’s Web site at www.valencia.org.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
Take Stock in Children of Orange County is administered by Valencia College, in collaboration with Orange County Public Schools. It is part of a statewide program that provides underserved children with a college scholarship and a mentor in the effort to help them stay in school, earn a high school diploma, graduate from college and enter the workforce.
This program is based on the principal that given extensive support, motivation and accountability, children will work hard to ensure that they graduate from high school and attain a college degree. Take Stock in Children of Orlando funds the college scholarships and student services through a unique public-private fund raising model, and the mentors generously volunteer their mentoring services to the children.
Take Stock in Children’s multi-year commitment to at-risk children is also an investment in the community. The education of a child is an investment in their future and an assured way of breaking the cycle of poverty.
The goal of Take Stock in Children is to continue to reduce the number of high school drop-outs and to increase the number of students who finish college and enter the workforce successfully.
Participating children begin the program in the eighth grade and continue on until they graduate high school. They must sign performance contracts agreeing to get good grades, exhibit positive behaviors and remain drug and crime free. In return, they will receive a 2 + 2 Florida Pre-Paid scholarship, which provides two years tuition at any community college followed by two years tuition at any state university.
This year three, yes 3, songs have been selected to play at commencement – celebration at its best after the years of hard work! Plug in and preview Firework, Raise Your Glass, and I Made It here!
A 2nd tradition is continued this year: current students along with past alumni are working together to help future Valencia students attend college.
Any gift to support students, no matter how large or modest will help a future Valencia Student! You have many ways to contribute to the 2010-2011 class gift – in any amount!
Drop off your cash or check donation in any amount at the Alumni Relations Office (407-582-5483) on West Camppus in the Special Events Center – Building 8
Have card will travel? Make a credit card donation of any type by filling out the online form.
Just the text – feel free to text VALENCIA to 20222 to make a $10 one-time donation that will appear on your next phone bill.
Or donate $10 at valenciacc.edu/give and enter your phone number – don’t forget to reply YES on your cell.
Your help with the student effort is needed and appreciated!
Text VALENCIA to 20222 to donate $10. Or visit www.valenciacc.edu/give and simply enter your cell phone number. Donations will be applied to Valencia’s Student Government Association Scholarship. Visit www.valenciacc.edu/give for more details.
A one-time donation of $10.00 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. All donations must be authorized by the account holder. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of Valencia Community College by the Mobile Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.hmgf.org/t. Messaging & Data Rates May Apply. You can unsubscribe at any time by texting STOP to short code 20222; text HELP to 20222 for help.
Valencia’s computer programming students took on students from Seminole State College and Brevard and Lake Sumter community colleges at the first annual Intercollegiate Computer Programming Competition held in late March.
Gabriel Arvam from Valencia won first place and a $500 prize by being the first to solve four programming problems. The competitors could choose their language from amongst C, C++, Java, C# or Visual Basic.
“When I first saw the problems, I was afraid that nobody would be able to solve any of them in the time they had,” said Colin Archibald, computer programming professor at Valencia East Campus. “They were very challenging.”
Competitors were presented with four programming problems and given just three hours to complete as many as they could. Winners were determined by the number of problems solved and the total time taken.
A second Valencia computer programming student, Brent Richardson, took second place and received $250. The third place plaque and a $100 prize went to Jonathan Lundstrom from Seminole.
The team trophy was won by Valencia.
Archibald said, “We had a large team at the competition, and the more advanced students won the prizes, but the students who are earlier in their studies gained some valuable experience in the competition, and we should have an even stronger team next year.”
Professional software developers from AAA, Clear Channel and Lockheed Martin served as judges. Additional support and prize money came from EA Sports and Disney.
The competition, which took place at Seminole State College’s Lake Mary campus, was organized and hosted by Seminole Professor Dick Grant and was partly funded by a National Science Foundation grant.
The NSF grant had been awarded to UCF and the four participating colleges (Seminole State, Brevard, Valencia and Lake Sumter community colleges). The main goal of the grant is to create a new educational pathway—the Bachelor of Applied Science in Software Development. This UCF degree is designed for graduates of the partnering schools’ Associate in Science Computer Programming and Analysis degree programs. The new bachelor’s program is expected to begin offering classes this fall.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
Valencia Community College has placed second among nearly 200 colleges and universities that competed in the waste minimization category of RecycleMania, according to final results released today.
This is only the second year that Valencia has participated in the friendly eight-week competition that ended April 2.
Schools competed in various categories highlighting ways to handle recyclables. The waste minimization category recognized efforts to reduce waste at the source.
“This not only involves our recycling efforts but also how we work, teach and learn in our facilities,” said Jerry Cochran, Valencia’s recycling coordinator, in a college-wide email he sent out shortly after final results were announced.
“We have demonstrated to our peer institutions that by reducing our waste stream, the impact on the environment has been significantly altered and the Green movement is alive and thriving at Valencia,” Cochran wrote.
“Next year’s goal is to take that No. 1 position,” he added.
Valencia placed fourth in the waste minimization category in its first year of competing.
Earth Day is Friday, April 22, but Valencia Community College is getting a jump on things by scheduling activities at various campuses earlier in the week.
The lineup:
Osceola Campus has scheduled activities from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20, mostly in the area of Building 2. They include an “eco-adventure” speaker in the auditorium whose topic is “Around the World in 90 Minutes.” The main event begins at noon outside Building 2. Participants can decorate clay pots and then plant seeds in them and also make personalized bumper stickers. Organic chai tea will be offered.
West Campus has scheduled activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 21, in the Student Services Building patio. Among them: a plant and bird house sale by the Office of Sustainability; a farmer’s market, shredder truck, resource fair and other attractions by Peer Counselors; plant seeds and shirts and organic chai tea from Valencia Volunteers; a vegan barbecue by Phi Theta Kappa; and a performance by singer Jason Levassuer at 1 p.m.
East Campus has schedule activities from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 21, in the mall area. Among them: 20-minute yoga sessions starting at 1:10 p.m.; a T-shirt giveaway; decorate a clay pot and choose from 150 native plants and herbs to put in it; and a performance by the Commercial Music Ensemble.
Winter Park Campus got the earliest start of all, celebrating on April 7 with a farmer’s market, a T-shirt giveaway and a salad/wrap bar.
For information about the history of Earth Day and how it is marked around the world, visit the Earth Day Network at http://www.earthday.org/
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
Valencia launches its own bachelor’s degree programs for the first time in its history this fall, with electrical and computer engineering technology and radiologic and imaging science. They add to an already strong presence of bachelor’s programs offered through UCF’s regional campus at Valencia. They also are in high demand by Valencia students and lead to well-paying jobs in stable industries—health care and high technology.
Similar bachelor’s degrees had been offered by the University of Central Florida until July of 2009, when budget cuts forced the university to eliminate the programs. The B.S. in Radiologic and Imaging Sciences will offer concentrations in Computed Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Quality Management. The degree will primarily be offered through online courses for the flexibility they offer to working health-care professionals.
The program aligns with associate degree programs in Diagnostic Medical Sonography and Radiography already offered by Valencia. The B. S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology will have concentrations in Computer Systems, Electrical/Electronic Systems and Laser and Photonics. It aligns with the A.S. in Electronics Engineering Technology and the A.A. in Engineering. The curriculum prepares graduates for engineering occupations related to electrical/ electronics, computer systems, digital electronics, digital and wireless communication and lasers and optics.
While Valencia may be known as a Community College for a few more months, it has already established a global influence. Valencia students looking to expand their horizons as well as their job opportunities have traveled to Denmark, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and even as far as China through existing programs and faculty-led projects. In an effort to produce graduates who will keep the United States competitive in a global economy, Valencia works to help students “learn to appreciate and value different ways of doing things”, according to Jennifer Robertson, director of Valencia’s Study Abroad and Global Experiences (SAGE) program.
Educators maintain that spending time immersed in a foreign culture greatly impacts students’ lives and career choices, gives them a wider perspective on the world, and allows them to relate in a genuine way to people from many different cultures. All of these benefits and more have led to Valencia’s decision to expand study-abroad opportunities.
Through SAGE, Valencia has partnered with Community Colleges for International Development, Inc. and the Catholic Diocese of Orlando, among others, to provide opportunities for students to learn through cultural immersion. One trip in particular, to the Dominican Republic, has spawned follow-up efforts at home to assist those in great need overseas. Valencia student Vanessa Hornedo sold handmade jewelry at local events and also contributed to a student written book “In Our Village” that is sold to raise scholarship funds for Dominican students. Lana Powell, the Valencia professor who accompanied students on that trip, has found that her experiences abroad translate into powerful learning tools that she often includes in lectures to fortify her teaching.
Whether a short term class trip, service learning project, semester program, or student exchange opportunity, Valencia students can easily select the study abroad option that best suits their needs. Currently students can study in over 45 countries as well as U.S. Territories Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. The average cost of a short-term study abroad trip is $3,000, with semester long programs ranging from $5,000 – $15,000+. Scholarships are available to help fund trips and in many cases financial aid applies toward payment for study abroad.
Scholarships make a tremendous difference in ability of students to attend college. This year Valencia current students along with past students from the Alumni association are working together for a class gift to help future Valencia students attend college.
Your help with the student effort is needed and appreciated!
Text VALENCIA to 20222 to donate $10. Or visit www.valenciacc.edu/give and simply enter your cell phone number. Donations will be applied to Valencia’s Student Government Association Scholarship. Visit www.valenciacc.edu/give for more details.
A one-time donation of $10.00 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. All donations must be authorized by the account holder. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of Valencia Community College by the Mobile Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.hmgf.org/t. Messaging & Data Rates May Apply. You can unsubscribe at any time by texting STOP to short code 20222; text HELP to 20222 for help.
Geraldine Gallagher, president and CEO of the Valencia Foundation, was interviewed for the March 3 article, “Finding New Funding Streams in Hard Times,” in Community College Times. Read the story here.
In light of recent economic struggles, many local residents are turning to higher education as the key to new employment opportunities and job security. While things seem to be looking up for many families, finances can still be tight, especially when including the ever rising costs of tuition and books that can make paying for college seem impossible.
To increase access to higher education and bolster scholarship funding, Valencia Foundation and UCF Foundation are partnering once again to host A Taste for Learning on Saturday, April 2, at Rosen Shingle Creek. An international wine sampling and auction, A Taste for Learning expects to draw over 1,000 attendees to raise monies for scholarships that support students who are the first in their families to attend college. Making this event unique, 100 percent of all sponsorships, tickets and auction receipts are given directly to student scholarships and are eligible to earn dollar-for-dollar match through the Florida First Generation in College matching grant program.
Tickets for A Taste for Learning are $125 per person or $200 per couple and can be purchased online at www.VALENCIA.org/taste.
When A Taste for Learning was first proposed in 2005 by Valencia Foundation board member Jess Bailes, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits executive vice president, the idea was to create an event that could be sustained by the support of community partners donating all the necessary items for the event. The generosity of those willing to contribute everything needed, the venue, food, wines, auction items and décor for the event, has resulted in $1.67 million dollars going straight to deserving students in need.
2011 will mark the second year that Valencia and UCF have collaborated on A Taste for Learning to raise funds for 2+2 scholarships for the DirectConnect program. DirectConnect is an initiative guaranteeing admission to UCF for all Valencia graduates, and is the most successful community college/university partnership in the nation.
For this year’s tasting and auction, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits has invited wineries from around the world to donate hundreds of bottles of their finest wines, as well as providing exceptional auction items. Each year about 100 visit from throughout the country, as well as Australia, France, Italy, Germany and Spain.
Gourmet hors d’oeuvres and sample entrée selections from Rosen Shingle Creek, Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort and Fiorella’s Cucina Toscana, among others, will be served during the event.
This year’s generous sponsors include ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Rosen Shingle Creek, Freeman, Orlando Health, Orlando Magic, Walt Disney World Resort, Edlen Electrical Exhibition Services of Orlando Inc., Jack Holloway Foundation, LarsonAllen LLP, Orlando Event Photographers, Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association, FAIRWINDS Credit Union, Fifth Third Bank, Paul and Mary Ann Kinser, McCree General Contractors & Architects, PPI Construction Management Inc., SeaWorld, Aquatica and Discovery Cove, Skanska USA Building Inc., Terra Firma Construction Management, Signature Systems of Florida, Universal Orlando Resort and Williams Company.
For more information or to make a donation, please call (407)582-3150 or visit www.VALENCIA.org.
Yes, tickets are hot for this event! A Taste for Learning, April 2, 2011 at Rosen Shingle Creek is our second joint philanthropic event between Valencia Community College and University of Central Florida.
Vintners from around the around the globe bring their finest wines and spirits, local donor chefs fire up the grills to provide their best cuisine, and hundreds of supporters gather for an evening of fellowship and shopping for gifts, trips and experiences. The formula unites partners who donate every product for the event, including the venue, media, décor, food, wine and auction items.
The result? 100 percent of all sponsorships, tickets and auction receipts will go directly to scholarships and is eligible to earn dollar-for-dollar match through the state of Florida First Generation in College matching grant program, doubling a donor’s investment.
Please join us by inviting friends and colleagues, sponsoring a table and contributing auction items.
The American Advertising Federation’s Orlando chapter recently recognized local advertising talent and excellence in advertising with its annual ADDY awards. Winners in the student competition, selected from more than 40 entries included eight Valencia students from the Graphics Technology program: Laura Murillo, Best of Show award; James Smith and Iliana Perez, Special Judges Award; Paula Latorre, silver and a Special Judges Award; and Brian Nutt, Jaclyn Steinberg, Stephanie Gault and Brandon Lohaus, silver medal.
Happy thoughts this Monday from a Valencia scholarship recipient:
On this morning, Monday morning, I woke up dreading the start of a new school week. Do not get me wrong – I love school, but you know how Mondays are. The weekend is over and now you have five days of work! However, this Monday was a little bit different. Just like every morning, I check my email for any last minute information that the professors have sent out and instead I found an email from Valencia Community College. This email stated that I have received a scholarship. This has made Monday my favorite day of the week!
As you can tell, this is my thank you letter so let me start off by saying: Thank you! I cannot even begin to tell you how this scholarship money will come in handy. Currently, I’m a student enrolled at Valencia Community College going for my associate of science in nursing. As well as Valencia, I’m also enrolled in a concurrent program at University of Central Florida, going for my bachelor of science in nursing at the same time. This program is limited with only 28 students admitted this year, with two already dropped so we’re down to 26. My projected graduation date from Valencia is May 2012 – then I will go on to take my NCLEX to become a registered nurse and I hope to make the professors proud!
One day, I hope to become someone that makes differences, maybe not to the whole world but at least in someone’s life. I want to be a nurse that patients would be happy to see when my shift starts. I plan to go on to get my master’s in the future. The sky is the limit!
More than 1,000 Valencia Community College employees collectively undertook a massive public service project Friday as a way of giving thanks for the community’s ongoing support.
It was all part of Learning Day, an annual event in which all college campuses are closed and faculty and staff gather to focus on the college’s learning-based mission.
Traditionally, activities have been campus-based and involved a variety of activities.
This year, employees started the day off by gathering under one roof — UCF Arena — for a rare convocation.
Attendees heard from distinguished alumni about how Valencia helped shape their lives:
Eddie Ruiz, principal of Jackson Middle School. Ruiz received his AA degree in 1999 and went on to graduate from UCF two years later. He is currently in the doctoral program at UCF. Before becoming a principal, he worked as a science teacher. He was a finalist for Orange County Teacher of the Year in 2006. Note: He attended Jackson Middle as a teen.
Abeer Beshir Abdalla, a 2005 Valencia grad — also named that year’s Distinguished Graduate – who works as a writer and communications specialist in Washington, D.C. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UCF. She is also a former president of Valencia’s Alumni Association.
Francis Angibeaud Montjen, a Cameroon native who earned an AA degree from Valencia in 2002. Since moving to the United Kingdom, he’s received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southampton and is currently working on a master’s degree in finance and banking at Queen Mary University in London.
Following the convocation, employees jumped on buses for a ride to Moss Park in southeast Orlando.
Their mission: spruce the place up for the enjoyment of the entire community.
At the park/campground, employees:
– Widened and mulched the Bear Island Nature Trail.
– Replaced old guide poles and filled potholes.
– Cleaned up landscaping at the park’s entrance, removed invasive plants and cleared vegetation in certain areas to enhance sight-lines.
– Raked volleyball courts and filled with new sand.
– Cleaned playground equipment.
– Cleaned and refinished picnic tables, fire rings and grills.
Valencia teamed with Hands on Orlando, a nonprofit group that connects volunteers with service projects, to organize the Moss Park clean-up.
Valencia President Sandy Shugart thanked employees at the end of the day, saying he liked the idea of a collective service learning project because it presented the rare opportunity for employees of the far-flung college community to come together in one place.
Choosing a public park as a focus instead of splintering across different projects had deep meaning too, he said.
“A park is great because it represents the community,” Shugart said.
All Valencia campus locations will be closed for Learning Day on Friday, February 11th.
Learning Day is a college-wide event designed to provide an opportunity for Valencia employees to come together and collectively focus on Valencia’s learning-centered mission. Learning Day 2011 will be unlike any Learning Day we have ever had. For the first time, this year we would like to extend an invitation to all part-time and adjunct employees to attend this day of learning, service, and celebration. You won’t want to miss this opportunity reconnect, lend a hand, and celebrate Valencia’s commitment to being an extraordinary learning community.
Please visit www.valencia.org/taste for tickets and event information. If you wish to turn the event into a sparkling weekend, reserve your room with a special Taste for Learning rate.
Thank you just doesn’t seem like enough when restaurants come with decor, fresh signature dishes, supportive staff and nothing but enthusiasm for scholarships. Thanks to our restaurant sponsors that have already commited to this year’s A Taste for Learning!
- Rosen Shingle Creek
- Fiorella’s Cucina Toscana
- P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
I know that we are greteful for their continued support of our mission, and look forward to the many goodies that they will provide this year.
If you or someone you know is interested in being a restaurant sponsor, please contact Celica Cofield at (407) 582-3227 or ccofield@valenciacc.edu.
The Valencia Character Company will present “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller. Showtimesare Feb. 16-19 and Feb. 23-26 at 7:30 p.m., and Feb. 20 and 27 at 2 p.m., with an additional matinee on Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. in the Black Box Theater at Valencia Community College’s East Campus.
A dark and disturbing look at the Salem witch trials of 1692, “The Crucible” explores a society whose very soul is on the line due to wild accusations and widespread hysteria. Miller wrote the play as a parable for Senator Joseph McCarthy’s crusade against communist sympathizers. More than just a period piece, the play’s theme of the deadly consequences of unchecked rumors and fear mongering may well have parallels in the modern political landscape.
Miller’s work will be directed by John DiDonna and designed byValencia theater professorMichael Shugg.
Ticket prices are $10 for general admission, and $8 for students, seniors, Valencia staff and alumni. Valencia’s East Campus is located at 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando. Seating is limited in the Black Box Theater, so advance ticket purchase is suggested and latecomers may not be seated until intermission. Please be advised that this play contains themes that are not suitable for children under age 10.
For reservations or further information, please call the box office at 407-582-2900. Tickets are also available online at www.redchairproject.com.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
The Orlando Latin American Film & Heritage Festival’s seventh edition opens Thursday, with four days of movies, music, talks and a staged reading of a play.
“Tony was doing things around town to make people aware that Taiwan was not just Chinese, that there were these tribes that were there before the Han Chinese came and took over the culture,” says Hose. “His mother, who had died, had never told him she was from the Atayal tribe. We thought ‘There’s a documentary in that story.’”
Hose spent years documenting former Orlandoan Tony Coolidge‘s search for the indigenous heritage his mother hid from him all his life.
Filmmaker Aaron Hose shot "Voices in the Clouds" in locales from Orlando to Taiwan. (Aaron Hose, Voices in the Clouds / February 3, 2011)
A trio of dance organizations bands together tonight for “3 in Motion,” a free production on the first day of ArtsFest, the annual festival of arts and culture run by United Arts of Central Florida.
The twist to “3 in Motion”? Each group is at a different level of development: The dancers come from the Dr. Phillips High School dance magnet program, Valencia Dance Theatre at Valencia Community College and Yow Dance, an Orlando professional company.
“The idea is to really get the three different groups intermixed,” says Eric Yow, artistic director of Yow Dance.
During the show, each group performs numbers from its repertory — but what the public sees is just the final event in a three-day educational program.
Beginning Wednesday, the companies met for dress rehearsals, master classes, mini-performances for Dr. Phillips students and a sometimes emotional discussion about life as a dancer.
“The room kind of sizzles” during the discussion session, says Kathy Follensbee, dance director at Dr. Phillips High.
Yow says the students are transfixed by stories from the real world: “They have it from the horse’s mouth — because these [professional] dancers are doing it, are living it.”
In past years, the professionals have become emotional when discussing the challenges in their careers.
“Some of my dancers really opened up,” Yow says. “It was a real heartfelt discussion. Some of the dancers cried.”
The students soak up an incredible amount of knowledge in a short time, Follensbee says, from technique to how to behave professionally during a warm-up session.
“Any time you work with people of a higher caliber, it raises your game,” she says.
The enthusiasm of one group ignites the others, says Suzanne Salapa, director of dance at Valencia Community College.
“We all eat, sleep and breathe dance,” Salapa says. “We share the same belief system — to get dance out in Orlando.”
Because each troupe has its own flair, the “3 in Motion” program lets the audience experience a variety of contemporary styles. “It becomes really special because it’s about education — not only for the three companies but for the community,” Follensbee says.
The joint performance perfectly represents the collaborative nature of ArtsFest, says Margot Knight, United Arts president.
“The more you get creative minds together, the better the product,” Knight says. “When we get creative people in a room together exciting things happen — and audiences like it when exciting things happen.”
See for yourself
What: ‘3 in Motion’ contemporary dance program
When: 7:30-9:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Dr. Phillips High School Performing Arts Center, 6500 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando
Tickets: Free. Go to artsfestFL.com and click on “Schedule.” Then scroll to page 8 of the schedule and click on the “Tickets are limited” icon.
IRS-trained tax preparers will be available to assist members of the community with their 2010 tax returns and electronic filing at Valencia Community College. Through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, low- to moderate-income individuals and families (incomes of $60,000 and below), students, the elderly, the disabled and those who don’t speak or read English well can receive free tax assistance and electronic filing on the following dates:
Volunteer tax preparers will provide assistance with completing the 1040EZ, 1040A or 1040 forms, along with schedules A, B, EIC and 2441 (childcare deduction). Any other returns must be approved in advance by calling the appropriate contact person at the location you plan to visit (listed below).
Those interested in getting tax help are asked to bring the following:
- All W-2s, W-2G and social security amounts
- 1099s, 1099R, Interest and Dividend Statements
- Documentation to show other income
- Total paid for daycare provider and daycare provider’s tax ID number
- Copy of last year’s return if available
- Social Security cards for you, your dependents and/or spouse
- Driver’s license or photo identification for you and your spouse
- Proof of bank account for direct deposit of refund (e.g., voided check)
For more information, contact Walter Martin at the East Campus at (407) 582-2849 or wmartin@valenciacc.edu, or Mabel Machin at the Osceola Campus at (407) 582-2291.
Valencia’s East Campus is located at 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando. The Osceola Campus is located at 1800 Denn John Lane in Kissimmee.
On Thursday, Feb. 3, Take Stock in Children of Orange County will hold a ceremony to recognize and celebrate its new and returning student participants, as well as their parents, mentors and community and corporate sponsors.
The event will take place at 10 a.m. in the Special Events Center (Bldg. 8 on Valencia Community College’s West Campus, located at 1800 S. Kirkman Road in Orlando.
This year, 24 seventh-grade students from local middle schools will be inducted into the program, bringing the total number of participating students to 108.
Take Stock in Children is a statewide initiative that helps underserved children succeed, starting at age 12, by providing college scholarships, volunteer mentors, early intervention and long-term support. High standards, parental involvement and community support are crucial to the program’s success.
“The generous support of Take Stock in Children by founding partner Florida Citrus Sports Foundation and Mears Transportation has enabled us to scale the program up at a time when others are cutting back,” said Valencia President Sandy Shugart. “This will have a huge impact on our community.”
Just last week the Orlando Magic Youth Fund, a McCormick Foundation Fund, awarded a grant of $100,000 to the Valencia Foundation in support of Take Stock in Children.
Attending Thursday’s ceremony will be: Commissioner Daisy Lynum, City of Orlando; Bill Sublette, Joie Cadle and Nancy Robbinson, Orange County School Board; Commissioner Lui Damiani, Orange County Government; Ron Blocker, superintendent, Orange County Public Schools; John Newstreet, regional director, office of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio; Bill Dymond, president, Florida Citrus Sports Foundation; Steve Hogan, CEO, Florida Citrus Sports; Linda Landman Gonzalez, Orlando Magic and Valencia Foundation chair; Betsey Bell, executive director, Orlando Magic Youth Foundation; T. Picton Warlow IV, Martin Andersen-Gracia Andersen Foundation; and guest speakers Adonal Foyle, former Magic player and director of player development for the Orlando Magic, and Tom Stroup, SWAT commander and host of the NBC reality series “School Pride,” which tells the stories of communities coming together to renovate their aging and broken public schools.
This year’s inductees include students from Howard Middle School (Selena Acevedo, Brook Bonner, Jacob Davis, Mahagony Davis, Daylees Guzman, Quiniya Howard, Destiny Lane, Jacob Mclemore, Mallorie Paulk, Natalie Raphael, Irene Rodriguez, Trinh Tran, Asia Watson, Devon Watson and Tia Williams); Lee Middle School (Umesha Beckwith, Taymel Christian, Jacob Henderson, Briana Murphy and Alaysia Sims); and Lockhart Middle School (Briana Campbell, Kevin Diaz, Robert Massaline and Anthony Swingle).
Valencia Community College brought Take Stock in Children to Orange County in 2008. The first class of student participants is now in the tenth grade and will graduate from high school in 2013.
Since 1995, Take Stock in Children has impacted the lives of more than 17,600 deserving students in the state of Florida, providing more than 9,000 high school graduates with full college scholarships.
To volunteer as a mentor, provide a tax-deductible contribution or to obtain more information about Take Stock in Children of Orange County, please contact 407-582-3336 or takestockinchildren@valenciacc.edu.
Visit www.valencia.org/taste for tickets and event information. If you wish to turn the evening into a sparkling weekend, reserve your room with a special Taste for Learning rate.
A Taste for Learning, April 2, 2011 at Rosen Shingle Creek is our second joint philanthropic event between Valencia Community College and University of Central Florida.
Vintners from around the around the globe bring their finest wines and spirits, local donor chefs fire up the grills to provide their best cuisine, and hundreds of supporters gather for an evening of fellowship and shopping for gifts, trips and experiences. The formula unites partners who donate every product for the event, including the venue, media, décor, food, wine and auction items.
The result? 100 percent of all sponsorships, tickets and auction receipts will go directly to scholarships and is eligible to earn dollar-for-dollar match through the state of Florida First Generation in College matching grant program, doubling a donor’s investment.
Please join us by inviting friends and colleagues, sponsoring a table and contributing auction items.
Victor Collazo is serving in his 16th year as the Student Development Coordinator and Student Government Advisor at Valencia Community College West Campus. As a community college graduate (Daytona Beach) he understands the importance of co-curricular activities on the lives of students. Victor contributes to the development and education of the students through his workshops at the local, district and state wide meetings. The students know him as a presenter who will never bore them and they always leave having learned something they can use in life. Some of his workshops are: “The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus”, “The FISH! Philosophy”, “Eat that Frog” and “The Fred Factor”.
Victor is actively involved in leadership positions at the District and State level of the Florida Junior/Community College Student Government Association and the Florida Association of Community Colleges especially the Student Development Commission. He has also served his alma mater, University of Central Florida on several alumni boards. Victor is the recipient of many special honors and achievements such as:
Dr. Debra Hay Distinguished Service Award for the FACC Student Development Commission
A scholarship has been endowed in his name through the Valencia Community College Foundation.
Named an Honorary member of the Chi Epsilon Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa
Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities Outstanding Service Award
Victor truly exemplifies a Servant Leader and is providing extraordinary leadership for the Valencia Volunteers. He is one of the first on board whenever a crisis happens, be it local or worldwide such as Hurricane Katrina and the Haitian Earthquake. “Victor has a servant’s heart from which he contributes to others every day” according to Dr. Joyce Romano, Vice President for Student Affairs at Valencia.
James “Jay” Galbraith, Vice President of State and Industry Affairs for Sea World Parks and Entertainment, discovered his passion for politics and respect for democratic engagement while earning his AA degree from Indian River Community College in 1988.
Jay’s involvement in the Campus Coalition Government as the Athletic representative caused him to change his chosen path from professional golf to politics. Once involved at the campus level, Jay quickly became involved at the District and State levels being elected the District V Coordinator and assuming his role on the Florida Junior Colleges Student Government Association (FJCSGA) State Executive Board. Jay proposed FJCSGA have a conference to deal with legislative issues. The proposal was put on the shelf for a number of years. Jay was ahead of his time in that his idea was eventually adopted by FJCCSGA (yes another C for Community was added) changing their conference format and now holds the November Presidents Assembly and Legislative Conference. Jay continues to give back to the Student Government division presenting workshops through the years. In April 2010, Jay was the keynote speaker for the “Rally in Tally”.
After graduating from Indian River, Jay enrolled at Florida State University where he became involved in the Student Government Association and the College Republicans. While at FSU, he was involved in a number of political campaigns. After graduation from FSU, he spent time working for Congressman Michael Bilirakis of Clearwater.
Professionally Jay has worked in government, education and for non-profit organizations. He lives in Orlando with his wife Carrie and their four children: Denny, Sara, Faith and Josiah. He continues to have the community colleges at heart serving on the Valencia Community College Foundation Board. He is actively involved in his community giving back thorough his church, the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools, Visit Florida Government Affairs Committee, and others.
Jay is a creative visionary with a heart to serve.
The Garden Theatre in Winter Garden welcomes celebrated singer/songwriter Susan Werner for a live performance on January 25 at 8 p.m. The event is sponsored in part by Valencia Community College under its Visions & Voices distinguished artists series.
Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 the day of the show. Seating is general admission.
Susan Werner made her public debut at age five, playing guitar and singing at church. She began playing piano when she was 11, and after earning a degree in voice from the University of Iowa, she completed her graduate studies at Temple University in Philadelphia, where she performed in recitals and operas.
Werner launched her recording career with the self-released “Midwestern Saturday Night”in 1992, which was followed by “Live at Tin Angel”in 1993. The second album impressed executives at Private Music/BMG, which released her major label debut “Last of the Good Straight Girls” in 1995. She also received critical accolades for her subsequent recordings, “Time Between Trains” (VelVel, 1998) and “New Non-Fiction”(Indie, 2001). She has toured the nation with acts such as Richard Thomson, Keb Mo and Joan Armatrading, and was featured in a 1998 Peter, Paul and Mary PBS television special as one of the best of the next generation of folk songwriters.
From her folk/pop beginnings, to the songbook flavored “I Can’t Be New”and now “Susan Werner: Classics,” Werner relishes the challenges of being a creative free spirit. Her new CD, “Kicking the Beehive,” will be released on March 1, 2011 (www.susanwerner.com).
For tickets and information, visit gardentheatre.org or call 407-877-4736. The Garden Theatre is located at 160 West Plant St. in Winter Garden.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
Have a question about the Valencia Foundation not answered here? Please feel free to reach out:
Donna Marino, Valencia Foundation
407-582-3128 or 407-582-3150 dmarino@valenciacc.edu
How can we foster peace in our families and our world?
Michael M. Nagler, a professor emeritus at the University of California at Berkeley and internationally recognized scholar on the subject of nonviolence, will offer some suggestions during a free lecture at Valencia Community College’s East Campus on January 25 at 1 p.m.
In light of recent events in Arizona, where violence marred the lives of so many, the topic is a particularly timely one.
Prior to the lecture, the college will host a reception in the atrium of Bldg. 3, followed by a book signing. The East Campus is located at 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando.
Nagler’s book, “The Search for a Nonviolent Future,” which received a 2002 American Book Award, explores the history of nonviolence and attempts to offer alternatives to confronting violence—both for individuals and societies as a whole.
The event is being presented by the University Club of Orlando Endowed Chair, the East Campus Humanities Speakers Series, and the Peace and Justice Initiative.
Examples of Chris Kahler paintings, biography and exhibitions from www.artnet.com.
Students, friends, community members, alumni and family are invited to view the paintings of Chris Kahler and share in a lecture by the artists. The exhibition, Duality, is housed at Valenica’s Anita S. Wooten East Campus Gallery. The reception is free and open to the public on January 21, 6:30-8:30pm.
Valencia is pleased to bring the paintings of Chris Kahler, Professor of Painting and Drawing at Eastern Illinois University. A review of his work was featured in the magazine Art in America.
If unable to make the Gallery opening please consider visiting the exhibit from Jan. 21 – March 11, 2011.
For more information on Valencia's Arts and Entertainment offerings please visit: www.valenciacc.edu/arts
The bilingual newspaper El Osceola Star interviewed Osceola Campus Provost Kathleen Plinske in their current issue that introduces four new community leaders in education, health care and government. Read the article, available both in Spanish and English, in this week’s El Osceola Star.
What were the highlights for Valencia in 2010? While there were many things accomplished, these would certainly qualify for the short list.
1. Professor James May was chosen Florida Association of Community College’s Professor of the Year.
2. We added bachelor’s degrees for the first time.
3. We broke through to #1 in most associate degrees awarded in the country.
4. We smashed records in financial aid, awarding $156,064,210, up almost a million dollars from ’09.
5. We had our first Jack Kent Cooke scholar, Mikhail Elliott, who scored a $90,000 scholarship.
6. Our new classroom building jointly used by UCF opened.
7. Two of our students (Charnee Ball and Kathryn McCormick) were chosen from 200 contestants to appear in a video series called, “Take America to College.”
8. Kathleen Plinske, Pepperdine grad and one of 24 Emerging Leaders in the world according to Phi Delta Kappa International, was named to head the Osceola Campus and Valencia at Lake Nona High School.
9. We launched a new joint Valencia/UCF architecture degree in the fall.
10. Valencia went greener than ever thanks in part to custodial supervisor Jerry Cochran. Valencia’s recycling program has reduced its carbon footprint by saving 5,931 trees, 132,744 gallons of oil, 1047 cubic yards of landfill space, 1,395,520 kilowatts of energy, and 2.44 million gallons of water.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
For current or potential students, this workshop is an opportunity to receive expert help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Please see below for registration and what you’ll need to bring.
In observation of the holiday season, Valencia Community College and Valencia Foundation offices will be closed beginning Wednesday, December 22, 2010. We will reopen on Monday, January 3, 2010.
We hope that you will consider making your year-end gift, if you are able, to support deserving individuals. Every gift – no matter how modest – will give a student a hand-up in achieving their own potential. All gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Any gift that is dated before Jan. 1, 2011 will count toward the current tax year. (Checks should be dated by Dec. 31, 2010 to qualify). You may also make a credit card donation through our secure website at www.valencia.org.
Valencia Community College will soon be known as Valencia College after trustees today approved President Sanford Shugart’s recommendation to rename the school to more accurately convey its mission and program mix.
“The name Valencia College conveys who we are and all that we offer and may yet deliver in fulfillment of our mission,” said Shugart in an e-mail to faculty and staff earlier this week. “It is consistent with the evolving higher education landscape in Florida and with our position in it.”
Shugart stressed that the college remains committed to its core principles of an “open door,” affordable tuition, and a learning-centered philosophy for which it has become known as one of the best community colleges in the nation. Valencia produces more associate degree graduates than any two-year college in America.
In their discussions, trustees emphasized that Valencia is now the “primary on ramp” to higher education for Central Florida with more than 60,000 students. More than twice as many local high school graduates enroll at Valencia than at all public universities in the state combined.
“Valencia loves its role in serving a very broad range of students in this community and is arguably one of the best in the nation at achieving the vision of a community college,” said Raymer F. Maguire III, chair of Valencia’s District Board of Trustees.
The college’s highly successful guaranteed transfer program into UCF, known as DirectConnect, has also turned Valencia into a sought-after college destination for many students. More than 20 percent of UCF’s upper division is made up of Valencia transfers with many in the pipeline, thanks to the seamless transition.
Valencia launches its own bachelor’s degree programs for the first time in its history next fall, with electrical and computer engineering technology and radiologic and imaging science. They add to an already strong presence of bachelor’s programs offered through UCF’s regional campus at Valencia.
“We’re pleased to see Valencia moving forward with the offering of select bachelor’s degrees,” said UCF Board of Trustee Chair Rick Walsh. “I believe our partnership can only be strengthened as we work together to ensure students a path toward degree completion.”
On Valencia’s West Campus, UCF offers complete bachelor’s degrees in applied science, architecture, business administration, criminal justice, electrical engineering, elementary education, interdisciplinary studies, legal studies, nursing, political science, psychology and sociology. On Osceola Campus, UCF offers bachelor’s degrees in applied science, business administration, elementary education, interdisciplinary studies and psychology.
Valencia’s workforce offerings are highly regarded with signature programs in film, nursing, hospitality and culinary, digital media, and computer technology.
Driven by a belief that “anyone can learn anything under the right circumstances,” Valencia has instituted several innovative strategies to improve academic performance for students in their critical first year of college, including linking paired courses to strengthen learning, and placing specially trained student leaders in the classroom to offer support and tutoring.
The success of these reforms has earned Valencia support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through non-profit group MDC, Inc., who gave Valencia almost three-quarters of a million dollars last year to expand its efforts to close educational achievement gaps across racial and ethnic lines.
Valencia also operates several programs, including Take Stock in Children and Bridges, that identify at-risk students prior to college and provides them with mentors coupled with financial support throughout their academic careers.
Valencia operates six campuses and centers in Orange and Osceola counties offering credit and continuing education programs. In 2012 it will open a new campus in Lake Nona. The college was founded in 1967 as Valencia Junior College and renamed in 1972 as Valencia Community College.
The college conducted a year-long consultation with students, faculty, and business leaders inviting them to share their thoughts on Valencia’s mission. Many attended campus forums and weighed in on the issue. “We were very open, thoughtful and deliberate about this step,” said Shugart. “Valencia holds a unique position in this community but also in many hearts and minds. This move comes at the right time and for the right reasons.”
The name change will take effect July 1, 2011. Officials say the college will incur only minimal costs to implement the name, leaving unchanged its well-recognized Valencia logo, adopted in the mid 1990s. The official college seal, used since 1967, will see slight modifications.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
Valencia VP Wins Exemplary Practice Award for Fiscal Stewardship
Keith Houck, vice president of Administrative Services for Valencia Community College, received the 2010 Exemplary Practice Award from the organization of Community College Business Officers at their Annual International Conference on November 15 in South Carolina.
The award was based on Valencia’s demonstrated excellence, under Mr. Houck’s leadership, in addressing ten key business imperatives that resulted in reduced costs, improved efficiencies and new sources of income. As a result, Valencia was able to generate more than $3 million a year in operational savings and added more than $400,000 a year from new revenue sources.
“This was really a team effort that could not have been accomplished without everyone’s assistance,” Houck said, who oversees the college’s business, financial and information resources, as well as facilities management.
The CCBO is made up of business officers and other professionals from community colleges across the U.S. and Canada.
CONGRATULATIONS KEITH!
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Carol Traynor, 407.582.1015, ctraynor@valenciacc.edu
Our student’s lives are impacted tremendously by the kindness of our donors. This is where your generosity makes a huge difference. Your tax-deductible donation goes 100 percent to students in need. Please visit www.VALENCIA.org and make a donation today.
Over the last year, Valencia has experienced tremendous growth. A look back into the college’s history revealed that in 1967 Valencia opened its doors with 567 students. Enrollment has steadily grown during the past 42 years, this last school year Valencia received a total of 67,001 students.
In this economy and with this job market, our students are more determined than ever to improve their opportunities in life, they want to give their families an optimistic view of the future.
By working a second job, cutting family expenses and packaging federal aid and scholarships, many students manage to cobble almost enough to pay tuition, often forgetting that textbooks are an additional expense and can cost just as much.
As we unwrap gifts and wrap up another year, this is the time when we think most of others. The familiar saying reminds us it is “better to give than to receive.” As the year winds to a close, I ask you to give hope.
Our student’s lives are impacted tremendously by the kindness of our donors. This is where your generosity makes a huge difference. Your tax-deductible donation goes 100 percent to students in need. A gift of $95 will purchase a textbook; $2,391 will cover tuition for one year.
To make a contribution, please visit us online at www.VALENCIA.org and click on >>Give Now for the secure website. You may also send your gift to Valencia Foundation, 190 S. Orange Avenue, Orlando FL 32801. Every dollar makes a difference.
This holiday season, please take a moment and consider the gifts you would like to make – no matter how large or modest.
I wish many blessings to you and your family in the new year.
The University of Central Florida’s founding president, Dr. Charles Millican passed away today. A strong supporter of Valencia during its founding and throughout the college’s development, Valencia Community College unveiled a plaque to honor Dr. Millican and the role he played when it dedicated the joint UCF-Valencia building on its West Campus last year, named the University Center.
Valencia Community College president, Sanford Shugart, issued the following statement upon learning of the higher education leader’s death at 94:
“Charles Millican, the founding president of the University of Central Florida, in 1967 endorsed the creation of a new junior college in Orlando. He was countering initial local resistance to the notion. His support helped pave the way for Valencia’s establishment. If Dr. Millican is considered the father of UCF, he also could be considered the godfather of Valencia.”
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
There are other ways to support Valencia, create student scholarships, and enhance education in our community. By naming Valencia Community College Foundation as a beneficiary through a will or amending a will with a codicil, you can make a commitment in support of education with your deferred donation.
Philanthropy has built remarkable college institutions, cured deadly diseases and continues to fund research and facilities dedicated to our health and education. This generosity also funds religious, environmental and social efforts globally and locally.
The truth is that while many are limited by the realities of a day-to-day budget, a little careful planning today makes it possible for almost anyone to do more in the future through a planned gift.
There are other ways to support Valencia, create student scholarships, and enhance education in our community. By naming Valencia Community College Foundation as a beneficiary through a will or amending a will with a codicil, you can make a commitment in support of education with your deferred donation.
Valencia provides an authentic, learning-centered environment with giving, talented teaching and service-oriented professionals who care for and lead students to discover their greatest potential.
If you haven’t already, please consider supporting the Valencia Foundation with your learning legacy, your gift makes a real difference for the students we teach and serve every day.
For more than 40 years, Valencia has swung open the doors of learning in Central Florida. We envision a day when no individual in our community is shut out of college because of family finances.
With your support, I believe this community can make that happen.
Valencia Community College’s East Campus performing arts students will close the year with an array of concerts between now and mid-December. The cost gives music lovers even more reason to rejoice—admission is absolutely free.
Dec. 2 – Winter Choral Concert at 7:30 p.m., Performing Arts Center
Valencia’s premier 50-member concert choir along with the Valencia String and Contemporary ensembles will perform a wealth of classic, contemporary and seasonal works. Showcased will be John Williams’ deeply moving score for “Schindler’s List,” performed by the choir with violin soloist David Bathen. Other featured works include music from “Wicked,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Peter Pan,” Handel, Brahms, Emerson and Dello Joio.
Dec. 5 – Ensembles Program at 2:30 p.m., St. Michael’s Church
Valencia’s choir will perform works by Handel, Brahms, Emerson and Dello Joio, as well as selected carols and madrigals. The Valencia String Ensemble will perform “Water Music” by Handel, Vivaldi’s “Autumn” score from “The Four Seasons” with violin soloist Sam Mugnolo, “Serenade in E Minor” by Elgar, and the theme from “Schindler’s List.” St. Michael’s Episcopal Church is located at 2499 N. Westmoreland Dr. in Orlando.
Dec. 9 – Fall Symphonic/Jazz Band Concert at7:30 p.m., Performing Arts Center
Featuring performances by Valencia’s Wind Ensemble, Jazz Lab Band and Brass Ensemble in an eclectic concert of styles and sounds, including brass classics by Hassler, Gabrieli, Mozart and Joplin, modern pieces by Bartok and Gustafson, and traditional Christmas carols. Highlights include Eric Whitacre’s “Ghost Train,” a contemporary piece that depicts a supernatural machine that roars out of the night through forgotten towns and empty canyons, and two contrasting yet beautiful ballads by Path Metheny and Henry Mancini. The Jazz Band will also perform two foot-tapping Buddy Rich classics “Dancing Men” and “Basically Blue,” Count Basie’s “Cute,” and the Sammy Nestico classic “Freckle Face.”
Dec. 10 – Fall Opera/Theatre Workshop at 7:30 p.m., Black Box Theater
Valencia vocal students showcase their lyrical range with a variety of selections from the worlds of musical theater and opera. A production of “Hansel and Gretel” makes up the first half of the show, followed by selections from “Young Frankenstein,” The Fantasticks,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “bare: a Pop Opera,” “The Life,” “Tick, Tick…Boom!” and “Little Women.”
Valencia’s East Campus is located at 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando. For more information, contact us at 407-582-2340 or visit www.valenciacc.edu/arts.
Valencia professor James May has been honored by the Florida Association of Community Colleges as their 2010 Professor of the Year. The FACC award recognizes the top community and state college professors for teaching effectiveness and style, innovative methods and ideas, and professional development.
Professor May, who teaches English as a second language at Valencia’s East Campus, was one of three state finalists who gave oral presentations at the FACC’s annual convention in Jacksonville last Thursday. May’s winning presentation titled, “Agreeing to Disagree: The Scarier Side of Subject Verb Agreement,” humorously illustrated the challenges of helping non-native speakers grasp the conflicting rules governing subject-verb agreement (he lives, but you live, for example).
“Dr. May proved to be the top choice for each judge,” said Heidi Marshall, vice chair for the FACC Faculty Commission and organizer of the competition. “His engaging presentation offered a fresh approach to teaching subject/verb agreement and demonstrated his expertise in his field.”
Rather than relying on students’ passive viewing of lectures and other materials, May has excelled at facilitating interactive information sharing and collaboration in his classrooms using everything from webcam and You Tube videos, to Google Docs, to content specifically formatted for cell phones and iPods.
Professor May even created a website (http://teachertricks.org) where he teaches other instructors how to incorporate new technologies into their classrooms.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications Carol Traynor, Assistant Director
407.582.1015, ctraynor@valenciacc.edu
At a ceremony held last week, Valencia celebrated a $1 million gift from the Mears Transportation Group in memory of Paul Mears Sr. to support educational opportunities through the Orange County Take Stock in Children program. In honor of Mears, the college renamed its West Campus Student Services Building the Paul Mears Sr. Student Services Building.
“My father always believed that a good education and hard work were the great equalizers in our society,” said Paul Mears Jr. “In today’s world, that’s still true, but sometimes it helps if the pathway ahead is a little clearer. We are pleased to help clear that path for those students participating in this program.”
Paul Mears Jr. and his wife, Deb, Valencia Foundation board member, believe the Take Stock program reflects the values his father engendered by offering a mentoring relationship, a hand-up and a guaranteed college education based on academic and personal successes through junior high and high school.
Among the dignitaries attending today’s ceremony at the West Campus were Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Mayor-Elect Teresa Jacobs, Orlando commissioners Daisy Lynum and Samuel Ings, and Orange County Commissioner Bill Segal.
Take Stock in Children’s local effort is administered by Valencia in collaboration with Orange County Public Schools. The statewide initiative helps underserved children succeed by providing early intervention, volunteer mentors, long-term support and college scholarships. High standards, parental involvement and community support are crucial.
As part of the program, each student receives an individual timeline and success plan that span from seventh grade through high school graduation. Students and parents sign a covenant to maintain solid grades and remain drug and crime free. Mentor meetings help children to focus on their schoolwork and their educational dreams.
Take Stock seeks to transform the futures of individual students – and our greater community –by providing low-income children with a 2+2 Florida Prepaid college scholarship and a mentor in the effort to help them stay in school, earn a high school diploma, graduate from college and enter the workforce.
Since 1995, Take Stock has impacted the lives of more than 17,600 Florida youngsters, providing 9,000 high school graduates with full college scholarships. This year, 20 local seventh-graders will be inducted into the Orange County program, bringing the total number to 106. The first class of Valencia participants will graduate from high school in 2013.
In addition to the gift, Mears employees have volunteered to meet with a student at his or her school once a week. Mentors work with one student for an entire school year and may opt to stay with the student through graduation. Every new volunteer receives orientation and support before being matched with a student.
“The most important advantage an employer can have in today’s marketplace is the availability of an educated workforce,” Paul Mears Jr. explains. “That’s why I believe, and my father believed, that our business community in Central Florida has such high stake in the education of our young people.”
Valencia president, Sanford C. Shugart, said in his comments today that “there is nothing that works like a real opportunity,” referring both to the Take Stock program and to Mears Transportation, a company that has provided employment opportunities to many in the community for 71 years.
“This generous gift from Mears will provide meaningful support to financially-disadvantaged children who dream of attending college,” Shugart said.
The partnership and philanthropy offered by organizations like Mears Transportation Group has helped ensure that Valencia is able to meet urgent needs for scholarships.
“We are so fortunate to have Valencia Community College in our backyard and the talented and dedicated staff of teachers and administrators leading the way,” Paul Mears Jr. adds. “But most of all, we are proud of the students who work hard every day, many in the face of adversity, who know and are committed that the pathway to a brighter future is education.”
For information on the Take Stock program, contact Elisha Gonzalez-Bonnewitz, director of Take Stock in Children for Orange County, at ebonnewitz@valenciacc.edu or (407) 582-3336. To learn more about Mears Transportation Group, please visit www.mearstransportation.com.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
The Community College Conference on Legal Issues is a dynamic three-day conference that addresses the complex issues, current trends, and legal matters unique to community colleges.
Participants will engage with experts in the field targeted to Community College concerns. Areas include:
Campus safety and emergency preparedness
Recruitment and hiring practices
Discrimination and harassment
Considerations of race and diversity factors
Student privacy issues
Intellectual property
ADA compliance
Employee relations
Social networking
This conference is designed to give knowledge updates on the constantly evolving laws that impact community colleges. Scheduled for January 30 – February 1, 2011 at at the Gaylord Palms Resort, this event will provide information on a diverse range of legal issues.
Valencia Professors Write a How-To-Book for Young People Interested in Entering the Healthcare Field
“Heads Up: Successful Strategies for Planning a Career in Health Care,” by Valencia Community College professors, Dr. Linda Speranza and Dr. Diane Reed
Have you always wanted to be a nurse? Or maybe you envision yourself as a radiologist or an EMT. If so, you could start preparing for your dream career as early as middle school with the help of a new book, “Heads Up: Successful Strategies for Planning a Career in Health Care,” by Valencia Community College professors, Dr. Linda Speranza and Dr. Diane Reed.
The 77-page pocket sized book serves as a resource for middle school and high school students (and their parents) who are interested in pursuing careers in the health care field. It provides 20 chapters, each filled with valuable tips that range from investigating the many career options within health care to which classes to take while in high school.
“One big thing that we realized was that teens were taking any kind of -ology class,” said Reed. “Things like ecology and theology are rigorous, but they’re not going to help you in the health sciences.”
Reed is an allied health professor and has been an adjunct clinical instructor at Valencia for 10 years and Speranza has been a nursing professor for 34 years. Much of the advice that they incorporate into their book came from experience gained through a grant-funded program called Pathways Into Nursing (PIN).
The PIN program, which existed from 2002 to 2005, was geared toward helping Hispanic and other minority students get on the path to becoming professional nurses. Valencia worked with students from Gateway High School, Osceola High School and Cypress Creek High School, providing qualified participants with guaranteed admission into Valencia’s registered nursing program.
“After the grant ended, we thought the book was a logical next step,” said Speranza. “We realized that a lot of parents and school guidance counselors want to help their child or student [start preparing for medical careers] but don’t know how.”
Both authors stress that the most important thing is to start the process early. They recommend that students begin the career investigation process as early as middle school. With increasing educational costs and academic requirements for admission to colleges and universities, having a clear career direction can save time and money.
Dr. Diane Reed is an experienced delivery room nurse, a clinical nursing instructor, a professor of allied health, and a career and retention strategist. She has more than 10 years of professional teaching experience in the classroom and online and more than 10 years of career planning and retention experience with middle school, high school and college students. She is also a career planning consultant for the Orlando Magic. She is currently working toward a master’s degree in nursing and health care informatics.
Dr. Linda Speranza is a nationally certified family nurse practitioner. In addition to teaching full-time at Valencia, she practices part-time in emergency departments at Bartow Regional Medical Center and Central Florida Regional Hospital, as well as in a private family practice urgent care clinic. She was recently appointed to a four-year term with the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice.
Published by Tate Publishing, “Heads Up: Successful Strategies for Planning a Career in Health Care” is available in paperback for $8.99. It can be purchased online at www.tatepublishing.com or www.amazon.com.
Dr. Linda Speranza Appointed to the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice
Orlando, Fla. – On November 17, Dr. Linda Speranza, a nursing professor at Valencia Community College’s West Campus, will attend her first meeting in Washington D.C. as a new member of the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice (NACNEP).
Speranza’s four-year term on NACNEP began July 1, 2010 and will end June 30, 2014. As a member of the council, she has the opportunity to influence national policy matters relating to nursing education, the nursing workforce, and improving nursing practice.
NACNEP advises and makes recommendations to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Congress on policy matters arising in the administration of Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act. Instituted in 1964 in response to a shortage of nurses, Title VIII focuses on training advanced practice nurses, increasing the number of minority and disadvantaged students enrolling in nursing programs, and improving nurse retention through career development and improved patient care systems.
NACNEP is made up of 23 members, including nursing students and professors, professional nurses, leading authorities in the various fields of nursing, and representatives of advanced education nursing groups (such as nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists), and hospitals and other institutions and organizations which provide nursing services.
“It’s an honor to be able to serve Valencia, our community, and now at a national level,” said Speranza. “It’s a great opportunity to serve students from a variety of backgrounds as they start their nursing career pathways from middle to high school to college and as they proceed through their professional careers.”
Dr. Linda Speranza is a nationally certified family nurse practitioner. She has been a professor at Valencia Community College for 34 years. In addition to teaching full-time at Valencia, she practices part-time in emergency departments and in private practice. She authored as well as served as director of the Pathways Into Nursing (PIN) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Grant from 2002-2005 and is co-author of a new book aimed at teens, “Heads Up: Successful Strategies for Planning a Career in Health Care.”
Valencia’s West Campus Student Art and Literary Publication, Phoenix, won “General Excellence” at the 2010 Florida Community College Press Association Magazine Competition on Friday, October 22, 2010. In addition to General Excellence award, Valencia won multiple honors in Division B, which was comprised of submissions from eight of Florida’s largest community colleges (categorized as greater than 6500 Full Time Equivalent students).
Congratulations to this year’s winners!
Pick up your FREE issue of the 2009/2010 Phoenix in the lobbies of most West Campus buildings. Can’t find one? Contact Professor Jackie Zuromski in West Campus Building 3, Room 143 or by email.
The Mears Transportation Group pledged $1 million to Valencia Community College in memory of Paul Mears Sr. to support educational opportunities through the Orange County Take Stock in Children program.
Valencia will celebrate and rename its West Campus Student Services Building in honor of Mears on Nov. 16. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer will be among the speakers at a dedication ceremony that morning.
“My father always believed that a good education and hard work were the great equalizers in our society,” says Paul Mears Jr. “In today’s world, that’s still true, but sometimes it helps if the pathway ahead is a little clearer. We are pleased to help clear that path for those students participating in this program.”
Paul Mears Jr. and his wife, Deb, Valencia Foundation board member, believe the Take Stock program reflects the values his father engendered by offering a mentoring relationship, a hand-up and a guaranteed college education based on academic and personal successes through junior high and high school.
Take Stock in Children’s local effort is administered by Valencia in collaboration with Orange County Public Schools. The statewide initiative helps underserved children succeed by providing early intervention, volunteer mentors, long-term support and college scholarships. High standards, parental involvement and community support are crucial.
As part of the program, each student receives an individual timeline and success plan that span from seventh grade through high school graduation. Students and parents sign a covenant to maintain solid grades and remain drug and crime free. Mentor meetings help children to focus on their schoolwork and their educational dreams.
Take Stock seeks to transform the futures of individual students – and our greater community –by providing low-income children with a 2+2 Florida Prepaid college scholarship and a mentor in the effort to help them stay in school, earn a high school diploma, graduate from college and enter the workforce.
Since 1995, Take Stock has impacted the lives of more than 17,600 Florida youngsters, providing 9,000 high school graduates with full college scholarships. This year, 20 local seventh-graders will be inducted into the Orange County program, bringing the total number to 86. The first class of Valencia participants will graduate from high school in 2013.
In addition to the gift, Mears employees have volunteered to meet with a student at his or her school once a week. Mentors work with one student for an entire school year and may opt to stay with the student through graduation. Every new volunteer receives orientation and support before being matched with a student.
Local unemployment rates signal challenging times, and economic uncertainties loom large. The increasing costs of tuition and books can conspire to make college unaffordable for individuals looking to build better lives for their families.
“The most important advantage an employer can have in today’s marketplace is the availability of an educated workforce,” Paul Mears Jr. explains. “That’s why I believe, and my father believed, that our business community in Central Florida has such high stake in the education of our young people.”
Valencia president, Dr. Sanford C. Shugart, points out that college enrollment increased by more than 11 percent this fall, significant growth not supported by state funding. Valencia sought resources to help close the affordability gap. Financial aid awards more than doubled in the past three years, growing from less than $40 million in 2006-07 to an estimated $109 million in 2009. Foundation disbursements have tripled within five years.
“This generous gift from Mears will provide meaningful support to financially-disadvantaged children who dream of attending college,” Shugart explains.
The partnership and philanthropy offered by organizations like Mears Transportation Group has helped ensure that Valencia is able to meet urgent needs for scholarships.
“We are so fortunate to have Valencia Community College in our backyard and the talented and dedicated staff of teachers and administrators leading the way,” Paul Mears Jr. adds. “But most of all, we are proud of the students who work hard every day, many in the face of adversity, who know and are committed that the pathway to a brighter future is education.”
For information on the recognition ceremony, contact Elisha Gonzalez-Bonnewitz, director of Take Stock in Children for Orange County, at ebonnewitz@valenciacc.edu or (407) 582-3336. To learn more about Mears Transportation Group, please visit www.mearstransportation.com.
The West Campus is located at 1800 S. Kirkman Rd. in Orlando.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
From Dr. Wendy L. Givoglu, Dean, Arts & Entertainment:
We are pleased to offer two free Arts & Entertainment events this Friday night, November 5th. In the Anita S. Wooten East Campus Gallery, we have the opening of Selected Fine Art Faculty featuring the works of Courtney Canova, Linda Ehmen, Michael Galletta, Kyle, Rima Jabbur, Michael Katz, Alan Maxwell, Jackie Otto-Miller, and Camilo Velasquez. Opening reception is from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. in the Building 3 Atrium. Refreshments will be served.
And…in the adjacent Black Box Theater, we have our House Band Concert, a rock concert performed by students in the Commercial Ensemble class (with visual effects by students in our Digital Media program). Directed by Dr. Troy Gifford, the House Band will perform an eclectic program featuring varied artists including Alicia Keys, Radiohead, Pink, Queen, The Fugees, Whitney Houston, and Dream Theater. Show starts at 7:30 p.m.
Please join us, and invite your students and friends for a fun night of ART + ROCK!
UCF President John Hitt and Valencia Community College President Sandy Shugart talk during Friday's ceremony.
UCF President John C. Hitt, Valencia Community College President Sandy Shugart and other academic, community and architecture leaders celebrated the inaugural class of the unique new UCF architecture program on Friday, Oct. 15.
Forty-one students are enrolled in the 2+2+2 partnership program.
Students take two years of architecture classes at Valencia’s West Campus and receive an associate’s degree before completing the Bachelor of Design in Architecture program at UCF Valencia West.
Graduates can then remain in Central Florida to pursue a master’s degree in Architecture by enrolling in the University of Florida’s College of Design research center, Citylab-Orlando, in UCF’s downtown Center for Emerging Media.
UCF Provost Tony Waldrop, College of Arts and Humanities Dean José Fernandez and Architecture Program Director John Maudlin-Jeronimo also attended Friday’s celebration.. They recognized the region’s growing architecture community in addition to the Valencia-UCF-UF partnership.
The local chapter of the American Institute of Architects has worked closely with Valencia Community College, UCF and UF to develop the program, which will prepare students for a variety of careers, including professional architecture, construction management and industrial design.
As the foundation previously blogged, A Taste for Learning returns Saturday, April 2, 2011 to the Rosen Shingle Creek - thank you Rosen for hosting our event for a third year now!
an international wine sampling & auction
This joint philanthropic event between Valencia Community College and University of Central Florida will benefit our 2+2 scholarships for DirectConnect, which guarantees Valencia graduates a seat at UCF.
This event is truly a remarkable social event. Vintners from around the around the globe bring their finest wines and spirits (thank you ABC Fine Wine and Spirits) local donor chefs fire up the grills to provide their best cuisine, and hundreds of supporters gather for an evening of fellowship and shopping for gifts, trips and experiences. The formula unites partners who donate every product for the event, including the venue, media, décor, food, wine and auction items. The result? 100 percent of all sponsorships, tickets and auction receipts will go directly to scholarships and is eligible to earn dollar-for-dollar match through the state of Florida First Generation in College matching grant program, doubling a donor’s investment.
Please join us by inviting friends and colleagues, sponsoring a table and contributing auction items.
Tickets go on sale soon! Check out www.valencia.org/taste or call 407.582.3150 for more details.
We hope to see you April 2!!!
Remember: 100 percent of each dollar given for tickets, auction items and sponsorships goes to scholarships and is eligible to earn dollar-for-dollar match through the state of Florida First Generation in College matching grant program, doubling your investment.
Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Music by Richard Rodgers
Based on Ferenc Molinar’s play “Lilion” as adapted by Benjamin F. Glazer
Performing Arts Center on Valencia’s East Campus
(The Saturday, Oct. 30 performance will be American Sign Language interpreted.)
Regular ticket prices are $10 for students, seniors, Valencia faculty and staff and $12 for general admission. Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at 407-582-2900, or at www.redchairproject.com. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 28, 29, and 2 PM Oct. 31, at the Performing Arts Center on East Campus.
We’re pleased to announce the Get Schooled College Affordability Challenge — a national competition created in partnership with MTV for current and aspiring college students to reengineer the financial aid process.
The goal of the Challenge is to receive proposals for new digital tools that will help simplify the task of acquiring financial aid, particularly for low- and middle-income college students. This project underscores our commitment to provide innovative solutions that connect students to college success.
Singer and education advocate John Legend announced the challenge at Howard University on Sept. 16, while serving as a “stand in” professor for the day. MTV has since broadcast mtvU “Stand In” to more than 750 college campuses.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan participated in a press conference with the College Board and MTV on Oct. 4 to discuss the critical importance of higher education, a new study on the value of a college diploma, and the Challenge.
MTV General Manager Stephen Friedman said, “MTV is proud to join forces with the College Board to leverage our reach with young people nationwide to harness their creativity and make financial aid more accessible … Our hope is that this Challenge will empower students to take advantage of opportunities that can open doors to higher education.”
The Challenge’s call for submissions will run from Sept. 16 to Dec. 17, 2010. We’ll be represented on the panel of judges for the winning designs. In late January, we’ll unveil the three finalist concepts. These finalists will have the opportunity to work with world-class innovation firm frog design to iterate their ideas during a two-week period of intense creative collaboration. The winning individual or team will be rewarded with $10,000 and see their idea brought to life by MTV, the College Board and the Gates Foundation, with a development budget of up to $100,000. The final winning design will be announced in the spring of 2011.
Valencia will present the 12th annual Choreographers’ Showcase on Friday, November 19 and Saturday, November 20 at 8:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center on Valencia’s East Campus, located at 701 North Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando.
The event provides a creative outlet for Valencia dance students to showcase their choreography in a variety of genres. In addition, dancers from the University of Florida School of Theatre and Dance will join Valencia students on the stage this year.
Ticket prices are $8 for the general public and $6 for senior citizens and Valencia students, faculty and staff. To order, please call the Performing Arts Center Box Office at 407-582-2900 between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Want to understand the difference between Valencia’s degree acronyms? Continue reading or check out the video below for highlights of our AA, AS and AAS academic degree abbreviations.
The A.A. / general studies degree prepares you to transfer to a Florida public university as a junior. As an A.A. student, there are ways to focus in on your intended major. You can follow a transfer plan or choose a pre-major which will help you meet most upper division pre-reqs.
The A.S. degree prepares you to enter a specialized career field. It also transfers to the B.A.S. (Bachelor of Applied Science) program offered at some universities. If the program is “articulated,” it will also transfer to a B.A. or B.S. degree program at a designated university.
The A.A.S. degree prepares you to enter a specialized career field. This degree does not transfer to a university.
To receive more information about Valencia, please choose the category that best describes you from the list below. If you would like to complete an application for admission, please click here.
Valencia educators are encouraged to remain current and continually improve discipline knowledge. The endowed chair program at the Valencia Foundation, with support and resources from many community partners, provide Valencia faculty the opportunity to examine the effectiveness of their teaching, counseling, librarianship and assessment techniques as they influence student learning. 2009-2010 overview of winners:
Meet This Year’s Endowed Chair Distinguished Professors
Developing for the Droid Dr. Colin Archibald, Computer Programming
Always one to embrace new technology, “Dr. A” is working on ways to incorporate smart phones into his coursework. Currently, he’s learning how to program for the Android operating system so that he can create online teaching materials, including screen-casts, for smart phones. He is also working on programming his own application to be sold on the Android market.
Bringing Feature Films to Valencia Ralph Clemente, Film Production
Ralph Clemente is a well-known name in the Florida film scene. As director of Valencia’s film program for more than 20 years, he’s brought over 35 feature film projects to Valencia, giving students the opportunity to work on-set, right alongside industry professionals. Each year, the Valencia Film Celebration showcases the latest Valencia film project as well as a variety of short subject films produced by students.
Managing Online Math Courses Dr. Fitzroy Farquharson, Mathematics
Dr. Farquharson is currently developing a web-based program that will help students determine whether or not they are prepared to take math courses online. This way students will know what to expect from an online math course as opposed to one taught in the classroom and can decide if it’s the right mode of instruction for them. Dr. Farquharson also serves as a mentor for Valencia’s Bridges to Success program and has been named to Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.
Researching the Holocaust
Richard Gair, English and Reading
To bring first-hand experience to his course, Multimedia Literature and the Holocaust, Professor Gair has traveled the world to areas impacted by the Holocaust, including leading students on a study abroad trip to Poland and the Czech Republic. This past summer, he went to Israel to study at Yad Vashem, the world center for documentation, research, education and commemoration of the Holocaust, and to serve for the third time as a volunteer for the Israeli Army.
Taking Hospitality Students to NYC
Jim Inglis, Hospitality Management
This fall, Professor Inglis will take a group of 12 hospitality students to the International Hotel and Restaurant Show in New York City where they will get to meet industry experts, witness culinary competitions and tour several hotels and restaurants. Inglis, who is on the Board of Directors for the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, also took 100 students to the Florida Restaurant Show this year. He is currently helping to start a student chapter of the FRLA at Valencia.
Creating Creative Writers
Dr. Ilyse Kusnetz, English
To teach students in her Composition I and II classes about different elements of literature, Dr. Kusnetz has them write their own poems and stories. This way, students don’t just learn to identify elements such as figurative language, symbolism, setting, and allusion, but to use them as well. Dr. Kusnetz is also exploring the possibility of launching an A.A. degree in creative writing at Valencia.
Putting the App in Apple
Dr. Lisa Macon, Information Technology
Dr. Macon is currently helping to create a new certificate program in mobile applications programming. The program will teach students how to create and distribute iPhone and Android applications. Dr. Macon, who represents the Apple side of the project, is currently learning more about the process by developing her own iPhone and iPad applications to be distributed on the iTunes App Store. Dr. Macon also specializes in online learning, virtual worlds, and technology careers for women.
Adding More Multimedia Offerings
Robert McCaffrey, Digital Media Technology
Professor McCaffrey teaches several of the production, motion graphics and post-production classes at Valencia and also serves as the program chair for Digital Media. He has produced and written several short films, as well as a feature-length horror film, “Vampire Rock.” Currently, he is working to create a web development specialization to be offered through the Digital Media program.
Taking Chefs to Chicago
Pierre Pilloud, Culinary Management
Swiss-born and trained, Chef Pierre is a phenomenal chef and instructor who is also known for his sense of humor. In addition to helping students hone their skills in the kitchen, he teaches them about the restaurant industry as a whole. In 2011, he’ll take a group of students to the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago to attend seminars, meet industry professionals and learn about the restaurant business.
Crossing Borders in Education
Dr. Yasmeen Qadri, Education
To help students gain cross-cultural and inter-faith understanding, Dr. Qadri will take two of them to Pakistan for a week to visit schools built by author and humanitarian, Greg Mortenson. Since 1994 he has established over 180 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, providing an education to over 51,000 children, with an emphasis on girls who have very few educational opportunities.
Bringing Guest Dancers to Valencia
Dr. Suzanne Salapa, Dance
To expose students to innovative and diverse choreographic approaches, Dr. Salapa likes to bring renowned guest artists to Valencia to both perform and teach. This year’s guest artist is Robert Battle, founder of Battleworks Dance Company, who will teach a series of master classes focusing on the heritage and history of his dance company.
Combining Culture with Language
Richard Sansone, Portuguese
Professor Sansone believes that learning about a people’s culture goes hand-in-hand with learning their language. To help students gain a better understanding of both, he leads study abroad trips to Brazil and also organizes the annual Valencia Brazilian Film Festival. Next up, he is planning a trip to Portugal and the Portuguese-speaking African country of Cape Verde, where he will study the language and culture, collect audiovisual materials and gain first-hand experiences to share with students.
Congratulations to our Valencia Foundation President and CEO, Geraldine Gallagher for receiving the Women’s Achievement Award in Education at the 39th annual Women’s Executive Council luncheon.
Additional kudos to Ilene Wilkins, President UCP of Central Florida for her dedication and volunteer service she received Central Florida Woman of the Year.
With thanks to all of the 2010 honorees for your support within of our community:
- Hillary Bressler, .Com Marketing, Inc., Founder and CEO
- Christi Ashby, Editor, Owner of Orange Appeal Magazine
- Elinor Steele Zegelbone, VP Global Comm and PR, Tupperware Brands
- Leigh Ann Horton, Advantage Integration Technology
- Eva Krzewinski, Pearls for Women
- Geraldine Thompson, Representative District 39
- Geraldine Gallagher, President and CEO, Valencia Foundation
- Laura Lee Shields, Bodiford Law Group
WEC’s first annual Women’s Achievement Week was held in 1972 honoring women in the categories of Arts & Science, Business, Community Service, Education, Government, Communications and Downtown Woman of the Year. The program was expanded in 1987 to include awarding of scholarships to deserving students enrolled in our local colleges.
The 2010 Women’s Executive Council scholarship recipients included Valencia students Deborah Bukowski and Francoise Kogan with additional community scholarships to Randi Alberry, Traci Campana, Jaquelyne Fulco, Alice Pham Le, Tracey Oliver, Marie Sabbagh, Lynn Slivinski and Haydee Torres. We wish you all great success as you pursue your academic goals!
Richard Bausch, prize-winning novelist and short story writer, will read from his works on October 14 from 1 to 2 p.m., followed by a book signing, in the West Campus Library at Valencia Community College.
The event is free and open to the public.
Bausch currently serves as the Moss Chair of Excellence in the writing program at The University of Memphis. He is the author of 11 novels and eight collections of stories. His novels include “Rebel Powers,”“In the Night Season,” “Hello to the Cannibals,” “Thanksgiving Night” and “Peace;” and the story collections “Spirits,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “The Stories of Richard Bausch,” “Wives & Lovers: 3 Short Novels,” and most recently, “Something is Out There.” His novel, “The Last Good Time,” was made into a feature-length motion picture that was directed by Bob Balaban starring Armin Meuhler-Stahl, Maureen Stapleton and Lionel Stander, and released in April 1995.
An acknowledged master of the short story form, Bausch’s work has appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, Harper’s, The New Yorker, Playboy, The Southern Review, The Best American Short Stories, O. Henry Prize Stories and The Pushcart Prize Stories. He has won two National Magazine Awards, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Lila-Wallace Reader’s Digest Fund Writer’s Award, the Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the 2004 PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story, and for “Peace,” the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.
For information, contact Nichole McPherson at 407-582-3121 or nmcpherson@valenciacc.edu. Bausch’s appearance is part of Visions and Voices, the college’s distinguished artist series.
The West Campus is located at 1800 S. Kirkman Rd. in Orlando.
Source: Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
A Taste for Learning returns Saturday, April 2, 2011 to the Rosen Shingle Creek.
Vintners from around the world will donate and pour their finest wines, thanks to ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. Hundreds of wines will be available. Please join us by inviting friends and colleagues, sponsoring a table and contributing auction items.
This joint philanthropic event between Valencia Community College and University of Central Florida will benefit our 2+2 scholarships for DirectConnect, which guarantees Valencia graduates a seat at UCF.
Remember: 100 percent of each dollar given for tickets, auction items and sponsorships goes to scholarships and is eligible to earn dollar-for-dollar match through the state of Florida First Generation in College matching grant program, doubling your investment.
For more information, please visit www.valencia.org/taste or call the foundation at 407.582.3150.
And as an added bonus, when you buy select products during the month of October, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits will donate to the Valencia Foundation. See ABC stores for product information.
Congratulations to all of our Valencia Culinary and Pastry Students who participated in the ACF State Competition this year at the Restaurant and Lodging Show (September 12-14). Valencia was well represented and we are proud of everyone! Thank you to all of the Chef’s that helped coach our students and let them shine!
Junior Team Competition: 3rd place, silver medal – Jill Holland (Captain), appetizer; Michael Smith, salad; David Santiago, entrée; Rosanda P. Williams, dessert; Amanda McGlothlin, alternate.
The Valencia Character Company will kick off its 2010-11 theater season with the classic, award-winning musical, “Carousel,” with book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and music by Richard Rodgers.
“Carousel” tells the story of mill worker Julie Jordan and her ill-fated love affair with carnival barker Billy Bigelow. The tale is told with the help of a brilliant score of music which includes the songs, “If I Loved You,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and the delightful “June is Busting Out All Over,” among others. Composer Richard Rodgers deemed the score his personal favorite of the many he created.
The musical opens on Friday, Oct. 22, with additional performances on Oct. 23, 24, 28, 29, 30 and 31. Curtain time is at 7:30 p.m. for Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances and at 2 p.m. on Sundays.
The performance on Saturday, Oct. 30 will be American Sign Language interpreted, and there will be a special section of seating reserved for the hearing impaired.
All performances take place at the Performing Arts Center on Valencia Community College’s East Campus, located at 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando.
Ticket prices are $12 for general admission and $10 for students, seniors and Valencia staff and alumni. For reservations and further information, please call the Box Office at 407-582-2900. Tickets are also available online at www.redchairproject.com. Season tickets for 2010-11 are still available, and can be purchased at the Box Office.
Valencia’s Artistic Director, Julia Allardice Gagne, will direct the production, with musical direction by Alan Gerber and Tim Hanes and choreography by Lesley Brasseux Rodgers.
For the first time, the resident Valencia dance company will be performing in a Valencia musical. They, with Ms. Brasseux Rodgers, will be recreating some of the original choreography by world renowned and groundbreaking choreographer, Agnes DeMille.
Are you or someone you know interested in attending Valencia? Perhaps you’re asking yourself, why Valencia?
Well, let’s see…
Valencia’s tuition is 40% less than a state university’s.
Valencia is the #1 producer of associate degrees in the U.S.
Average starting salary for our A.S. and A.A.S. grads is $44,680.
Valencia is accredited by the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools.
More than 50,000 students attend Valencia each year.
The Valencia Difference
At Valencia, you’ll get the same quality education available at a state university, only at about half the cost. And, with smaller campuses and classes, you’ll get more support along the way. You’ll also have the flexibility to take classes when and where you want – day, night or weekend at any of our four campuses, or online. And with Flex Start, courses are starting all the time. Then, when you’re finished, you’ll be ready to go straight into a high-skill, high-wage job or transfer to a four-year university as a junior with guaranteed admission.
How’s that to start?
Click here to learn more about student life, get answers to some of our most frequently asked questions, meet some of our faculty and to schedule a campus visit.
Christian Pinto Rey wanted to send Valencia a little message on the space shuttle Atlantis. Christian, a former Valencia engineering student started an internship with NASA – and wanted to leave his mark regarding the two schools that have taken him to incredible heights!
Christian has moved on to Embry-Riddle and is currently studying Aeronautical Engineering. We wish you the best of luck, Christian. Keep reaching for the stars!
Valencia Community College sophomores Denise Rudyand Delores Petropulos, who attend the college’s East Campus, have been selected to travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston October 20-22, 2010, to participate in a three-day on-site event.
They were selected as two of 89 community and junior college students from across the nation to be part of the National Community College Aerospace Scholars program. Students completed four Web-based assignments during the school year, maintaining a 93 average to qualify for the experience. They will apply what they have learned during the year to work with NASA engineers.
Thrilled to learn of her selection to the NASA program, Rudy, a 4.0 grade point average student who took a ten-year detour through the workforce, proves it’s never too late to pursue a dream. “I’m starting to really believe that the sky is nowhere near the limit and that anything is possible,” she said. Rudy now has her sights set on applying to Cal Tech and Stanford as well as UCF. She plans to pursue her academic interests in geophysics and aeronautical engineering.
Petropulos, another non-traditional student, also has dyslexia. “I have to work harder than a lot of the students, but it has made me cherish these accomplishments a lot more,” she said. A computer programming student at Valencia, Petropulos has been inspired by the NASA program to pursue a career in robotics programming, perhaps in aerospace or within the medical field.
The program is a three-day on-site event at Johnson and offers students from across the nation the opportunity to interact with each other as they learn more about careers in science and engineering. While at Johnson, students form teams and establish fictional companies interested in Mars exploration. Each company is responsible for developing a prototype rover, designing a line drawing of the rover, and forming the company infrastructure including budget, communications, and presentations. The experience at Johnson includes a tour of facilities and briefings by noted NASA employees—including astronauts.
National Community College Aerospace Scholars is a program based on Texas Aerospace Scholars, originally created by the state of Texas in partnership with NASA and the Texas educational community. Both programs are designed to encourage community and junior college students to enter careers in science and engineering and ultimately join the nation’s highly technical workforce.
With this program, NASA continues the agency’s investment in educational programs that attract and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, disciplines critical to NASA’s future missions.
For additional information, please contact Deborah Hutchings, National Community College Aerospace Scholars program manager at 281-483-8623 or deborah.hutchings-1@nasa.gov. For more information, please visit their website.
Source: Lucy Boudet, Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
The Florida State Board of Education backed Valencia Community College’s move to offer bachelor degrees for the first time in the school’s 43-year history.
The state also granted Seminole State College’s request to add four more bachelor’s degree programs.
Valencia plans to offer bachelor’s degrees in radiologic and imaging sciences and electrical and computer engineering technology. The college still needs approval of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which is expected in December, before it can launch the program that it is targeting to launch in the fall of 2011.
“This is an important evolution in our programming mix, not a shift in our mission,” said Sandy Shugart, president of Valencia. “These programs are in high demand by our students and lead to well paying jobs in the stable industries of health care and high technology.”
Seminole State can now begin offering bachelor’s degrees in architectural engineering technology, business information management, construction and information systems technology. The college’s first four-year degree, a bachelor of applied science in interior design, began classes in January. The new programs will be offered beginning in August 2011 with applications accepted through June 15.
“These new baccalaureate degrees are designed to enable Central Floridians to have greater access to programs leading to high-demand careers,” Seminole State President Ann McGee, said in a prepared statement. “This is part of our mission as the region’s newest state college.”
Valencia is offering programs that the University of Central Florida discontinued in July 2009 because of state budget cuts. Several of Seminole State’s new programs also evolved from UCF’s cuts.
Employer demand for workers trained in the programs is expected to be strong, with 801 projected job openings by 2014 in the field of radiology and imaging and 215 for electrical and computer engineering in Orange, Osceola, Lake Sumter and Seminole counties, according to Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc..
Angela Kersenbrock, Seminole State’s dean of career and technical education, said careers in business information management and information systems technology are among the fastest growing in the region. Businesses and community leaders voiced their support for these degrees and nearly all of the executives surveyed thought it was important that these degrees be offered locally.
Of the 28 schools in the Florida College System, 19 now offer four-year degrees. Most target high-demand careers facing a shortage of qualified applicants. Colleges must show the state a need for the degrees and explain how they plan to pay for these new programs.
A message from Wendy L. Givoglu, Dean of Arts & Entertainment
Welcome to the 2010-2011 Arts Season! Our Valencia season of arts events officially kicked off last week with our East Campus Gallery opening of the exhibition Curator’s Choice: Small Works by Central Florida Artists. Our new season continued Tuesday evening with our Music Faculty Recital at 7:30 p.m. in the East Campus Performing Arts Center. We are currently distributing brochures that present our Arts & Entertainment season of events in Music, Visual Arts, Film, Dance, and Theater. This information is also available on www.valenciacc.edu/arts.
We are excited to share a backstage pass to everything happening in Arts & Entertainment through our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/valenciaartsandentertainment. Please consider joining our group, and share this with students as a great resource for cultural happenings at Valencia.
Rehearsals and set construction have started for our production of Carousel, opening October 22. This fall musical is a wonderful collaboration between faculty and students in our Theatre, Dance, Music, and Entertainment Design & Technology programs. We can accommodate large groups of students, faculty, staff, families, friends, etc., so please consider a night out at the Theatre at Valencia! For information on purchasing tickets, you can contact our Box Office at 407-582-2900.
Finally, I wanted to share that Broadway Across America/Florida Theatrical Association is offering discounted individual tickets to their 2010-2011 Season for Valencia students, faculty, staff, family, and friends. For more information and to purchase tickets, log on to www.eventusher.com and enter password valenciabroadway.
Thank you for your continued support of our programs! Please let me know if you have any questions or if you want any additional information.
We hope you’ll join us this Arts Season at Valencia!!!
Wherever you happen to live, Valencia is easy to get to. The college has four main campuses and two centers throughout Orange and Osceola counties, with plans underway for the fifth campus in southeast Orlando!
Feel free to take a quick virtual tour through the video below or check out the new Valencia Future Student tab to explore all that Valencia offers our community.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the committee for accepting my application and reviewing my information. I am truly honored to be chosen for this scholarship.
I am very humbled by your generosity, and truly appreciative. I began this semester with high hopes and goals. With your generosity I will be able to focus on those goals and work towards making them a reality. Being a student again has lifted my perspective on life and is opening my views to a brighter future for myself and family.
People always say it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks and I think that is completely untrue. I base my life on a quote by Mr. George Eliot that states, “It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
Valencia is providing me with the tools to build a better tomorrow. I am ready, willing and able to accept the challenges. It is a great pleasure and privilege to be a part of Valencia Community College.
Valencia’s Visions and Voices series kicks off this season with poet and author Patricia Smith. Patricia will be at the Winter Park Campus – Student Lounge on Thursday, September 16. There will be a reading from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m., immediately followed by a book signing until 2:30 p.m.
Recognized as one of the world’s most formidable performers and a 2008 National Book Award Finalist, Patricia has read at venues around the world, including the Poets Stage in Stockholm, Rotterdam’s Poetry International Festival, the Aran Islands International Poetry and Prose Festival and on tour in Germany, Austria and Holland. In the U.S., she’s performed at Carnegie Hall, Bumbershoot, the Palm Beach Poetry Festival, the Folger Shakespeare Library and St. Mark’s Poetry Project.
Patricia is a four-time national individual champion of the notorious and wildly popular Poetry Slam, the most successful competitor in slam history. She was featured in the nationally-released film “Slamnation,” and appeared on the award-winning HBO series “Def Poetry Jam.”
Patricia’s fifth book of poetry, Blood Dazzler (Coffee House Press) chronicles the human, physical and emotional toll exacted by Hurricane Katrina, a catastrophic natural event with lasting spiritual and political impact. This much-anticipated volume is also the focal point of a new dance/theater collaboration between Patricia and dancer Paloma McGregor of Urban Bush Women.
Valencia’s Winter Park Campus is located at 850 W. Morse Blvd., Winter Park, FL 32789.
College Night 2010 will provide an opportunity for high school and college transfer students to scope out their options for the future.
More than 100 admissions representatives from colleges and universities across the country will be present for this two-night event, which will be held at Valencia Community College.
Students can receive information on everything college related, from admissions requirements to financial aid, degrees and programs and campus housing.
College Night 2010 will be held Tuesday, Oct. 5 on Valencia’s Osceola Campus and Thursday,Oct. 7 on Valencia’s West Campus. Both events run from 6-8 p.m. and are free and open to the public.
Last year’s representatives hailed from universities including Yale, Cornell and the University of Florida, as well as local schools including Valencia, University of Central Florida, Rollins, Florida Southern and Stetson. There were also representatives from the United States Air Force and military academies.
Valencia’s Osceola Campus is located at 1800 Denn John Lane in Kissimmee. The West Campus is located at 1800 S. Kirkman Road in Orlando.
When economic prospects look dismal it’s natural to focus on short-term, rather than long-term, goals. Our foundation board is committed to keeping both horizons in our line of sight so that we can serve today’s deserving student and prepare for tomorrow’s generations.
We imagine a community in which family finances never stand in the way of earning a college education.
As you plan for your family’s future, I invite you to use our new web site tools at www.VALENCIAGIVING.org, which may spark some creative thinking about how to maintain your legacy forever.
Make a bequest pledge that costs you nothing during your life.
Give a contribution that provides you lifetime income.
Preserve your estate for your heirs and provide years of income to Valencia.
Convert surplus life insurance coverage into an endowment.
Donate appreciated securities and realize larger tax savings than if you had used cash.
We welcome your feedback on our new online resources, designed to help you chart your charitable intentions, which can be found at www.VALENCIAGIVING.org. If you would prefer, our foundation team would be delighted to meet with you to discuss your philanthropic objectives and to explore how you and your family can benefit.
Warmly,
Geraldine Gallagher, CFRE
President and CEO
P.S. If you have already made Valencia Foundation a planned giving priority please let us know so that you can become a founding member of our new Legacy Society. Feel free to contact Donna Marino at (407) 582-3128 to learn more.
ORLANDO MAGIC’S LINDA LANDMAN-GONZALEZ NAMED AMIGO AWARD WINNER BY THE OSCEOLA HIPANIC BUSINESS COUNCIL
Linda Landman-Gonzalez, vice president of community relations and government affairs for the Orlando Magic, was named the 2010 Osceola Hispanic Business Council’s Amigo Award winner at the 12th annual Gala Osceola on Saturday August 21, 2010. Landman-Gonzalez is the only two-time winner of the Amigo Award and accepted the recognition on behalf of the Orlando Magic.
The Osceola Hispanic Business Council’s Amigo Award is presented annually in recognition of those who have excelled at celebrating the diversity of Hispanic culture through music, dance and community involvement.
“We want our entire fan base to know we value them,” said Landman-Gonzalez. “We want to continue our education on how to effectively reach every Magic fan and it’s important to understand our consumer’s needs and make everyone feel a part of our team.”
In her role with the Magic, Landman-Gonzalez oversees community relations, government affairs, multicultural insights and the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation. Under Landman-Gonzalez’s leadership, the Orlando Magic has become champions in the community, celebrating Hispanic heritage and culture. The Magic host an annual Hispanic Business After Hours to honor the contributions of Hispanic leaders across Central Florida. Prior to coming to the Magic, Landman-Gonzalez spent nine years as director of diversity, community and government relations for Darden Restaurants, Orlando’s only Fortune 500 corporation.
The Orlando Magic is committed to the Hispanic community and has instituted a variety of initiatives to reach our multicultural fan base throughout Central Florida. In July 2008, under the leadership of team President Alex Martins, the Orlando Magic created a multicultural insights department whose mission is to create an inclusive environment in which our community partners, fans and employees feel welcome, valued and appreciated.
About the Hispanic Business Council:
The Hispanic Business Council is an organization under the umbrella of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce. The mission is to provide leadership, education, networking and marketing opportunities for Hispanic businesses located in the Central Florida Area.
About The Orlando Magic
Orlando’s NBA franchise since 1989, the Magic’s mission is to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way. On the court, Orlando has won five division championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010), had six 50-plus win seasons, and won the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009. Off the court, on an annual basis, the Orlando Magic gives more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise, scholarships and grants. Orlando Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 75,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 6,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition, over the last 21 years nearly $16 million has been distributed to local non-profit community organizations via the Orlando Magic Youth Fund (OMYF-MFF), a McCormick Foundation Fund since 1994, which serves at-risk youth. Ticket highlights for next season in the new Amway Center include: 2,500 seats priced $15 or less, 7,000 seats priced $25 or less, and for the first time ever a $5 per game ticket while supplies last. For ticket information log on to www.orlandomagic.com or call 407-89-MAGIC.
Dozens of officers from multiple municipalities, along with Valencia staff and students, were in attendance for the unveiling of the new fallen officer memorial at Valencia’s Criminal Justice Institute (CJI) on Wednesday, Aug.18.
The memorial was donated by the Basic Law Enforcement Class 2010-11. In addition to their rigorous course work, the students raised more than $2,000 and performed all the labor needed to install the memorial.
“It was the right thing to do,” said Pedro Roman, president of the class. “We need a reminder to everyone who enters the academy.”
The ceremony was held in honor of Officer Carl Smith and Deputy Craig Heber. Both families were in attendance and each laid flowers at the base of the memorial, surrounded by police motorcycle units, mounted police, and the students themselves.
“This has been an amazing honor,” said LuAnn Smith, wife of Officer Smith and a police officer for more than 25 years. “This just shows how much everyone has cared, and the amazing effort put forth by this recruit class.”
“It’s a very good honor to my husband, because he was a wonderful person and he definitely deserved this,” said Cheryl Heber, Deputy Heber’s wife, who watched as a police helicopter circled in the sky above.
The memorial is a black granite slab bearing a plaque inscribed “Fallen Heroes” and is dedicated to honoring “…the valor in their hearts and the fortitude they showed in the face of death.”
Jeff Goltz, Director of the Criminal Justice Institute, conducted the ceremony. “This donation is by far the biggest and most elaborate donation we’ve had,” said Goltz. “[The recruit class] demonstrated service early in their career. “They’re going to be good police officers.”
The Anita S. Wooten Gallery on Valencia Community College’s East Campus will hold an opening reception for its newest exhibition, ‘Curator’s Choice: Small Works by Central Florida Artists,’ on Friday, Sept. 10 from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m.
The exhibition began on Aug. 13 and will continue through Oct. 1. It features small-scale paintings, sculpture and mixed media pieces by 24 local artists. The Gallery Director, Jackie Otto Miller, selected the works.
The reception and exhibition are free and open to the public. The Anita S. Wooten Gallery is located at 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail on Valencia’s East Campus. Call 407-582-2298 or 407-582-2268 for more information. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Source: Melissa Tchen, Marketing and Strategic Communications, Valencia Community College; Valencia News; http://news.valenciacc.edu
Valencia Community College’s chorus groups are looking for new members for the fall term. Membership is open to all students, staff, faculty and community members.
There are two opportunities available:
Valencia A Cappella The Valencia A Cappella group sings the music of the Voices of Liberty from Epcot and performs at local events, resorts and other venues. Those interested in joining must be able to read music. Basic musical talent is a plus. Auditions are required.
To join the Valencia A Cappella, participants must register for the Valencia course MUS 2930, CRN # 11961. Members will receive one hour of college credit. The course costs $91.73. Seniors over age 59 and dual-enrollment students can join for free. The group will meet every Monday night, beginning Aug. 30, at 7 p.m. on Valencia’s East Campus, located at 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando.
Voices of Valencia Voices of Valencia is a musical group for singers of all levels. They sing a wide variety of music at local community events. For the fall, the group will focus on preparing for the Epcot Candlelight Processional, which it has participated in for the past nine years as part of the Fall Holiday Music Concerts. Anyone can join Voices of Valencia and no auditions are required.
To join the Voices of Valencia, participants must register for the Valencia course MUN 1311, CRN # 11213. Members will receive one hour of college credit. The course costs $91.73. Seniors over age 59 and dual-enrollment students can join for free. The group will meet every Tuesday night, beginning Aug. 31, at 7 p.m. on Valencia’s East Campus, located at 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando.
For more information about either group, please contact the director, Mr. James Jones at jjones2@atlas.valenciacc.edu.
Monday, Aug. 30 is the start of a new academic year at Valencia. We welcome our new freshman class as we take a look at images from last year. We wish all students great success, wonderful connections, and a lifetime of learning.
We are currently looking for students in all majors, including but not limited to architecture, engineering, building construction, hospitality, culinary, dental hygiene and single parents (male or female) to apply for Valencia Foundation scholarships.
We look forward to hearing from you! If you have additional questions or need more information, please contact Celica Cofield at (407) 582-3227 or ccofield@valenciacc.edu.
Disney Institute is bringing its renowned professional development program, “Disney’s Approach to Quality Service,” to Valencia Community College, West Campus Special Events Center (Building 8), on Thursday, September 16, 2010. The full-day event will give area professionals an opportunity to “experience the business behind the magic.” The program will give participants new ideas for creating a service-driven organization that delivers excellence.
“Delivering great service is critical for companies looking to survive and prosper in these turbulent economic times,” said Jeff James, vice president for Disney Institute. “This program is a rare opportunity for business professionals to go inside the Disney organization and learn innovative, easy-to-implement best practices that can give them the competitive edge.”
The full-day “Disney’s Approach to Quality Service” program will give participants an ‘insider’s look’ at business practices that have helped Disney consistently rank as one of the world’s most admired companies and brands. Participants will learn how to exceed customer expectations using a well-defined service infrastructure, ongoing research, and service standards.
“In an era where everyone is competing for business and market share, excellent customer service isn’t a luxury, it is mission critical,” James said. “This program is made for organizations – large and small – that are looking to create a service experience that exceeds customer expectations and drives repeat business.”
Program registration is $399 per person and includes all course materials, continental breakfast, lunch, and parking. Early-bird registration is $359 per person, before September 1. For more information or to register, call 407-582-6688 or www.valenciaenterprises.org/disney.
Source: Carolyn McMorran – Valencia Community College, Valencia News, Wednesday, August 18, 2010, http://news.valenciacc.edu
Julie M. Phelps, Valencia mathematics professor and project director of Achieving the Dream, was named the 2010 winner of the Virginia B. Smith Innovative Leadership Award.
The award, presented annually by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), recognizes leaders who have made exceptional contributions to advance innovation in American higher education. A committee of national experts selects the award winner, who receives a $4,000 stipend.
From 2005-2009, when Valencia participated in Achieving the Dream, Phelps served as project director. Achieving the Dream was a national, grant-funded initiative aimed at helping more community college students succeed – particularly those who have traditionally faced barriers to success, including low-income students and students of color.
Valencia’s Achieving the Dream work focused on identifying and closing achievement gaps across racial and ethnic groups, between college-ready and under-prepared students, and between student success in mathematics and other discipline courses.
As project director and professor of mathematics, Phelps’ work focused on three learning community strategies: supplemental instruction or cooperative learning inside and outside of class; the expansion of the Learning in Community (LinC) approach that brings faculty members and student support experts to work with students in double-class periods; and expanded course offerings focused on academic success and life lessons designed for community college students.
“We were very impressed with Julie Phelps’ ongoing work to give students at Valencia Community College a good start and help them meet the academic and social challenges of college,” said Patrick M. Callan, president of the National Center. “When we provide early support, particularly to at-risk students who are not college-ready, we can help ensure that they continue their education and make it to graduation.”
For the past 10 years, Phelps has studied ways to increase student engagement, learning, retention, and graduation among developmental education students. This research has provided her with strategies to strengthen student engagement and performance through peer mentoring in which a “role model” student demonstrates how to be a successful student both in and out of the classroom.
Valencia’s supplemental instruction focuses on high-risk courses, those with less than a 70 percent success rate, instead of high-risk students so that the students are not stigmatized. Since beginning in 2004, the supplemental instruction courses have grown from 10 sections to over 40 sections each term.
In her work with Achieving the Dream, Phelps has used data to understand how Valencia students experience college during their first year. She also has taught developmental mathematics as part of an intentional learning community by linking mathematics to a student success course. In this LinC program, two courses are taught back-to-back in the same classroom with two different faculty members and a success coach.
Phelps holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction, specializing in Community College from the University of Central Florida. Her dissertation, “Supplemental Instruction in a Community College Developmental Mathematics Curriculum: A Phenomenological Study of Learning Experiences,” focused supplemental instruction in developmental math by looking at the experiences of students in supplemental instruction courses at other Valencia campuses.
Valencia staff, students, and invited guests will dedicate a Law Enforcement Memorial at the Criminal Justice Institute (CJI) on Wednesday, August 18. The memorial was built and donated by Basic Law Enforcement Class 2010 after an exhaustive fund raiser.
Many public safety buildings and complexes around this country have installed law enforcement memorials. This memorial will honor the men and women in criminal justice that have made the ultimate sacrifice and serve as a daily reminder that many officers may have lost their lives in the line of duty, but they will never be forgotten.
Valencia’s memorial will be dedicated in honor of two officers who died recently on July 21. Although Officer Carl Smith from the Orlando Police Department and Deputy Craig Heber from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office died of natural causes, this ceremony serves as a reminder of their loyal and faithful service in law enforcement. Members from both families will attend this event to officially dedicate the memorial.
The ceremony will start in the CJI auditorium at 6 p.m. and will end at the unveiling of the stone monument just outside the auditorium entrance at 6:30 p.m. Numerous representatives from the local criminal justice community are expected to attend.
The mission of the Criminal Justice Institute (CJI) at Valencia Community College is to prepare criminal justice officers to protect and serve. The institute offers a world-class learning environment in its 77,000 square foot, state-of-the-art training facility.
The institute is certified by the Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission to deliver all Commission-approved curricula to law enforcement, correctional, and correctional probation officers in Florida. With primary responsibility for the criminal justice agencies in Orange County, the CJI is a regional training center that serves over 45 organizations; including state law enforcement agencies, Department of Corrections, Department of Juvenile Justice, numerous county, municipal, regional and international agencies.
Source: Lucy Boudet, Marketing and Strategic Communications
East Campus Greenhouse Serves as a Living Science Lab
Thanks to a new greenhouse on the East Campus, students enrolled in science courses including Biology I & II, Neotropical Biology, Ethnobotany, Environmental Science and Biological Science are now able to view physical examples of the plants they learn about in the classroom. Not only has this allowed for students to learn visually but in some cases by touch, smell and even taste.
The 30′ x 48′ x 15′ greenhouse is home to a worldwide collection of plants, representing more than 300 species from 83 families. By showcasing as many plant families as possible, the greenhouse helps students to see first-hand the great diversity that exists among plants.
There are many rare and unusual plants in the greenhouse, including carnivorous plants, orchids, tropical fruit trees, native plants and a large collection of ethno-botanicals. Ethnobotany is the study of how indigenous people use plants for food, shelter, medicine and material things like textiles, poisons and fuel.
“Students learn that there are many secrets to discover from shamanic wisdom and the powerful plants used,” said biology professor Steve Myers. “Perhaps the cure for cancer, AIDS, and other diseases lies within plants from rainforests and other wild places. Perhaps there will be plants out there we will use as a new fuel source or perhaps a new food source.”
The greenhouse also teaches lessons in environmentalism. To keep from expending unnecessary energy, the greenhouse uses an environmental control program that can automatically adjust heating and watering settings to keep them at the desired levels. Plans are also in the works to start composting the waste material from the greenhouse.
Some of the interesting plants within the greenhouse include:
Welwitschia mirabilis of the Namib Desert in southwest Africa This gymnosperm starts with only two strap-like leaves and never acquires any more. Carbon-14 tests show that Welwitschia can attain an age of 2,000 years old.
Titan Arum, Amorphophallus titanium Has the largest un-branched inflorescence (cluster of flowers arranged on a stem) in the world.
Jackfruit, Artocarpus heterophyllus Originating in the Western Ghats of India, this is the largest tree borne fruit in the world, attaining a maximum weight of 110 pounds.
Stylidium or the “Trigger Plant” Has a ‘trigger” that is composed of male and female reproductive organs that snaps forward when touched by an insect, covering the insect in pollen.
Hoodia gordonii Used by the San Bushmen in Kalahari Desert of southern Africa to suppress appetite when they are making long hunting trips.
Nepenthes, or tropical pitcher plants of Asia Carnivorous plants that trap insects and sometimes even small mammals in their pitcher, a deep cavity filled with liquid that dissolves the prey.
Miracle Fruit, Synsepalum dulcificum This African plant produces berries that when eaten will cause sour foods to taste sweet.
The Thunderstorm Orchid, Dendrobium crumenatum A unique orchid found in Malaysia that blooms shortly after a thunderstorm. The sudden drop in temperature and sudden inundation of water triggers dormant flower buds to bloom.
With classes beginning on Aug. 30, Valencia Community College’s fall term is quickly approaching – and so is the Application Priority Deadline, which is this Friday, Aug. 13.
New students are encouraged to submit their applications by this date in order to ensure that they complete the enrollment process in time to register for fall classes. Admissions information and the online application are available at http://valenciacc.edu/admissions/.
Aug. 13 is also the initial fee payment deadline for anyone who has already registered for classes. Those who do not pay their fees by this date will be dropped from their courses. Tuition for Florida residents is $91.73 per credit hour.
Valencia is expecting fall enrollment to be at an all-time high with courses filling up on a first-come, first-serve basis. For the best selection of courses, students are encouraged to register as soon as possible.
Courses are available at any of Valencia’s four campuses throughout Orange and Osceola counties, as well as at the newest location at Lake Nona High School. Many courses are also available online. A full listing of available courses can be found at http://net5.valenciacc.edu/schedule/.
Valencia offers three types of college degrees. The Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree prepares graduates to transfer to a four-year university as a junior. The Associate in Science (A.S.) and the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees prepare graduates for immediate entry into the workforce.
New offerings beginning this fall include an A.A. pre-major in Music Performance and a specialization in Digital Forensics and Cyber Security, available through the Computer Engineering Technology A.S. degree.
Source: Melissa Tchen, Marketing and Strategic Communications
There are plenty of middle and high school students who would have been perfectly content to spend their summers lounging by the pool or in front of the TV – then there were those who wanted to jam.
Those students found themselves right at home at the Rock and Roll Camp and Jazz Camp offered at Valencia Community College’s East Campus this summer.
Led by professional musicians and educators, both camps gave students a musical outlet where they could jam with each other, hone their talent and gain performance practice.
Jazz Camp Director, Jarritt Sheel, started the camp in 2008 as a way to reach out to students who were interested in jazz but needed more exposure to it.
“It’s an area that a lot of kids are interested in but they don’t hear that, they don’t see that at home because it’s not on TV – it’s not on MTV, it’s not on VH1,” said Sheel.
At the camp, students learn about jazz improvisation, history, theory and performance techniques through jazz clinics, jam sessions and faculty and student performances. The five-day camp costs $250.
The Rock and Roll Camp began in 1997 as an outreach to students who were taking guitar, bass, drum, keyboard or voice lessons already but wanted to collaborate with others to form bands and perform together.
The camp gives students a taste of the entire music process, from creating and rehearsing to performing. Activities include instrumental classes, band rehearsals, clinics and guest performers. At the end of camp, all students perform together in a final concert. The camp is offered in two sessions through the summer and costs $320 per week.
“You get to form bands and get to do what you really want to do, you know, what you’ve always dreamed of doing – you get to play up on stage, gigging and everything – it’s just totally awesome,” said Zack, a student at the Rock and Roll Camp.
Both Rock and Roll Camp and Jazz Camp have concluded this summer, but will be offered again next year. For more information, please visit www.valenciacc.edu/artsandentertainment/Camps.
The old adage that it’s not what you know, but who you know certainly is taking Orlando architect C.T. Hsu to some pretty interesting places.
The C.T. Hsu + Associates president traveled to Taiwan July 22-23 as part of a Florida delegation attending the second annual Florida-Taiwan Higher Education Conference.
Hsu was in good company, being part of a 14-member Florida delegation that included representatives from eight of the state’s universities and colleges.
Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou (center) meets with C.T. Hsu (seventh from the right) and the Florida delegation attending the second annual Florida-Taiwan Higher Education Conference.
A highlight of the trip, according to Hsu, was the delegation’s private meeting with Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou and Education Minister Wu Ching-ji at the presidential office in Taipei.
For Hsu, it was an opportunity to revisit an old friend he’s known for many years.
“I am very proud to have known President Ma since our junior high school days,” said Hsu. “He has shown remarkable leadership in his support of international education, and I believe he will continue to successfully lead Taiwan into a bright future.”
Ma has, in fact, done just that.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Education established the Taiwan-Florida Scholarship in 2010, providing $10 million for students from cooperating universities to apply for admission to universities in Florida.
Ma shared with the Florida delegation his personal experience of traveling to the United States for three months as a university exchange student and returning to the U.S. after graduation to continue his studies. International education and academic interaction can have a long-lasting impact on students, Ma said — something he hopes to foster through academic exchanges between Taiwan and Florida.
Valencia Welcomes Dr. Kathleen Plinske, New Provost of the Osceola Campus
On July 19, Dr. Kathleen Plinske began as Valencia Community College’s new provost of the Osceola Campus and Valencia at Lake Nona High School.
“I am truly delighted to have the opportunity to join Valencia,” said Plinske. “They’ve earned a national reputation for creating a learner-centered environment focused on student success, and it will be a privilege to provide leadership for the Osceola Campus.”
Prior to coming to Valencia, Plinske served in a number of positions at McHenry County College, a community college located in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago. During her nine-year tenure there she progressed rapidly into positions of greater leadership, serving as a coordinator, director, executive director, associate vice president, vice president, and ultimately as the interim president.
Her experience includes distance education, professional development, institutional research, marketing and public relations, and institutional effectiveness. She also served as a Spanish instructor, with experience teaching face-to-face, hybrid, and online courses.
A graduate of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Plinske attended Indiana University-Bloomington as a Herman B. Wells Scholar, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Physics with highest distinction and honors. She completed a master’s degree in Spanish from Roosevelt University, and a Doctorate in Educational Technology with honors from Pepperdine University.
Committed to advancing the community college mission, Plinske has published a number of articles in professional and peer-reviewed journals, and is frequently invited as a speaker at national and international conferences. She was selected as a community college leadership doctoral fellow by the University of San Diego and was recently recognized as one of 24 Emerging Leaders in the world by Phi Delta Kappa International.
In her role as a Valencia provost, Plinske will be responsible for providing academic, administrative and fiscal leadership for the Osceola Campus and the Valencia at Lake Nona High School site.
On Tuesday, Aug.10, Valencia Community College will host an open house at its newest location, Valencia at Lake Nona High School. The event will take place from 4-6 p.m. at 12500 Narcoossee Road in Orlando.
Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the facility, register for fall classes and meet with faculty, staff and Valencia’s president, Sandy Shugart.
For the past year, Valencia at Lake Nona High School has already been home to the Collegiate Academy at Lake Nona High School. This unique dual-enrollment program, created in partnership with Orange County Public Schools, enables enrollees to complete anywhere from one or two college-level courses to a full Associate in Arts degree while in high school.
This fall, the Lake Nona High School location will open its doors to all Valencia students, with courses beginning Aug. 30. Twelve different courses will be offered, including biology, chemistry, math, speech, English, humanities, student success and psychology. A full listing of available courses can be found at: http://net5.valenciacc.edu/schedule/.
Occupying its own building on the Lake Nona High School campus, Valencia will now be able to save many students who live in southeast Orange County and northern Osceola County from having to make a long drive, since the new location is about halfway between Valencia’s East and Osceola Campuses.
Students who attend classes here will have access to Valencia’s services, with advising, tutoring and a student lounge available on-site.
For more information about Valencia at Lake Nona High School or the Collegiate Academy at Lake Nona High School, please visit http://valenciacc.edu/lakenonahs/. For Open House information, call 407-956-8300 ext. 2401.
SOURCE: Valencia News, Marketing and Strategic Communications, 407-582-1778
Dr. James S. May, Professor of English as a Second Language, expresses his appreciation for the endowed chair process:
Every year in June, endowed chair recipients submit a form that quantifies how funds are utilized over the course of a year. Unfortunately, reports of this nature often fail to capture the depth and breadth of the impact endowed chairs have on students, faculty, and staff. Many of the most profound effects that endowed chairs have go unrecorded because, simply put, they are difficult to quantify. This post is an effort to qualify, rather than quantify, a few of these effects.
It is easy to quantify the purchase of Camtasia (screen-casting software) and the use of Jing and Screenjelly (Free Web 2.0 applications that allow students and other teachers to make screen-casted videos themselves), but how do I quantify the looks on my students’ faces when they first watch individualized feedback videos for essays they have written? Or when they Jing their own videos and tweet or facebook them to their friends? How do I quantify the looks on colleagues’ faces when I show them the possibilities that these new technologies offer?
It’s easy to quantify the purchase of Dragon Naturally Speaking (software which turns my voice to text), but how do I quantify the feelings of inclusion felt by a Deaf student watching a closed captioned YouTube instructional mash-up I have made? How do I quantify the feelings of inclusion felt by a soon-to-be mother home on bed rest who sits next to me “digitally” as we go over one of her papers on a digital/video conference call?
I can quantify the money I spend buying books or going to a conference for training and the purchase of software and hardware to improve materials for my students. I can list the tools and tricks: Adobe CS4, Soft Chalk, Flip Cameras, WordSmith, Camtasia, Snag It, Voice Thread, Word Clouds, SCORMS, Screencasts, Mashup Videos, etc… But how do I quantify the moment of realization when I tell a student, “No, you don’t have to buy a book for this class. Go ahead and put that money to better use. Your book is online and it is free, interactive, and embedded with audio and video”? How do I quantify the charge I get when I see the light bulb come on in the mind of a student because of something I am doing as a result of an endowed chair? Or when a colleague asks me, “Hey James, can you show me how you did that?” Or when lab staff asks, “Hey, can we use that, or will you come teach us that?”
Last year, I was privileged to receive the Maguire Family Teacher Endowed Chair. As a result, this fall I will pilot a free digital text for writing students, and the text includes embedded practice tests and quizzes. I will also be offering this content to others who wish to reduce the cost of texts for their students. During the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 academic years, I utilized funds from the Dr. P. Phillips Foundation Endowed Chair to bring learning leaders into EAP classrooms and to enhance student engagement opportunities through the use of Web 2.0 technologies. This year, as the recipient of the Jessie and Eugene Drey Endowment, I have the honor of continuing my work and exploring how vocabulary learning can be enhanced through the use of digital corpora. I would like to thank these families for helping me to do what I do, but the word “thanks” can’t really quantify my sincere appreciation for what these endowments do for teaching and learning. Even expressing the word “thanks” in the various languages of my students just doesn’t get it. So, in an effort to better qualify and give others a better feel for how endowed funds continue to cultivate the learning landscape for teachers and students, I have created a brief showcase to share some of the things endowed chairs have allowed me to do with my students.
The interactive word cloud above this post was created to give you a brief glimpse of how endowed chair funds have allowed me to turn static text into dynamic learning. So, take a moment and think back to your college days, remember those heavy, expensive, and considerably dense texts and then roll over the words in the cloud, click on them, and imagine how these new technologies are changing learning for students.
The Rogue Scholars is having a Rock N Roll Sing Along benefit concert for a Valencia Foundation scholarship (see scholarship details below).
PLEASE COME OUT AND SUPPORT CHARITY AS WELL AS ENJOY A GREAT SHOW!! Also, please invite your friends, family, and even people who are not your friends. Just tell random people on the street.
WHEN: Friday July 23 at 7:00 pm
WHERE: Valencia Community College Osceola Campus Building 2 Auditorium
DONATIONS: Tickets will be a $5 donation minimum each person at the door and there will be snacks and water for donations. (Sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa)
WHAT TO EXPECTED: A Rock N Roll live music sing along benefit concert for charity. The music is by the Rogue Scholars (Facebook: Rogue Scholars Band). It will be Rock N Roll through the decades including Elvis, Beatles, Aerosmith, Matchbox 20, and much more.
The Dewey-Bilyue Scholarship This Valencia Foundation scholarship is named in memory of Jane Dewey and Monty Bilyue. They both spent their professional lives in emergency healthcare services as a nurse and paramedic, respectively. Jane Dewey was a graduate of Valencia’s nursing program. When fully endowed, the Dewey-Bilyue scholarship will provide tuition assistance to students pursuing a degree or certification in nursing, EMT, or paramedic programs.
A Grateful Grad, by David Urena ’09, for VITAE Magazine, Summer/Fall 2010
Rejected. The one word that flashed across my mind after being denied acceptance into the University of Florida. I didn’t apply to any other colleges. UF had the best architecture program in the state, and I had placed all my hopes into getting in.
So after graduating from Lyman High School, when most of my friends went off to college, I stayed behind in Altamonte Springs. I transitioned from a part-time to full-time employee at Panera Bread, where I worked throughout high school. In a year’s time, I was promoted to middle management. Although the pay was very little for the workload I had, I stuck with it hoping an upper management position would open up. However, when new management came in, the restaurant underwent downsizing, and I was the first one out. Rejected again.
I was 19, hopeless and confused. I wondered what I would do next in life. Reluctant to give the workforce another try, I mustered just enough money and courage to take courses at Valencia Community College. Although I enrolled part-time, every class engaged my interests and challenged my curiosity. Along the way, I met fascinating classmates, worked a few great jobs, including a land development-drafting job, and was inspired by the best faculty and staff around. I want to especially acknowledge and thank a few people:
• Richard H. Weinsier, Director of the Math Support Center While working as a tutor in your Math Support Center, I met several fascinating people and made a new family in all of you.
• Leesa L. Sward, Professor of Biology and Environmental Science Your Biology of Human Sexuality course was both enlightening and entertaining.
• Thomas S. Zurosky, Professor of Chemistry Attending your Chemistry II course was like being in a laboratory and comedy club at the same time – not every chemistry student can say that!
• Areej Zufari, Professor of Humanities You were the only non-literature professor who took an intrinsic interest in my writing. The passion I hold for creative writing is still very strong, mainly due to your encouragement.
• James L. Chase, Professor of Economics You are the first Renaissance man I have ever met, and I was fortunate enough to be your student.
• Merton A. Hollister, Professor of Physics You are a brilliant thinker who challenged me, through the instrument of Physics, to view the world in different perspectives.
• Chris D. Borglum, Professor of English You infused an appreciation for literature I would not have had if it were not for your zealous instruction.
• Richard L. Russell, Professor of Mathematics I followed you through seven different mathematics courses, including a sit-in for self-enrichment! I am minoring in mathematics, in large part, due to your impact on my mathematical interests.
• James D. Lang, Professor of Mathematics Your calm, collected teachings resonated strongly in my mathematical reasoning and, for that, I have a firm understanding of multivariable calculus today.
• Patsy G. Buckley, Professor of Student Success You played an important role in my transition from a good high school student to a great college student through the very first course I took at Valencia: Student Success.
Eventually, I found enough courage and hope to reapply to the University of Florida. This time, I was accepted into a program I was more passionate about: civil engineering.
I hope my story can be one of many that will help and inspire anyone who got rejected and felt like giving up.
Again, my warmest thanks go to those mentioned above for making Valencia a better place to start.
Marlene Petty-Geis retired in 1999 as the Employment Manager in Human Resources after 30 years of service at Valencia.
“Hard to believe that it has been 10+ years!
I have taken several trips with my brothers and their wives. All four brothers still spoil their sister! I traveled to NYC with friends for shopping and the theatre, have taken several cruises and went to Italy with my daughter, Twighla, and her family, traveling to Venice, Tuscany, Florence and Rome. What a wonderful trip! I took a trip to Atlanta and Virginia to visit with friends in June. Keeping my bags packed just in case another trip comes along!
I have delighted in seeing two of my grandchildren get married this past year, and my granddaughter Trisha receiving her Master’s degree and buying her first condo.
I serve on the Retiree Connection Committee and volunteer at ORMC two days a week. I love being a part of giving back to the community. I am so blessed!”
Dr. Carole Law Trachy retired from Valencia as a Professor of Humanities on the West Campus in 1995 after 18 years of service. She is enjoying her retirement and is excited to have become a great-grandmother in August 2009!
Valencia Retiree Connection
Annual Luncheon
Lunch, Program & Networking! Thursday, October 14, 2010 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Valencia West Campus Special Events Center, Bldg. 8 1800 South Kirkman Road, Orlando, FL 32811
(Reprinted from In The Mix, Summer/Fall 2010 VITAE Magazine Issue 6)
Annual Florida Playwrights Competition open for new plays!
The Valencia East Campus theater program is accepting plays from Florida playwrights for its annual Florida Playwrights Competition which has been held every year since 1991. Scripts must be original, previously unproduced, full-length plays (scripts that have received staged readings may be submitted). Collaborations are eligible, but children’s plays, musicals and adaptations are not. Deadline for entries is October 15, 2010.
The winning play will be announced in early December and be staged in April 2011, as part of Valencia’s regular subscription series. The playwright will be invited to develop and workshop the play beginning in January, and will receive a stipend to cover travel and other expenses related to the production.
Electronic submission of manuscripts is requested. Playwrights residing in Florida are invited to send the first 15 pages of no more than two scripts each to Valencia’s Artistic Director, Julia Gagne, at jgagne@valenciacc.edu .
Valencia Partners with TSA to Provide Security Officers with Training and a Path Toward a Degree
Valencia Community College has been contracted to participate in the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) training program, which offers educational opportunities to Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) already employed by the agency.
“Valencia is looking forward to launching this important partnership with TSA to train critical front-line personnel so vital to national security,” said Gaby Hawat, Valencia’s special assistant to the president for strategic initiatives and executive dean for economic development.
Valencia will deliver TSA training courses on-site at the Orlando International Airport. The college is one of 32 selected to partner with airports throughout the United States – and is the only partner in Florida.
The TSA is responsible for security checkpoints at all U.S. airports, with OIA being one of the busiest. In 2009, the airport saw more than 33 million travelers, with a record-breaking total of 2,977,920 of them traveling internationally.
TSOs who complete the training program will receive a TSA Certificate of Achievement. They will also receive college credits for the training courses, which they will be encouraged to apply toward an associate degree from Valencia.
Global Corporate College, which is contracted to work with the TSA Educational Programs and Partnerships Office, will help Valencia implement the training program and possibly to develop a homeland security associate degree program eventually as well.
The first training course that will be offered is Introduction to Homeland Security, which will start fall 2010.
Valencia faculty Jamy Chulak shares how students pay it forward at HOSA event
I have to admit, “What’s a HOSA?” was among the first questions that came to mind after discussing the possibility of partnering with the AARC at Disney’s Coronado Springs for the 2010 HOSA Conference. It didn’t take long to find HOSA online and discover this national leadership conference is 100% healthcare oriented. What a great venue to discuss the profession of Respiratory Care to prospective candidates and who better to discuss their own stories about choosing our field then students from Valencia Community College’s 2010 graduating class.
It became apparent that caliber of high school student, dedicated to the healthcare career choice in front of them, was exactly who we should be speaking to regarding the future of our profession. This national conference brought students to Orlando from all areas of the country. The curiosity, compassion, and possibility of a profession in healthcare lingered on the hopes and dreams of each student who passed the AARC booth. Most discussions began with questions from our Valencia students such as, “Have you heard of Respiratory Care?” This was usually followed by a positive acknowledgment and recital of the respiratory system, which then required some clarification, “Have you heard of the Respiratory Care Profession?” Many of these high school students demonstrated resolve in their understanding in our profession and yet a commitment to other health science professions such as Nursing, EMT/Paramedic, and Dental Hygiene. WHAT?
This highlights the challenge we have in our profession. The brightest and most dedicated student, interested in healthcare, still has reservations, already made a choice or a lack of understanding of what we do. It is not all lost. The AARC booth was among the busiest and most interactive booths at the conference. Our primary competition came from the U.S. Army military tent (HUGE), which housed a Laerdal Simman, push-up/pull-up challenge, and recruiters in uniform. We countered with our own transport ventilator delightfully attached to an actual pig lung demonstrating the “power of positive pressure”. I do not know if this mystified the career minded students but it certainly grossed them out a bit, but in a good way. They all loved it! This attracted counselors, instructors, students and other vendors whose curiosity eventually won them over.
Beyond the lung lay informational material provided for each participant but they suddenly found themselves being assessed by our students. Breath sounds were hard to come by but everybody wanted to have their oxygen saturation checked out with eager anticipation to explain away any fatigue rendered by the excitement of the days in conference. We used a portable SpO2 monitor, which traveled throughout the vendor hall with a pair of Valencia students and a bedside monitor at our booth. Needless to say, many of these students were at or near 100%.
The crowds gathered as student, instructor, and counselors alike tested themselves by attempting to place an advanced airway at our intubation station. The students were eager and excited to have the opportunity to intubate. Instructors were revisiting their days in the community when they had to call out “RESPIRATORY!” when an airway emergency arose. The advisors were simply stunned that we, Respiratory Care, do this sort of thing. We reminded them all, for comfort, “You cannot hurt this manikin—take a stab at it.” Each Valencia student provided a little instruction, support, and feedback and the participants were intrigued. Many intubated well, some right main stem, and a few esophageal placements but that did not deter the participants. It was common to have participants dragged to our booth by a previous visitor. It was an exciting day for all of us.
We had a wonderful time at this leadership conference. This HOSA conference was an excellent display of where our future healthcare workers can be reminded of the Respiratory Care profession as a critical and significant option to meet the future challenges within our healthcare population.
Valencia Student Nursing Association (VNSA) organized a bone marrow registry drive in partnership with Kids Beating Cancer, an associate of the National Marrow Donor Program.
Striving to be more than a social group, the Valencia Student Nursing Association (VNSA) organized a bone marrow registry drive, in hopes that even one match could save a life. Partnering with Kids Beating Cancer, an associate of the National Marrow Donor Program, the drive took place July 1, on Valencia’s West Campus.
With four quick swabs of the cheek, genetic material is collected, analyzed and entered into a nation- wide database that runs searches 6,000 times a day, in hopes of making a match.
John Kennedy, vice president of the VSNA was inspired to run a bone marrow drive after attending a national student nursing conference. Kennedy heard of a bone marrow drive at Villanova University which, resulted in three donors being matched including an 18-month old child.
“People associate bone marrow with 12 inch needles and lots of pain,” said Kennedy. “It’s just not like that anymore. All it takes is a couple seconds to save someone’s life.”
The bone marrow drive at Valencia registered 116 people to be potential donors. Their information will stay in the registry until the age of 61. Anytime there is a match, the potential donor is contacted and screened to determine if they are a good match for the patient.
Bone marrow transplants are a common treatment for leukemia and other cancers that manifest in the marrow. 75 percent of those who will need a transplant will not find a donor in their family. Some never make it off the transplant list succumbing to their illness before finding a donor.
The Valencia Student Nursing Association plans on running more bone marrow drives in the upcoming semesters, and hopefully extending the drive to all Valencia campuses.
Kim Do was the president of the Alpha Phi Zeta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and has been recognized for her academic excellence, community service and student leadership.
Dream big and have courage to take on big roles. Do not pass on an opportunity to be a leader in your school or community. -Kim Do, 2009-10 Distinguished Graduate
Academic excellence, community service and student leadership have earned Kim Do the honor of being named the 2009-10 Distinguished Graduate by the Valencia Alumni Association.
Born in Vietnam, Kim moved to the United States with her family when she was just nine years old. While her father had his own business back home, he gave it up and took a minimum-wage position here in order to provide Kim and her younger sister the opportunity for a U.S. education. His efforts were not in vain.
Kim quickly adapted to her new life, overcoming culture shock and learning a new language in order to make friends and succeed in school. Now, as a graduating Valencia student, she holds a 3.64 GPA and has earned a reputation for her involvement around campus and within the community.
As president of the Alpha Phi Zeta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society on the Osceola Campus, Kim wanted to inspire other students to become active as well. To increase membership, Kim promoted the group, hosted orientations for new members and developed a rewards program for participation. Under her leadership, the group’s number of active members has nearly tripled.
“Kim really wanted to improve the chapter and make a difference in our college and community,” said Albert Groccia, mathematics professor and PTK advisor. “She really believes that phi Theta Kappa is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn how to communicate, become leaders and help the community.”
Through PTK, Kim has led many community service initiatives. She has helped to organize bake sales, car washes and cookouts to raise funds for Relay for Life, and has volunteered with several organizations, including BASE Camp Children’s Cancer Foundation, Give Kids the World, Second Harvest Food Bank and Florida’s Nature Conservancy.
“It’s important for me to give back,” Kim said. “Because I have been given opportunity, I want to pass that on. It’s almost like a rent you pay – giving back to those around you and to the community.”
During her time at Valencia, Kim has also served as the parliamentarian for Phi Theta Kappa, as the treasurer for the Student Government Association, and as historian for the Honors Student Advisory Committee. She has been named to Valencia Dean’s List, the National Dean’s List and the 2008-09 All Florida Academic Team. She is the recipient of Phi Theta Kappa’s High Star Achiever Award and was nominated for 2009′s Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.
Kim graduates from Valencia with an Associate in Arts degree focused in biology. She plans to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry and is currently awaiting admission to University of Notre Dame, University of Central Florida and Florida State University. Kim’s ultimate goal is to become a plastic surgeon so that she can help children with birth defects.
As she leaves Valencia, Kim continues to encourage other students to get involved.
(Reprinted from Association Update, Summer/Fall 2010 VITAE Magazine Issue 6)
If you're considering a major gift to the Valencia Foundation or planning your end-of-year gift, a gift of public company stock to charity provides two major benefits. First, there is a charitable deduction for the value of the stock. Second, the charity does not pay tax on the sale of the stock and you, therefore, bypass the capital gain.
What will the market do this year? Perhaps the best answer is, “It will go up and down.” Stock returns vary to a significant degree each year. However, long-term stock returns have been reasonably substantial.
Between 1990 and 2010, the average stock return was about 6%. While there was a very substantial increase during 1990-2000 and decreases during 2002 and 2008, the total return over two decades was approximately 6%.
Longer holding periods have generally resulted in higher total returns. The total stock return for seven decades between 1940 and 2010 was in excess of 10%. Returns for long periods of time have paralleled this amount.
You can select to support education in our community! Because many stocks have increased in value over time, you may hold stocks with substantial appreciation. If you’re considering a major gift or end-of-year gift, a gift of public company stock to support education through the Valencia Foundation provides two major benefits. First, there is a charitable deduction for the value of the stock. Second, the charity does not pay tax on the sale of the stock and you, therefore, bypass the capital gain.
Two fairly common reasons for making a substantial gift of stock are that you may have sold an appreciated asset with a large capital gain or you have good income. If you have a large gain or substantial income, you may want to offset that gain or income with a charitable deduction through a gift of stock. Because you receive both the charitable deduction and a bypass of capital gains tax, there is a double benefit for your gift of stock.
How to Make a Stock Gift
If you would like to make a gift of stock to support students through the Valencia Foundation, please call 407/582-3150 for assistance or to have your questions answered about this process.
Most stock is held in an account at a brokerage firm. Relatively few people now wish to hold the actual certificates in their safety deposit box. If you hold actual certificates, you may mail the certificate and a signed stock power in separate envelopes to the charity. Because most stock is held by the brokerage firm, the stock is transferred directly from the account at the brokerage firm to an account for the charity.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the committee for accepting my application and reviewing my information. I am truly honored to
be chosen for the Ella B. Sadler scholarship.
I must say that being older does have its perks and for me that is the appreciation of education. I am 100% dedicated and motivated in making this process a success. As previously stated I think with the foundation’s guidance and education that Valencia provides, I will be able to continue to motivate and dedicate myself to accomplishing the goals I have set.
It’s a great pleasure and privilege to be a part of the Valencia Community College family.
Darryl P., Nursing
2009/10 Foundation Scholarship Recipient
If you have already included Valencia Foundation in your estate plan, please contact the foundation at (407) 582-3128 to become a part of the Valencia Legacy Society.
Valencia Legacy Society
There are other ways to support Valencia, create student scholarships, and enhance education in our community. By naming Valencia Community College Foundation as a beneficiary through a will or amending a will with a codicil, you can make a commitment in support of education through your future donation!
Your generosity matters to students now and in the future. Consider the words of the Honorable Charles D. Gill “There are many wonderful things that will never be done if you do not do them.”
If you have already included Valencia Foundation in your estate plan, please contact the foundation at (407) 582-3128 to become a part of the Valencia Legacy Society.
Faculty from Valencia Community College attended the Kroc Institute's second annual Summer Institute, "Teaching Peace in the 21st Century."
More than 60 faculty from 19 colleges/universities including Valencia Community College attended the Kroc Institute’s second annual Summer Institute for Faculty, “Teaching Peace in the 21st Century.”
The weeklong institute was created in response to growing interest in peace studies at the college and university level. Participants come from institutions in the United States, Colombia, and Israel.
Valencia Faculty stated the institute provided an opportunity to learn about Peace Studies and its 50 year history of credible contribution to academia. Professor Rachel Allen noted: “The faculty at Kroc Institute were extremely generous with their time, meeting with our four faculty members to help design and develop our program. Professors Yasmeen Qadri, Penny Villegas, and Paul Chapman will bring these teachings home to promote the Peace and Justice Initiative as well develop our own Peace Studies curriculum at the college. We are very grateful to everyone at Kroc for providing such an awesome experience!”
The Summer Institute was created to guide teams of faculty seeking to launch or expand peace studies programs. George A. Lopez, an internationally recognized authority on peace studies program development, led the Institute, along with about a dozen faculty and staff from the Kroc Institute.
About 400 colleges and universities around the world offer peace studies programs at the undergraduate level. The Kroc Institute is unique in higher education for its combination of a substantive research agenda and degree programs at all levels — doctoral, master’s, and undergraduate. The Kroc Institute’s nearly 25 year history and faculty who are pioneers in the field position Kroc to help academic institutions with peace studies programs at every stage of development.
Mikhail Elliott, a 21-year-old student from Valencia’s West Campus, has been selected to receive the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship for up to $30,000 a year for three years.
The highly competitive scholarship is awarded to the nation’s top community college students who have financial need. It is intended to cover a significant share of educational expenses for the final two to three years necessary to achieve a bachelor’s degree – including tuition, living expenses, books and required fees.
Elliott is one of 40 scholars selected this year to receive the award, out of a pool of hundreds of applicants from 17 different states.
Elliott graduated from Valencia on May 8, receiving his Associate in Arts degree. He is still weighing his options about where to transfer, but is considering the University of Tampa. He plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in economics, with a focus in labor economics so that he can one day help to curb the financial problems in his native country of Jamaica.
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a private foundation dedicated to helping young people of exceptional promise reach their full potential through education. The Foundation’s Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is the largest private scholarship for two-year and community college transfer students in the country.
A report just published by Community College Week shows that Valencia Community College awards more associate degrees than any other two-year school in the nation. Valencia also leads the way in the number of associate degrees awarded to minorities, an 18 percent increase from the year before.
The report, published in June 2010, was compiled using data from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics and focused on degrees conferred during the 2008-2009 academic year. In that year, Valencia awarded 5,128 associate degrees, including 1,956 earned by minority students.
“Valencia’s focus on improving student success, particularly in the critical first year of college, is paying off,” said Valencia president Sanford C. Shugart. “The rankings also underscore the role Valencia plays as the primary entry point to a college education in our region.”
Aside from overall associate degrees conferred, Valencia ranked high across a number of academic disciplines: first in the number of degrees awarded in general studies, 10th in nursing and 15th in engineering technology.
Valencia offers three types of degrees: the Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.) and the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree. The A.A. degree parallels the first two years of a four-year bachelor’s degree. In Florida, graduates with an A.A. degree are guaranteed acceptance as juniors into the state university system. Valencia also offers more than 100 A.S., A.A.S. and certificate programs, which lead to immediate entry into the workforce.
Today there are approximately 1,200 community colleges in the United States.
SOURCE: Valencia News, June 18, 2010, Marketing and Strategic Communications, 407-582-1015
Don’t wait to sign up for an incredible day on the links. AIA’s annual golf outing continues to prove itself successful as an excellent opportunity for strengthening professional relationships within the architectural industry. Additionally, each year’s tournament promises to provide all participants with an opportunity to contribute to the local community by raising scholarship funds for students in financial need. With a portion of the proceeds benefitingValencia Foundation’s American Institute of Architects Scholarship, the AIA has raised $139,500 in scholarships since 2002.
When: Friday, June 25, 2010
Where: The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, 4012 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando, Florida 32837
Additional Info: 8:30 a.m. shotgun start – scramble format. Individual spots for AIA members are $150, non-members are $175. There are also a number of sponsorship opportunities available. Feature your company by becoming a hole sponsor for only $600 or be recognized as a friend of AIA and Valencia for $300.
For additional information, contact Karen Jones with AIA Orlando at 407.898.7006 or karen@aiaorlando.com or Anissa Alvarez with Valencia Foundation at 407.582.3153 or aalvarez35@valenciacc.edu.
Valencia educators are encouraged to remain current and continually improve discipline knowledge. With these endowed chairs, our faculty are given the opportunity to examine the effectiveness of their teaching, counseling, librarianship and assessment techniques as they influence student learning.
Congratulations to the following Distinguished Professors and Scholars, who have been awarded a 2010-11 Valencia Foundation Endowed Chair for Learning Leadership.
Distinguished Professors
Fitzroy Farquharson: Lockheed MartinChair in Mathematics Richard Gair: Abe and Tess Wise Endowed Chair in the Study of the Shoah
Deymond Hoyte: Bank of America Chair in Business Management Ilyse Kusnetz: Sue Luzadder Chair in Communications Yasmeen Qadri: Patricia Havill Whalen Chair in Social Sciences Richard Sansone: Howard L. Palmer Chair in Foreign Languages Russell Takashima: Raymer F. Maguire Jr. Chair in Mathematics Rachel Waite: University Club of Orlando Chair in Humanities Distinguished Scholars
Colin Archibald: SunGard Endowed Teaching Chair in Computer Science Ralph Clemente: Walt Disney World Chair in Film Technology Debbie Garrison / Susan Dauer: Maguire Family Teacher Endowed Chair Carin Gordon: Cliff and Daisy Whitehill Chair in Legal Studies Deidre Holmes DuBois: Raymer F. Maguire Jr. Endowed Chair in Communications Jim Inglis: Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association Chair in Hospitality Management Lisa Macon: Dr. P. Phillips Foundation Chair in Education in Free Enterprise James May: Jessie and Eugene Drey Endowment of the English-Speaking Union/Central Florida Branch Chair in English and Humanities Robert McCaffrey: University Club of Orlando Chair in Advanced Computer Technology Pierre Pilloud: Central Florida Restaurant Association Chair in Restaurant and Food Management Suzanne Salapa: Universal Orlando Chair in Arts and Entertainment
Many thanks to the dedicated individual and corporate partners who have created and supported the endowed chair program. Valencia Community College and our students benefit from the kindness of philanthropic individuals, corporations and organizations that are deeply rooted in our community.
Valencia’s Juneteenth Celebration to Provide a Musical Journey Through African American History.
On Tuesday, June 29, 2010 Valencia Community College will celebrate Juneteenth in conjunction with Black Music Month by hosting the musical event, From Spirituals to Soul, performed by the Jones High School Alumni Band.The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with food and a reception, followed by the musical program at 7 p.m. It will be held on Valencia’s West Campus, located at 1800 S. Kirkman Road in Orlando, in the Special Events Center (Building 8).
This narrated program will take listeners on a musical journey through African American history, starting with the spirituals from the times of slavery and moving through gospel, deep river, swing, jazz, rhythm and blues, and soul.
Celebrating some of the greatest African American contributions to music, the program will include the works of legends such as Thomas Dorsey, W.C. Handy, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Martha Williams at 407-582-8090 or
Big Fan, 2008, 40 in X 40 in, wire, string, cotton fabric
The Anita S. Wooten Gallery at Valencia Community College East Campus will host Recycled, Wrapped and Sewn, works by Courtney Puckett, an emerging artist from New York.
An opening reception will be held on June 18, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., with an artist lecture at 7:30 p.m. This exhibit will run until July 30. The opening reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.
Gallery hours are: Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. The gallery is located at 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando, FL 32825.
Don’t wait to sign up for an incredible day on the links. AIA’s annual golf outing continues to prove itself successful as an excellent opportunity for strengthening professional relationships within the architectural industry. Additionally, each year’s tournament promises to provide all participants with an opportunity to contribute to the local community by raising scholarship funds for students in financial need. With a portion of the proceeds benefitingValencia Foundation’s American Institute of Architects Scholarship, the AIA has raised $139,500 in scholarships since 2002.
When: Friday, June 25, 2010
Where: The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, 4012 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando, Florida 32837
Additional Info: 8:30 a.m. shotgun start – scramble format. Individual spots for AIA members are $150, non-members are $175. There are also a number of sponsorship opportunities available. Feature your company by becoming a hole sponsor for only $600 or be recognized as a friend of AIA and Valencia for $300.
For additional information, contact Karen Jones with AIA Orlando at 407.898.7006 or karen@aiaorlando.com or Anissa Alvarez with Valencia Foundation at 407.582.3153 or aalvarez35@valenciacc.edu.
Special thanks to Jess Bails for his continued philanthropy to Valencia and our community as a whole!
When Jess Bailes speaks, people listen – and emulate his philanthropy. A Valencia alumnus and active board member of the foundation since 1996, his family’s contributions to Valencia include endowments of more than $350,000 cash and $400,000 in in-kind donations to Valencia Foundation.
Jess is executive vice president of ABC Fine Wine and Spirits and through his lead, ABC provides support for Valencia’s annual golf tournaments, fundraisers, The President’s Circle receptions, donor recognition galas and A Taste for Learning.
Currently, Jess serves as secretary for Valencia Foundation’s board of directors. Jess was a charter donor for The President’s Circle and he has served as treasurer and executive committee member for the foundation’s board of directors. In 2004, he was named board member of the year. And for service to Valencia and Valencia Foundation, ABC Fine Wine and Spirits was named “2005 Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation” by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).
At the helm of A Taste for Learning since the inception in 2005, Bailes and his team at ABC continue to make the event an unprecedented success. His idea of sponsorship is definitely a welcome extravagance – bringing together vintners and hundreds of bottles of wine, as well as donating silent auction items. Through his charge, ABC also supplies signage, promotional advertising and on-hand event support – all are given generously and in true commitment to the mission of the foundation.
Jess also leverages his corporate credibility and relationships to ensure that one hundred percent of every dollar given for tickets, auction items and sponsorships goes directly to scholarships. Through his leadership, more than $1.65 million has been generated for scholarships at all Taste events. More importantly, these events have brought the foundation new publicity, new partnerships, an expanded donor base and the opportunity for a college education for students in need.
Jess Bailes and the ABC staff are humble and matter-of-fact about their commitment to service and philanthropy. His servant leadership has earned him the respect of Valencia and our community.
Visit the Valencia Foundation page online at: www.facebook.com/MyValenciaFoundation
It may be awhile before Valencia Community College’s Facebook page has a following like that of Texas A&M, the largest among universities with 169,857 people. But as everyone knows communication has moved into Facebook and Twitter and YouTube. Valencia has joined the stream in a big way. More than 16 official Facebook pages have recently launched, encouraging students and faculty to interact by interest areas such as academic majors or the college’s main Facebook page www.facebook.com/myvalencia.
Valencia has more than 60,000 students among five locations and will soon add a sixth near Lake Nona. With annual enrollment growing at approximately 10 percent, communication is an increasing challenge. Student Affairs provides an Answer Center on each campus and sends frequent e-mails and notices through the college’s Intranet portal, called Atlas, to keep students informed about key dates and information they must know.
Valencia professors have adopted Facebook, Twitter and other social media as a natural extension of communication with students. Research shows that engagement with professors is a strong indicator of success in college—especially during the first year. Lisa Macon, President of the College-wide Faculty Association and Chair of the Faculty Council, is very active in social media.
Dr. Macon maintains four Facebook pages, including a new one where she posts tips on current topics in information technology, a subject she teaches at Valencia. “Providing students with an open forum for asking questions will allow for a quicker response time by just the right person at Valencia, without the student’s email being forwarded through various offices,” she said. “We know that students prefer to learn about upcoming activities and events on campus via social media.”
Make plans now to take part in the 21st annual AIA (American Institute of Architects) Orlando golf tournament on Friday, June 25 at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando, Grande Lakes. Proceeds benefit AIA Orlando and Valencia Foundation.
For more information, click here to see the brochure.
Thought leaders from government, academia and business–including Valencia President Sandy Shugart– called for an improvement in college completion rates. At stake, they said, is Americans’ ability to remain competitive in a global economy.
Thought leaders from the government, academia and business today called for an improvement in college completion rates. At stake, they said, is Americans’ ability to remain competitive in a global economy.
The statistics are grim: Only about 56 percent of students enrolling at four-year colleges in America today graduate within six years. For Hispanic students, that figure is 49 percent, and for black students, it’s 42 percent. At community colleges, fewer than 30 percent of those who start as full-time students graduate with an associate’s degree in three years.
“We need to do more in the area of college completion,” Robert Shireman, deputy undersecretary for the Education Department, said at a National Journal LIVE forum on Capitol Hill this morning. Shireman, a veteran of higher education, oversees the department’s effort to help Americans pay for college and develop strategies to increase college completion, among other initiatives.
Some critics argue that abysmal graduation rates are reflections of a system designed for mass production, not creating learned people. “There is no rationale for having lecture sections with a thousand people,” said Sandy Shugart, president of Valencia Community College in Orlando, Fla. Instead, Shugart argued, college leaders need to rethink the value of students. They’re “unique human beings,” not “raw material,” he said.
Another part of the problem is disagreement over the data. There is no consensus over how best to measure college completion rates. The most widely used formula in four-year colleges is the percentage of full-time students who graduate within six years. Higher education stakeholders, however, are vexed by how to capture difficult variables such as transfer students.
Still, “bad data is no excuse not to do better,” said Hilary Pennington, director of education, post-secondary success and special initiatives at the Gates Foundation. David Leonhardt, a business columnist for the New York Times, also posited that flawed measurements should not allow leaders to ignore the problem.
Kevin Carey, policy director at the Education Sector and an expert on higher education, argued that the urgency surrounding the college completion problem needs to be greater. Education Secretary Arne Duncan talks about the high school dropout crisis all the time, Carey said, but the dropout crisis facing higher education doesn’t get the same attention.
Leaders of post-secondary institutions, nonprofits and the private sector are experimenting with ways to address the retention problem.
Early college credit is one approach. In several hundred high schools around the country, students have the opportunity to simultaneously complete high school and earn post-secondary credit; they can earn an associate’s degree or work two years toward a bachelor’s tuition-free.
Starfish Retention Solutions of Arlington, Va., sells software to help mitigate the dropout phenomenon. The software purports to help identify at-risk students in real time and connect those students to support resources by drawing information from an institution’s student management system.
One of the most powerful solutions, Shireman suggested, is very simple: paying attention. Colleges need to monitor whether students are coming back for the second semester, or the second year, and take follow-up action, he added.
However, Shireman won’t be leading the administration’s college completion initiatives much longer. He’ll be returning to California this summer, and James Kvaal, who currently works at the White House National Economic Council, will take his place.
When the administration announced on May 18 that Shireman would be leaving, Wall Street responded. Stocks of 10 publicly traded higher education companies rose between 1 percent and 13 percent, with analysts speculating that Shireman’s departure might be beneficial for the higher education’s private sector.
“I thought that leaving would help spur the economy,” joked Shireman.
Almost, Maine: performances June 10-13 & June 17-20, Thursdays - Saturdays @ 7:30 p.m.; Sundays @ 2 p.m.
The Valencia Character Company will present the John Cariani comedy, “Almost, Maine” as their final production of the season. Performances will be held June 10-13 and June 17-20, Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 p.m..
In the town of Almost, Maine, residents find themselves falling in and out of love in very unexpected and often hilarious ways, and as the Northern Lights appear in the sky, magical happenings abound. The play has been produced hundreds of times in theaters all across the country, as well as internationally, and has had many sold-out runs along the way. Valencia Artistic Director Julia Gagne directs the cast of Valencia theater students.
All performances will be in the the Black Box Theater on Valencia’s East Campus, 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando. Ticket prices are $8 general admission and $6 for students, seniors, Valencia staff and alumni. Seating is limited in the Black Box, and a number of performances this season have sold out, so advance ticket purchase is advised, and latecomers may not be seated until intermission. To purchase tickets and for further information, please call the box office at 407-582-2900; tickets are also available online at www.redchairproject.com
The Valencia Community College Security Department came across this article and wanted to share with the Valencia community. Remember an ounce of prevention will help alert everyone to the simple dangers we all face but never take into consideration while enjoying the sun, water and outdoor grilling. The American College of Emergency Physicians has put together the top five tips that you and your family should follow in order to stay safe and healthy over the holiday weekend.
Tip 1: Food Safety – To avoid food poisoning, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture recommends cooking fresh poultry to 165 degrees, hamburgers to 160 degrees and beef to at least 145 degrees. Refrigerate all perishable food within 2 hours, I hour if the temperature outside is above 90 degrees. To guard against cross-contamination of bacteria, keep uncooked meats away from other foods.
Tip 2: Grill Safety – Emergency physicians see firsthand the dangers associated with an outdoor grill. Consumers should thoroughly clean a grill of any grease or dust. Check the tubes leading into the burner for any blockages from insects or food grease that can cause an uncontrolled fire. Replace any connectors which can lead to a gas leak and keep lighted cigarettes, matches or open flames away from a leaking grill. Do not use a grill in a garage, breezeway, carport and porch or near any surface that can catch fire. Also, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions that accompany the grill.
Tip 3: Water Safety – To prevent drowning, avoid alcohol when swimming or boating. Wear a lifejacket whenever you are on a boat. Make sure young children are supervised at all times when near the beach, on a boat, or by a pool or hot tub. Don’t swim alone or in bad weather. Learn to swim and teach your children to swim. We also recommend that you learn CPR in case of an emergency.
Tip 4: Sun Safety – Protect against sunburn and heat stroke. Wear sunscreen with at least an SPF of 15 or higher and apply it generously throughout the day. Wear a hat outdoors and a good pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes. Drink plenty of water, especially when in the sun or if you are sweating heavily. If you feel faint or nauseous, get into a cool place immediately.
Tip 5: Travel Safety – Do not drink and drive or travel with anyone who has been drinking. Wear your seatbelt at all times. Make sure your vehicle has been properly serviced and is in good working shape before a long road trip. Familiarize yourself with your surroundings if you are in an unfamiliar place and know where the nearest emergency room is to you at all times in case of an emergency.
“Many of the factors that will determine your safety over Memorial Day weekend or any time this summer will come down to good decision-making and common sense,” said Dr. Gardner. “As someone who sees the consequences up close, my best advice is, know your limits, be mindful of certain risks and stay smart.”
Source: The Bulletin, Valencia Community College, Vol. XXXIX, No. 20, May 24, 2010
Releasing his newest CD “Distances We Keep,” Valencia President Sandy Shugart will be performing at the Garden... http://t.co/5HDndzAA2 weeks ago
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer proclaimed January 9, as Valencia College Day in the City of Orlando. Valencia Alumni... http://t.co/8hhIStQO2 weeks ago
@theeCODYTAYLOR You have a point. Thank goodness crazy peeps did not hurt anyone. Campus security caught it quickly. Glad you are on campus! 2 weeks ago
Valencia College students: How was your day back? 2 weeks ago
We look forward to having you on campus!! RT @utrend: @valenciagiving Hello! I hope to be attending your school starting this summer :-) 2 weeks ago
Congratulations to all of our Valencia Culinary and Pastry Students who participated in the ACF State Competition this year at the Restaurant and Lodging Show (September 12-14). Valencia was well represented and we are proud of everyone! Thank you to all of the Chef’s that helped coach our students and let them shine!
valencia foundation blog
geraldine gallagher
JillW
Foundation Team
C. Cofield
